Posted on 12/13/2005 2:10:00 PM PST by dukeman
SAN DIEGO - An official with the City of Chula Vista (California) Recreation Department asked a local Christian hip-hop dance group to not perform at a city-sponsored "Holiday Festival" last weekend.
The dance group was scheduled to perform at the city-sponsored event on December 3, but was told after the program began that it could not perform. The six-girl dance troupe -- with participants ranging in age from 8 to 12 -- wore shirts identifying themselves as a "Jesus Christ Dancer." AgapePress was told of the incident by Phil Magnan of Biblical Family Advocates.
John Gates, senior supervisor for the Parks and Recreation Commission of the City of Chula Vista, declined to comment on the reasoning for his decision to cancel the performance. When asked about the decision, Gates said that he "was asked to refer the matter to the city attorney's office." Four calls were made to the city attorney's office with no response.
An eyewitness to the event and a father of one of dancers, Al Reyes, questioned the supervisor's decision. Reyes told WorldNetDaily that Gates was asked about a Hawaiian dance group that, according to Reyes, performed "Feliz Navidad," "The First Noel," "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and a Hawaiian prayer song that was sung in another language.
After challenging a city representative on this point, Reyes said Gates told him that, "I don't understand those songs, but I do understand what those shirts say."
The dance group, which normally numbers 11 dancers, is headed up by dance instructor Lita Ramirez. Ramirez said she is "disappointed with the decision to stop the performance," adding that she "made it clear to city officials that this was a Christian hip-hop dance group and that they would perform a Christian hip-hop dance."
Ramirez also has a contract with the Parks and Recreation Commission to conduct dance classes that are scheduled to start on January 17, 2006. A brochure for the city lists that Ramirez will be teaching on Christian hip-hop dance next month. She stated that "because of this incident I am concerned about my future employment with the city."
Referring to removal of her group from the Holiday Festival, Ramirez asserts the city "made a biased decision. I was told that there were complaints about the T-shirts. When asked further about the complaints, a city official changed his story."
The Jesus Christ Dancers group is sponsored by Calvary Christian Academy and is associated with Calvary Chapel of Chula Vista.
I'm not even a Christian and this offends me! Has this country lost ALL common sense?!?
Sad.
Gee, a little more info on this would be nice.
Graduates of the St. Vitus School of Dance, I assume...
Kinda like vegetarian meatloaf.
If they were the "Che Guevera Dancers" they could probably not only dance, but be paid to perform by federal grant money.
I smell a huge discrimination lawsuit.
This stuff is just soooo stupid! Petty bureaucrats and city officials who are stupid enough to make these kind of decisions are too damned stupid to hold public office and they need to be hounded out of office. I hope the good Christian folks of Chula Vista hound this clown right out of a job.
Christian hip hop....hmmmmm..sounds like an OXYMORON!!
Yes, it has.
Why? Hip hop is a music genre. While it's true the majority of hip hop lyrics are bad, it doesn't mean we cannot have clean hip hop music. If many youths actually listen to this kind of music, I think we can actually reach them with Christian hip hop.
After challenging a city representative on this point, Reyes said Gates told him that, "I don't understand those songs, but I do understand what those shirts say."
Gates' budding career as a spokes-model comes to a screeching halt.
Must be a San Diego thing. The weather is way too clement. "We're trying to celebrate the holy-days, let's keep Jesus out of it, please."
Almost as funny as Christian Heavy Metal.
Do you really need an answer to that question? :-s
Yes, and some of us are trying to fight this leftist insanity.
I guess the part of the 1st amendment that mentions that freedom of religion will not be prohibited kind of slipped by these idiots. I hope the dance groups' parents sue these worthless bast***s for suppression of religious rights(And I am not a Christian!)
What holidays are these people talking about???? Isn't there only one coming up?
Ok, speaking of Holidays, are you aware that Holiday really means Holy day? The left will sh** it's pants when Christians start celebrating the Holy days(meaning the 12 days of Christmas). We(all conservatives, Christian or not) should all point out what Holidays really means. The celebration of the 12 Holy Days of Christmas, and then wish them all a very happy Holidays:).
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