Christmas

[Chickidydow]

if theirs one annoyance I could do without its all the politically correct bullshit that pops up around December Holidays, and by that I mean Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc. The media as well as the commercial industry are all scared to call them by their real names! Now its Holiday this and Holiday that, christ you cant even get away with calling a Christmas Tree a Christmas Tree, its now a Holiday tree. Well you can call a rock a tree but its still a rock just like the "Holiday trees" are still Christmas trees. I have more on the subject but as I'm writing this right now I am preparing to go someplace so I will return with my stance on Santa Claus next.

Your opinion on all this multicultural non-denominational politically correct shit fest for the holidays?a

[morefngdbs]

I really believe all the politically correctness that is being attempted/forced down our throats is becoming more assinine each day.
It should be changed to political stupidity... closer to what's really happening.

[JudgeDredd]

At 11/11/07 08:13 AM, Chickidydow wrote: .."Holiday trees" are still Christmas trees.

Etymology: Holiday = Holy day.

Holy day, Holy Land, Holy water, etc, all euphemisms for Holy Christ.

Essentially, calling it a "Holi-day Tree" is still a solid reference to religion, and it's fairly obvious that Christmas is the Holiest day of the year (for Christians). When ppl say "Happy Holidays" they are still implicitly referring to the Holy day of Christmas. Perhaps for the sake of added emphasis, and the awareness in the spirit of occasion, the spelling could revert to HOLYDAY on this particular holiday. For spoken purposes, there's little to stop shop staff adding their own emphasis by enunciating the uncontracted origin "Happy Holy Day" (as in the word "wholly"). Problem solved!

.

[Draconias]

At 11/11/07 10:51 AM, SevenSeize wrote: I will be teaching my class about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Ramadan. We will probably look at how other cultures celebrate as well.

Wait, why are you even teaching them about holidays? That does not belong in the domain of the classroom at all. You should be teaching relevant material and leave the proper group-- parents --to teach kids about their own cultural or religious traditions. "Forced multiculturalism" through a system such as schooling is simply unfair to the students and an imposition of your teacher beliefs on the students.

[JudgeDredd]

At 11/11/07 12:00 PM, Draconias wrote: Wait, why are you even teaching them about holidays? That does not belong in the domain of the classroom at all. You should be teaching relevant material and leave the proper group-- parents --to teach kids about their own cultural or religious traditions. "Forced multiculturalism" through a system such as schooling is simply unfair to the students and an imposition of your teacher beliefs on the students.

It would in a school where parental consent is given (obvious in the case of Religious Instruction), althou such consent is typically given solely for the particular religious bias of the school involved.

Having said that, other holidays span across many subjects (Social studies, Cultural studies, Religious studies, and of-course Political studies, etc). Heck, how about teaching a cooking class how to bake a chistmas cake? This is not "Forced multiculturalism" so much as it's "Applied multicurricularism" which i believe is what makes more balanced kids (by knowing the options), as opposed to more insular teachings of some home-schooled students. A case of "parents don't always know best".

.

[Sistine1408]

At 11/11/07 12:00 PM, Draconias wrote:

At 11/11/07 10:51 AM, SevenSeize wrote: I will be teaching my class about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Ramadan. We will probably look at how other cultures celebrate as well.

Wait, why are you even teaching them about holidays? That does not belong in the domain of the classroom at all. You should be teaching relevant material and leave the proper group-- parents --to teach kids about their own cultural or religious traditions. "Forced multiculturalism" through a system such as schooling is simply unfair to the students and an imposition of your teacher beliefs on the students.

not true, my good man. in cases where such holidays pertain to the said curriculums teaching (eg. world history teachers teaching of muslim cultures can talk about their respective holidays, or whatev) it is a common practice. a teacher of mine last year actually used the bible as a primary source in his teachings, and in a perfectly secular manner.

[morefngdbs]

At 11/11/07 10:51 AM, SevenSeize wrote: I'm an "all or nothing" kinda girl when it comes to the holidays and religion around us.

If we allow one, we should allow all.

If we disallow one, we should disallow all.

