Posted on 12/17/2005 10:40:35 AM PST by DogByte6RER
City's holiday fest bars 'Jesus Christ Dancers'
By Shannon McMahon STAFF WRITER
December 16, 2005
CHULA VISTA – At the city's annual holiday celebration, a rabbi lighted a menorah. A dance troupe performed a traditional prayer to the gods.
But six young girls were told they they couldn't perform because they were wearing shirts emblazoned with a silver cross and the words "Jesus Christ" on the front.
The "Jesus Christ Dancers," a group of 8-to-12-year-olds who describe themselves as Christian hip-hop dancers, were scheduled to make their citywide debut at the Dec. 3 holiday festival.
Moments before taking the stage, employees from the city's Parks and Recreation Department barred them from performing, saying they did not want to convey a religious message in the show.
According to the group's dance instructor, Lita Ramirez, the dancers was asked to turn their shirts inside out. The group was also asked if its music had a religious message.
"I told him our music says 'You are my God' and 'We will worship You,'" Ramirez said. "I also said I think it mentions Jesus."
After waiting for more than an hour, the group was told it could not perform.
"It was humiliating," Ramirez said. "The girls cried."
While the group's leaders have not filed a lawsuit or complaint against the city, they have sought legal counsel from Dean Broyles, an Escondido attorney who specializes in religious liberty cases.
The City Attorney's Office is preparing an official response to the incident and plans to release it next week. Yesterday, city staff members declined to discuss the employees who confronted the dance group or other details of the event.
In a council meeting Tuesday night, Mayor Steve Padilla said city staff members turned the dancers away "out of an overabundance of caution."
"We sent the wrong message to a very important segment of our community," he said.
Padilla then apologized on behalf of the city.
Ramirez teaches Christian hip-hop dance classes and has taught at Loma Verde Park. She signed her group up for the festival to promote a hip-hop Christian dance class that she is scheduled to start teaching at Veteran's Park in January.
The group that was planning to dance at the festival is part of Calvary ISP, an independent study program that is affiliated with the Calvary Christian Academy on Palomar Street.
Sharon Marshall, an attorney for the city, said the city was not aware of the religious nature of the performance before the dancers' arrival at the festival.
However, Ramirez said that she described the group as a Christian hip-hop dance troupe when she sought permission to enter the festival.
The holiday festival is an annual event sponsored by the city's Parks and Recreation Department. The festival includes music and dancing by local performers.
"There was a Hawaiian prayer dance that was allowed to perform," Ramirez said. "There was seductive belly dancing and songs saying 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' and 'Little Drummer Boy' and 'Feliz Navidad.'"
A tree-lighting ceremony, sponsored by the mayor's office, followed the event. During that ceremony, the mayor introduced a rabbi, who lighted a menorah.
In the evening, the Downtown Business Association sponsored a parade.
"The city created a holiday event and then they turned around and the only person who wasn't invited was Jesus," said Broyles, the attorney.
Upon hearing the mayor's comments, Al Reyes, a father of two of the dancers, said he believed that city officials should communicate better with staff members.
"Perhaps the city neglected to educate its employees a little better," Reyes said. "I think some measures need to be taken so that this does not happen again."
Padilla said he has asked city staff members to create a policy addressing religious expression.
"In the future, we need to make sure we do not go so far in trying to be careful that we fail to recognize that the people in this community in many, many cases are people with faith who come from many different perspectives. We should respect all of them," Padilla said.
While Ramirez described the incident as "unprofessional, unethical and disturbing," she said she would like the dancers to perform in future city-sponsored events.
"I want the girls to be able to have that opportunity," she said. "I want to have a dance ministry for Jesus. We are supposed to perform at the opening of the Veteran's Park recreation center."
Veteran's Park is scheduled to open in January.
Shannon McMahon: (619) 498-6634; shannon.mcmahon@uniontrib.com
To voice your displeasure about this heavy-handed city censorship contact:
Chula Vista Mayor Stephen C. Padilla at (619) 691-5044 or email to: constituent-services@ci.chula-vista.ca.us
The Chula Vista Recreation Dept. is at (619) 409-5979
Light a fire under these intolerant bureaucrats...
It's freedom OF religion. Not freedom FROM religion.
That having been said the idea of Christian hip hoppers strikes me as humorous ...
Baby got Book!
http://exchristian.net/exchristian/2005/02/holy-bible-rap.php
(Despite the fact that it's a page for ex-Christians, I don't see how this video is anti-Christian. Quite the opposite in fact ... it's great!)
And maybe some day I'll learn enough HTML to actually link that.
Oxymoron.
Too bad the children weren't singers of Christmas carols.
Posted by Jhohanna
On News/Activism 12/16/2005 2:58:51 PM CST ·
25 replies · 590+ views
'Jesus Christ Dancers' Asked Not to Perform at Holiday Festival Event
Posted by dukeman On News/Activism 12/13/2005 4:10:00 PM CST ·
65 replies · 1,136+ views
"Light a fire under these intolerant bureaucrats..."
You mean "intolerant bigots..."
Stupid city bureaucrats!
But what the heck is Christian Hip Hop dancing? What makes it Christian, as compared to other Hip Hop dancing. I'm confused.
I agree with you.
We have special music and other performances occasionally during the Sunday service and one thing that really bothers me is the so-called 'worship dance'. It is always the young and beautiful in tight fitting clothes waltzing and twirling on stage to music and every man in the place has his eyes glued on the girls and women. Believe me, I have checked out the crowd while this is going on and I think I have seen drool on a few male faces. EXCEPT my husband and son who refuse to watch and look down...haha. I told my family that I would walk out next time it happens. As a woman I find it embarassing and exploitive, too.
I am trying to raise chaste boys and girls and we don't need little hotties on stage in revealing clothing.
Next time it happens I will have a chat with the worship director, but it seems to be the 'in' thing in contemporary worship.
I have said to a few deacons that the day our older, gray-haired pastor or an overweight grandma is up there dancing, I may change my tune...but not until then.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.