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96% of American's celebrate Christmas...why
should the rest of us change our traditions to accommodate 5% who do something
different?
Incidentally, what your friend doesn't get
is that there is no separation of church and state in the constitution. It
is simply not there. What the constitution does say is that congress
cannot tell you what you have to worship. They cannot compel you to join a
state church.
If Christmas celebrations and religious
mention in the public square were so offensive to the founders of the
constitution why didn't they put a stop to it when they were alive?
Because what they did do was actively participate in religious _expression_ in
public, in government, and in legislation.
Charles Mims
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bethany Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2003 9:34 PM To: Sand2; Sand Subject: [Sndbox] More Liberals in the making This was posted by a
girl on my debate group.
I see that y'all
have been discussing the religion issue for quite a while now. (sorry I haven't
participated) I've read some of it, though not all because I've been
busy.
Anyway, the past
couple weeks have really been an eye opener for me in my own surroundings.
Two of my kids are preparing for programs at their school for Christmas.
They are also doing artwork that is for Christmas. The songs they are
singing and the artwork they are doing are both in class so they are being
graded on it. I asked them what exactly they are doing. Well, the
songs they are singing are all Christian based songs. As in, not Jingle
Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas...but rather "What Child Is This" and
"Silent Night", just to name a couple. So, I felt compelled to have a
discussion with my kids about the different religions, and maybe how what's
going on in the school could be hurting some of their friend's feelings because
they aren't all Christians. I was very impressed with their responses, and
the sympathy they showed. My daughter told me that she is going to talk to
her teachers today about adding something for Chanukah and Kwanzaa,
like they've done at other schools my kids have attended. She,
herself, doesn't want to miss out on the whole program and doing the crafts, but
feels badly for those who are being made to participate when they don't even
celebrate. Afterall, at Halloween, I take my own kids out of school for
the day because we don't celebrate when the rest of the school does.
I told them about
the legal end, about how the teachers aren't even supposed to be teaching about
any religious beliefs at all. That's when my oldest piped in and said that
was stupid! LOL But, I told him to put himself in someone else's
place. Imagine that he wasn't Christian, but rather Buddhist, Jewish, or
even Atheist. And how would he feel if his teachers were teaching the
class only about Christian traditions? I told him that it doesn't prevent
him from still praying, if he wishes, during class. But, his teachers
cannot lead the class in those prayers. The whole thing is a respect
issue, we must respect other's beliefs, as well as our own. It doesn't
mean that we have to practice as they do, just respect them. And, since
there are so many different beliefs in our culture, it's just easier to leave it
out of public schools.
Oh, btw....my
oldest also informed me that they still say the pledge of allegiance, complete
with "under God" every morning at his school.
This has all become
somewhat confusing for me. But, I'm doing the best I can as far as
studying what I can get my hands on. (thank you Amber) I know that God
will guide me and my family in the direction He wants us to
go!
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