War on Christmas begins: Texas conservatives protest inclusion of Hindu holiday in school curriculum.
War on Christmas begins: Texas conservatives protest inclusion of Hindu holiday in school curriculum.
The Texas State Board of Education is currently considering a proposal that would ensure sixth-grade students learn about at least one religious holiday from each of the five major world religions. Currently, students learn about more Christian and Jewish holidays, and Hinduism is excluded. The new proposal would replace Christmas and Rosh Hashanah with Diwali. “It’s outrageous that the war on Christmas continues in our state and in our nation,” said Jonathan Saenz, a lobbyist for the conservative Free Market Foundation. Some more details on the proposal:
The standards currently instruct sixth-grade students to be able to explain the significance of religious holidays such as the Christian holidays of Christmas and Easter, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and the Jewish holidays of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. The proposal, which is set to be debated during a hearing next week, removes the words Christmas and Rosh Hashanah. Diwali, a Hindu festival, is added.
In a note explaining the change, members of a review committee wrote “the examples include the key holiday from each of the five major religions.”
Sixth-grade social studies in Texas “is focused on world geography and cultures,” and Hinduism is the third-largest world religion, following Christianity and Islam. However, one Republican activist serving as an “expert” advising the board said that including more Christian and Jewish holidays “simply acknowledges with accuracy the religious culture of America as it actually exists that these holidays have been awarded their place in the culture by the people themselves.” (HT: TP reader Sergio)
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Righties are SO insecure.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:09 pmThe new proposal would replace Christmas and Rosh Hashanah with Diwali. “It’s outrageous that the war on Christmas continues in our state and in our nation,” said Jonathan Saenz, a lobbyist for the conservative Free Market Foundation.
So tell us why this isn’t also a “War on Rosh Hashanah”, too?
And if you really a Christian, you should be more concerned about protecting Easter, not Christmas. In fact, you should be compaining about the crass commercialization of, what you consider to be, a sacred holy day.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:11 pmHinduism…that’s one of those brown-skinned religions, right?
September 12th, 2009 at 2:12 pmIt’s obvious that these so-called Christians do not realize that their entire religion, the reason why they consider Jesus Christ to be “God the Son”, is based on the idea of Christ’s RESURRECTION on “Easter Sunday”. Christmas is NOT the holiest day on the Christian calendar, EASTER is.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:13 pmWayne A. Schneider says:
Oops, sorry, honey, I didn’t realize that you were thinking the same thing!
September 12th, 2009 at 2:14 pmWar on Christmas begins: Texas conservatives protest inclusion of Hindu holiday in school curriculum.
– - Just leave America and become an independent Christianist Fundamental Theocracy. And good luck with your economy and zero US Federal dollars.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:16 pmJane E. Schneider says:
That’s okay, honey. It shows you have your own thoughts. :)
September 12th, 2009 at 2:18 pmand they lies the a problem>>>>>> why have any religion in any school. school should be neutral. but guess i will hear about science and history etc… Well stop think is not all bibles Korans (spelling) not just a history books.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:19 pmAs it takes science to back it all up any ways.
Bull. Shit.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:20 pm“It’s outrageous that the war on Christmas continues in our state and in our nation,” said Jonathan Saenz, a lobbyist for the conservative…”
Uhhh, dude? Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th. So called “Christmas” in this country is a made up thing for money, shopping, and sales.
If you are a true Christian…and want to celebrate his birth…then do so in a true manner.
Of course…crying is all about brain washing and getting the lemmings to do your bidding.
And then (I can see you screaming with your fingers in your ears), not everyone in this country is Christian…and in particular, not only your version of Christianity.
“When facism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross”…Sinclair Lewis
September 12th, 2009 at 2:20 pmJane E. Schneider:
Seriously. Christmas is a pagan holiday.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:21 pmWhy are they teaching them about ANY religous holidays in public government funded schoools? For that matter why are government employees given any days off for ANY religous holidays?
September 12th, 2009 at 2:22 pmI never knew Christian holidays were so fragile.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:22 pmTwizzle, I’m well aware of the Christmas holiday’s pagan roots. One of many reasons why, after 13 years of Catholic schooling, I became an agnostic.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:23 pmMy apologies to Hindus, one town over is the largest Hindu Temple in the United States. When it opened there was a month long celebration and invitations were circulated throughout the local communities for anyone of any religion to come and participate or witness the opening (an I assume “Blessing”) of the Temple.
