christmas celebrated in schools!

I don't know what your problem is, but I did read your discussion and I still say if people put up with being told they cant celebrate christmas as it might offend and they don't put a stop to it then they are fools...by all means teach it all but I know in my country that is not happening, they are stopping Christmas all together....

My problem is you weren't specific .. see you made the last statement specific ... If the first one was then I would have seen your point. I'm not trying to be rude but it sounded as if you were totally agianst christmas in the schools. I do apologize if you were offended but please when you answer make it specific because what you first wrote can be taken the wrong way.

my discussion has nothing to do with religion. I find that christmas is about a fat guy with a red sliegh and some reindeer and if you are going to make a point please read the whole discussion question from the start. You seem to be narrowminded.i am not descriminating agianst others or their religions I'm saying let them have a freaking christmas play with santa or scrooge I didn't speak a word of jesus in my discussion question..And while we are standing up being counted for our diversity would you like to seperate these diverse people into groups and say this state is for this reloigion and this one is for religion and so on and so fourth til then we have a civil war on religion to the point were it's christianity agianst paganism.

I understand what you are saying, if you read my blog the whole way through you would see that I feel that in order to teach tolerance that we should teach our children all forms of celebration for that time of year... I have not mentioned jesus anywhere in my blog christmas is christmas reindeer and santa anyone who knows me would say that I'm not a religous person and that I would never force my beliefs on anyone. But I'm not just gripping about not having a christian holiday celebrated. Before you go off on a tangent saying that you wouldn't be offended about celebrating christmas in school look at how you reacted to my blog you went off half cocked not even letting what i said sink in... I wouldn't care less if someone taught my kids about yule and they were having a yule celebration or other holiday celebrations. I think we should truely try and above the less tolerant people and truly teach our kids to be tolerant of others and their religions or lack there off it is the person decision in what they believe in, and what they believe in doesn't change who the person is they are still the same amanda that you met the first day of class. if we as a society are to be truly tolerant of eachother and our religions then we have to teach it and allow our children to see us lead by example.

If that is how you feel then you are more open minded then about 70% of the people I have met online and in person. I can't even bring up that I am an atheist with most people because they immediately take 2 steps away from me like I have a disease. If I wanted to, say, go into a school and teach my beliefs it wouldn't be allowed. I guess I get defensive because I hear it constantly where ever I go online..."Jesus is the reason for the season" as if it is the only one. I am told I am a hypocrite for celebrating during this time of year and told I shouldn't at all. I get hate mail in my inbox. These same people that would never allow me to teach about my beliefs to their children want their beliefs to be every where and that does make me mad. I have nothing against religion in general and have no problem with my kids learning different religions and their teachings, but other parents do have issues with it. If pagans and other religions tried to go into a school and teach their ideals about half of the students would have their parents opting them out of the discussion based on their religious beliefs. The only way to solve that is to just not have religion of any kind in the schools. I guess I don't see what the gripe is at all. Who cares if they don't have a "Christmas" party? Who cares if it is called a holiday party. Why is that offensive to Christians? It seems fair as it includes all religions that celebrate during this time of year. I really don't see the problem except that the Christians want their celebrations in school period like they are more entitled then everyone else. Whereas saying it is a "holiday" party, play, what have you includes all religions, yet that seems offensive to the Christians because it says their religion is equal, not better then everyone else. Not saying that is what you are implying. I have had this debated hundreds of times over the last month on different websites and this is what I have gathered through all of them. It is an attitude of entitlement that Christians seem to have.

