"The Free Exchange"

“The Free Exchange”

Conservatism’s strength emanates from its penchant for robust debate. “The Free Exchange” is a series of articles aimed at highlighting and broadening the debate at Black and Red. When you comment on essays you read at this site, I will respond to you via this blog series. If you wish to send an email for consideration in an upcoming “Free Exchange” article, please email me at blkandred@gmail.com and write “The Free Exchange” and the title of the article you are commenting on in the subject heading. Hopefully, the free exchange of ideas will prove beneficial to readers and participants. Thank you for reading and thank you so much for commenting.

-J. Thomas Hunter

This week, Fatima addresses: “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Carolyn Hyppolite comments on “Our Stolen Generation (Liberty Sans Morality).”

Fatima’s comments are in white. Mine are in green.

I don't think that not telling your child that Santa exists makes you a Scrooge or that it has anything to do with preserving your child's innocence. I do think that the Santa story can make Christmas more fun for kids but a lot of parents feel like it's lying or taking the focus from Jesus. My mom didn't like it and told me herself that Santa didn't exist when I was 7 or 8 because she thought it took the focus off Jesus and that I was asking for too many toys. Some people start their own traditions around Christmas, like giving only 3 gifts that are related to gold (the big gift), frankincense (something religious/spiritual), and myrhh (something that makes you smell or look good). You could also tell her about Jesus being the reason for the season and not say anything one way or the other about Santa - she'll pick it up from everything around her. Then when she starts figuring out inconsistencies on her own, use it as a way to help her develop some critical thinking skills or talk about what is real vs pretend. Whatever you decide, remember that once you tell her there is no Santa there usually is no going back. Finally, I recently was reading about the history of Christmas and many Christians have felt the way you do. Easter was the big holiday before Christmas and wasn't a big deal in the US until the late 1800s. The Puritans even banned it because of its relationship to English decadence and pagan rituals. http://www.history.com/topics/christmas


Fatima, thank you for weighing in on this.

I do worry that the Santa story can take the emphasis off of Jesus, and I’m glad to hear that your childhood innocence was not seriously jeopardized by your mother’s honesty. I, too, remember that the Puritan view of Christmas pageantry was very suspect, and as you noted, the holiday’s history in America was much more controversial than most people may know.

Your 3 gift suggestion is a very good one, and I have to tell you that coincidentally earlier this week, a friend of mine suggested it to me. I hadn’t heard of it before and it seemed like such a great solution to combating consumerism and materialism. After I read your comment, I was convinced that the tradition is quite common after all. I will definitely discuss this with my wife and get some input from her.

I am always interested in promoting critical thinking skills, and perhaps you’re right—the Santa lore will be a great way for me to expose Lucy to a real life mystery and help her develop the tools to solve it.

Thank you again for your profound and helpful insight.



Carolyn Hyppolite’s comments are in yellow. Mine are in green.

I would add that liberty without morality often leads to tyranny. If you look at every instance in America where we have lost liberty, like after the civil war for example, it usually involves some instance of the abuse of liberty. But libertarian response is not liberty without morality; it is civil society instead of state power. What we do with civil society is up to us. What your numbers tell me is that we need to do a lot more to talk to Americans about the reality of what an abortion is and moral implications of their choices. I highly recommend this website : http://www.personhood.net/ as a means of getting oneself equipped for this challenge. Peace in Christ,Carolyn Hyppolitehttp://carolynhyppolite.blogspot.com/


Thank you, Carolyn. I know that the abortion issue is near to your heart as a devout Catholic and as someone who concerns herself with civil society. I recall hearing a quote that said something along the lines of liberty without morality leads to tyranny, or to barbarity. Both are scary prospects, and I agree that both are the result of when people lose sight of authority. I do think that libertarianism is guilty of this crime, but I recognize that it is not alone in its guilt. In fact, I find libertarianism odd in as much as liberalism (progressivism) and traditional conservatism, for better or for worse, both yearn to make society virtuous, whereas libertarianism seems least concerned about virtue. I always relish debating traditionalism vs. classical liberalism, but I do not want to overshadow your other points.

You’re right—the study shows that Americans need to have a more honest conversation about abortion. I am interested in your thoughts on the totality of its moral implications. Thank you for providing this resource that will help us further explore and better debate the topic.

God bless you.