Being a Temple member myself I thought this was a wonderful idea, but I recall alot of opposition from local christain organizations.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:29 pmMy parents are Unitarian Universalits. A few years ago we attended a huge U.U. congregation at Long Beach Civic Center, there were tens of thousands of people. Services were provided – one after the other – by Unitarians, Budhists, Hindus, Muslims, and about a dozen others I don’t recall (off the top of my head).
For someone who’s not really religous it was pretty glorious. All of the different religions open to all practicing side by side. No hate, just respect for one another.
And then there’s Texas.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:36 pmYa’ll, this should is pure tragic-comedy-gold writing itself before our very eyes, but sadly it’s reality:
DALLAS — Some Texas school districts are scrambling to interpret a state law that requires public schools to incorporate Bible literacy into the curriculum.
The Legislature provided little guidance, no funding for materials or teacher training when it passed the law in 2007 requiring Bible literacy to be taught starting in the 2009-2010 school year.
Attorney General Greg Abbott has said the law doesn’t require schools to offer a Bible course, although they can offer it as an elective. However, they must provide some sort of lessons, he said.
That has left some schools offering elective classes, while others are embedding Bible literacy into current courses.
Religious scholars and confused educators warn that the nebulous law may have thwarted its purpose — to examine the Bible’s influence in history and literature. To ensure religious neutrality, legislators mandated teacher training, state-approved materials and curriculum standards considered adequate by the attorney general. However, lawmakers did not specify what that training would include or provide funding.
The state Board of Education provided little additional guidance. It said the curriculum for independent studies classes in English and social studies already covered the biblical material.
Texas Education Agency officials said they did not request funding because materials and training were already covered for those two courses.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, blames the education agency for the confusion.
“TEA had the duty to prepare teachers to teach the course, but they neglected to request funds,” he said. “I assumed the funds were there.”
Again, I ask, what “is our children learnin’?”
September 12th, 2009 at 2:41 pmSeriously, if Christian students in Texas make it to the 6th grade without a basic understanding of the concept of Christmas, doesn’t that say more about the failures of the parents and Sunday schools in Texas than it does about the public school system?
Why bother studying anthropology at all if the Fundie White Wing won’t acknowledge their own ethnocenticity?
PEACE
September 12th, 2009 at 2:44 pmThe War on Christmas seems to come earlier every year : )
Seriously, are these white fundamentalists so insecure in their tenuous beliefs that they can’t accept even mentioning other religions and cultures? Wait, I’ll answer that. The answer is clearly yes.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:44 pmCavemen were afraid of fire until they learned to respect it.
Same diff.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:48 pmReal sad that the state of Texas is more like another planet than a state. And I guess the holiday, Kwanzaa, is not on the list. The state of Texas is becoming of a state of totalitarianism. Next the state will dictate who can be a residence of the state and who cannot.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:49 pmI wouldn’t consider this a big deal personally, but to have the “expert” give such a one-sided decision about the matter…it doesn’t sit well with me.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:53 pmWhat is going to happen when the neo-nazi, sons of the confederacy that make up his base find out Rep. Eric Cantor is Jewish?
September 12th, 2009 at 2:53 pmI never knew Christian holidays were so fragile
Christianist holidays aren’t so fragile. After all, they have the whole U.S. consumer “retail culture” riding on them.
But apparently some Texans are very fragile.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:55 pmHa I sent this one in the local media in my home town in Texas is acting like this is far more important then the fact the not one damn person on the board is an expert in a damn thing and now it’s bitten them on the ass for being ignorant fools. This affects a lot of people and we need to stop them. Tell the publishers in your states that you don’t want this kind of crap in your states text books. If it dose pass here fight it in your state don’t let them politicize education for you community to.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:56 pmThey are probably afraid, very afraid, that if children were to learn about Hindusim and its precepts, they would turn a blind eye to the righities’ idiotic refutation of the age of the Earth, evolution, heck, of just about every major empirical, scientific theory–Hinduism sees no conflict with science; the concept of time, the age of Earth, global warming, just to name a few.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:56 pmHow can we keep them down on the farm once they see Diwali?
Sadly, many of these people think that exploring other cultures is a threat. They would really rather just pretend that the rest of the world doesn’t matter. Heck! To the really narrow-minded ones the rest of the world isn’t even real.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:57 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Isn’t it ironic that Diwali is the festival of lights? The fundies’ motto is “Let there be NO light (of knowledge and wisdom).
