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."
Brilliant (sarcasm off).
A Christmas thread on FR is like an X rated movie.
Brilliant.
LOL
This is a very important point. As a former substitute teacher in Pennsylvania, I know it can be tough to go into a school and pick up lesson plans to teach when you find (a) factual errors and (b) political biases.
I once had to teach about supply/demand/price controls. The original lesson plan said great things about price controls, yet left out the disadvantages. I felt I would be doing them a huge disservce and would be very unfair to them to give them that partial understanding...so I told the principal that I'd like to cover both sides, and he agreed. Often, the adminstration is very busy in the morning, and that's why I went in early to review the lesson and meet the staff. And I think the students probably gained a more thorough understanding of pros and cons of a free market with the role-playing we did (the class had to decide whether to spend the money to drive to sell supplies to the hurricane victims that were price-controlled, and it turns out the poor people in the hurricane area got fewer supplies, etc).
If anyone thinks substitute teaching is lucrative...guess again. Very low pay, no benefits, etc. And not all teachers can think on their feet to create an activity. But at the very least, as this teacher has noted after the fact, there was a far better approach than she used in this case.
So is the right to be stupid and the right to keep your mouth shut so no one will notice.
sheesh....
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.
yeah. and how quickly would a techer be fired if they said the exact smae thing in regards to evolution?
Sometimes it's just better to let them ramble on, continually making a fool out of themselves in front of lots and lots of people.
Somehow they never figure out that if they make a fool out of themselves on a thread like this, NOBODY takes them seriously on other threads.
You sound like somebody who the vast majority of us would be THRILLED with if you stepped into our children's classroom.
I salute your fairness and common sense!
I've noticed several not only inserting their foots, but the entire shoe store.............
Having had a child near death in a hospital at Christmas many years ago, I can empathize. We chose to wait til she came home before celebrating, and now, that she's much older and healthier, it means so much more to us now to have her as our gift from God.
Second of all, if you had taken the time to think, (an alien concept to you I know), you would remember that Christmas is not about shedding blood, but, it is about the BIRTH of our saviour. That being said, I will now return to lurking because you need to get back to "Brokeback Mountain" so that you can admire the other "big dumb cowboys"
And since it is your penchant to insult others military service, I spent 26 years in the Corps. Did my time in the Nam and Kuwait. As opposed to your merit badge in pudding preparation.
TTFN
Semper Fi
At what age do children begin public school? Certainly not at two.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
I was suspicious you weren't dealing with a full deck, now I'm positive.
But then again, you're not sure of when kindergarten starts either...
Semper Disgusted
Save all that bravado for the officer's club, I drank and brawled with the NCOs...
Semper Fi
Thomas Sowell or the great Walter. E. Williams ................ glad to meet you.
;-)
***
Seriously though, congrats on trying to do the right thing in your circumstances as a sub in my state of Pennsylvania.
Happy New Year to you and yours.
Sir Francis Dashwood is one of those colourful characters from our past whose life was shrouded in controversy, half-truths and gossip. During his day it was widely rumoured that he and his group were evil Devil worshippers, Satanist’s up to all sorts of diabolical doings, rituals and orgies, many of which in today’s more enlightened times, few if any people would even raise an eye brow. He was an aristocrat and a man of influence but also the rogue of his day, he reveled in his indulgences living his life to the full and not giving a damn for the consequences. As such his name and that of his order was just the stuff on which legend was founded. This is the life story of Sir Francis Dashwood and the “Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe”.
In 1708 during the reign of Queen Anne, Francis Dashwood was born in London to a wealthy family of landed gentry. He was the only son of Sir Francis Dashwood and his second wife of four, Lady Mary Fane the eldest daughter of Baron Le Despencer. Sir Francis was a wealthy businessman who had built the family fortune from his dealings with the Ottoman Empire trading in Turkey and China. When Francis was two years old his mother Lady Mary died and his father promptly remarried.
Not much is known of Francis during his formative years except that he was educated at Eton. There he became associated with William Pitt the Elder (later the Great Commoner) and being of the same age the two became good friends retaining a deep mutual respect for each other. In 1724 his father died and Francis having just turned 16 inherited his baronetcy, the family estate at West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire and a vast family fortune.
