Parent vs school: Easter eggs or 'Spring Spheres'. (taught, trouble, teacher)
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What does your belief system have to do with my holiday? What does my belief system have to do with your holiday? Your belief system has no significance to me, has no meaning to me.
Telling me "Merry Christmas" is as meaningful to me as if you had said "Sixteen green yes." Why would you want to make an empty statement to me? Just because YOU find meaning in it? Then wish yourself a Merry Christmas.
However if you were to say Happy Holidays, as I said in a previous post, I'd appreciate it, find it to be generous and pleasant, and I would wish it upon you as well. It _includes_ your belief system, rather than _excludes_ your belief system.
When you say Merry Christmas to me, you are saying "your own beliefs are irrelevent, and I don't care what you believe, if anything. I only care that you hear me tell you that *I* acknowledge Christmas as the only valid holiday during this season."
I consider it impolite. I'm not hurt by it. Mostly because I really don't care what you believe, either. But it's a waste of words, it's empty, and it is pointless. I don't recognize or acknowledge a Christ. Therefore I am incapable of having a "Merry Christmas," whether you wish it upon me or not.
Meh. We are looking at this from opposite ends. I welcome diversity and differences even if that means I am momentarily "excluded" by the well wish. It's not a big deal to me. I consider it impolite to expect everyone to act the same and say the same things. But hey, what do I know?
Just curious. If I wished a Christian person a "Happy Chanukha" I wonder how they would feel? Confused? Uncomfortable? Accepting? Flattered? Frustrated by my implication that they observed Chanukha?
The shoe being on the other foot, I wonder what the reaction would be.
Meh. We are looking at this from opposite ends. I welcome diversity and differences even if that means I am momentarily "excluded" by the well wish. It's not a big deal to me. I consider it impolite to expect everyone to act the same and say the same things. But hey, what do I know?
I agree with you. But...the people who are crying into their egg nog about not being able to say Merry Christmas are often not so welcoming of diversity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minervah
Just curious. If I wished a Christian person a "Happy Chanukha" I wonder how they would feel? Confused? Uncomfortable? Accepting? Flattered? Frustrated by my implication that they observed Chanukha?
The shoe being on the other foot, I wonder what the reaction would be.
I presume you are talking about an ardent evangelical Christian, yes? In which case I think you know the answer.
I agree with you. But...the people who are crying into their egg nog about not being able to say Merry Christmas are often not so welcoming of diversity.
I presume you are talking about an ardent evangelical Christian, yes? In which case I think you know the answer.
LOL! An ardent evangelical Christion would probably try to convert me.
Actually, I was just wondering how anyone would react. It does feel a bit uncomfortable when someone wishes one a happy holiday they do not celebrate but I always believe the intentions are good; just a bit misguided.
I usually just say "Thank you/" But sometimes I do tell someone who wishes me a "Merry Christmas" that I do not observe Christmas. In the past I would get a shocked response. Nowadays, people realize that they kind of jumped the gun not finding out whether or not I was Christian before they gave me their wishes.
That is to say, with all the fuss about celebrating religious holidays in the schools and on public property in the media, people are becoming aware that there are other religions besides the one they follow.
Just curious. If I wished a Christian person a "Happy Chanukha" I wonder how they would feel? Confused? Uncomfortable? Accepting? Flattered? Frustrated by my implication that they observed Chanukha?
The shoe being on the other foot, I wonder what the reaction would be.
I can't speak as a Jew or a Christian since I'm neither. But I would wonder at a person who got that upset by a greeting coming from a place of joy and love.
Just curious. If I wished a Christian person a "Happy Chanukha" I wonder how they would feel? Confused? Uncomfortable? Accepting? Flattered? Frustrated by my implication that they observed Chanukha?
The shoe being on the other foot, I wonder what the reaction would be.
When a person cannot express "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Eid" without fear of ill will from others, it's a looked down upon practice.
Paranoia doesn't really mean people are out to get you.
Nor does me thinking Jesus doesn't belong in public school (unless he's a Latino 7th grader) mean I care what you shop for in December or how you greet customers at Walmart. (If the management at Walmart cares...hey, I'm just shocked they're instructing staff to actually talk to customers, based on my own limited experience there.)
I tell people "Happy Holidays" (or usually just the normal, non-holiday-flavored superficial pleasantries). What you (generic, non-specific to Magritte) say is up to you-- but I would think, when one's "right to say Merry Christmas" becomes such a ridiculously contentious issue, it's more about the speaker than any real expression of seasonal love or good will toward the listener.
Paranoia doesn't really mean people are out to get you.
Nor does me thinking Jesus doesn't belong in public school (unless he's a Latino 7th grader) mean I care what you shop for in December or how you greet customers at Walmart. (If the management at Walmart cares...hey, I'm just shocked they're instructing staff to actually talk to customers, based on my own limited experience there.)
I tell people "Happy Holidays" (or usually just the normal, non-holiday-flavored superficial pleasantries). What you (generic, non-specific to Magritte) say is up to you-- but I would think, when one's "right to say Merry Christmas" becomes such a ridiculously contentious issue, it's more about the speaker than any real expression of seasonal love or good will toward the listener.
Its not paranoia on my end since I am not religious. I simply calls them likes I sees them.
And I would say when one's "right" to not hear religion-specific greetings trumps those who wish to express it, the season of love and good will towards the celebrants is sorely lacking.
Its not paranoia on my end since I am not religious. I simply calls them likes I sees them.
And I would say when one's "right" to not hear religion-specific greetings trumps those who wish to express it, the season of love and good will towards the celebrants is sorely lacking.
That's all well and good, but it's also off-topic.
This thread is about public schools imposing christian holiday festivities on its students, without considering that perhaps some of those children might not be christian. Since public schools are government entities, and the constitution of this country is clear that *government* may not impose religion on its constituency, I'd say it's pretty clear that they should either change the name of easter eggs during school time, OR get rid if them during school time.
Walmart isn't a government entity; Walmart can put up singing hot-pink Buddah statues and portraits of Krsna Murte all over its walls if it wants.
Catholic schools are absolutely welcome to teach their version of Christianity, promote it within their walls, do the easter egg thing if it gives them a thrill.
The term chosen in the OP is silly. It is intentional political correctness taken to extremes. This isn't about being politically correct. It's not a political issue. It's about INcluding all, by not isolating any. Calling them easter eggs isolates those eggs, and says "Only christianity claims them, and if anyone else claims them too, well their claim isn't valid."
Calling them "decorated eggs" is correct, appropriate, makes no claims of any kind, is a term used in stores and art classes all over the country, and would make a perfectly reasonable alternative to Easter Eggs.
The *students* can call them whatever they want to call them. But the teachers should not be presenting them as Easter Eggs. "Easter Eggs" shouldn't be part of the curriculum. "Decorated eggs" "Egg painting class" "Colored egg hunt" "Egg Surprises" - plenty of terms to use that aren't as outlandish as "Spring Spheres."
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