I have no problem in schools explaining the meaning and background of those days, it comes under the topic of general world religions. However, celebrating Christmas is the issue here, Ms Grinch, and children and families who are non-Christian should not feel threatened by red or green paper napkins or plates. Are the schools teaching the detailed Christian theology surrounding Christmas - NO. IF they were, then you'd have a right to get your knickers in a knot. And that is where the line should be drawn.
Personally as a tax payer, I want the time used to give my children an education in that which can be quantified and measured.
Then you should spend your time ensuring that RATHER than defending such a STUPID policy as the Plano school district has as per the thread title.
What the heck, Baptists and Catholics won't be traumatized a bit...right? No one will mind their own kid being exposed to pagan beliefs, Islamic beliefs...right?
You need to wake up as this is already happening in our schools across the nation.
Islam was not confined to four walls on 911. Are you asserting that this is a desirable state of affairs?
Don't even try to go down that road. Terrorists seeking to justify their actions on religious basis are a completely different manner.
The minute you take your attitude, you open the door to anarchy.
Since when has Christianity promoted anarchy. Get a grip
Then you have opened the door to religious expression of all stripes in every public place, including public schools. So please don't complan when your child is exposed to pagans dancing around a burning log at the winter holiday celebration. You need to understand that religious freedom means religious freedom for EVERYONE, not just for a few activists.
As I said before, wake up, this is already occuring. BTW, your children are exposed to plenty of this stuff out of school too (how well do you censor their TV viewing?). Secondly, if the schools are teaching DOCTRINE, they are wrong. Yes religious freedom for EVERYONE. And there is an inherent risk in that people have to act responsibly. Have you forgotten that is why most of our country was origionally settled? By people seeking to worship God out of their own consciences in a place where they wouldn't be persecuted. Whoops, forgot that they don't teach that fact of history in our schools anymore. And the few 'activists' are those who want to censor God completely out of American life. So if you have a problem with that, contact the ACLU and their ilk.
" However, celebrating Christmas is the issue here, Ms Grinch, and children and families who are non-Christian should not feel threatened by red or green paper napkins or plates."
At issue here is the enforced observance of one religion's major holiday celebration by people who may not wish to participate. If we enforce the observance of one religions observance, we must enforce the observance of all. That's the law.
"Then you should spend your time ensuring that RATHER than defending such a STUPID policy as the Plano school district has as per the thread title. "
After twenty + years in the district, I am completely satisfied that the Plano district consistently delivers
the education I desire for my children.
"You need to wake up as this is already happening in our schools across the nation. "
Curricular exposure to other modes of thought is one thing. Loose cannons forcing their private belief system onto everyone else with no oversight is quite something else.
"Don't even try to go down that road. Terrorists seeking to justify their actions on religious basis are a completely different manner. "
Not at all. Osama bin Laden agrees with you that religion should come out of the house of worship and into every aspect of life. That's just fundamentalism. I can understand why you would try to quash that idea ("Don't go down that road.") Unfortunately, the comparison is inescapable, and has been made endlessly for several years , all across this great country, and by minds better than my own.
"Since when has Christianity promoted anarchy."
"I come not to bring peace but a sword."
You can start there.
Listen, darling. The strategy here is crystal clear. Sue the PISD over their policy and win on the merits. (It's not as if the Plaintiff was not presented with an alternative, btw. He was perfectly free to use the free speech area outside the school where anyone may distribute anything as long as it is not obscene. This wasn't good enough. The Plaintiffs insist upon being more equal than everyone else. They want to distribute their candy canes INSIDE the school, and not be relegated to the free speech area like the Muslims and all the other rabble. Only the classroom was good enough for them.) So they sue, and so they win. Where does that leave the PISD?
Open to suits from every religious organization that wishes to enforce their particular major religious celebration within the school walls. Open to lawsuits alleging psychological harm inflicted by being forced to participate in said celebrations. In fact, I am willing to bet that there could be so many lawsuits, the district could literally be sued into bankruptcy.
That's the goal, darling. That's the strategy. Take the district down, disestablish it in any way you can. Attack any way you can. Creationism, Christmas and Christianity. The C strategy.
Poor PISD! They have a double whammy against them in a lot of people's book because they actually deliver a quality product and give the lie to all the ranting and raving about the public schools.
They have become a target.
"Get a grip."
Pfffft. You started it.
"As I said before, wake up, this is already occuring."
In terms of curriculum, the kids do read quite a bit of non-Western literature, and that's fine with me. Curriculum has to be approved, curriculum is standardized, people who write curriculum are accountable to the tax payers.
Activists with a personal religious agenda are quite another story. They are accountable to no one.
"Secondly, if the schools are teaching DOCTRINE, they are wrong. Yes religious freedom for EVERYONE. And there is an inherent risk in that people have to act responsibly."
Good point. The Plaintiffs are not acting responsibility according to Plano community standards, in my personal opinion. As a long term resident of Plano, I am well aquainted with these standards of community behavior. In this community, acting responsibly means, among other things, observing and respecting the religious and personal boundaries of all other community members. These Plaintiffs are demonstrating less personal responsibility than the rest of the community, ( as well as demanding more equality than everyone else,) by exposing both the district and its 50,000 children to harm by opening the door to chaos. This is my opinion as a local citizen and taxpayer.
"Have you forgotten that is why most of our country was origionally settled? By people seeking to worship God out of their own consciences in a place where they wouldn't be persecuted."
Or not.
"Whoops, forgot that they don't teach that fact of history in our schools anymore. "
It's okay. I'm probably more educated than you. I actually don't need your history lesson. But thanks anyway.