In 1726 Sir Francis started out on his first “Grand Tour” of Europe. It was customary during those times for the sons of nobles and those of wealth Englishmen to finish their early education visiting the royal courts of Europe. Normally this was acomplished with the guidence of a personal tutor (his was said to have been a Catholic Jacobite their family having mild Jacobite leanings). While traveling around Europe they could sample the intellectual arts and other such treasures that the continent had to offer. Sir Francis being a young man of high spirits and lascivious inclinations roistered his way from royal court to royal court creating a stir wherever he went. He duly visited the art galleries and museums but spent just as much time in bawdy alehouses and risqué bordellos generally indulging in delights that would shape and characterize his life thereafter. One of his favorite phrases at the time was: “To taste the sweets of all things”. This first trip to Europe lasted eight months and took him to France and Switzerland then back through Germany.
During 1729 Sir Francis took another tour this time starting in Italy, and it was here that the future Dashwood of legend was formed. Italy at that time was a hotbed of occultism and Sir Francis reveled in his study of the forbidden arts and was particularly drawn to the Eleusinian mysteries. He was also greatly influenced by the work of Francois Rabelais and his fictional Abbey of Thélème. One story that became legend tells of his rakish sense of humour particularly in relation to his mockery of religion. His tutor the Catholic Jacobite ever disdainful of his promiscuous behavior, insisted on taking Sir Francis to the Sistine Chapel hoping to instill some form of respect for Christianity. Sir Horace Walpole (the 4th Earl of Orford) witnessed the event and wrote:
"It was on Good-Friday when each person who attends the service in the Sistine Chapel, as he enters takes a small scourge from an attendant at the door. The chapel is dimly lighted and there are three candles which are extinguished by the priest one by one: at the putting out of the first, the penitents take off one part of their dress; at the next, still more; and in the darkness which follows the extinguishing of the third candle, lay on their shoulders with groans and lamentations. Sir Francis Dashwood thinking this mere stage effect, entered with others dressed in a large watchman’s coat, demurely he took his scourge from the priest and advanced to the end of the chapel, where, on the darkness ensuing, he drew from beneath his coat an English horsewhip and flogged right and left quite down the chapel and made his escape, the congregation exclaiming "Il Diavolo! Il Diavolo!" thinking the evil one was upon them with a vengeance. The consequences of this frolic might have been serious to him, had he not immediately left the Papal dominions."
The title "Il Diavolo! Il Diavolo!" remained with Sir Francis for the rest of his life.
Another story further explains his growing distain for Christianity. One night after the event in the Sistine Chapel his tutor was awakened by terrible screams coming from his masters chamber. Investigating he found Sir Francis staring outside at four gleaming green eyes accompanied by a terrible screeching and wailing. Sir Francis was convinced that this was a four-eyed devil that had come to haunt him because of his actions. The more worldly-wise tutor recognized instantly that it was simply two cats fighting outside his quarters, but decided not to explain this to Sir Francis and instead went along with his misconceptions in an attempt to get him to see the error of his ways. The tutor's ploy worked for a time and against his genuine inclinations Sir Francis became a convert to Catholicism. Eventually the tutor's plan backfired for when Sir Francis found out about his deception, it served only to fuel an intense dislike of organized religion.
Semper Pity
So your child runs into a relative who has a new hairstyle and a new outfit on. It is the ugliest outfit that your child has ever seen. Now the relative asks your child "What do you think of my new outfit and hairdo?". What does your child say?
Your child could be honest and say "That is the ugliest outfit I have ever seen." However, that could deeply hurt and offend your relative.
Now, your child could also say something more tactful like "It's not as pretty as your smile." That would not be a lie, and it would make the relative happy.
There's honesty, and then there's tact. The teacher in this case was not tactful.
I know most kids when they are little and go to Disneyland believe that they are actually seeing the real Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Cinderella, etc. Do you actually tell little kids that those characters are not real?
How is it inconsistent? Is it really a lie, or are my husband and I actually Santa Claus. My kids don't know who Santa Claus really is.
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