The Claus-complex

As one studies the literature of infidelity, there’s an association which constantly recurs. To take a few examples:

“As atheists, we see God as a legend or fairy tale, and equate God with Santa Claus and Zeus.”

http://www.atheists.org/comingout/othercloset.html

“For many of us, not believing in God is the same as not believing in Santa Claus.”

http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/edward_tabash/outcry.html

“And what is more, most of the metaphysical agencies designed to give people what they want are ones we are supposed to outgrow, Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy being examples.”

http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=cooke_24_1

“The absurdity of this argument comes into focus if one argues that if you cannot prove that Santa Claus does not exist, then he must exist. You can argue the opposite in a similar manner. If you cannot prove Santa Claus exists, then he must not exist.”

http://www.positiveatheism.org/writ/sherm3.htm

“They decided to settle the question by staying up till Santa did or didn't come. So they all found good hiding places and settled down to wait. But, alas, the little fellows soon fell asleep. And the next morning, sure enough, the plate was empty and they all had presents.”

http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/robert_price/beyond_born_again/chap7.html

“And it subsequently became a legend, which grew and grew as people passed it on, not unlike how the myth of Santa Claus grew up until the poem, ’twas the Night Before Christmas,’ which revolutionized the way we thought about St. Nick. ...”

http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/2006/05/jason-engwer-has-offered-critique-of.html



The Claus-complex was first diagnosed by Sigmund Freud in his unpublished MS, “Der Weihnachtsmann Komplex.”

The Claus-complex (also known as the St. Nick-fixation) is a childhood trauma.

You see, an atheist is a disillusioned Santist. He never got over his sense of betrayal when he made the shocking discovery that Santa is not a real person.

Psychologically speaking, an atheist may be an adult, but emotionally speaking he’s a six-year-old who can’t forgive his parents for deceiving him about the (non-) existence of Santa.

The Claus-complex accounts for his lifelong obsession Santa.

The Claus-complex can express itself in a variety of pathological disorders. In the case of atheism, the unbeliever projects his disillusionment with Father Christmas onto his disbelief in the Christmas story.

He figures that if he can’t trust Santa, then he can’t trust God.

One symptomatic manifestation of the Claus-complex is the annual attempt to ban the public display of Christmas trees, reindeer, nativity scenes, and bell ringers from the Salvation Army.

In other cases, the Claus-complex presents itself in the quest for a surrogate Santa, such as we see in ufology or S.E.T.I.

This is a textbook case of wish-fulfillment.

Another example is the welfare state, in which Big government takes the place of Mother Claus.

As with any obsessive-compulsive disorder, the Claus-complex is difficult to treat, and recidivism is high.