Patterico's Pontifications

12/12/2016

When Santa Comforts a Dying Boy

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 6:57 pm



Dan McLaughlin shared this story today. It’s deeply affecting and will probably leave you with tears in your eyes. But it’s worth your time all the same.

20 Responses to “When Santa Comforts a Dying Boy”

  1. Devastating.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  2. Read it earlier. No words.

    Shipwreckedcrew (281332)

  3. “They say I’m gonna die,’ he told me. ‘How can I tell when I get to where I’m going?’

    “I said, ‘Can you do me a big favor?’

    “He said, ‘Sure!’

    “When you get there, you tell ’em you’re Santa’s Number One elf, and I know they’ll let you in.

    “He said, ‘They will?’

    “I said, ‘Sure!’

    “He kinda sat up and gave me a big hug and asked one more question: ‘Santa, can you help me?’

    “I wrapped my arms around him…

    I’m going to catch all kinds of hell for this, but since when do you get into heaven for claiming to be Santa’s number one elf? I understand this guy wanted to comfort the child, but come on.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  4. No department store Santa has this kind of power.

    Sorry for breaking the news to you.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  5. @Steve57: I’m sure the theology was all sorted out for that boy within minutes, and nothing that was said to him in his last moments affected the outcome in any way.

    I wish I could do as well on the spot, as Eric Schmitt-matzen did.

    Gabriel Hanna (14083c)

  6. Steve, your theology is undoubtedly correct, but I think only a Jack Chick kind of Deity would object to this exercise of Santa Power. Even the jihadis call Him the Merciful and Compassionate

    Kishnevi (18dae1)

  7. The story of my life. I get to slip you the bad news.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  8. I will be pretty annoyed if this story turns out to be made up. I don’t have much sense of humor about stuff like this.

    Gabriel Hanna (14083c)

  9. I have three first aid kits. My biggest kit is what I call my chainsaw kit. I maintain my Red Cross certifications. I go through my kits to make sure nothing is out of date.

    What I don’t have in any of my kits is a license to tell anyone something that isn’t true.

    I know that makes me a (male appendage). And, yes, I have thought about it. Although admittedly not in terms of telling a child the truth. Every Marine is a rifleman. I’m a Sailor. I am a fire fighter. I render aid. I also, by the way, can shoot. But my best use, when it all falls to s*** and I’m no good any longer as an intel analyst, is to tend to the wounded.

    I will not lie to them. Yes, I’ve thought about it.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  10. My smallest kit is my backpacking kit. Then there’s the one I have in the truck.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  11. Steve, even God has been recorded in the Bible to fudge the truth a bit.
    When the angels visited Abraham, Sarah laughed at the news she would bear Abraham a child, referring to herself as an old woman and to Abraham as an old man. God repeated the remark to Abraham, but only the part about Sarah being an old woman. He left out the part about Abraham being old. The Midrash points this out, and explains God didn’t want Abraham’s feelings to get hurt, nor have Abraham angry with his wife.

    Kishnevi (18dae1)

  12. Steve, even God has been recorded in the Bible to fudge the truth a bit.

    Yes, certainly God has that power. But I am afraid. I don’t want to deny a dying child his or her last wish. That isn’t my intention. I would never assume the power that is God’s alone.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  13. I can see I’m losing this fight. And it’s not really a fight.

    I hope the boy did enter in the presence of God.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  14. I believe in a loving God as much as anyone. But I’d never say what this man said.

    Deuteronomy 18:20:

    But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.

    He told the boy if he said he was Santa’s number one elf he’d enter heaven. I know I’m coming across as uncharitable, but this is just wrong.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  15. Steve, even God has been recorded in the Bible to fudge the truth a bit.

    I erred. I was not clear.

    Numbers 23:19:

    God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

    God does not lie or deceive.

    Steve57 (0b1dac)

  16. The point of “Santa’s” words was to give comfort to a dying child, not to promote an eschatological discussion with a five year old. He succeeded in doing so, to his everlasting credit.
    Jewish theology holds that it is permissible, possibly even mandatory, to tell a bride that she is beautiful on her wedding day, whether or not she really is.
    Perhaps the Almighty will forgive this heresy under the circumstances.

    orcadrvr (41c165)

  17. @Steve57: I’ll refer you to this Mark Twain story. If that’s not convincing, try Matthew Chapter 12.

    Gabriel Hanna (64d4e1)

  18. Thanks to those who contributed to this thread.

    JP (f1742c)

  19. Check out the “editor’s note” that now appears at the beginning of the story. They have not been able to confirm this story is true.

    mh (3371d0)

  20. I saw the same story in the New York Post.

    You mean they published this story without talking to the mother or to the doctors or nurses or anybody at the hospital? Just to get another angle, just to verify details? Ihey are writing more than a paragraph.

    There’s an old saying among reporters:

    http://www.poynter.org/2003/if-your-mother-says-she-loves-you-a-reporters-cautionary-tale/10039/

    Generations of reporters have been raised on the journalistic bromide “If your mother says she loves you, check it out” and for good reason…

    Sammy Finkelman (dfe091)


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