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Toronto School Board Warns Against Offending Wiccans at Halloween
LifeSite ^ | October 28, 2005

Posted on 10/29/2005 6:14:49 AM PDT by NYer

Toronto School Board Warns Against Offending Wiccans at Halloween
Calls Halloween “religious day of significance for Wiccans” which “should be treated respectfully”

TORONTO, October 28, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Toronto School Board warned its schools that Halloween as it is traditionally celebrated may offend Wiccans, even suggesting that to a Wiccan unuse to the event, it might be experienced as a “traumatic shock.”

In a memo to teachers and principals, the board claimed, “Many recently arrived students in our schools share absolutely none of the background cultural knowledge that is necessary to view ‘trick or treating,’ the commercialization of death, the Christian sexist demonization of pagan religious beliefs, as ‘fun.’”

Citing that Halloween is a breach of its “equitable schools policies,” the board, in its memo titled Halloween at TDSB Schools: Scarrrrrry Stufff, warned that “some students and their parents/ guardians might experience their first Halloween not as a ‘strange surprise,’ but [as] a ‘traumatic shock,’” adding that “Halloween is a religious day of significance for Wiccans and therefore should be treated respectfully.”

Society for Quality Education executive director Doretta Wilson told the Globe, “This is unbelievable. I'm sorry I'm laughing because it's so funny to read this thing. I just think it's taking political correctness to a ridiculous extreme,” she added.

Wilson said, “It’s almost as if it's not politically correct to be a Christian nowadays in our country.” Wilson also questioned to what degree Wicca is represented in the student population.

The Toronto School Board, one of the largest in Canada, has been notable for other controversial policies. In 1994, it rejected requests from Muslim and other parents to have their elementary school children exempted from the board’s mandatory "anti-homophobia education" sessions.

See related news:
Wicca, the Pagan Temptation for Youth Increases Followers
http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/4839.article
Wicca Casts Spell Over College Students
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,72791,00.html
Toronto School Children Forced to Endure Homosexual Sensitivity Training
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/nov/04111711.html
TORONTO SCHOOL BOARD IMPLEMENTING AGGRESSIVE HOMOSEXUAL INDOCTRINATION
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2000/jul/00071804.html


TOPICS: Canada; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: halloween; religion; wiccan; wiccans; witch
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To: starfish923

That's what I don;t get about atheists. What is the point of living if they have nothing to look forward too?


21 posted on 10/29/2005 6:51:41 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Never a minigun handy when you need one.)
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To: GatorGirl

My son doesn't participate in Halloween activities. Our personal convictions--this is America and we're allowed. No, we're not Wiccans! Every year I contact his teacher and tell her we don't celebrate, and he is provided with an alternate activity during the big Halloween dress-up party at school. I would NEVER think of trying to ban Halloween for the school. We are in the minority in our community. As long as we have the choice to opt out, what business is it of ours?


22 posted on 10/29/2005 7:02:04 AM PDT by Siouxz ( Freepers are the best!!!)
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To: NYer

Wicca was an invented religion circa 1955...

'Trick or Treating' has been around longer....


23 posted on 10/29/2005 7:05:04 AM PDT by joesnuffy
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To: cripplecreek
That's what I don;t get about atheists. What is the point of living if they have nothing to look forward too?

You don't get it because you have the humility of one who believes that there is something, someOne higher and better in our existence. Almost every human being alive believes in a higher power.
Every philosopher who ever existed pondered the questions of WHO made us, WHY were we created and WHAT is our purpose in our short existence? For me and most Catholics, the answers are at the foot of the Cross.

Opinion: There are no athiests in trenches. Atheists have never had to deal with anything as tough, frightening or humbling as combat.

Atheism is for the most spoiled relative moralists around. It's the ultimate self-absorption and egoism. Imagine being so arrogant as to believe that there is NOTHING higher or better in our existance than SELF. What a sad, pathetic display of their character.
You're right. What is there to look forward to? Nothing. What a hopeless, despairing view of one's life, self, purpose and future.

24 posted on 10/29/2005 7:05:07 AM PDT by starfish923 ( Socrates: It is never right to do wrong.)
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To: joesnuffy
'Trick or Treating' has been around longer....

It's an Irish tradition.
Irish villagers celebrated All Saints Day with a festival, food and bonfire.
The night before the festival, village elders would go from house to house for food donations to the festival. Some villagers refused to donate any food for the next-day festival.
Those cheapskates were threatened with a "trick" if they didn't come up with some, any food donation, a "treat."
Everyone in the village was on the same boat, so it wasn't a matter of the desperately poor being required to provide. Hah, they were possibly as generous as the most wealthy.

