Boy, 9, banned from school Christmas party - 'because he didn't believe in Jesus' : XML WIDGEThttp://www.plime.com/You can use this XML spec to create a desktop widget or other application (i.e. Flash visualization). Please share it with us in our forum and we'll link it here!en-us44981http://www.plime.com/plime-com/l/44981/1/<![CDATA[Boy, 9, banned from school Christmas party - 'because he didn't believe in Jesus']]>2957412/21/2007 11:15:20 AM2007-12-21T11:15:20+01:00
167762http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q30<![CDATA[spamtrap @ 12/31/2007 11:09:35 AM]]>«ieldanth : At the age most kids believe in Santa(2-6), allegories are better than straight explanations. They are children, not small adults.Better for what? By the way I have nothing against them as long as it is made clear that they are only allegories and parables.]]>12/31/2007 11:09:35 AM2007-12-31T11:09:35+01:00164456http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q29<![CDATA[Matoogs @ 12/23/2007 5:24:23 AM]]>«T1000 : All those Christians (unlike me) believe in stereotypes. I wouldn't ever listen to them or any other religious institution, they're so narrow minded.I'm sensing sarcasm here ;D
If you ask me, Christmas has never really been about Christianity. The only Christmas tradition directly connected with Jesus is nativity scenes, and that's a pretty minor one. Almost everything else is solidly pagan in origin.
My family is Christian and growing up we never formally celebrated Christmas. My parents did give up gifts so we wouldn't feel left out and we had a party with the extended family, but no tree, no Santa.
The story just sounds like a couple of bitter teachers went on a power trip. I doubt it's a widespread phenomenon.]]>12/23/2007 5:24:23 AM2007-12-23T05:24:23+01:00164381http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q28<![CDATA[Boomshank @ 12/22/2007 11:22:01 PM]]> If you asked Joe Public what Christmas meant, most people would agree that it was supposed to be all about the birth of Jesus. Unfortunately, what the vast majority of people choose to *do* on Christmas has *nothing* to do with Jesus, yet people insist that the essentially two different holidays are the same thing.
If Santa 'job' is to teach kids about the joy of giving, that's got *nothing* to do with Christianity. Besides, I don't know *any* kid that's looked upon Christmas as a time of giving. Christmas to kids is all about GETTING!
Can we all enjoy what Christmas *is* today whether we're Christian, agnostic, atheist or any other flavour? Sure thing! It's when people claim Christmas to be their own and start telling other people how they should celebrate it that things fall apart.
Christmas isn't strictly a Christian holiday any more - that's the problem.]]>12/22/2007 11:22:01 PM2007-12-22T23:22:01+01:00164318http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q27<![CDATA[T1000 @ 12/22/2007 9:17:53 PM]]>12/22/2007 9:17:53 PM2007-12-22T21:17:53+01:00164152http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q26<![CDATA[ashlesdc @ 12/21/2007 9:13:34 PM]]>«abandonedcouch : You can get into the spirit of Christmas without being a Christian, folks. In this day and age, they're almost two entirely different things.
My boyfriend is a staunch atheist who turns into a 5 year old at Christmas time. We go get our [live] tree, drive around looking at decorations while playing Christmas music [secular as well as religious], when he sees the wrappings of a UPS package in the garbage he searches the whole house to see if he can find his present before I wrap it. If a thirty year old man who's never believed in any sort of God can get this caught up in all the things that go along with Christmas, then imagine how it feels for a little boy who is still young enough to believe in Santa Claus to be told he can't come to a PUBLIC SCHOOL party with his friends because of the way his parents raised him.
