Controversy is embroiling a California town over allegations that elementary school teachers have been told they cannot display poinsettias or Santa Claus in their classroom over fears that it might offend people.Since when are poinsettias or Santa religious decorations? I don't recall reading about them in the Bible--or in any other religious text, for that matter.
“District office would like to remind everyone when displaying holiday decorations in and around school to be mindful no association to any religious affiliation i.e. Santa, poinsettias, Christmas trees, etc,” read a document obtained by News 10 in Sacramento that was reportedly sent to teachers at Claudia Landeen Elementary School in Stockton, CA.
Yes, Christmas has a Christian foundation, but it's also a secular holiday. If they want to forbid angels and "stars of Bethlehem" in classrooms, that's fine, but a poinsettia or a tree or Santa Claus? That's someone who's way too uptight, capable of making diamonds from the coal in their clenched buttocks.
9 comments:
Publicity. That's what they get.
Our society is giving in to people's narcissism way to much...
Dominance.
Lefties are more driven to impose their views then average. They do, after all, have a belief in their own superiority to try to prove.
Christmas is a Christian holiday and therefore anything that associates with Christmas associates with the Christian religion.
At least, that is the argument those folks like to use. I'm still waiting for the national Christmas holiday to be abolished. I believe it will happen sometime this century. Can't have a holiday which supports one religion and no similar holiday for the other major religions.
Steve:
It's already been done.
In December, there is a convenient Winter Break from most schools which just happens to coincide with an obscure religious sect's holiday of Christmas.
A nearby elementary school is selling Holiday wreaths (for which holiday would those be?) No word on whether decorations for Kwanzaa, Yule,or Saturnalia are available for sale, too. ;-)
Commenters here really need to look up the history of Christmas. It's a simple Christian pirating of an extant Pagan celebration of light over darkness. Scholars who believe in Jesus understand he was born in the springtime, nowhere near the solstice.
I'm forever amused at Christian indignation over "commercialization" of the holiday they stole and the fact that non-Christians join in on seasonal celebrations. It's a bit of, "We stole this holiday fair and square--how dare you horn in on it!" Peace on Earth; good will toward men.
While the original post is correct to question overreactions to seasonal expressions, remember that it has been evangelists and fundies who have effectively banished highly secular Halloween celebrations from schools, claiming the day is a celebration of Satan. Clenched-butt diamonds, indeed.
Pseudo: I was referring to the fact that pretty much all Government & business is shut down on Christmas day. It is a National Holiday. How long will that last?
As to selling Holiday wreaths, I ran the tree sale for my high school boosters for a couple of years. When I took over from the previous folks, I had all the advertising and signs redone to say "Christmas Trees" vs. the old "Holiday Trees." When people asked me if I was afraid of offending someone, I answered "Those who are offended aren't my customer base so why should I care? If someone wants to organize a Ramadan or Hanukkah sale, I'll be the first to volunteer to help."
Anonymous, what is your point? You seem dead set on attacking Christians in your comment. This post isn't "pro-Christian", it's anti-idiocy--and when I hear about the Halloween silliness, I get just as bothered. This post has nothing to do with the religious holiday of Christmas, but with the secular holiday of Christmas--because that's what's being attacked by the idiots in the linked article.
I know. Let's ban any mention of the Super Bowl in schools, too, because people gamble and drink on Super Bowl Sunday, and some might be offended.
Andy Warhol was a prophet. He said "In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." With the internet and reality television, that has come true.
Post a Comment