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Boy Sent Home From School For Dressing As Jesus (For Halloween)
WCBS-TV ^ | October 31, 2008 | Sean Hennessey

Posted on 10/31/2008 9:52:25 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

A Paramus middle school student was sent home Friday after he came to school dressed up as Jesus for Halloween.

For a few hours, Alex Woinski was the messiah of West Brook Middle School, but like the real Jesus, Woinski was condemned, so to speak.

"Sort of like a new remake of what supposedly happened," Woinski told CBS 2.

Decked out in sandals, a robe, fake beard and thorns, the 13-year-old joined 500 other students at his school's Halloween celebration, and on this day, he was the chosen one - to go home.

"It was offensive to some students," Woinski said, when asked what school officials told him the reason for being sent home was.

Woinski says he wore the costume because friends say his long hair makes him a Jesus lookalike, and were not offended by his costume.

The school says thes costume was a disruption and denies its religious nature had anything to do with it.

"I don't think I overreacted," Principal Joan Broe told CBS 2.

Broe said too many students were drawn to the costume, and that was reason enough.

"Children were [asking], where is the boy who is Jesus Christ?" she said. "It was disrupting the education process."

Woinski's parents agree it was political correctness gone amok.

"I think the whole freedom of speech and expression has definitely had a damper put on it, and this is proof of that," says Kim Woinski, Alex's mother.

But it won't put a damper on Woinski's trick or treating. This Jesus has been resurrected for Friday night.

Woinski has developed an interest in religion. His mother is Catholic and his father is Jewish. He recently celebrated his Bar Mitzvah and his also studying Bible scripture.

His school says this was the first time anyone had ever dressed up like Jesus. They say other students were ordered to alter their costumes because they were deemed inappropriate.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: New Jersey
KEYWORDS: 1stamendment; alexwoinski; barmitzvah; bergencounty; catholic; christians; costume; discrimination; education; firstamendment; halloween; intolerant; jesus; jewish; multiculturalism; paramus; politicalcorrectness; religion; teachtolerance; tolerance
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To: CaribouCrossing

He could have claimed he was going as Gaius Baltar.


41 posted on 11/01/2008 7:18:16 AM PDT by Victoria_R
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To: Victoria_R

*snert*

That dweeb. I keep hoping he’ll get killed.


42 posted on 11/01/2008 7:20:06 AM PDT by Tax-chick ("This is our duty: to zot their sorry arses into the next time zone." ~ Admin Mod)
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To: BraveMan

I do. I thought he dressed up like Jesus because he considered that scary.


43 posted on 11/01/2008 7:22:34 AM PDT by Varda
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I just love the religious literacy of today’s reporters! This kid is “studying Bible scripture”! And, as a Jew, he’s been Bar Mitzvahed, but, as a Christian, he’s studying “Bible scripture”—something Jews don’t do???

BTW: Abolish government collective schools, and problems like this disappear.


44 posted on 11/01/2008 8:29:17 AM PDT by Arthur McGowan
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
"It was offensive to some students," Woinski said, when asked what school officials told him the reason for being sent home was.

I find the whole Halloween thing offensive, and yet it's shoved in my face every year.

Nov 1 is one of the best days of the year, IMO.

45 posted on 11/01/2008 9:02:56 AM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: DaveLoneRanger; 2Jedismom; aberaussie; Aggie Mama; agrace; Anima Mundi; Antoninus; arbooz; ...

ANOTHER REASON TO HOMESCHOOL

This ping list is for the “other” articles of interest to homeschoolers about education and public school. This can occasionally be a fairly high volume list. The main Homeschool Ping List handles the homeschool-specific articles. I hold both the Homeschool Ping List and the Another Reason to Homeschool Ping list. Please freepmail me to let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from either list, or both.
46 posted on 11/01/2008 9:03:53 AM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

How many devils were there? Plenty I’m sure.


47 posted on 11/01/2008 9:14:35 AM PDT by stentorian conservative
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To: BraveMan
Is there any Christian on this board (other than me) who finds this student’s actions offensive?

Yep, count me in. If a student had showed up in my class dressed like Jesus I would have kicked him out. It is over the top offensive to me. That being said, none of my students dressed up at all this year.

48 posted on 11/01/2008 9:18:14 AM PDT by SoftballMominVA
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To: wintertime

I’m surprised the kids knew who Jesus is! And the thorns were a testimony to His suffering. Planting seeds. Good. Holloween, yuk. Celebration of death is what it has become.