It wasn't that the school was being "thoughtful" or "trying to bend to his parents' wishes" as some of the comments on the dailymail suggest; they flat-out BANNED the kid. If they were trying to be tolerant of his parents' wishes that he not be exposed to religion, they would have left the descision of whether or not he could come up to the parents.You said it perfectly and I could not agree more.]]>12/21/2007 9:13:34 PM2007-12-21T21:13:34+01:00164024http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q25<![CDATA[Inc0m @ 12/21/2007 6:01:07 PM]]>12/21/2007 6:01:07 PM2007-12-21T18:01:07+01:00164009http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q24<![CDATA[Mershaullk @ 12/21/2007 5:23:06 PM]]>«blurmore : Christmas giving has its basis in a religion that I don't totally believe in, but has shaped my life, and moral sensibilities. I do not necessarily want or expect my children to be devout, but I want them to know what Christmas giving represents. To me that is giving of oneself to benefit others, and by extension mankind. Christmas MEANS something to me, and I will not allow my children to miss out on the lesson that it should MEAN something to everyone, and not just days off from school/work that you get presents.That wasn't at all my point. I was saying that if you want to show your kids that giving is good you shouldn't call it an empty joy. If an atheist gives a gift on Christmas, how is that different than a Christian doing it? If an atheist celebrates Christmas and enjoys the decorations and the music, how is that different from a Christian enjoying the same things? You're implying that you must believe in the story and the figure to truly "give" on the day.]]>12/21/2007 5:23:06 PM2007-12-21T17:23:06+01:00164005http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q23<![CDATA[blurmore @ 12/21/2007 5:14:57 PM]]>«Mershaullk : How is that an "empty joy"? It seems to me that you are being hypocritical is telling your children that giving is good and then turning around and calling it what you just did.Christmas giving has its basis in a religion that I don't totally believe in, but has shaped my life, and moral sensibilities. I do not necessarily want or expect my children to be devout, but I want them to know what Christmas giving represents. To me that is giving of oneself to benefit others, and by extension mankind. Christmas MEANS something to me, and I will not allow my children to miss out on the lesson that it should MEAN something to everyone, and not just days off from school/work that you get presents.]]>12/21/2007 5:14:57 PM2007-12-21T17:14:57+01:00163988http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q22<![CDATA[Mershaullk @ 12/21/2007 4:52:31 PM]]>«blurmore : Sounds to me like he is really into the Pagan practice of bringing a live tree into the house for winter solstice, getting presents, and the commercialism of buying stuff to decorate your house, and is caught up in music piped through every possible electronic device designed to make him buy more crap. Christmas is about Christ. I don't have a problem with Pagans celebrating Solstice, or Jews giving Christmas presents so long as those people realize the are buying a "bill of goods" holiday like Haloween or Valentines Day and are celebrating the empty joy of buying s**t and giving it to someone for the hell of it.How is that an "empty joy"? It seems to me that you are being hypocritical by telling your children that giving is good and then turning around and calling it what you just did.]]>12/21/2007 4:52:31 PM2007-12-21T16:52:31+01:00163969http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q21<![CDATA[ieldanth @ 12/21/2007 4:23:48 PM]]>«spamtrap : How about talking to them about the joy of giving? Do they have to believe in Santa to participate and learn about the joy of giving?At the age most kids believe in Santa(2-6), allegories are better than straight explanations. They are children, not small adults.]]>12/21/2007 4:23:48 PM2007-12-21T16:23:48+01:00163963http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q20<![CDATA[Ellz @ 12/21/2007 4:13:53 PM]]> Obviously Santa and ice cream have nothing to do with Jesus's birth regardless. If it were a nativity play I would understand, but this is clearly not the case here, and therefore I see it as unjustified.]]>12/21/2007 4:13:53 PM2007-12-21T16:13:53+01:00163946http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q19<![CDATA[blurmore @ 12/21/2007 3:55:26 PM]]>«abandonedcouch : You can get into the spirit of Christmas without being a Christian, folks. In this day and age, they're almost two entirely different things.
My boyfriend is a staunch atheist who turns into a 5 year old at Christmas time. We go get our [live] tree, drive around looking at decorations while playing Christmas music [secular as well as religious], when he sees the wrappings of a UPS package in the garbage he searches the whole house to see if he can find his present before I wrap it. If a thirty year old man who's never believed in any sort of God can get this caught up in all the things that go along with Christmas, then imagine how it feels for a little boy who is still young enough to believe in Santa Claus to be told he can't come to a [bold]PUBLIC SCHOOL[/bold] party with his friends because of the way his parents raised him.