I am sorry that you have been treated badly because of your beliefs. I grew up seeing a lot of intolerance in my life and decided that is what is wrong with society today. It takes all walks of life to make everything happen and I truly believe that whatever religion you chose or don't chose doesn't change who the original person I met is it's just another part of them to learn about and understand. In life we all strive for acceptance and people who turn their nose up and take those 2 steps back are those who lose because they never get to see beyond that one fact the great mother or person you are. I would give you a hug instead of walking away from you. I grew up in a greek orthodox catholic family, I was baptized roman catholic because of my dad, and then went to luthern because of my mom. My cousin's family are all athiests. They are no different from me. I've studied the wiccan way to be more knowledgeable about religions other than mine I have a lot more to study with all the other religions out there but if people actually embraced what they are afriad of they would find out that there is nothing to be afraid of afterall. We as a society should learn that. I understand about the defensiveness my mom is a born again christian and let me tell you i was going to hell for piercing my tongue and getting tattoos and various other thought processes I have. Here is an interesting thought. People forget that only men and scholars that knew the language were allowed to translate the Bible. How do we honestly know what the original was, things get lost in translation no matter who translates it. It's like it starts out a pink dress and ends up this pink mini skirt and tube top. But my point is who is anyone to tell anyone that what they believe is wrong who are we to say god shows himself in one form what if all these religions are right because that is what they understand and accept easier than the others and so that it how he reaches them .. and in that same breath what if you are right and there isn't anything out there. Who are we to judge that ..? To each his own ... Judge the person on how they treat others around them and by their actions not their religous preference or lack there of. I'm sorry if my rant tended to excede the limit but I'm passionate about tolerance. It's the only way we can all exist peacefully. I'm just upset because i loved hearing the kids sing frosty and watching them do plays and skit with rudolph .. and now people gripe about every thing .. They find everything offensive. I'm sorry that they do but get a blanking helmet life is hard and everything is not made to make everyone happy. Those are the people that I'm feed up with and you can't have the word christmas because Christ is in it. That i find utterly funny and nitpicky. I think of christmas I think of the three mobsters of christmas Frosty, Santa, and Rudolph.. Face it they can be consider mobsters they make you go out and buy the toy that you wrap and place under the tree. I hope that more people realize that life is about tolerance and educating themselves about the cultures we are surrounded by and the fact that we originally came here to escape persecution of religion and that also it started out as a place to send convicts. Most people forget this and need to take sometime and remember we need to be tolerant of others. Hope you have a happy holidays with your loved ones.

i'm just fed up with the fact kids can't be kids. I feel sorry that they grow up so restricted.

It doesn't even have to be a christian celebration. The carols can rang from Frosty to Jolly Old St. Nick. and they plays can about rudolph or any other new cartoon like olive the other reindeer, but I honestly think that they have gone to far. Banning christmas concert and plays. As I said it doesn't have to do with christianity, just the fat man and his sleigh.

ok what is wrong with have a christmas party were you focus on the sleigh the reindeer and santa and gold old frosty ...?

Yeah someone in this foresaken debate gets it... Thankyou. This is about kids having fun and being kids and able to be joyful and play with their friends and give them something even if it was something they made in art class. Adults have turned something simple into something complicated unfortunately. My kids school did not have a holiday play or winter pagent because of these Adults turning everything into something its not.

i want to point out that christmas is also santa claus where is god in santa cluas .. Also I would like to point out you read the title and acted on that not the whole discussion that I pointed out. I guess this is part of what is wrong with society seeing only what they want to see and if you really want to go with it the celebration of christ's birth was only formed to coincide with the pagan holidays by the church. Christ was actually born sometime in the spring look it up... The celebration of christ was made to coincide with the pagan yule. Take a course and get knowledgeable before you start spouting off... Also look where i say that i think that all religions should be taught in school so that our children are knowledgeable about others customs and religion this discussion is also about toleration. But hey Thank You can be look on as a cultural thing that americans do... Just like religion is cultural.. You don't seem to be tolerant at all ... And please read and truly understand the discussion before you go making it about religion. because mine was about christmas you know with the guy in the jolly red suit and reindeer. Hello!! I'm just a little peeved that people seem to think you mention Christmas that you are referring to christ. There are plays that involve a certain rednosed reindeer getting picked on and there is songs called jolly old st nick, but you know what maybe people just want to turn this into a religous battle. Instead of battling about religion in schools heck let them teach the kids about the religions of the world so that they have a one up on others and truly learn toleration. It's narrow minded bigots that make this world go to holly in a hand basket. Our childrfen would be better off being taught tolerance. Isn't that why were are originally here because we left to escape persecution of our religions? Think of that and then think of how you or anyone treats people of a different religion and then think of why we came here. We should be respectful enough to know about everyone's religion and customs to better understand them and their culture. Please read every thing in it's entirity before you jump to conclusions about what I'm gripping about.

I so agree with you when I was younger I was in a private school for one yr while I lived in texas and we had adiscusion of each cultural holiday. I was in 5th grade you know what I walked away with. That no matter how you celebrate this time of year it is about joy and peace and love and giving hope to those who need it. I could care less if I was burning a yule log while lighting chanukah candle and singing o come all ye faithful. It more about the feeling of love and togetherness and family. Thank you for your story it was beautiful.