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."
It sounds to me like she's upset that she can't tell "the rest of the story," so to speak.
While I don't endorse what she did, I can at least relate to where she's coming from. She seems to feel that it is unfair that the "secular religion" of Santa Claus can be taught, but not the true meaning of Christmas.
And while it's not any of her business, or mine, I also don't think it's particularly smart for parents to teach their kids that Santa Claus is real; they can enjoy the Santa myth as a fairy tale/make believe-type thing, without having to believe in his literal existence. Kids may get the message that if you lied to them about Santa, you may be lying about other things (like the existence of God).
THANK YOU!
Let me clarify something since it appears that my agreement that this woman's statement of "Santa is a myth" seems to show that I approve of what this woman did.
I understand the disagreement that folks on here have about this woman trying to impose her beliefs onto these kids and that it should be up to the parents to tell their kids whether or not Santa is a myth, which he is. Totally agree with that. It is NOT the school's business to impose their beliefs onto children. That is for the parents to decide. The angst that some have here ON THAT POINT, I agree.
It just seems to me that folks are getting themselves all bent out of shape, NOT ONLY because she imposed her view but because she made the truthful statement that Santa doesn't exist. The way some of you are reacting, it's almost like some of you STILL believe Santa exists and didn't want to know that he doesn't or something!
If she wanted to make her point about Santa, she should have simply refused to teach then, if asked, then explain her view. But man! You'd think this woman said, "Islam is the one true religion!", given the way some of you are acting.
I'm an atheist and I tell my children adults invented Santa Claus so children will behave and go to bed early in the winter while the adults get drunk and fornicate with each other.
In fact, I instruct my children not to lie and to tell others the same thing if asked about it. I don't lie to my kids.
Now if you think that is bad, lie to your kids all you like and they will lie to you.
I don't want my kids to lie to me, and they expect the same from me...
Have a wonderful New Year.
Theresa's last paragraph shows that she's probably a very devout Christian who doesn't want added idols. Quite a few people here have called her by the _B_ word. That tells us a lot.
Roman emperors outlawed monotheistic celebrations and enforced pagan replacement celebrations. Santa Claus is one of the many substitutes promoted since then to instill pagan thinking. And for a religious reason (rejection of perceived paganism), Christmas celebrations were not accepted in America until the 1800s.
Apparently, the core Protestant beliefs were dissolved in this country a long time ago, and any return to such beliefs will be answered by the kind of hostility that instigates physical terrorism.
IMO, it's time for the big test to see if our USA really wants to make a law establishing old European religion. If it's established, then that will also undoubtedly be put to the test and have the same divinely decided outcome that it once had in England.
"The teacher is a Christian, conservative republican"
using those labels does not automatically make one a good person.
I don't care what she calls herself.. (or yourself for that matter).. a scrooge and a killjoy by any other name is still what it is. You either have a heart or you don't.. Believe what you like, but don't be nasty to children. Just because something is "truth" doesn't mean it should be shouted from the rooftops.. if your mama is ugly, I'm not gonna say it to her face...or yours.
LOL. I see that "doctorate" did not come in English............
Correction for you:"If only I hadn't, that doctorate of mine might have come more easily.
Just kidding!
:-)
>No, IMO, she is a liberal.
How can anybody in there right mind find "Twas the Night Before Christmas" offensive. <
Maybe this is the clue to the point she was making.It has become ridiculos How fast so called conservatives and Christians start calling people bitches and leftist because of their lack of comprehension.
This letter almost mirrors the arguments on taking Christ out of the schools.It is very likely SATIRE.She is showing how ridiculos political correctness is by turning it on a non-religous object of worship.
We don't usually run to the admin mods around here for something as petty as this. That was a childish response.
;-)
My kids don't know what fornicate means, for now. If they unluckily meet your kids in the next few years, they'll probably just be shocked by their language and sorry for their lack of history knowledge. Kids like yours give me a good teaching opportunity for my kids and the society they are going to inherit. Someday, they'll probably pray for your kids, directly or indirectly.
Merry Christmas!
My turn to get up on the soapbox. This post is about a teacher taking it upon herself to tell kids that Santa is a myth. I don't give a damn about this teacher's or your beliefs. They are YOUR business.
My kids are MY business. If you don't want YOUR kids to believe in Santa for a few short years of their childhood, that's fine. But don't you or anyone else dare breach my parental authority by sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong.
This teacher had no right to tell children, who were not her own, that Santa is a myth. Anyone with a lick of sense would have filled in that lesson time with something that wouldn't have offended her OR the parents of the kids she was teaching.
This woman managed to prove, without a doubt, that she should never be in charge of children that are not her own.
Oh good grief - I forgot all about the HTTs!!!!!!!!!
I've been reading this thread (in between chores and getting kicked off line) and am just scratching my head.
There are plenty of people who would turn the office of Public Dog Catcher into a ruthless reign of terror and oppression.
What an evil bitter witch. Someone, quick, hide her broomstick so she can't travel to anymore classromms hurting little children!
and you know, that is all well and good, but the meanspirited should not be permitted to do so under the banner of conservatism. Hence, the uproar against this woman, here.
When you do it in front of six year olds, sending them home in tears? Hell yeah it's horrible. She ruined Christmas for every kid in that class who still believed in Santa. Do you think she didn't know what the results of her behavior would be? Please. She's a sadistic bitch, period.
Who's we, dogleg?
But .............. you're right! That was a reactionary response of mine. I could explain more to you, but I won't................. it always pisses off the original 'reindeer shredder' when she is called out on perhaps a mistake of hers.
Anyhow......... here's wishing you a meaningful and prosperous New Year.
Don't get me wrong, I think she should have kept her mouth shut, but I understand where she's coming from.
Your refusal to answer this simple question is quite curious.
It's become glaringly obvious to moi that Conservatrix IS this teacher.
HUH?
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