Teacher takes 'Christmas' out of carol

WorldNetDaily.Com ^ | Posted: December 6, 2003 1:00 a.m. Eastern | © 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

[Bobby777]

A parent of an elementary school student is upset with a teacher who replaced "Christmas" with "winter" in a carol to be performed during an upcoming concert.

Mark Denison, music teacher at Clover Creek Elementary in Tacoma, Wash., revised the lyrics of Dale Wood's "Carol from an Irish Cabin" to read: "The harsh wind blows down from the mountains, and blows a white winter to me," the Tacoma News Tribune reported.

Darla Dowell, the parent of a 7-year-old student, thinks the move is "absurd," especially since the children will sing a Hanukkah song referring to the "mighty miracle" of Israel's ancient days.

School officials will allow Denison to lead students in singing the song without "Christmas," although they acknowledge he might have pressed too hard in an attempt to not offend, the Tacoma paper said.

"In the past, there has been a lot of sensitivity to not giving preference to one religion over the other," Mark Wenzel, spokesman for the Bethel School District, told the News Tribune.

Mike Sandner, director of arts education for the district, says Bethel allows students to perform both sacred and secular songs during the holiday season.

As WorldNetDaily reported, a civil-liberties legal defense organization has launched a nationwide campaign to prevent blatant religious discrimination by bringing lawsuits against any governmental agency that eliminates public displays of religious songs or symbols.

Conversely, says the Florida-based Liberty Counsel, it will defend any governmental entity that abides by the Constitution and allows the equal expression of religious views.

"We are resolved to stop the Grinch from stealing Christmas," declared Mathew Staver, the group's president and general counsel.

Staver said public school students may sing Christian Christmas carols, such as "Silent Night, Holy Night" so long as they also sing secular songs, like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

At Clover Creek Elementary, officials said they did not want to make it more difficult for the children after they had practiced the song a certain way for a month, the News Tribune reported. On Tuesday, Denison allowed the second-graders to vote on which word to use, and they chose "winter" by a 23-18 margin.

But Dowell still is upset.

"I've never made a stink about anything in my life," she told the Tacoma daily. "But I feel very strongly about this."

The current issue of WND's acclaimed monthly Whistleblower magazine debunks the myth of church-state separation.

[Bobby777]

FReepmail me if you'd like to be on or off this ping list ...

[metalboy]

You know, I wonder if all this current anti-Christmas stuff always existed, but was just never publicized. I can`t believe that all of a sudden that today people are doing all this as if some sort of anti-Christmas virus has overtaken America. I remember when I was about 11 (about 40 years ago)my elementary teacher was having us make mini Christmas trees all week and this ones kid mother came in one day and took her kid out of the class because she was an atheist (or something)

[Cindy]

LINKS Of Interest:

WorldNetDaily.com: "OFFICIALS BOOT 'GOD' FROM PATRIOTIC SONG" (December 7, 2003)

WorldNetDaily.com: "TEACHER TAKES 'CHRISTMAS' OUT OF CAROL" (December 6, 2003)

AGAPE PRESS: "CHRISTIAN LAW FIRM WANTS TO STOP SECULARIST 'GRINCHES' FROM STEALING CHRISTMAS" by Allie Martin (December 5, 2003)

FOX NEWS.com: "MOM SUES SCHOOL TO ALLOW NATIVITY SCENE" by David Lee Miller (December 5, 2003)

TOWNHALL.com: "THE 'OFFENSIVENESS' OF CHRISTIANITY" -Column by David Limbaugh (December 5, 2003)

AGAPE PRESS: "PRO-FAITH FIRM SUES CITY FOR VIOLATING SENIORS' RELIGIOUS FREEDOM" by Allie Martin (December 4, 2003)

CNS NEWS.com: "EXPRESS YOUR FAITH THIS CHRISTMAS, GOVERNMENT MINISTER URGES" by Patrick Goodenough (December 3, 2003)

WorldNetDaily.com: "'CHOICE ON EARTH' RETURNS FOR ENCORE Planned Parenthood Says Criticism of Christmas Card Boosted Sales" (December 3, 2003)

NBC30.com - New Haven Hartford CONNECTICUT News: "MERIDEN LIBRARY BARS PAINTING OF JESUS" (December 3, 2003)

WorldNetDaily.com: "STUDENTS THREATENED BY CHRISTMAS? ACLU Warns of Lawsuit Unless Principal Censors Celebration" (November 21, 2003)

WorldNetDaily.com: "'NO CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS AT CHRISTMAS' Red Cross stores bar religious decor fearing it might be offensive" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Fearing they might offend someone, Red Cross stores in Britain have taken the Christian out of Christmas this year, banning any display of overtly religious decorations.") (November 18, 2003)

stepping back in time...CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA BECOMES BATTLEGROUND As holiday traditions draw national controversy, believers, pagans grapple over Jesus' inclusion" (December 14, 2002)

[SkyPilot]

"In the past, there has been a lot of sensitivity to not giving preference to one religion over the other,"

Bovine Scatology. This same teacher has Kwanza songs in the play.

