If she really was offended by the lesson plan, she should have walked out and not taught it.
L
She doesn't belong near impressionable children.
Oh please... And Kwanza?
10 to 1 she has no problem with this.
I teach younger children, and Santa is part of their culture. How insipid to say this shouldn't be taught.
She sounds like the Grinch to me.
BINGO!!! All this bitch did was substitute her beliefs for those of innocent 6-7 year old children who where merely enjoying the season as have countless children before them. Is this woman such a fool that she does not know that children discover on their own that Santa is not actually a real person but an idea and a symbol for a more deeply held belief that emerges in later years?
I suppose then speaking out against homosexuality, muslims etc should be just as protected? Or Does this 'tolerance' of free speech only extend to attacks against institutions she does not support, protect or agree with?
I would be interested in hearing her explain how denouncing homosexualiaty is 'hate' speech, but denouncing Christian beliefs is 'protected' if not revered...
Just another egotistical, self centered a$$hole with a chip on her shoulder.........
agreed. I bet she's one of those mixed nuts who says "herstory" instead of "history".
This broad really does take herself WAY too seriously.
In fact, I think she either has a very warped view of the world or is intentionally using hyperbole to strengthen the weakness of her argument.
I once had an art teacher in high school (1981) that regularly put up a small Christmas tree in her classroom. She unilateraly quit doing so because one student disagreed - she was never bitter over the issue; however, she always wore red and green during the Christmas season ;-)
I agree. I am a public high school teacher. This sub had no business destroying a child's faith in Santa. Belief in Santa is between the child and its parents.
This teacher believes Santa to be a form of modern religion. She makes a lame case for such a belief. Her take on Santa is not gospel. It's her take. This teacher should never be invited back to sub again.
Any astute observer has noticed that the ancient Sumerians (the people who invented reading and writing, money, as well as civilization) had little statues of a figure who looks remarkably like our modern "Santa Claus" and of reindeer!In fact, if you carefully examine the head of the Sphinx in Egypt you will come across a red background with white dots (Santa Claus' "colors" eh).
The most ancient of traditions were maintained by the Sa'ami in Lappland long after other belief systems swept through the ancient world. The deal is the whole Santa Claus image is a composite of elements found in Little Red Man, Reindeer Man and Herb Woman, key characters in the traditional Sa'ami pantheon. Of course there are the "elves" who work all year long making toys, and they're fairly identifiable with the Sa'ami, who have the highest incidence dwarfism in the world, and who traditionally spent their winters making craft goods and toys for use at Christmas
This is the Old Time Religion which came about as a consequence of a dispensation from God. In more recent times it has been supplanted with a more comprehensive Revelation, but that in and of itself does not negate its original utility in providing an amnesty from oblivion. Some analysts are able to find Old Testament stories in the ancient traditions, and these, in turn may be identified in Sumerian texts that later found their way into the Bible (presumably because God, Himself, convinced some scribe or priest to include them).
It's not like I'm going to worship Santa Claus, but he came with the first Divine revelations and he'll still be with us long after we've forgotten the names of the more recent prophets and teachers.
The business about a Bishop in Turkey is a more recent "explanation" created by folks who had little or no knowledge of the more ancient sources. It's clearly an effort to Christianize "Christmas" if you will.
Since liberals know, deep in their harts, that they are impotent they have to act out their fantasies of control on people who don't have the power to just run away. Its like a form of rape.
The kids can take satisfaction in one thing: This woman doesn't have one bit of joy left in her life.
If she really was offended by the lesson plan, she should have walked out and not taught it.
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Holier than thou perhaps? She affirms in her letter that Santa Claus is a perversion of Christianity and is offended by the intrusion of this myth into Christ;s birth. As such, the myth of Santa Claus has really become secular and void of any real Christian meaning. All religion should be taught in public school. What are we afraid of, that discussing religion will "establish" one as prohibited in our constitution. Absurd of course. What they are afraid of is that discussion of religion will "perpetuate" one.
The day I stopped believing in Santa was the beginning of a lifetime of socks for Christmas. Yes, I got them again this year.........What is even more insulting is the fact they are the cheap kind that immediately stretch out, slide down then clump around your ankles......
I firmly agree with this woman. I did at first and I do now even moreso after reading her letter explaining WHY she did what she did. But I would not have done it.
My wife and I discussed this the day it happened - and we disagree on this. She is in the "magic of childhood" camp. I am not.
This is also a special case. The information is, in fact, the truth, which makes it public information. It is easily grasped by the childs mind, making it appropriate information for children, intellectually speaking. It is not "adult information", as in "sex ed", also making it ok to discuss with children.
If she said Jesus was not real, that would be different because he is accepted as real by reasonable full grown adults. Sane adults do not believe in Santa.
A pandoras box has been opened here. This is only the beginning of this one...