25 posted on 10/29/2005 7:09:50 AM PDT by starfish923 ( Socrates: It is never right to do wrong.)
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To: NYer
What this article doesn't say...

Local news radio had a quote from the Toronto wiccan high priestess who said she saw nothing wrong with Halloween, she just saw it as a fun time for kids.
Who's the school board speaking for?

26 posted on 10/29/2005 7:15:18 AM PDT by kanawa
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To: NYer

As Rush says: "We couldn't make this stuff up, folks!"


27 posted on 10/29/2005 7:30:05 AM PDT by Savage Beast (The internet is the newspaper of record.)
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To: Irish_Thatcherite
>Don't offend witches - they can cast spells!

Yes, but witches don't
have the might and majesty
of Rome to help them!

I have to admit,
though, witches do have something
that catches the eye . . .


28 posted on 10/29/2005 7:39:54 AM PDT by theFIRMbss
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To: zzen01
"Canada, WHAT a toilet! Hey, Watch your mouth, When something stupid happens in the USA, we don't post that America is "a toilet". Canada happens to be the country for us conservatives as well, so criticize the person or deed, but no the country, else, STFU"...
29 posted on 10/29/2005 7:48:37 AM PDT by CaptainCanada (Enough Already)
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To: NYer

The writers of the "Monty Python" movies have been out of work for a while. I'm pleased to see that they have found employment at the Toronto School Board.


30 posted on 10/29/2005 8:00:55 AM PDT by coladirienzi
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To: CaptainCanada
Welcome aboard.

Glad to see you didn't get the memo ;~)

31 posted on 10/29/2005 8:07:19 AM PDT by kanawa
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To: xzins

FWIW...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiccan


32 posted on 10/29/2005 8:15:19 AM PDT by kanawa
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To: NYer

If one chooses to become a fruitcake, one must accept the ramifications of becoming a fruitcake. It is not incumbent on the non-fruitcakes to lessen the burden of fruitcakism on those that choose to embrace it.


33 posted on 10/29/2005 8:20:08 AM PDT by Dionysius (ACLU is the enemy)
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To: NYer

I'm offended that every weirdo and its dog (or cat perhaps) can manipulate public agencies merely be deciding to take offense.
Want to do something really scarey for Halloween? Dress up as Hasidim and Mossad agents and visit your local lib warren.
I promise not to be offended.


34 posted on 10/29/2005 8:20:51 AM PDT by atomic conspiracy (Islamo-terrorists: Strike force of the MSM)
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To: theFIRMbss
"I have to admit, though, witches do have something that catches the eye ."

Evil can be like that most of the time.

35 posted on 10/29/2005 8:50:17 AM PDT by ICE-FLYER (God bless and keep the United States of America)
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To: kanawa

Yes, wikipedia does seem to verify that wicca is a hodgepodge religion, recently pieced together from mystical sounding dribs and drabs, by folks intent on selling books to the oooooohhh-aaaahhhhh crowd.


36 posted on 10/29/2005 8:57:29 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It!)
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To: theFIRMbss

Your at it again!


37 posted on 10/29/2005 9:09:51 AM PDT by Irish_Thatcherite (~~~A vote for Bertie Ahern is a vote for Gerry Adams!~~~)
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To: starfish923
Atheism is for the most spoiled relative moralists around. It's the ultimate self-absorption and egoism. Imagine being so arrogant as to believe that there is NOTHING higher or better in our existance than SELF. What a sad, pathetic display of their character. You're right. What is there to look forward to? Nothing. What a hopeless, despairing view of one's life, self, purpose and future.

The many atheist FReepers here would beg to disagree...

38 posted on 10/29/2005 12:00:20 PM PDT by JasonSC
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To: CaptainCanada

You joined yesterday and say STFU?

Dude, we bash Canada for fun because they are really hateful to us sometimes.

But they were nice to us at Free Dominion when we were down. So I will be nice to you, I guess.

You ought to hear what they say about Louisiana,,man, they hurt my feelings all the time. Some say I deserved to drown. Really, Freepers aren't known for their sensitivity.


39 posted on 10/29/2005 12:04:15 PM PDT by cajungirl (no)
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To: Dionysius

LOL!

I wanta go out and get in a Wiccan's face right now!!!!! And cackle real loud!


40 posted on 10/29/2005 12:05:10 PM PDT by cajungirl (no)
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