[Bobby777]

don't know ... but with California schools having students "celebrate" Ramadan from a book that says not to take Jews nor Christians as friends ... well, I'd say it's a new world out there ...

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Wait until the full effect of the actions anti Christmas morons kick in. Very few businesses aren't effected by Christmas, directly or indirectly. I'm talking red ink. I think the tune will change against the antis when that starts showing up.

Just as an aside, one of the most devout Muslims I knew in Saudi Arabia was the guy who sold me my Christmas tree.

[Mo1]

As WorldNetDaily reported, a civil-liberties legal defense organization has launched a nationwide campaign to prevent blatant religious discrimination by bringing lawsuits against any governmental agency that eliminates public displays of religious songs or symbols.

Here is the heart of the problem

The ACLU as declare war on all Christan's and they are bound and determine to deny us our rights

[Looking4Truth]

...as if some sort of anti-Christmas virus has overtaken America.

Try hearing the word "Christmas" on any TV advertisements these days, it's all "Holiday Season" or some such PC crap.

[NYer]

At Clover Creek Elementary, officials said they did not want to make it more difficult for the children after they had practiced the song a certain way for a month, the News Tribune reported. On Tuesday, Denison allowed the second-graders to vote on which word to use, and they chose "winter" by a 23-18 margin.

Demand a recount! Look for hanging chads.

Catholic Ping - let me know if you want on/off this list

[Bobby777]

absolutely true ... they just had some ACLU woman ranting about a local pastor playing Santa at one of the schools ... of course, you understand, she just wants "separation of church and state" ... hmmmpf ... wonder if she's that concerned about Islam ...

[radiohead]

I heard the mother talking about this on our local radio station. After she spoke, a number of people called in to say how they were forbidden from saying 'Merry Christmas' to their customers - in one case, even if the customer said it to them.

I'm not a Christian anymore, but good grief, it is Christmas isn't it? What event are people celebrating here??

I have wonderful memories of Christmas plays at (Catholic) school, Christmas music, etc. I, like most people, I expect, enjoy the season, even if we don't involve ourselves in the religious aspect. I'm sorry that kids today will have memories of a 'winter holiday.' (which all sounds vaguely pagan to me).

[Vesuvian]

and now all of a sudden it's a "Holiday Tree."

[ladylib]

"At Clover Creek Elementary, officials said they did not want to make it more difficult for the children after they had practiced the song a certain way for a month, the News Tribune reported. On Tuesday, Denison allowed the second-graders to vote on which word to use, and they chose "winter" by a 23-18 margin."

So, it's going to tax the kids' minds if they substitute Christmas for winter because they practiced the song for a month already?

If enough outraged parents let the school officials know that they are tired of Christianity being marginalized by public school offficials and they will remove their children from schools hostile to it, this would change overnight.

[kittymyrib]

I was watching the Food Channel the other night, with all their specials on cooking for Christmas...only Christmas was not mentioned once on any show I watched. What "holiday" is all this cooking for? I make it a point to answer all the "happy holidays" from sales clerks with "Merry Christmas". If this keeps up, I'll start saying "Happy Jesus Birthday." The Guest of Honor is being banished from His own birthday party!

[Spiff]

On Tuesday, Denison allowed the second-graders to vote on which word to use, and they chose "winter" by a 23-18 margin.

Unable to rationalize her own stupid decision, Denison hit upon the idea of having a bunch of 7-year-olds vote on it so that they would take the blame. Disgusting.

[searchandrecovery]

My 2 cents - take SANTA out of Christmas, put CHRIST back in there.

At the very least there should be two distinct "days" - one for a religious celebration, the other a secular gift-giving thing hosted by a fat guy in a red suit. Why these two events are held on the same day is beyond me (unless santa is actually satan (wait, wait, the spelling is so close, oh no.)).

[Spiff]

I don't normally take the family to our town's Christmas parade, but this year my two daughters were in it so we had to go. The last time we went (years ago) whatever "theme" the parade bore caused most of its participants to dress up like Dr. Doolittle and duct tape stuffed animals to their floats.

It was therefore surreal to see again, in this year's parade, everyone dressed up as Dr. Doolittle dragging stuffed animals around. What the....!?

