Complaint says Santa unconstitutionally told kids the meaning of Christmas

KFVS ^ | December 3, 2003 | AP

[yonif]

Baldwin City, Kansas-AP -- The American Civil Liberties Union is complaining about a minister dressed as Santa Claus who talked to public school kids about the meaning of Christmas.

The A-C-L-U has asked officials to investigate whether elementary schools in Baldwin City, Kansas, allowed a Santa Claus impersonator to discuss Christmas and refer students who seemed to need guidance to Christian resources.

School officials are divided over whether that made him a bad Santa, but the A-C-L-U says he clearly violated the separation of church and state.

Just to be safe, Superintendent Jim White says Santa probably won't be invited back.

[BibChr]

You know... not the REAL Santa.

Dan

(Very funny catch!)

[American Infidel]

No question about it. If a representative from the plo, or hamas were to show up at one of these schools to instruct students in the "art of resistance to occupation" by going over the finer points of properly strapping explosives to oneself for maximum destruction of 'non-believers', the ACLU would be bending over backward to defend their 'first amendment rights' to do so.

[Lijahsbubbe]

Saint Nicholas of Myra (also called Nicholas of Bari) is said to have been born in Lycia, and was a bishop in the city of Myra (now Demre, Turkey) in the 4th century AD.

St. Nicholas is remembered on Dec. 6th (date of his passing). After the fall of Myra to Muslims, his remains were transported (or stolen) to Bari, Italy. These facts appear to be what little is known or agreed upon about St. Nicholas.

Here is some of the legend of Saint Nicholas:

The legends tell of how St. Nicholas, still sticky from the womb, rose up out of his first bath to fold his hands and raise his eyes to heaven in order to cleanse his heart before his body. He is also said to have taught his wet nurse about mortification by refusing her breast more than once on each Wednesday and Friday--a precocious exercise of asceticism!

Nicholas could have found communion with God in a monastic life, but to walk within the confines of a cloister would be insufficient for the saint's devotion. He wanted to be able to follow the footsteps of Jesus in the Palestine, which he did. On his voyages across the sea, he calmed the waves (which is why he is patron of sailors and travellers).

A citizen of Patara lost his fortune, and because he could not raise dowries for his three daughters, he was going to give them over to prostitution. After hearing this, Nicholas took a bag of gold and threw it through the window of the man's house at night. The eldest girl was married with it as her dowry. He performed the same action for each of the other girls. The three purses, portrayed in art with the saint, were mistakenly thought to be the heads of children, and thus originated the story that three children, murdered by an innkeeper and pickled in a tub of brine, were resuscitated by Nicholas. The three purses are also thought to be the origin of the pawnbrokers' symbol of three gold balls.

Another legend holds that he appeared to sailors caught in storms off the coast of Lycia and led them safely into port. Churches built under his dedication are often placed so that they can be seen off the coast as landmarks.

Yet another legend has it that he appeared to Constantine in a dream and thereby caused him to save three unjustly condemned imperial officers from death. Possibly another version says that the governor of Myra took a bribe to condemn to death three innocent men. The executioner was about to kill them when the bishop of the city, Nicholas, appeared and prevented the execution. Turning to the governor, the saint upbraided him till he confessed his sin and begged to be forgiven.

When Myra fell into the hands of the Saracens, Italian cities seized the chance to acquire the relics of Nicholas. The relics were stolen by Italian merchants and came to Bari in southern Italy in 1087. A new church was built to shelter them, and Pope Urban II was present at their enshrining. The already popular saint became even more highly regarded thereafter. The shrine became one of the great pilgrimage centers of medieval Europe. Many miracles were reputed to have been worked through his intercession.

The popular cultural representation of "St. Nick" is based on a combination of Low Countries' custom of giving children presents on his feast day as their patron, and the Dutch Protestants of New Amsterdam (now New York) linking this to Nordic folklore of a magician who punished naughty children and rewarded exemplary ones with presents. (It should be noted that the figure of Santa Claus is really non-Christian and is based on the Germanic god Thor, who was associated with winter and the Yule log and rode on a chariot drawn by goats named Cracker and Gnasher.)FUNNY!

Throughout Europe in the middle ages, St. Nicholas's feast day was the occasion for electing a Boy Bishop, who reigned until the feast of the Holy Innocents on December 28. Even in this century the custom survives in Montserrat in Catalonia, Spain (Attwater, Benedictines, Bentley, Delaney, Encyclopedia, White).

St. Nicholas's emblem in art is three balls. Sometimes he is portrayed (1) as a young man throwing three golden balls into the window of three poor girls; (2) raising three children from a pickle tub; (3) rescuing survivors from a shipwreck; (4) reviving a man unjustly hanged (not to be confused with Nicholas of Tolentino, who is never a bishop); or (5) as a new-born babe praising God. Venerated at Bari, Monserrat, and Russia (Roeder).

