Santa Lies & Humane Myths - A Gift Of Truth

It's no secret that this season is celebrated as a holiday in many cultures. Even we secularists get all cheery and gleeful!



It's a perfect time to renew one's optimism in tomorrow while remembering our connections to the past.

Somewhere along the way most of us had figured out the myth of Santa... I don't know that it made the fun or celebrations any less happy knowing that truth. The lights, candles and glitter still sparkled. The pine and cinnamon scents still smelled inviting. The cards and gifts were still a delight to receive... And to give. Discovering that our parents ate "Santa's" cookies and hot-chocolate didn't scar many of us permanently. But what it might have done is to cause the first fissure that enabled us to question more untruths. 

It's rather perverse to warp truth. It's an evil kind of trickery in lying to the vulnerable. All that trust we had put into the hands of adults to give us the tools necessary to function in a world where reason is critical, was betrayed... For - What? For "fun"? And still, it's much, much worse when the lies cover up harm to others...

The truth we found was that without the myths of the Easter Bunny - The spring flowers are just as colorful. Without the Tooth Fairy - The reward of "adult" teeth was just as exciting. Without believing in Cupid - Valentines is still special for lovers... Without a turkey - gratitude is just as - more so sincere. From St. Patrick's to Jack-O-Lanterns - We haven't missed much knowing the truth. In fact... Because we can think more critically - Reality becomes an even more valuable experience to participate in.

I'm writing this to give such a gift of liberating knowledge to some who might still be looking for this wealth that is more important than all the gold, incense and murr imaginable! I'm certain there's one more myth that most adults still carry around. They just haven't weaned themselves from the notion of "humane" meat, ("humane" dairy or "humane" eggs): But here's the truth unwrapped:

Just like Santa and Peter Cotton Tail - There's no such thing!

For those who still believe, here's reality from Webster’s New World Dictionary:
Hu·mane / hyoomáyn / adj. 1. having what are considered the best qualities of human beings; kind, tender, merciful, sympathetic, compassionate.

When you have the choice to kill someone or not... When you have the option to pay someone to stab someone else, or not... And you pick the killing part, where does that intentional snuffing of a healthy, sentient being fit into this *kind* act of slaughter? See what I mean?

I know... I know --- It's hard to let go of myths that our entire culture and species has embraced... We love us a good sacrifice! We even made special excuses to cling to them, like killing others was a "necessary evil". But even so:

When you start with a necessary evil, and then over time the necessity passes away, what's left?
― Matthew Scully, Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy

So no matter what your age you can still benefit from knowing the truth. It's offered as a gift. A little reminder that reality can still be just as more so pleasant than the lies... And just as okay to celebrate this holiday without the nativity - As it's okay fine, wonderful, terrific, BEST, to live without the sacrificed being too. ;)

No worries! You can celebrate these holidays without a deity and you can live your life without forsaking others. Please keep the genuine spirit of this goodwill season alive throughout a lifetime! Live ethically. Give the gift of compassion to others by going vegan! Kindness really is the greatest gift!

Art by Beth Redwood