Posted on 12/26/2005 8:11:14 AM PST by Conservatrix
To the Editor:
"Last week I substituted at a local elementary school in Lebanon County. The lesson plan required me to read the 1882 poem “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore to two classes of students. While I can appreciate the poem for its literary value, the subject matter is offensive to me, and the reading of this poem to the children imposed values upon me which are against my deeply held religious beliefs. I could not in good conscience present the notion of Santa Claus as a truth to the children, and stated so.
No public school teacher should be required to teach a belief, or custom, or religion that he or she believes to be false, or be required to pass those purported falsehoods onto impressionable children, without the right to state a disclaimer. Furthermore, freedom of speech and religion, no matter how unpopular the speech or against cultural norms the religion, are protected rights under the Constitution of the United States. A secular public school should not be propagating any kind of religion. The belief in Santa Claus as a divine, magical, omniscient, powerful, giving, loving father-figure, to which children are taught to make supplications and requests, is a religion indeed-- a distorted substitute for the Judeo-Christian God; a false form of Christianity; a zealously-protected American idol.
In presenting the poem, I gave the children quick historical background about the Santa Claus myth-- its evolution from the historic Nickolaus, Bishop of Myrna in Asia Minor, who died in 343 A.D., to its amalgamation with ancient Western pagan traditions of German, Scandinavian and Dutch origins, to the current manifestation in the secular Christmas culture of today. (Dutch children, for example, would put their wooden shoes out at night for “Sante Klaus” to fill with candies.)
The current Santa Claus figure was popularized in the late 19th Century by artist Thomas Nast of Harper’s Weekly Magazine, who depicted “Saint Nick,” not as an elf, but a rotund, pipe-smoking man in a red and white suit. This is the deity to which countless public school children today are taught to make supplications, and about whom they sing their many songs at annual public school Christmas programs.
If people are upset about the revelation to children that Santa Claus is a myth-- which all children who are taught this lie find or figure out eventually-- perhaps it is because Santa is that zealously-guarded idol of their own modern religion. Therefore, as a religion, let Santa be kept out of the public school classroom (no more “Dear Santa” letters to line those school hallways)--or perhaps, in the interest of “diversity,” make his mythical, oversized personage share equal representation in literature, and song, and Christmas programs, with the other Person of the season: the Lord Jesus Christ, God made flesh, God with us."
Two words that would solve everything:
School Vouchers!
No I don't have children yet. My children would know that fairy tales and myths are stories that are fictional accounts.
My parents didn't have to tell me that the characters at Disney World or Chuck E. Cheese weren't real. But no, I didn't see magic acts, considering what the Bible says about magic.
From infancy, I was taught the truth from God's Word the Bible. By the time I was old enough to even remember going to those places, I knew the difference between fictional characters and real people. It honestly didn't lessen my enjoyment at all. I did believe that music on the radio was being played by live bands actually in the studios. I found out the truth about that on my own, but if I had asked my parents, they would have chuckled and told me the basics. They would NOT have said, "Yes dear, that's right, live bands!".
My parents read us Bible stories at night. They told us funny stories from their own childhood. By the time I knew how to read, I LOVED reading fantasy stories and fairy tales, but I knew they weren't REAL. I think I would have enjoyed them LESS if I had thought that they were real. Fantasy worlds strike me as being very arbitrary and there is no loving God in them.
My older brother is very outgoing and affable, loves people. When he went to kindergarten, at Christmastime, he took it upon himself to tell everyone the truth about Christmas. The school asked my parents to keep him at home, and they agreed, that was appropriate for the situation. However, we were encouraged to tell the truth and share the Bible with people whenever possible. For example, we talked about evolution vs. creation with our teachers. I don't think there is anything evil or sinister about the truth. I think it is beautiful, and eminently more satisfying than any myth.
NCLaw, with all due respect, the vitriol is coming in spades from the side of those who claim to have been taught generosity and love through the myth of Santa Claus.
You would have to ask one of them if you ever get a funky haircut and cheap clothes, who knows with styles nowadays. They might say ‘it looks like something from the Martha Stewart K-Mart collection’ (a most offensive insult IMHO).
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There's honesty, and then there's tact. The teacher in this case was not tactful.
Yeah, especially since there are so many politically correct sacred cows and golden calves out there...
You might have a change of heart when you have kids of your own and you are around other parents. When you take your kids to Chuck E. Cheese, and they think he's real, and they are so excited to see him.
Those innocent years don't last long, and they should be cherished by all parents. It's gone for my 11 year old, and now I'm having to deal with a cocky middle school kid.
My 9 year old daughters are still pretty innocent, and I am loving every minute of their innocence. I hate to think that this was the last year that they'll believe in Santa Claus.
I'd love to hear what you have to say in 10 to 20 years.
She looks stoned!
With all due respect, I'm not going to have a change of heart.
I knew lots of other children like me, raised with similar values and a similar appreciation for the truth. So it's not like it was poor little me, all alone in the world, not believing in Santa Claus.
Not only did I have my parents raising me, but also my grandmother, most of my aunts and uncles and the majority of my cousins all believe the same when it comes to this issue. Not to mention everyone else in my religious community. I am actually very blessed in this regard.
When I get married, I'm going to marry someone with similar values. I would not marry someone who thought it okay to exchange the truth for a lie. I would not marry someone who would combine light and dark in this fashion.
And I'm going to raise my children with Biblical principles and truth. I'm not going to waste time trying to get them to believe falsehoods when there are many true stories that are just as delightful. My children will get presents throughout the year (as I did), and not just because of a certain date.