Patron of children (Santa Claus, Sint Klaus), bankers, captives (because of the rescue), pawnbrokers (three balls), and sailors (for miraculously saving doomed mariners off the coast of Lycia) (Roeder), brides, unmarried women (because he provided dowries), perfumers (from his shrine at Bari there was said to originate a fragrant 'myrrh'), of travellers, pilgrims, and safe journeys (because he reputedly travelled to the Holy Land and Egypt), maritime pilots (White), boatmen, fishermen, sailors, dock workers, stevedores, brewers, coopers, bootblacks, the unjustly judged, and poets (Encyclopedia). Russia, Greece, Sicily, Lorraine, Moscow, Freibourg, and Apulia all fall under his patronage, too (White).

[tet68]

allowed a Santa Claus impersonator

WHAT is that???

LOL! Yeah, exactly what is that??


You know, someone of an alternate gender/ethnic profile who cross identifies with a scandinavian father figure, and who
role plays during Festivus.

[ThirstyMan]

Well, Santa Claus is based, in part, on St. Nicholas, a very devout Catholic bishop from southern Russia who was known for his cheerful disposition and generousity.

Well thanks for the explanation. I kinda knew that history but when I see a snowman named Frosty and those reindeer being led by Rudolph [red nosed] and a sleigh containing that folk hero Santa, I see lots of secularism. It's a way for nonChristians to participate in our celebration I guess. They want to participate in the "holiday season" too.

Heh it's a fun bunch of folklore. It's just getting to the point where Christmas is being promoted entirely in this secular mode...so as to not offend and because fewer and fewer people really know about the baby, the lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world.

[ThirstyMan]

I agree with what you've said, especially:

To be sure, it's been commercialized almost to the point of destruction, and calling it "winter holiday" or some other camouflage is a disgrace.

That's what I'm reacting to. Our secular culture is in charge now, taking Christmas and sanitizing it, especially in the schools. Everyone seems compelled to say, "Season'Greetings" or "Happy Holidays." Just another sad evidence of our cultural drift away from the Christian base.

[RightOnline]

What do you think? :)

[PhilipFreneau]

>> I would say that latter point that war has been going on since the begining of time. Since Adam and Eve.

True, but the previous context was after the devil was cast out of heaven. Read the entire chapter. It is enlightening.

[PFKEY]

but the previous context was after the devil was cast out of heaven.

Not sure I'm following. Are you saying the devil was in heaven at the time Adam and Eve were in the garden and that he has remained there until recently?

[usadave]

but the A-C-L-U says he clearly violated the separation of church and state.

There's that gosh darn "separation of church and state" reference being made by the ACLU again. As many times as I've checked the U.S. Constitution, I've failed to find this phrase listed anywhere in it.

[KingNo155]

u dumb? The 3 wise men brought gifts to celibrate christs birth; we follow that tradition, as in all children are born christ like ! The wise men brought material gifts (gold, and frankincense, and myrrh)to christ, at the time they were all very expensive and rare!

[scan58]

I would like to ask the A-C-L-U just what exactly is the meaning of CHRISTmas, then?

[Pan_Yans Wife]

have no issues with the way anybody chooses to celebrate Christmas short of turning in into a religious holiday wherein someone might incorporate it into a sunday worship service.

No midnight Christmas service for you and yours? Is there soemthing offensive about combining Church with Christmas?

[Pan_Yans Wife]

planning jihads in school?

Where in Kansas did that take place?

[PhilipFreneau]

Are you saying the devil was in heaven at the time Adam and Eve were in the garden and that he has remained there until recently?

I am saying you should read Chapter 12 of the Revelation. Remember that Satan is an angel. He is even transformed into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

But the theme of my argument has been that the current war against Christianity was prophesied, as in the following excerpts:

In Revelation 12:7-10, it reads, ". . . there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."

In Revelation 12:12, it reads, "Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."

In Revelation 12:17, it reads, "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

[MissAmericanPie]

It took place in California, the kids were asked to choose a muslim name, dress in costume, plan and create a jihad board game, memorize three verses of the Koran, and more, for extra credit.

[PFKEY]

I have read the Book but have a hard time trying to place prophecy into current events.

The part of your theme that I'm having problems understanding is you make it sound as though it is only recently that Satan have been cast out of Heaven.

It has always been my understanding that these events took place prior to Adam.

[PFKEY]

No midnight Christmas service for you and yours? Is there soemthing offensive about combining Church with Christmas?

No midnight services would be correct.

I'm not sure if offensive would be the correct word though. I see it as being unscriptural in that we have no commandments in the NT to observe this day as part of our worship. The pattern that the first century Christians observed is pretty clear and adding things to our worship might be offensive to God so I am more comfortable with not including anything extra.

Having said all that I love Christmas and what it represents to Christians. I thanks God daily for sending his Son.

[PhilipFreneau]

It has always been my understanding that these events took place prior to Adam

I've never read or heard that one.

Beginning at Revelation 7:3, it is written, "... Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel."

There was no Israel in Adam's days. Satan is cast out of heaven five chapters after the aforementioned sealing of the servants from the tribes of Israel. To be brief, all events in the Revelation of Jesus Christ occurred after his crucifixion.

[Clintonfatigued]

That was one informative posting. Thanks!