Apart from the stupidity of choosing Dr. Doolittle, year after year, as the theme of a Christmas parade, why choose a theme at all. By default the theme is Christmas!

My 10-year-old son and I spent the parade trying to find any actual Chistmas content in it - as opposed to Santa Day stuff. In the 3-hour long parade, we counted 2 floats that had anything to do with Christ's birth and a hand ful of signs or other decorations that actually mentioned Christmas instead of the holidays or season. Of the 6 or 7 marching bands, only 1 was playing an actual Christmas carol. The rest played stuff about snowmen, Santa, bells on horse tails, or some other subject.

[muawiyah]

I'm offended. That teacher must be removed from the care and education of children.

[muawiyah]

The "two" events are NOT held on the same day although there are definitely some lazy people around who do it that way.

According to the most ancient customs (those of the Saami whose traditions may be more than 10,000 years old), the "Day of the Dead" occurs on the shortest day of the year (now celebrated on December 24).

It's a time to "give gifts" and "pass the bowl", although you really don't want to know what's in that bowl ~ in America, the Church of the First Born has taken to peyote rather than the traditional reindeer based ablutions because the counterpart to amanita muscaria is not "toxic" here as it is in the Old World).

The next day, usually understood to be "Christmas Day" has to do with religious practices imported from the Middle-East by the Norse. Unfortunately only lightly Christianized people have taken Saami symbols and traditional designs to create a new demi-god out of "the Little Red Man" whose "essence", not "being", is used during the "Day of the Dead".

Folks who adhere to the most ancient standards reject all the false religiosity and Santa Claus stuff now associated with December 25.

The absorption of dwarfs, "reindeer man (shamen), Saami hats, red-backgrounds with white dots, and a host of other symbols and characters into what is known as "The Christmas Season" is not terribly respectful of these hardy people.

Intriguingly, mind-numbed Liberals who think Santa Claus and Christmas trees to be strictly secular elements are probably in the forefront of those seeking to eliminate American Indian symbols from school mascots.

It's time to put Santa Claus' "image" back in the "Day of the Dead", along with the elves and reindeer, and quit mixing up the two religious traditions!

Christmas is for Christians and Christmas Eve is for the old beliefs.

[searchandrecovery]

Dear Professor Christmas,

Christmas is for Christians and Christmas Eve is for the old beliefs.
Ok, I think we agree on this one.

You mentioned these:
Saami / "Day of the Dead"
Church of the First Born / amanita muscaria (?)
...from the Middle-East by the Norse (?)

...dwarfs...
Elves? Yea, thinking about it, how come Santa hires only the height-challenged? Attention, EEOC.

Too many ideas here - my head is spinning. Can you recommend any books/web sites for more background on the "Day of the Dead" side? What a twisted history this holiday has. Time for a little truthful history to straighten things out.

[narses]

Ping.

[Bilbo Baggins]

Ah, but you missed one.

"Emeril's Christmas Party"

At least someone has the balls to say the dreaded Christmas word.

BAM!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Wish You a Merry...Chrismukah?

Continuing the current trend of large-scale mergers and acquisitions, it was announced today at a press conference that Christmas and Hanukkah will merge. An industry source said that the deal had been in the works about 1300 years. While details were not available at press time, it is believed that the overhead cost of having twelve days of Christmas and eight days of Hanukkah was becoming prohibitive for both sides. By combining forces, we're told, the world will be able to enjoy consistently high-quality service during the Fifteen Days of Chrismukah, as the new holiday is being called.

Massive layoffs are expected, with lords a-leaping and maids a-milking being the hardest hit. As part of the conditions of the agreement, the letters on the dreidel, currently in Hebrew, will be replaced by Latin, thus becoming unintelligible to a wider audience.

Also, instead of translating to "A great miracle happened there," the message on the dreidel will be the more generic: "Miraculous stuff happens." In exchange, it is believed that Jews will be allowed to use Santa Claus and his vast merchandising resources for buying and delivering their gifts.

One of the sticking points holding up the agreement for at least three hundred years was the question of whether Jewish children could leave milk and cookies for Santa even after having eaten meat for dinner. A breakthrough came last year, when Oreos were finally declared to be Kosher. All sides appeared happy about this.

Fortunately for all concerned, he said, Kwanzaa will help to maintain the competitive balance. He then closed the press conference by leading all present in a rousing rendition of "Oy Vey, All Ye Faithful."

[luckystarmom]

I remember our Christmas play when I was a kid in the early 70's. It was the story of how Silent Night was written. I would say it was a little more religious than what my kids are doing in public school now.