September 12th, 2009 at 3:00 pmCCC, the real question is, who gives a shit about you or what you erroneously ‘think’?
September 12th, 2009 at 3:00 pmWell if they aloud other religious there kids will fine out that theres is a farce and only evolves around money for the retailers. and well sad not for the message of peach and love to all mankind.
But then again i think there is no room in school for religion at all thats why churches have there sunday schools etc. and are tax exempt.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:04 pmThe stupid trolls don’t understand curiosity or value learning. They see knowledge as a threat.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:04 pmCountry Club Conservative says:
The real question is, who gives a shit about hindus? Not me. The majority of Americans are christians.
The United States of America is a secular nation, so get used to it. The fact that most people in this country are Christians is, believe it or not, entirely irrelevant. It seems to me that you are opposed to people learning about people different from themselves. Xenophobic is no way to go through life.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:05 pmCountry Club Conservative says:
The real question is, who gives a shit about hindus? Not me. The majority of Americans are christians.
And who gives a shit about you? You vile piece of racist, bigoted trash. Why don’t you get off welfare and get a job, I’m sick of supporting right wing scum like you. Just another right wing scum like Joe the “plumber”
September 12th, 2009 at 3:05 pmLaughter is often the best medicine.
p.s. Xtianity is a minority religion on a Worldwide scale.
S C O R E B O A R D
September 12th, 2009 at 3:08 pmI don’t think it’s quite that simple, Pilotshark.
It’s a very fine line between teaching about religion and promoting a particular religion and many teachers aren’t up to the challenge. But, I still see a value in learning about various religions and cultures and their historical influence. One really can’t study history, social studies, or dang near anything without covering the place of religion. Alas, wishing it gone will not make it so.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:08 pmDo sixth-graders care much about anything except material gratification, peer pressure, and puberty trauma?
September 12th, 2009 at 3:14 pmGlobal and cultural awareness is a lot more interesting to the little ones.
Learning about the world’s holidays while teaching awareness of seasons and the calendar would add a broader spectrum to their daily perspective.
Which is precisely why it frightens conservatives.
India — Population: 1,147,995,904
81.3% of them think CCC is a feeble, small-minded, singular, non-entity.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:14 pmChristianity is a pagan religion and most Americans are NOT Christians.
There are strong parallels between the Virgin Mary and little baby Jesus and the Egyptian Godess Isis and her baby son Horus.
Cancervatives are small-minded, ignorant people who feel so threatened by change and think their religion is superior to everyone elses.
Easter, Christmas, etc. all paganism. Nothing personal against pagans or paganism.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:15 pmCan’t they at least wait until after, say, Halloween for this crap? Jeez!
There is, and never has been, a war on Christmas. Too many people would lose money if Christmas went away. And that is the key to this whole thing.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:17 pmYou leave it to the states to indoctrinate my children. For example, they now know that whales hump sharks. I was never smart enough to teach that cool factoid.
This brings me to the man who has my hearty endorsement for Va. governor, Bob McDonnell. He has a plan for creating jobs in Virginia using the tenets of Christianity only found in the “real world of Virginia.” (that is, non-Macacas) He will create jobs by pushing women, fornicators, and cohabitatants out of theirs. There. Done. My beloved teabaggers can get back to work.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:20 pmSeptember 12th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
pete says: @36
Smiles i stand corrected,,, you are right about the fine line and all, you are also right about how every thing kinda ties in.
i was being to generalize in my posting.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:23 pmConservative groups that want to infiltrate textbooks with religion should be taxed as a for-profit organization.
We need to see a shake down for tax dollars from these mega churches who want to influence the kind of education our children receive.
They want to infiltrate textbooks with Christianity – tax their churches.
They don’t want separation of church and state – tax their churches.
I can only imagine how much revenue would come pouring in to fund better a school system nationwide!
September 12th, 2009 at 3:25 pmI reckon a more important lesson plan would teach kids about all the atrocities committed against whole cultures in the name of organized religion.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:31 pmIts not a war, what you are attempting, Jonathan Saenz, is indoctrination thru a public school, you seem to be ignorant of what the constitution states and what your doing; A) Is using christianity to further some political agenda, probably for profit. B) Its Proselytizing. Your trying, in my view, to indoctrinate children in a public school against many parents wishes. Stop it. The
September 12th, 2009 at 3:32 pmWHat the war is on, if anything, is not on christmans but the first amendment of the constitution.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:37 pmI’ve got an idea.
