Target, Macy's, Denver, - ILLINOIS
Sharper Minds Daily
Posted on 12/13/2004 8:27:50 PM PST by Kuksool
Perhaps your Santa-Claus/Rudolph/NFL-football Christmas has no special requirements, but my birth-of-Jesus-Christ, the-Savior-Christmas requires a special mass or church service, a feast, and gift giving to the needy, and often an additional evening service.
Notice the ACLU is strangely absent here.
They are called spring break and winter break now.
Another local school district, not too far this one, had lessons on Ramadan, but took great pains to avoid the words, Christmas or even Holiday. It referred to the Holiday season as Winter Wonderland or Festival of Lights. The school displayed a "Culture Tree" and sang "community carols". The educrats argued that strong references to Christmas promoted Christianity but lessons on Ramadan were meant to educate kids about the Middle East and give them a better understand of 9-11 and the Iraqi War.
Here's a suggestion: In the light of the re-election of President Bush and the buzz about Red States vs Blue States, teachers could educate kids about the sociological significance of Christmas to Red State voters. Kids would learn what Christmas and religion means to the so-called values voters.
Not here in Texas. We get three week-long vacations. One in the fall (during Ramadan), one in the winter (during Christmas/New Year's), and one in the spring (during rodeo week). There's no week off for the highest Holy Day in Christendom (Easter) unless it falls during rodeo week (sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't).
They call it winter vacation and spring break now.
Sloth wrote:
Christmas has no requirements regarding fasting, prayer, etc., that would impact the school day, so it's not a parallel situation.
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And it could be said that the public school system makes similar consessions for Christian organizations such as The Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Christian Prayer groups. At least in my part of the country. To say that our heritage (that of Christianity) is being taken out of the school system does not necessarily apply to the school district my daughter attends. And I would venture a bet that it is still focused on in many public schools around the country. Let us not overreact at the tolerance shown other beliefs, but I agree with the statement (and I am paraphrasint) that we should not lose our heritage while showing tolerance. This country is and will most likely remain a majority Christian nation. As such there will continuously be attacks upon the faith by unscrupulous individuals and groups. It must be remembered that the majority rules, while not losing focus on every individuals rights. I don't think affording anyone of any religion or belief some comfort in their everyday or seasonal religious activities infringes on others rights. It protects their rights, which is the goal. I think the ACLU and organizations like it have a goal to secularize our society. Even as an agnostic, I can see a great harm in this. There is a widening theocratic gap between generations in this country. It is a direct result of the actions of groups such as the ACLU. Our country's Christian identity cannot and should not be seperated from our society. Just as a Muslim in Saudi Arabia or Pakistan would feel the same way. I think even an agnostic in that cuture would feel as I do. Things such as "The Ten Commandments" and the moral teachings of Jesus Christ should be kept in our public places, monuments, schools and government facilities. This is not a governmental sponsorshop of religion, it is a social one. The majority of our country is Christian, and as such the majority has taken it's system of values and morals from those beliefs. To seperate such an important cultural and social ingredient would cause more harm than good. IMHO.
Here in NYC we still have Christmas and Easter breaks...sadly, the kids don't get Rodeo Week off.
They are so lame. If they wanted to educate kids about 911, what is their excuse for not teaching about Christianity and Judaism so all little American kids could understand that the Muslim terrorists hate them.
I'm shocked! SHOCKED!
So in your mind, that's the key issue, huh? Whether it impacts the school day? None o' that Constitution and First Amendment stuff to get in the way for you, right?
Islam is a cult of murder, misogyny, pedophilia and lies. I can understand why the current crop of schools would find a reason to respect those values. It fits right in with the values of the ACLU.
I surprised the tree was called a Holiday Tree. "Happy Holidays" is becoming taboo word as well. It makes people think of Christmas. Thus the PC term would be "Season Greetings" or "Merry Festival of Lights".
freebilly wrote:
"Christmas has no requirements regarding fasting, prayer, etc., that would impact the school day, so it's not a parallel situation."
So separation of church and state doesn't apply if the religion has strict rules of adherence like Islam?
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I wish I would have thought of that. But then again aren't there some rules of Christmas such as humility, servitude, and charity? Unfortunately these are not taught in our school system as Christian values because that would be recognizing religion. And I thought the amendment was no "...establishment of religion" wher a recognition of such is quite different. A group of Senators praying before a session is quite different than making it a requirement to be a member of a certain religion or church to be a Senator. Which is the case in some countries. Well, I guess we'll all be arguing this one till the cows come home.
Immediately following Ramadamdingaling will be classes in beheadings, female circumcision, how to beat your wife without leaving bruises that cant' be covered with a burqua, and a variety of other quaint and delightful practices that will leave your head spinning on the floor.
How about Merry celebration of the birth of a "Jewish Prophet who was killed and then resurected." Or would that be too detailed?
very well written ping
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