[Lessismore]

Actually, winter solistice celebrations were prevalent in various countries and various traditions well before the Christians (a heretical sect from the Middle-East with an improbable theology) decided to make it a birthday celebration about 1650 before present.

In the interest of discouraging quarrelsome, contentious, and intolerant Middle-Eastern sects like Jews, Christians and Muslims, we should go back to celebrating the winter solistice instead.

[muawiyah]

If you want to learn more all you have to do is go to www.google.com and search for SAAMI AMANITA MUSCARIA and you'll get much more than you ever imagined.

You can also look for "Scandinavian Porphyria" as well as "Dwarfism". They have more than their fair share of the genes that cause those conditions.

Do an additional lookup for Finland, and you'll find references to Saami cave and shelf drawings that date back to the 8th Millenium, BC.

Some of the traditional Saami folktales associated with these drawings have their parallels in the Bible, however these drawings are far, far older than the Bible!

One thing to watch out for are the sites that argue that the Saami are essentially the same as other Uralic-Altaic, or Ugric speakers who live along the Arctic litoral. The fact is, the Saami have a presence on the Arctic ocean far older than all the other groups and may well be direct descendants of the very first population of modern humans to live in Europe. They adopted the "Turkish" language about the time they came out of the Upper Paleolithic just over a thousand years ago.

These guys OWN all the patents, copyrights, tradedress and trademarks on all the original Santa Claus, Reindeers and Red with White Dots, and elves items otherwise thought to be of Indo-European origin. They, however, are NOT Indo-European and neither are their images ~ rather, these all grow out of the shamanistic beliefs and practices of these ancient Arctic people.

[muawiyah]

Glad you mentioned "winter solstice" ~ since the Saami at the time they developed this business lived too far North to see the Sun at all at this time of year, they had absolutely no idea when "winter solstice" had happened, or that there was such a thing.

From their point of view in ancient times before their encounters with the Mongols and the Norse, the Sun had been consumed by the demons, consigned to Hell, and probably wouldn't come up again until closer to February (or whatever they called that time of the year).

However, they could pretty well count the number of days from the last sighting to the next sighting, divide by two, and figure that was about as close to their ancestors as they were going to get (hence, "Day of the Dead").

This stuff all makes sense once you get into the rhythm of the seasons in the far North.

[raccoonradio]

Proposed altered lyrics:

"Here comes Jesus Christ, here comes Jesus Christ, right down Jesus Christ lane..."

"Jesus Christ is coming to town..."

Just curious: Is Di$ney Channel airing anything this month pertaining to Jesus or is it all Santa This, Santa That?

Ugly rumor going around that Christmas is NOT about Kris Kringle; trampling your fellow shoppers to get a $29
DVD player; getting the best cellphone or PlayStation;
having the best lights display in your neighborhood, etc.
The rumor is it stems from an event some 2,000 years ago
or so... :)

[matrix2225]

What is happening to country based on Christians vitues? What has happened?

[unixfox]

What has happened?

We allowed the camels nose under the tent and now that camel is about 95% inside. When he is 100% inside the tent he will be able to take a dump anywhere he wants.

[Bobby777]

I think the pastor was trying to be "community-oriented" without teaching the Gospel in a school ... something he clearly would not be allowed to do under today's laws ...

[muawiyah]

Speaking of Disney, Walt had a GGrandfather "Keppel" Disney.

Keppel is a mountain in Northern Norway. It's sacred to the Saami, presumably because it grows the best amarita muscaria (Mini Mouse is obviously a derivative name there).

So, what more do you need to know about a guy who was focused on dwarves, flying reindeer, mice wearing red dresses with white dots, and "happy dust".

I'm still looking for a site, but I think these guys fed the amanita muscaria mushrooms to the reindeer, collected the urine, freeze dried it, and kept the residue for later use!

Young Walt Disney also looks remarkably like John Dillinger at the same age. John belonged to the Church of the First Born, as did my cousin to whom he was married.

[muawiyah]

Christmas Eve, previously known as "Day of the Dead" was a nice feast day featuring flying reindeer, red noses, happy dust provided by "the Little Red Man", and all that sort of thing.

Are you suggesting that Christianity got it's nose under the tent and messed everything up?

In this discussion you have to remember which came first.

[GulliverSwift]

I don't entirely agree with the song but this kind of crap pisses me off:

http://htmauler.comsouth.net/tom/grace/tom/Winter2000/south%20park%20-%20mr%20garrison%20-%20merry%20fucking%20christmas.mp3

[unixfox]

Are you suggesting that Christianity got it's nose under the tent and messed everything up?

