Is there more evidence for Santa Claus, or more for God?

[atheist1]

I am struck by how similar the evidentiary cases are for Santa Claus and God. For example:

1. Both have believers and non-believers
2. Both receive requests for favors and answer some of them with the requested result
3. Both are written about extensively
4. Both are praised in song
5. While some claim to have seen them, they are generally unseen
6. Both have magical powers, and know if you have been bad or good
7. They both act in ways that can always also be attributed to natural actions
8. Both live in an unseen place

Are there others that I'm missing?

Is there any evidence for one that doesn't apply to the other?

[atheist1]

Far far more people have seen God, and have become close to him, and if you want to use song and wishes as evidence, then far more people sing song and offer prayers to God.

I think these are claims that need to be proven.

[Lemonboo]

Anyway, no, God can certainly be seen and I'd recommend reading the writings of the many Saints who have seen him

If the evidence is that people have claimed to see him, then it is again a draw, since many people have claimed to see Santa Claus. And in both cases, the majority of people who believe in Santa or God will say that they have not seen him.

But far more people have seen God. I would say that a person that many people have seen has "more evidence" than a person that only one person has seen.

Even then I can't find ANY reports of people who have seen Santa, so I have to take your word on that one.

[Deadclown]

Obviously, Santa Claus.

I have listened to holiday carols and read his stories with the Christmas spirit to guide my understanding, and thus I know him to be true. While I have never personally *seen* Santa Claus, my own parents would often testify that they had. Surely they would never lie to their own son.

In fact, I have at my home physical evidence of his existence. When I was a child, I would leave him milk and cookies. When I would awaken in the morning the cookies would be gone and the milk drank. There would also be a hand written note from Santa to me personally, thanking me for the delicious treats and my good deeds over the year. These notes have been preserved in my mother's photo albums for potential scientific analysis. If we are lucky, perhaps Santa carelessly left DNA or fingerprints on the letters when he foolishly removed his gloves to enjoy my offering.

Checkmate, Santa.

I attended church for many years, and God never once came to my home to eat food, take drink, and leave me physical proof of his existence.

[Goat]

Anyway, no, God can certainly be seen and I'd recommend reading the writings of the many Saints who have seen him

If the evidence is that people have claimed to see him, then it is again a draw, since many people have claimed to see Santa Claus. And in both cases, the majority of people who believe in Santa or God will say that they have not seen him.

But far more people have seen God. I would say that a person that many people have seen has "more evidence" than a person that only one person has seen.

Even then I can't find ANY reports of people who have seen Santa, so I have to take your word on that one.

Can you show the claims of people seeing god be truthful and accurate? How can I verify that people have 'seen God'?

Now, when it comes to Santa Claus. .. well, people see him ever december, often in front of a bucket hanging from a tripod, and swinging a bell

[atheist1]

But far more people have seen God. I would say that a person that many people have seen has "more evidence" than a person that only one person has seen.

Even then I can't find ANY reports of people who have seen Santa, so I have to take your word on that one.

I'll post a Santa sighting for every God sighting you post.

[atheist1]

Obviously, Santa Claus.

I have listened to holiday carols and read his stories with the Christmas spirit to guide my understanding, and thus I know him to be true. While I have never personally *seen* Santa Claus, my own parents would often testify that they had. Surely they would never lie to their own son.

In fact, I have at my home physical evidence of his existence. When I was a child, I would leave him milk and cookies. When I would awaken in the morning the cookies would be gone and the milk drank. There would also be a hand written note from Santa to me personally, thanking me for the delicious treats and my good deeds over the year. These notes have been preserved in my mother's photo albums for potential scientific analysis. If we are lucky, perhaps Santa carelessly left DNA or fingerprints on the letters when he foolishly removed his gloves to enjoy my offering.

Checkmate, Santa.

I attended church for many years, and God never once came to my home to eat food, take drink, and leave me physical proof of his existence.

Yes, exactly. Class....pay attention, as we have an excellent student here. Deadclown is exactly right. We have physical evidence for Santa Claus that frequently exceeds what we have for God. Gold star Deadclown!

[Lemonboo]

I'll post a Santa sighting for every God sighting you post.

I need to see how you are identifying a "sighting" first....define it as anyone dressed like the subject, as Goat seems to? Or actual mystical experience?

Can you show the claims of people seeing god be truthful and accurate? How can I verify that people have 'seen God'?

Now, when it comes to Santa Claus. .. well, people see him ever december, often in front of a bucket hanging from a tripod, and swinging a bell

I'm not sure how you verify a sighting of anything. If you mean prove, then we don't have that type of technology (that I know of) to show that what they saw is what they saw. If you mean evidence, then yes, we do have that type of thing, in terms of shared visions, people seeing other people seeing God, etc. And even if we can prove that they saw what they said they saw, there is always the chance that what they saw is not what actually happened. Though all of this is the case for Santa, so you can't say "more for Santa".

Purely in numbers, far, far more people have seen God than ever seen Santa (if anyone has even seen Santa). If you want to count people DRESSED as God/Santa as God/Santa (as you seem to be implying with the salvation army bell ringers.)....well then, far more people have seen God still! So in terms of how the OP defines evidence, yes, there is more evidence for God.

[gospelsaves]

Are there others that I'm missing?

Is there any evidence for one that doesn't apply to the other?

Yes, and a HUGE piece of evidence at that! When is the last time you heard of somebody willing to DIE for their belief in Santa Clause? Or when is the last time you actually heard somebody DID DIE for their belief in Santa Clause? I'm not talking about Saint Nicholas the person, i'm talking about the the Jolly old fat guy riding a sleigh pulled by raindeer.

When was the last time a REAL person gave their life for him?

You may LIVE for a lie, but nobody in their right mind is going to give their life for something they KNOW is a lie.

[Goat]

Are there others that I'm missing?

Is there any evidence for one that doesn't apply to the other?

Yes, and a HUGE piece of evidence at that! When is the last time you heard of somebody willing to DIE for their belief in Santa Clause? Or when is the last time you actually heard somebody DID DIE for their belief in Santa Clause? I'm not talking about Saint Nicholas the person, i'm talking about the the Jolly old fat guy riding a sleigh pulled by raindeer.

When was the last time a REAL person gave their life for him?

You may LIVE for a lie, but nobody in their right mind is going to give their life for something they KNOW is a lie.

Well, that shows that here is a stronger belief in God. t.. that , however, is merely the strength of belief , and the fact that Santa Clause doesn't demand martyrs

Of course, people have been willing to die for all sorts of odd beliefs.. such as joining a space ship that was following the comet hail bop. The strength of the belief does not reflect on the validity and evidence of the belief.

[cnorman18]

Are there others that I'm missing?

Is there any evidence for one that doesn't apply to the other?

Yes, and a HUGE piece of evidence at that! When is the last time you heard of somebody willing to DIE for their belief in Santa Clause? Or when is the last time you actually heard somebody DID DIE for their belief in Santa Clause? I'm not talking about Saint Nicholas the person, i'm talking about the the Jolly old fat guy riding a sleigh pulled by raindeer.

When was the last time a REAL person gave their life for him?

You may LIVE for a lie, but nobody in their right mind is going to give their life for something they KNOW is a lie.

I would add that -- you'll pardon the expression -- resurrecting a thread that's been inactive for more than a year indicates that you might not have enough to do. Why not participate in some current threads? If there are none that suit you, why not start your own?