Of course, I do want my children to appreciate and feel the true spirit of giving. They'll have MY example and that of my husband (I won't be giving the credit to a mythological person). And better than my imperfect example, they'll have the example of Jesus Christ, who gave more than any of us could dare ask be given, and bought us eternity. When I was a child, I knew as much about Jesus as other children knew about Santa. Jesus performed wondrous miracles and is truly an amazing and inspiring person. And he's real.
Very interesting link...would you post (or FReepmail) a few of the links where its being discussed?
Most children believe that Elmo is real. It is a stage of childhood. Just because for some bizarre reason YOU didn't, doesn't mean that children who do are stupid or evil.
You'll do anything to start an argument, but okay I'll bite. Many public schools offer pre-kindergarten at age four, kindergarten starts at age five.
The point is that children who do believe in Santa are too young to read your old, magnificently gilded Bible from the mid-1800s that you want to hand them.
My children are older than that... your point is pointless...
All this minutiae and ancillary argument does not change the fact that Santa Claus is a phantasm, a myth, a lie... None the criticism of the article, of the poster, or of myself applies to the history of the Orthodox Bishop, the Christian purpose of Christmas or anything remotely connected to Yeshua.
So, instead of changing the subject, confront the issue, which is the fallacy of Santa Claus...
But I don't expect you to understand that concept since you want to interject your unwanted opinion about what we should and shouldn't teach OUR children to believe.
What about the parental authority of those who would agree with her or the authority of the voters to elect a school board?
Or the authority of facts and history in education?
What about the authority of the First Amendment? Or, prayer in school, or teaching the Bible as the masterful work of literature it is?
What if the teacher read Biblical passages instead of a poem?
The kids are too young to read the poem themselves, so why not read the Bible? But I don't expect you to understand that concept since you want to interject your unwanted opinion about what we should and shouldn't teach OUR children to believe.
You can teach your children to believe the moon is made of green cheese if you want, I will tell mine it is a lie and teach them to say so openly, despite your conceited notion that tradition is none of their business...
But, since I vote for the school board, pay the taxes to support it, I do have a say and I have the First Amendment.
What about the parental authority of those who would agree with her or the authority of the voters to elect a school board?
Or the authority of facts and history in education?
What about the authority of the First Amendment? Or, prayer in school, or teaching the Bible as the masterful work of literature it is?
What if the teacher read Biblical passages instead of a poem?
The kids are too young to read the poem themselves, so why not read the Bible?
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But I don't expect you to understand that concept since you want to interject your unwanted opinion about what we should and shouldn't teach OUR children to believe.
You can teach your children to believe the moon is made of green cheese if you want, I will tell mine it is a lie and teach them to say so openly, despite your conceited notion that tradition is none of their business...
But, since I vote for the school board, pay the taxes to support it, I do have a say and I have the First Amendment.
With all due respect for you and your Master of Divinity degree, but didn't the early Christian church use "X" for Christ? And the term "Xmas" is not some new marketing term...it has been used for a long time by Christians.
In fact, maybe this points to a different problem...perhaps people are not learning enough about the Church's history when they're in Sunday School or woshipping (and yes, learning is appropriate in worship, IMHO). Otherwise, they might be wearing "'X' Marks the Spot" t-shirts and everyone would give a knowing nod to a fellow Christian. Or do you favor allowing anti-Christian atheists to co-opt the term Xian, like they have?
I don't know whether you mean infers or implies, but in either case, in defense of Theresa Rodriguez Farrisi, a substitute is supposed to teach what's given in the lesson plan. If he doesn't, then the schedule for covering a unit can be thrown off, etc. There's a lot of schedule management in teaching, especially elementary school--to plan things around holidays, fit district requirements and schedule, standardized tests, etc.
Still, as I said earlier, there are other options... One is to ask the principal (tough, as they are very busy in morning), and another is to teach it as a sociology lesson, depending on the teacher's lesson plan goals.
What I think is very wrong is to defend the approach Ms. Farrisi used, rather than to submit an apology if she does, indeed, realize she was wrong.
ping
It's a poem.
It's not "taught as a religion". She is "teaching religion" if she seeks to disabuse the children of the Santa Claus "myth" out of a fear he is usurping Jesus Christ. She is a hypocrite of the highest order.
Santa Claus is a cultural persona and if this idiotic person is going to refrain from "teaching" anything that she disagrees without without positing a "disclaimer" to the kids, she cannot read anything by EB White "people cannot have mice as sons"; "farm animals cannot talk"; Erich Carle, JK Rowling, fairy tales, just about anything suitable to read to six year olds. She has no business in the classroom, period!!!
Ridiculous!!
Please pay attention to this part because you seem to avoid facing this important point: This controversy has nothing to do with YOU, or YOUR rights to INTERFERE in what other parents, many of whom are Christians, teach their children about Santa.
If you indeed advocate spoiling others family Christmas traditions because YOU are hell bent and determined that it is your right to do so, then I suggest you do more reading in your guilded Bible (and please spare me the pagan speech).
YOU are in charge of your children and what you teach them, but you have no right to usurp my parental authority and undermine my family traditions because you think your way of raising your kids is superior to mine. And I have no right to do the same with your kids. It's called respect and common decency.
I think we're done with this conversation because frankly, I'm sure it will only continue to go nowhere. Goodbye.
and
There may be more on this long thread, but these opitions were available and it came from two substitute teachers.
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