How about we leave religion completely out of public schools, and let the parents do their indoctrination in their own homes?
That way the little tykes will turn out just the way mummy and daddy want them.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:37 pmOh, and if we’re having a “war on christmas,” I want that personal rocket launcher.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:38 pmHow about we leave religion completely out of public schools, and let the parents do their indoctrination in their own homes?
100% behind ya there Zoo,
They shouldn’t be replacing Christmas with a hindu holiday. They should simply be removing it.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:40 pmEaster is as pagan as Xmas. Eggs, flowers, bunnies and baby chicks, etc. All symbols from the worhip of the goddess Oester. Notice the similar spelling to Easter? Here’s a wiki link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oester
And Easter is never on the same day every year. You would think “God” could send down a “deather” certificate to shore up the actual day of death.
Easter is proof that Christianity is bullshit.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:40 pmIt’s called home schooling and we have that ignorance already.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:41 pmNo CCC the real question is why are you such an ignorant punkass troll and do you think anyone with a shred of decency cares what a moronic piece of filth like you thinks about ANYTHING? You are a disgusting pile of dogshit
September 12th, 2009 at 3:42 pmHow has CCC been able to blind himself to the many, many people from India (presumably Hindu) who have staffed our computer industries? Even in Texas, I believe…. What is going on in that state?
September 12th, 2009 at 3:44 pmThe Conservative Free Market Foundation is a christian, evangelistic,
September 12th, 2009 at 3:44 pmnon-profit lobby.
Scare stories like this one are great way to drum up contributions.
Tax-free religious medling in public schools for profit.
Country Club Conservative says:
The real question is, who gives a shit about hindus? Not me. The majority of Americans are christians.
And who gives a shit about you? You make up the minority here.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:45 pmLearning about a religion hardly counts as indoctrination, and considering about 80% of the planet’s humans profess to one, it seems just as reasonable to teach about them as it does to teach any other aspect of history or sociology. It makes sense to teach a little about Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist and Jewish belief systems – in that order, since that’s how they rank in terms of the world’s believers.
Note I said “learning about a religion,” as opposed to learning a religion, which would be abhorrent in a publicly-funded classroom situation.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:48 pmpakaal says:
With all due respect, why did you chooose 5?
Is it fair to Wiccans who send their children to school to have them learn about something else, while NOT giving their religion the same amount of “Air time”
September 12th, 2009 at 3:53 pmMore like the war by Christmas.
There should be no “excusions” whatsoever to such a program, if you’re going to have it at all, which is questionable in and of itself.
I’ve never heard of a more blatant violation of the First Amendment in the modern era.
.
Badmoodman says:
War on Christmas begins: Texas conservatives protest inclusion of Hindu holiday in school curriculum.
- – Just leave America and become an independent Christianist Fundamental Theocracy. And good luck with your economy and zero US Federal dollars.
I hear there’s some spare land in Guyana they could use.
.
Zooey says:
I never knew Christian holidays were so fragile.
Apparently they can only survive if everyone is prohibited from every celebrating anything else.
.
Country Club Conservative says:
The real question is, who gives a shit about hindus? Not me.
You just defined yourself as a bigot. You are a bigot. Way to make your side look classy there.
Are you sure you’re not a liberal pretending to be a conservative just to make them look bad? Because you just made our case better than any of us have.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:56 pmIt wasn’t really a correction, Pilotshark. More like an addendum. And, while I think there’s value in teaching about religion and it’s historical and sociological effects, we need to be ever vigilant.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:56 pmThe philosophy of fundamentalist towards the cultures and beliefs of others reminds me of the U.S. governments policies towards American Indians in the 19th century. They forbid them to speak their own language, made them convert to christianity, and they were not allowed to pass on their dancing or rituals in many church run missions.
September 12th, 2009 at 3:57 pmI teach cross culturalism. Americans are among the most ignorant people on the planet when it comes to understanding the cultures, religions and life ways of other people around the world. It is why we are seen as arrogant, ignorant and disrespectful when Americans go over seas. It is time that we begin to learn about other people so that we can learn to behave properly when working with others or visiting other places. Geit with it, Learning about cultures is fun, interesting and VITAL for our survival as a democracy.
September 12th, 2009 at 4:03 pmI never see the baby Jeebus in Macy’s or Wal*Mart at Christmas. That’s a good thing to me.
