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Christmas celebrations were once banned, but by Christians. Callvaniststhought it wrong for anyone to enjoy themselves.
I never had Jewish holidays when I went to school however there was a maximum of 6 Jewish students are any one time, maybe even less not sure of the age difference between two if them.
But 8t should not be only Christians whose religion is considered regardless of numbers.
You are not prohibiting them from praying by saying don't do it at a public taxpayer funded meeting. They can pray at other times and in other venues, just not at meetings where our taxes are paying for it. Schools where my kids grew up were closed on the Jewish holidays (Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur). That was a practical matter since the Jewish students were in the majority and would have been excused for their holidays so the school would have lost money due to poor attendance. It's not the same at all. We are also almost always off for Good Friday (the freedom from religion foundation opposes that and has had some court cases on it). I don't object strenuously to this as long as other religions are given time off as well. Since 2015, the New York Public schools have observed Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Detroit actually closed schools for the Muslim holidays in 2019/2020 (Eid Al-Fitr was a day off - Of the Muslim Eid holidays, only Eid al-Fitr falls on a school day during the 2019-20 academic year.).
I don't even care if students pray in school as long as teachers are not leading it. I also don't care if the choirs teach religious music as long as their is educational content involved. There needs to be a diversity of music. A Christmas Pageant with a Nativity scene would probably be Unconstitutional. There are plenty of other Christmas plays that can be used that are more secular. Something based on the Gift of the Magi might work or The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson.
Christmas celebrations were once banned, but by Christians. Callvaniststhought it wrong for anyone to enjoy themselves.
I never had Jewish holidays when I went to school however there was a maximum of 6 Jewish students are any one time, maybe even less not sure of the age difference between two if them.
But 8t should not be only Christians whose religion is considered regardless of numbers.
Xmas has nothing to do with Jesus. Xmas is just tradition, a cultural value. Hard core Christians despise the Xmas season. They don't do Easter either.
I asked the question once before: Are we heading to a cultureless world with no traditions because there is always someone who is offended?
Or should we consider the other side of the coin? Grant every single religious cult in the world a holiday in the school calendar.
Quote:
4200 religions
According to some estimates,there are roughly 4200 religions in the world.out of which CHRISTIANITY is the world's largest religion which is followed by ISLAM. These is the dynamic list of main religions in the world
SOmetimes it is best to simply be tolerant and to have an open mind about these issues.
Our school system also finally began making a couple of Jewish holidays also school holidays. It had little to do with "giving in", but was mostly because so many kids would be absent that teachers would have to not teach or re-teach, not give any tests, etc.
One Muslim mom stop the entire school from singing Xmas Carols because she was offended. I get it!
Xmas has nothing to do with Jesus. Xmas is just tradition, a cultural value. Hard core Christians despise the Xmas season. They don't do Easter either.
I asked the question once before: Are we heading to a cultureless world with no traditions because there is always someone who is offended?
Or should we consider the other side of the coin? Grant every single religious cult in the world a holiday in the school calendar.
SOmetimes it is best to simply be tolerant and to have an open mind about these issues.
Well that's a false issue. Who here has suggested we give "every single religious cult in the world a holiday in the school calendar". Show me the post number.
One Muslim mom stop the entire school from singing Xmas Carols because she was offended. I get it!
No you don't. That's clear.
Aside from your constant total lack of empathy for one particular group of people, no child should be required to sing praise songs to religions other than their own. I would not expect to require a christian child to be required to sing praise songs to Mohammed or Buddha, either.
This has been discussed frequently on this forum. But, for your benefit here we go one more time (at least from my perspective):
1. I go to an HOA meeting. That has nothing to do with christianity...does it? But no, I have to sit through a 5 minute christian prayer. It doesn't matter than I am Buddhist/atheist. It doesn't matter that others in the community are Jewish. Because they are the majority, the christians think it's all right to subject everyone to their ceremonies.
2. It doesn't matter that the school where I was teaching at the time had a substantial minority population from Southeast Asia (most of whom were not christian), at a faculty meeting a teacher DEMANDS that we have a christmas pagent about the birth of christ because (and this is a direct quote) "We're in the majority. We can do any damned thing we want".
3. In 7 states, legally atheists cannot run for public office.
These are just three examples of exactly why atheists need to speak out and make it clear that we are not going to passively sit by while OUR rights are trampled on.
I find No. 1 the most bizarre thing of all. You've mentioned that before.
But, I also am very surprised, knowing you live in Colorado. I had a general idea that religion was much less visible out west compared to, say, the south or midwest.
I find No. 1 the most bizarre thing of all. You've mentioned that before.
But, I also am very surprised, knowing you live in Colorado. I had a general idea that religion was much less visible out west compared to, say, the south or midwest.
I assumed he lived in the bible belt. I have never seen that in my neck of the woods: Bethesda, Montgomery County, just outside the DC line. I would not want to live in a place like that.
I find No. 1 the most bizarre thing of all. You've mentioned that before.
But, I also am very surprised, knowing you live in Colorado. I had a general idea that religion was much less visible out west compared to, say, the south or midwest.
Fortunately, in April I moved to Arizona.
I do think that in general, the West is more tolerant of an individual's beliefs. Colorado Springs -- where I did live for the last 9 years -- is a bit unique in terms of religion. General Palmer (a railroad executive), who founded the original community, provided free land for churches as the community developed. As a result, Colorado Springs still has more churches per capita than most localities. And, due to the conservativeness of the area, has several of the extreme right mega churches, including New Life Church, a nondenominational charismatic evangelical megachurch which for a long time had the scandalous Ted Haggard as its minister. Nevertheless, in general, I do think that even in Colorado Springs, overall, there was an attitude of you don't go to a christian church? Well, that's your business. And that's a big part of how many Westerners feel.
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