I am suggesting that groups like the ACLU, NEA, NAACP, and government ilk are the ones getting their noses under the tent to destroy Christmas and Christianity.

[Kuksool]

With government schools calling Xmas as "The Winter Season" or "Happy Holidays", an increasing number of schools are giving day offs for Muslim Holidays. I wonder what would they call Ramadan and Eid.

[Kuksool]

{Darla Dowell, the parent of a 7-year-old student, thinks the move is "absurd," especially since the children will sing a Hanukkah song referring to the "mighty miracle" of Israel's ancient days.}

If the school district is going take Xmas out of the song, then Darla Dowell should sue the district for teaching a Hanukkah song to the kids. Equal protection you know.

[Bobby777]

wow ...

[Kuksool]

In fact, a local high school in my neighborhood offers prayer rooms for Muslim students. The community has a large population of Muslim immigrants. The school does display a Xmas tree, but it is called a Peace Tree.

[LisaMalia]

I have a great idea. Let's all demand that the idiots at the ACLU take the DEVIL out of Halloween!

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all Freepers!!!!!!!!!

[LisaMalia]

a local high school in my neighborhood offers prayer rooms for Muslim students.

My daughter teaches at an urban school that offers a prayer room for for Muslims as well. Does anyone know HOW (legally) this can be allowed, when our Christian children can't openly pray in school?

[Kuksool]

The ACLU doesn't object to those Islamic prayer rooms because of the compelling need for diversity.

[Bobby777]

America has passed laws to have destroyed common sense ... the PC Patrol has come close to ruining this country ...

[Coleus]

The secular humanists in our school system are slowly inculcating their pagan, earth-worship doctrines by doing the devil's work. This is only a small part of what they do to their students during the school year.

A CHRISTmas to Remember

 

Early Childhood Education

It's Time For A Mass Christian Exodus From The Public Schools

NJ High School Library Creates a Homosexual Section

Homosexual Agenda Escalates in the Public Schools

Are children deliberately 'dumbed down' in school? {YES!!!}
Do Public Schools Have a Prayer?
Parents' Rights and the Decay of the American Family
The UN's BIG Green Machine
A World Without the UN
God, Man and the Government
One Nation Under the State?
The UN Wants to Decide if YOUR Baby Lives!
The UN Wants Control of YOUR Child

 

MASTERLINK TO FREE REPUBLIC EDUCATION THREADS

Free Republic links to education related articles (thread#7)

Free Republic links to education related articles (thread#8)

Education Articles

 

The Earth Charter Index

UNESCO: A Budding Global School Board
Get the US out of UNESCO

The New World Religion!

The New Ark of the Covenant in the UN

The Earth Charter Index

Defender of the Decalogue Interview of Chief Justice Roy Moore by Thomas R. Eddlem
Feeding the God of War
Teaching God's children to worship "Divine Nature"

[fatima]

NYer,Recount ping.

[Enough is ENOUGH]

There is a major war against Christmas going on all over the country and the leftists are gaining the upper hand duping the public with their PC rants about being offended.

Come to think of it, I haven't seen the Budweiser Christmas time sleigh ride commercial yet this year but then, I only watch FOX. Anything with the remotist indication of Christmas is offensive to our Marxist minority.

[breakem]

Before we fire her, have her work Christmas day, I mean December 25.

[muawiyah]

Actually the ACLU does not object to the Moslem prayer rooms in public schools because Moslems have a well earned reputation for killing people who object!

Christians should be more aggressive toward ACLU initiatives ~ might even see if they can get some Moslems to join lawsuits against the ACLU. Time to scare them out of their britches. You did know that if the ACLU doesn't show up in court they lose the case.

[muawiyah]

Amazingly I did the last post for this thread right there on the Saami Day of the Dead.

Since that time I've been trying to find some reindeer meat. Finally found a slaughterhouse at North Pole, Alaska that sells it mailorder throughout the US.

The North Pole community is pretty much composed of my less distant distant cousins, and although only Indians and Eskimos may run reindeer in Alaska, these guys have the ONLY reindeer meat operation going that produces a product USDA will allow to be sold at retail.

Yes, there is a connection between Christmas Valley Oregon, Christmas Tree Florida, Santa Claus Indiana and North Pole Alaska. It's one of commonly shared ethnicity by Europe's smallest identifiable ethnic group. Actually, it's even smaller than that. It's a single tribe ~ the Smolt Saami who used to live in Russia butt up against Norway.

They are down to less than a 1000 over there. All the rest live in Norway or the US.

BTW, they keep this stuff secret from the rest of us. Or, maybe they themselves don't know.