Yet, the Christianistas never mention this. Why don’t the Christianistas just stop shoppping at any store where there is no baby Jeebus at the front door greeting everyone like a Wal*Mart greeter?
I guess Wal*Mart hates Jeebus.
—-
And why is there no chocolate Jeebus for sale in the Easter season? Does Hershey hate Jeebus?
September 12th, 2009 at 4:06 pmPlay golf. Smoke Cigars. Listen to Rush. Scapegoat every group you can find in hopes it will atone for every malady the Christian country faces. Go about your life giving a shit about the only people you care to give a shit about.
Warring factions and people at the bottom of the totem pole battling it out promotes competition. With conservatism, you can create casualties wherever, whenever – black Friday, religious wars, race wars, war-for-oil.
“Hey Christianity, Hinduism’s been talking sh#T about you!!!”
%@#%^%^%^^%^%^%^%@@@$##%!!!!!
From my lawn chair: “Clean up the blood spatter when you’re done, chumps. I’ve got my deferment in hand.”
September 12th, 2009 at 4:06 pmdixie blood says
Personally I won’t shop at Wal-Mart, so I can’t tell you if they have one there or not.
September 12th, 2009 at 4:12 pmFrankly, as a dedicated non-theist I long for the day when no one talks about or teaches any god-based religion at all, in Texas, Iran, India, or anywhere else. I can’t imagine anyone or anything at all that wouldn’t benefit immensely over the long haul.
September 12th, 2009 at 4:14 pmAmericans are among the most ignorant people on the planet when
As long as we are into gross generalizations about groups of people, I suppose you may be correct.
September 12th, 2009 at 4:16 pmGreat Americans are marching in Washington right now. It’s great, we right-wingers leave ourselves behind after everyone else has learned the truth and moved on. The part of the health bill that states no undocumented alien shall receive federal payment goes ignored because we figure it will be annoying to the fact checkers. If we repeat our falsehoods more than the fact-checkers repeat their facts, we win. We might as well stick to what we’re good at.
September 12th, 2009 at 4:20 pmThey should add Festivus to their list.
.
dixie blood says:
And why is there no chocolate Jeebus for sale in the Easter season?
That’s a brilliant idea! Chocolate Jesus on the cross. I’d totally eat that.
September 12th, 2009 at 4:43 pm2. Wayne and 4. Jayne,
You’re highlighting one item of practice between the fundamentalist groups and the Catholic groups in the USA.
To the Catholic, the big church blow out of the year is Easter. In most Protestant (and especially the hard-core fundamentalist), Christmas is the big blow out.
Of course, in both cases we’re talking about when the events are celebrated on the liturgical calendar and not necessarily the exact historical dates. So I[m sure there must be some historical reason for the difference.
September 12th, 2009 at 4:47 pmSome white people are showing their true colors these days.
The Hindu religion stands on kindness. Oh, think of it? Compassion for your fellow man?
Taught in Texas? Oh, the horror!
September 12th, 2009 at 4:51 pmWell, I never heard of Diwali when I was in school !
But even as a practical matter, if we’re looking to become an international leader, shouldn’t we know of at least the basics of the other countrys’ cultures ? Not just the Hindi, but how come we don’t even know anything about Eid (although I freely admit that the 2 Eids confuse me), for example ?
The other problem I have is that even if we teach the presence of the other cultures, that we trivialize them. We’re Irish because we drink green beer on St. Patricks day and celebrate Cinco de Mayo as a day to eat tacos (makes me a good Mexican, you know). We know about the minor holiday of Channukah because we can say it is just a Jewish Christmas and don’t even mention the MAJOR Jewish holidays (not to mention that we only see the holiday aspect and totally avoid the religious aspect and the rigors of observance).
September 12th, 2009 at 4:53 pmChristmas has become a tradition for many Americans even ones who are not practicing Christians. So what is the behind the agenda to remove it if it upsets so many? Are there more people celebrating Diwali than Christmas? I doubt it. So why does one have to be added at the removal of the other? Why can’t both be on the calendar? If those wanting to include Diwali on the calendar they should not want it done at the expense of Christmas and Rosh Hashanah. Rich H talked about a multi religion service where
Well the only way to get respect is to give it and it is not respectful to tell the Jews and Christians their holiday will be replaced by a Hindu or Muslim one and expect them to receive the news with the respect they are obviously hoping to teach by doing it in the first place. Is this action being respectful to Christians and Jews? I think not.
