Christmas recital cancelled not to offend other cultures

[Curious George]

I believe that you know even less. In fact, you are speculating about what you think SHOULD happen.

Not what actually did happen.

Sure give me a cite and I will look into the story. I am happy to acknowledge that the city was wrong if that is the case. I just think that there is a good chance that you either do not know or do not understand the court proceedings given your takeaway.

 

[lostwanderingsoul]

The title doesn't say who: was it Christians or was it a school?

Well schools do not have CHRISTMAS recitals for Jews or Muslims or atheists. Of course it is the Christians that are giving up something.

 

[Curious George]

Well schools do not have CHRISTMAS recitals for Jews or Muslims or atheists. Of course it is the Christians that are giving up something.

Sounds to me like you are still conflating Schools and Christians. The schools gave up something; schools are not Christians. People who are Christians can still have all the recitals they want. It is only the school that cannot.

 

[lostwanderingsoul]

Sounds to me like you are still conflating Schools and Christians. The schools gave up something; schools are not Christians. People who are Christians can still have all the recitals they want. It is only the school that cannot.

I assume there are some Christians who attend that school. And those Christians will not have a recital at that school. So the Christians lost a chance to have a recital at that school. Christians lost - non Christians won.

 

[Curious George]

I assume there are some Christians who attend that school. And those Christians will not have a recital at that school. So the Christians lost a chance to have a recital at that school. Christians lost - non Christians won.

When you choose to eternally view the world as a zero sum game, you are going to be disappointed.

Christians can have all of the christmas recitals they want. The school cannot. The school is not Christian. It is that simple. I struggle to understand why any Christians would need to have a Christmas recital through a school. I suppose Satan worshipers also lost the ability to have a Satanic recital at the school as well. The only thing that is oppressive in this situation is some people perspective.

 

[sealchan]

A safer solution is to leave religion out of the public schools. What you are proposing may seem constructive to you, but it would be seized upon as an opportunity to get a foot in the door and begin proselytizing.



Mutual tolerance does not require knowing one another's beliefs and customs - just a willingness to tolerate other hard-working, peace-loving and law-abiding members of society whatever their beliefs and rituals, and would leave learning about such things to interested people using their own resources. Surf the Internet, take an extension or university course, buy a book, or go visit an ashram or Scientology center if interested.

My point is that mutual tolerance does not require mutual understanding of one's religious traditions. I am an American expat living in the very Catholic country of Mexico, which is an alien form of Christianity to me. Their Christmas, for example, is about baby Jesus, not Santa, and Palm Sunday and the Passion plays are very public demonstrations of the local religious culture, foreign to me, but which I enjoy and have even participated in. I've followed Jesus into Jerusalem while carrying a sword fashioned from a palm frond, walking over flower petals all the way.

And at Christmas, we watch Joseph and Mary wandering from door to door to find a place to spend the night, being sent away repeatedly before finally being received every year by the Mexican family across the street from us, when a party begins and children swat at pinatas.

I'm not hostile to any of that. In fact, my house is filled with religious art representing many traditions. I just don't want to make any of that part of the public school curriculum. It's not necessary for mutual tolerance, and specific knowledge of who believes what is of little value to the uninterested.

I appreciate what you are saying, but I'm not sure that mutual understanding would not be a requirement for tolerance and/or respect. I'm still mulling this over myself.