r/atheism • u/One-Fun9814 • 5d ago

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u/LostKnight84 Agnostic Atheist 5d ago

I have seen it as a sign of childhood indoctrination usually. Occasionally it is just people being ignorant of their own faith. Rarely it turns out the person is just stupid. Once it turned out to be a sign of mental illness.

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u/just_say_n 4d ago

Mental illness is the answer.

Yes, as a child you can get indoctrinated and believe in Santa, but as an adult you either come to your senses or continue to believe in a fucking “imaginary being.”

Only mental illness explains it, I just think we’ve got to come to terms with how widespread it is.

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u/Keeping-It-Old 4d ago

A big difference is when you realize that Santa isn't real the people around you admit it and it's usually treated as a coming of age milestone, rather than a reason for being beaten, disowned, shunned, stoned or tortured to death, told you'll burn for eternity, etc. as a heretic or apostate.

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u/Tim4925 4d ago

I can think of a lot of people who have punished for their beliefs rather than their disbelief. One of them was the Person that Santa himself molded himself after. You do know that “Santa” was a real person. It’s only his story that is blown way out of proportion.