Christmas and Schools

[Jillian B.]

One of my friends, and a fellow FIRSTer, once told me that the person who can argue best knows all sides of the argument.

So, here I am. Baptized Catholic, attended 8 years of catholic schools, and an equivalent amount of non-denominational institutions (from day-care to now in my junior year of highschool), was raised with Quaker/Friends influences, have attended 17 different schools, and am now what some would call an atheist.

Christmas Break, Holiday Break, or my personal favorite as my Chem class has come to call it, Late Semester Break, is not all about religion, boycotting religion, or whatever it may seem to be. In my opinion, it is better to embrace all religions and beliefs, than to boycott all. What better way is there to learn about other cultures than to expierience this break in America!

In Catholic school, we learnt about all religions. In fact, most of our education during one semester a year is about other religions. I am now educated on Hindu, Chinese, Muslim, Catholic, Jewish, and many other beliefs. Now, let me ask any of my classmates at the public high school I attend this year to explain what the eight-fold belief of Confucianism is. Or where is Mecca, and why it is there. Or why was Catholicism persecuted in it's early years. Or why were any of these religions began, were embraced, and fight eachother now. I have no need to doubt what they would say. Most cannot answer past their own denomination. So what does that say about America, and you people who dislike the integration? Not much positive.

So, before you begin to give the principal something to dread when he or she returns from a relaxing break, or before you frown at the red and green decor, the lighted Christmas trees, or jump to conclusions when your little sister or brother begins to sing a Christmas song, realize that the doer of that action you detest is more cultured than you are.

[Yan Wang]

Originally Posted by Jillian B.

So, before you begin to give the principal something to dread when he or she returns from a relaxing break, or before you frown at the red and green decor, the lighted Christmas trees, or jump to conclusions when your little sister or brother begins to sing a Christmas song, realize that the doer of that action you detest is more cultured than you are.

As I mentioned in my first post and referenced again in my second: "and kindly ask them to seriously rethink what they're doing". The key word being kindly. If nothing happens (and I don't expect anything to - our city is already as liberal as it could possibly be), so be it, but as mentioned in a post above by someone else, I DO need to know that I am someone who feels like I'm doing something - especially when it involves education. I think that my sister knowing christmas songs is not evil. I won't have a real problem until she starts saying, God did it (which she has done before... that I can't tolerate). But after reading the BBC article the other day, going through the last week before break in high school with teachers cracking jokes about how they'd get fired for referring to Christmas things, it really made me think why the subject isn't taken seriously at the elementary school level.

Jillian, it seems that you liked the education you received in Catholic school, Jillian. That's great and I hope you keep that knowledge with you always. I like my public high school very much too. You have not attended my school and I have not attended yours, so please (< I stress that) make no more assumptions about what my schooling or knowledge may be.

I also don't frown at green/red decor or christmas trees because our school has none. Our family, however, has all that plus lighting. I don't hate Christmas. Read the "I love it when..." thread - I love presents and cramming myself with food. I don't agree with the religion, but I will take advantage of the 2 week break it provides and the presents/food. In fact, it's lovely that there's so many religiously-based holidays - there's so many vacations in US schools.

My initial question asked what people thought about the relationship between Christmas and school. Keep your answers to that please.

[Melissa Nute]

Originally Posted by monsieurcoffee

My initial question asked what people thought about the relationship between Christmas and school. Keep your answers to that please.

Jillian was on topic in her own way.
A responce to a subject should be personal in an open-ended question like the one you gave.

Take a philosophy or Theory of Knowledge class and you will see.

[Yan Wang]

Apparently what I said was offensive to many. I'm sorry. But that was my way of defending myself from the attack against my knowledge of cultures and my tolerance to others without any knowledge of me beforehand. End this now and please continue the discussion. If you can't calmly state your opinions, then don't.

[Jeff Waegelin]

Originally Posted by monsieurcoffee

Apparently what I said was offensive to many. I'm sorry. But that was my way of defending myself from the attack against my knowledge of cultures and my tolerance to others without any knowledge of me beforehand. End this now and please continue the discussion. If you can't calmly state your opinions, then don't.

Yan, I think that if you're concerned about flames, you should be as concerned about what you say as you are about what others say. This discussion appears to be going well, and you seem to be the only one really complaining about its content. Everyone has been calmly stating their opinions. Just because they disagree with you doesn't make it an attack.