I have 15 Christian students, and 1 Muslim student.

I will be teaching my class about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Ramadan. We will probably look at how other cultures celebrate as well.

;
As a teacher you should be doing that Seven, & if more teachers were doing that maybe there would be a little more respect for different cultures.
I also don't have or see a problem with anyone celebrating 'holidays' in what ever family event you are a part of.
What I really don't get/understand is how one group of people calling it a Christmas tree, should be railed at & instead it should be a holiday tree ! !
I'm about as against organized religions as one can be with out violence & even I can't believe there are those who take offense to the Christmas Tree.

What's going to be next.. the Jewish menorah, can only be called a candle holder ?

[GuitarSmuggler]

At 11/11/07 12:00 PM, Draconias wrote:

At 11/11/07 10:51 AM, SevenSeize wrote: I will be teaching my class about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Ramadan. We will probably look at how other cultures celebrate as well.

Wait, why are you even teaching them about holidays? That does not belong in the domain of the classroom at all. You should be teaching relevant material and leave the proper group-- parents --to teach kids about their own cultural or religious traditions. "Forced multiculturalism" through a system such as schooling is simply unfair to the students and an imposition of your teacher beliefs on the students.

I wish I was taught more of how other religions and cultures celebrate different holidays back in my early school years. I'm sure parents wouldn't mind as it makes them kids more open minded to other cultures.

Anyways, I remember when city hall put up a sign that read "merry christmas", they received complaints that they were being ignorant and leaving out other religious holidays. So now, they put the general "Season Greetings!" up each year. It's completely understandable in a society where you have people from different cultural backgrounds.

[LordJaric]

If you turly feel that way, watch this, you will laugh your ass off and you will see how right he is.

[morefngdbs]

At 11/11/07 05:06 PM, LordJaric wrote: If you turly feel that way, watch this, you will laugh your ass off and you will see how right he is.

;
This truely is my favorite Foamy edition.

[Chickidydow]

Ok back, and let me address a couple of things. First of all I respect them and their own ways but what I don't respect is the shit shoved down our necks every Christmas. If we believe in Christ and wish to celebrate Christmas we have to do so in an enviroment that treats the word Christmas as if its taboo. You have department stores with Christmas trees and lots of sales for the Christmas shoppers but they won't dare utter the word Christmas and only say holiday, and to the guy going all to the roots of the word if they'll say Holiday, which you say is a synonym of Christmas in an indirect way, then why won't they say Christmas? anyway...

To cater to a particular group and not admit it is very annoying, especially when it seems the media wants to cater to everyone but those who celebrate Christmas. And heres the other thing, Santa, Christmas is about Christ not Santa! God dammit if he isn't the biggest problem with this time of year I don't know what is. Santa is bullshit that the commercial industry invented to replace Jesus at Christmas time if only to make a minority of non-Christians who would be offended happy. And the worst part of Santa is he's already been adopted by the entire country as the symbol of Christmas, all those Christmas songs about him replacing the psalms and hymns, the Christmas eve weather watch for an imaginary sleigh if only to guarantee that the youth of each nation accept him as a symbol of Christmas and utterly ousting Christ from his own Holiday!

Well whats you opinion on the fat son of a bitch and how he is slowly hijacking the holy day of Christmas?

[gumOnShoe]

At 11/11/07 12:00 PM, Draconias wrote: Wait, why are you even teaching them about holidays? That does not belong in the domain of the classroom at all. You should be teaching relevant material and leave the proper group-- parents --to teach kids about their own cultural or religious traditions. "Forced multiculturalism" through a system such as schooling is simply unfair to the students and an imposition of your teacher beliefs on the students.

Religion is a large part of history and social sciences. It's completely within the domain of allowable topics for schools to teach children about core beliefs of a specific group or traditions so long as they aren't prosletizing the students or claiming that one is correct. All of these religions' holidays can be taught, and I don't see a reason for them not to be.

For clarification, I would not approve of a teacher telling her students to believe in Christ, or that Christianity is the only correct relgion. Feel free to substitute any other religous figure and religion into that sentance.