Posted on 12/26/2005 8:11:14 AM PST by Conservatrix
To the Editor:
"Last week I substituted at a local elementary school in Lebanon County. The lesson plan required me to read the 1882 poem “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore to two classes of students. While I can appreciate the poem for its literary value, the subject matter is offensive to me, and the reading of this poem to the children imposed values upon me which are against my deeply held religious beliefs. I could not in good conscience present the notion of Santa Claus as a truth to the children, and stated so.
No public school teacher should be required to teach a belief, or custom, or religion that he or she believes to be false, or be required to pass those purported falsehoods onto impressionable children, without the right to state a disclaimer. Furthermore, freedom of speech and religion, no matter how unpopular the speech or against cultural norms the religion, are protected rights under the Constitution of the United States. A secular public school should not be propagating any kind of religion. The belief in Santa Claus as a divine, magical, omniscient, powerful, giving, loving father-figure, to which children are taught to make supplications and requests, is a religion indeed-- a distorted substitute for the Judeo-Christian God; a false form of Christianity; a zealously-protected American idol.
In presenting the poem, I gave the children quick historical background about the Santa Claus myth-- its evolution from the historic Nickolaus, Bishop of Myrna in Asia Minor, who died in 343 A.D., to its amalgamation with ancient Western pagan traditions of German, Scandinavian and Dutch origins, to the current manifestation in the secular Christmas culture of today. (Dutch children, for example, would put their wooden shoes out at night for “Sante Klaus” to fill with candies.)
The current Santa Claus figure was popularized in the late 19th Century by artist Thomas Nast of Harper’s Weekly Magazine, who depicted “Saint Nick,” not as an elf, but a rotund, pipe-smoking man in a red and white suit. This is the deity to which countless public school children today are taught to make supplications, and about whom they sing their many songs at annual public school Christmas programs.
If people are upset about the revelation to children that Santa Claus is a myth-- which all children who are taught this lie find or figure out eventually-- perhaps it is because Santa is that zealously-guarded idol of their own modern religion. Therefore, as a religion, let Santa be kept out of the public school classroom (no more “Dear Santa” letters to line those school hallways)--or perhaps, in the interest of “diversity,” make his mythical, oversized personage share equal representation in literature, and song, and Christmas programs, with the other Person of the season: the Lord Jesus Christ, God made flesh, God with us."
I'm willing to bet Conservatrix is the teacher. Interesting how, if true, she is not willing to "come out" and defend herself as the teacher of the unfortunate deed.
Try to deal with the ignorant post of Santa and the reindeer getting shredded by the plane, dudess.
What is it with you, the 'Howlin Prorection Possy'? Let the woman defend her ill-advised Christmas post herself. OK?
A.D.............. I can see these folks getting stirred up. By my post, I just was trying to tell the original poster that her Christmas morning post of the reindeer getting shredded buy a plane was not such a good idea.
Danke.
I still sign my kids presents Santa and they are grown. One kid commented Christmas eve, "since you don't have a chimney, does he come in the sliding doors?", a friend commented "he'd better not, your mom would blow him away with her .38 before he made it inside". He's just fun, let the kids have their fun.
Yes, I saw it. I found it funny.
What is it with you, the 'Howlin Prorection Possy'?
I don't really care who Howlin is. You're obviously an uptight little cuss, though.
The teacher in question is a right-wing wacko who the Left will hold as a Typical Representative of Conservative Thinking.
Arrogant, self-important, intolerant, unyielding, sanctimonious -- and MEAN -- this person is everything that is bad about the extreme Right Wing.
You're joking, right?
LOL............ I thought it was safe ............ it was supposed to be an innocent thread on Santa's trip. But, the woman who has been here forever decided, in her divine wisdom, to insert her bizarre post on Christmas morning.
Pretty low, imo.
...........Happy New Year to you, bonfire.
Peace and friendship to you.
You're missing the point. Kids will continue to tell other kids about Santa, and everyone acknowledges that. However, its an entirely different matter for an adult to butt their noses in where they don't belong to assume a role that isn't theirs to begin with.
The kid will be fine, bts. I had to look really hard to see what you were upset about!
Have a good new year!
Somebody needed to tell that to Michael Jackson who thought he was a black Peter Pan with his Neverland Ranch...
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It is very sad that this woman did not allow children to have that magical wonderful adventure of Santa Claus.
I don't like phantasms pushed off onto my kids at school. I don't think Santa Claus is all that wonderful a thing for my children. I would rather they be taught the Ten Commandments and the Judaic roots of our culture in Mosaic Law.
Of course, I'm an atheist and don't believe in hobgoblins like elves, Santa, astrology or homosexual families...
You know, I kind of agree with her...although I would not have made as big a deal of it. Why should this poem be read in a public school?
You know, I kind of agree with her...although I would not have made as big a deal of it. Why should this poem be read in a public school?
I hope you keep them away from pissant's threads. :)
Bump the funny thread.
Some of you going to out the Tooth Fairy too?
LOL. Me too, I'm 59 years old, and my eyes are not what they used to be. But little Joanna saw the picture much more easily than me.
Ugh! I had to take her back into the den and give her the "emergency present" that I was saving for her birthday next week.
;-)
Oh well.
I'm quite sure there was nothing improper meant by the post, but it was somewhat of a shock to a little munchkin on Christmas day.
Take care.
Don't forget the Great Pumpkin.
redrock
ROFL ................. and martin_fierro's
;-)
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