September 12th, 2009 at 4:55 pmElBruce,
I think a Festivus Pole is better than a Christianista tree which hurts the environment.
And it’s much simpler and safer to decorate.
September 12th, 2009 at 5:00 pmI’m shocked. Why aren’t Texas school children being taught about the Flying Spaghetti Monster?
September 12th, 2009 at 5:05 pmBigorange says:
I dont see that anyone is upset much less so many by Christmas. This is an assignment. They need to be able to discuss and explain the significance of Diwali. They arent being told to celebrate it. I am pretty sure there isnt that much educational value in discussing Christmas which most of the children have grown up with.
September 12th, 2009 at 5:14 pm<<<It’s called home schooling and we have that ignorance already.>>>
Not all homeschoolers are religious crazies. Not even most homeschoolers. The majority have children who are being well educated, are well rounded, and can think for themselves.
Unfortunately, the general population buys into the media’s presentation of all homeschoolers being religious crazies who keep their children ignorant and sheltered.
September 12th, 2009 at 5:15 pmWhat’s this I hear about whales humping sharks?
September 12th, 2009 at 5:16 pmDear Texans, How about including a few religious holidays from the Australian Aborginal Dreamtime?
September 12th, 2009 at 5:53 pm.
Dear Christian Americans,
ACT LIKE IT!
.
September 12th, 2009 at 5:54 pm.
I am glad that I live in a Country that affords me the ability to believe and practice my religion of choice. It is unfortunate, however, that there are Christianists among us who think otherwise. How very un-American of them, but my Country affords them that choice, too.
.
September 12th, 2009 at 5:56 pmIgnorance breeds intolerance. Texas aims to keep the students there pretty uninformed.
September 12th, 2009 at 6:22 pmJebus. Texas. Why the hell is it ALWAYS Texas…??
Must be something in the friggin’ water.
Blech. Let the stupid barstids secede – and good riddance.
September 12th, 2009 at 6:34 pmLeftside Annie says:
Blech. Let the stupid barstids secede – and good riddance.
They can secede all they want, if they leave the land behind.
September 12th, 2009 at 6:49 pmHow come this didn’t draw more freaks? I still don’t understand why they haven’t tried to run over that Easter bunny with their dumbass F -150’s….
September 12th, 2009 at 6:57 pmWelcome to the conservative war on Krishna.
September 12th, 2009 at 10:15 pmWhy is it either/or and not all-inclusive? I can understand the upset if they’re replacing instead of adding.
September 12th, 2009 at 11:39 pmIf I had school age kids here in Texas they would surely be home schooled to avoid indoctrination. The number of christians in this country is steadily decreasing. Hopefully they will soon be the minority and we can get rid of them in the government. I long for the day when we can tell them to keep their religion in their churches and their homes and leave the rest of us the hell alone.
September 13th, 2009 at 2:05 amIf I were still in the academics bidness, I would never again consider admitting ANY student with a Texas secondary credential to participate in any program with which i was affiliated.
Neither would I hire anyone who offered such a certificate as proof of ‘accomplishment.’
September 13th, 2009 at 1:07 pmIf your expecting sixth-grade students to be able to explain the significance of religious holidays that should include Christmas.
September 13th, 2009 at 4:01 pmRe: Wayne Schneider @ 33:
Xenophobic, drunk, and _stupid_ is no way to go through life.
September 14th, 2009 at 1:02 amRE: Tundra @ 58: As a Wiccan, I actually agree with you on this post, although you’re about 75% full of crap on anything else.
September 14th, 2009 at 1:07 amWicca frankly is 75% +crap.
It’s little more than the scienology of the 1900’s.
September 14th, 2009 at 2:21 amAll this talk of Diwali and not one mention of The Office episode, Diwali, and Michael Scott singing an adaptation of Adam Sandler’s “The Chanukah Song” to Diwali. For shame!
And for those speaking about the importance of Easter relative to Christmas, note that the Gospels focus on Jesus’ life, which pretty much dropped out of the picture once Paul took over. And the Apostles/Nicene creed have nothing to say about Jesus’ life. His death may have bought us salvation, but his life gave us a usually unattainable example of how to live with, respect, and care for other people in the world. An example, needless to say, ignored by the Teabaggers et al.
September 14th, 2009 at 5:31 amThank you for your sharing.!
September 16th, 2009 at 11:27 pmThis effort to mislead students about current society is shameful vajina daraltma.
September 17th, 2009 at 8:18 am