49 posted on 11/01/2008 9:27:27 AM PDT by huldah1776 ( Worthy is the Lamb)
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To: mnehrling
He isn't dressed like Jesus, he's dressed up like Robert Powell.

Looks more like King Burger King.

50 posted on 11/01/2008 9:30:55 AM PDT by Hacksaw
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To: metmom; wagglebee; little jeremiah

THAT IS UNEXCUSABLE!!!!

Public schools have to allowed to implode. They are incapable of cleaning their own houses.


51 posted on 11/01/2008 9:36:30 AM PDT by Clintonfatigued (If Islam conquers the world, the Earth will be at peace because the human race will be killed off.)
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To: Tax-chick

For their goals and their future, I think you are right. For the good of our children and the future of our nation, undeniably no.


52 posted on 11/01/2008 9:59:29 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Our nation is uncomfortably close to having B.O. We need to use a Republican roll on by 11/04.)
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To: DoughtyOne
For the good of our children and the future of our nation, undeniably no.

Well, there's one simple way to remove the influence of this sort of people, but parents won't use it.

53 posted on 11/01/2008 10:08:31 AM PDT by Tax-chick ("This is our duty: to zot their sorry arses into the next time zone." ~ Admin Mod)
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To: BraveMan

Yep. It’s the same as the “Jesus is my homeboy” t-shirts and other blasphemous garbage that treat the Savior as a joke.

The 2nd Commandment is still law, people.


54 posted on 11/01/2008 11:03:43 AM PDT by ItsOurTimeNow ("And as things fell apart, nobody paid much attention...")
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To: huldah1776; metmom

But the boy is not a Christian - for all the story says, he did it because his friends said he should because he has long hair.

The celebration of Death is why we don’t participate. Even here in Baptist Land - you’ll find haunted houses, etc at churches! No one thinks anything of it. One foot in the world, one foot in heaven - “cultural christianity” is the norm. Whatever happened to reverence for the King of Kings?

Anyway. I have neighbors who adopted 6 kids from Kenya. The children were horrified at the USA’s obsession with Halloween. Over there, they have REAL witchcraft, Satanism, Paganism, animal sacrifices, voodoo, etc - it’s serious stuff.

Here - we treat it like a joke and laugh at death. Kids at my daughter’s school are told “spooky stories” during library class. Here’s a spooky story - people who die without Christ will spend an eternity in hell surrounded by devils and evil spirits. Enjoy!


55 posted on 11/01/2008 11:13:21 AM PDT by ItsOurTimeNow ("And as things fell apart, nobody paid much attention...")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
"disrupting the education process"

Oh, like everyone dressing up in a costume isn't? Come on, the kids were more interested in what everyone was dressing up as - I'm sure that disrupted teaching the 3 r's a little.

56 posted on 11/01/2008 3:01:15 PM PDT by 3catsanadog (Drill here, drill now!!!!!)
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To: humblegunner

I’m looking at one right now ;)

Eldest decided to dress as a witch for the dance tonight. Easy costume as we have the black dress and hat. Fortunately, the other 3 also dressed with what they already had here so didn’t cost me any money this year. A witch, a graduate, a hip hop dancer, and an “olympic” USA volleyball player.


57 posted on 11/01/2008 4:21:51 PM PDT by Twink
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To: tuckrdout

I always did what you did but this year kids kept coming to my door even though I hadn’t turned the light on. I told each of them that in the past I always gave out candy but that I just couldn’t do it any more because it is the devil’s holiday. But, I said “I do love you”. The kids nodded their heads with understanding and said thats OK. When parents just kind of stood there, I said “I just can’t do it this year. Things have just gotten too serious”. And they nodded and left.
I understand where you come from because I have always been there. One year I totally surprised the kids and gave out dollars with tracks in them.
I just can’t give the room to Satan. It is an all out war and he is the enemy. I am not going to do his propaganda anymore. I use to be into witchcraft and fancied myself a witch. I know how it can hook kids.


58 posted on 11/01/2008 10:04:54 PM PDT by Bellflower (A Brand New Day Is Coming!)
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To: Bellflower

Ah, wise woman to abstain from Halloween. I applaud you!


59 posted on 11/01/2008 10:12:27 PM PDT by tuckrdout (~ 'Daily example is the most subtle of poisons.' ~)
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