It wasn't that the school was being "thoughtful" or "trying to bend to his parents' wishes" as some of the comments on the dailymail suggest; they flat-out BANNED the kid. If they were trying to be tolerant of his parents' wishes that he not be exposed to religion, they would have left the descision of whether or not he could come up to the parents.Sounds to me like he is really into the Pagan practice of bringing a live tree into the house for winter solstice, getting presents, and the commercialism of buying stuff to decorate your house, and is caught up in music piped through every possible electronic device designed to make him buy more crap. Christmas is about Christ. I don't have a problem with Pagans celebrating Solstice, or Jews giving Christmas presents so long as those people realize the are buying a "bill of goods" holiday like Haloween or Valentines Day and are celebrating the empty joy of buying s**t and giving it to someone for the hell of it.]]>12/21/2007 3:55:26 PM2007-12-21T15:55:26+01:00163937http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q18<![CDATA[blurmore @ 12/21/2007 3:48:32 PM]]>«spamtrap : How about talking to them about the joy of giving? Do they have to believe in Santa to participate and learn about the joy of giving?My kids are 2 and 6...talking TO them is like talking to pets, having a conversation with them is very much like talking to a highly distractable adult on a high dose of psychedelics. Kids need FOCUS. I think stories like "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" are the most effective way to equate giving with joy in their young minds. A fat guy in a red suit holds real FOCUS and power for them, besides the fact that children are so right brain it isn't funny. My six year old totally believes in magic AND Santa AND Jesus AND Transformers, and why should I disabuse him of the inevitably lost beliefs by shifting the emphasis of the holidays from the magic of Santa Claus to a heart to heart about how giving makes you feel as good as the person you give to (which can be seen as selfish in their eyes too). We give toys to toys for tots, I buy random kids candy in the store if they are in line behind us in the store, my six year old is always wanting to do things for "poor" kids, he gets giving, and he loves Christmas, the God side AND the Santa side.]]>12/21/2007 3:48:32 PM2007-12-21T15:48:32+01:00163935http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q17<![CDATA[abandonedcouch @ 12/21/2007 3:46:23 PM]]> My boyfriend is a staunch atheist who turns into a 5 year old at Christmas time. We go get our [live] tree, drive around looking at decorations while playing Christmas music [secular as well as religious], when he sees the wrappings of a UPS package in the garbage he searches the whole house to see if he can find his present before I wrap it. If a thirty year old man who's never believed in any sort of God can get this caught up in all the things that go along with Christmas, then imagine how it feels for a little boy who is still young enough to believe in Santa Claus to be told he can't come to a PUBLIC SCHOOL party with his friends because of the way his parents raised him.
It wasn't that the school was being "thoughtful" or "trying to bend to his parents' wishes" as some of the comments on the dailymail suggest; they flat-out BANNED the kid. If they were trying to be tolerant of his parents' wishes that he not be exposed to religion, they would have left the descision of whether or not he could come up to the parents.]]>12/21/2007 3:46:23 PM2007-12-21T15:46:23+01:00163909http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q16<![CDATA[spamtrap @ 12/21/2007 3:16:50 PM]]>«blurmore : Kids...we are talking about kids here...and I do believe the concept of Santa is a great way of teaching kids the joy of giving. Easier than explaning how some virgin born God/Man willingly going to his death and spilling his blood was the ultimate gift to mankind.How about talking to them about the joy of giving? Do they have to believe in Santa to participate and learn about the joy of giving?]]>12/21/2007 3:16:50 PM2007-12-21T15:16:50+01:00163891http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q15<![CDATA[Lunarcadia @ 12/21/2007 2:55:00 PM]]>«blurmore : If he really doesn't believe in Jesus and Christmas and Santa....then he shouldn't be upset. Better than the atheists that go to the office Christmas party to get drunk and take advantage of drunk co-workers, or a few of my Jewish friends who celebrate Hanukkah AND give Christmas presents (not to their gentile friends to each other). If they pulled him out of religious ed. then I see no reason why the parents would WANT him to attend a birthday party for a diety in which they don't believe. You can't have it both ways...The better question is why is a public school offering Religious and Moral education in the first place.Great point and I agree.]]>12/21/2007 2:55:00 PM2007-12-21T14:55:00+01:00163889http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q14<![CDATA[blurmore @ 12/21/2007 2:54:13 PM]]>«spamtrap : Hmmm.... Do you believe in Santa? We give gifts to each other at Christmas at my company, but I don't think anyone believes in Santa... Half of the people aren't Christian either.Kids...we are talking about kids here...and I do believe the concept of Santa is a great way of teaching kids the joy of giving. Easier than explaning how some virgin born God/Man willingly going to his death and spilling his blood was the ultimate gift to mankind.]]>12/21/2007 2:54:13 PM2007-12-21T14:54:13+01:00163880http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q13<![CDATA[spamtrap @ 12/21/2007 2:47:47 PM]]>«blurmore : If he really doesn't believe in Jesus and Christmas and Santa....then he shouldn't be upset. Hmmm.... Do you believe in Santa? We give gifts to each other at Christmas at my company, but I don't think anyone believes in Santa... Half of the people aren't Christian either.]]>12/21/2007 2:47:47 PM2007-12-21T14:47:47+01:00163871http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q12<![CDATA[jameseum @ 12/21/2007 2:34:48 PM]]> As a result, every math worksheet with a Santa, or snowman, or whatever would be turned away with them saying "We can't do this because it's Christmas." (Same with Thanksgiving, Halloween, 4th of July)
So, after all year of using NO CHRISTMAS as an excuse to dodge work, I sent them to the Library during the party.
For me it was a consistency thing.]]>12/21/2007 2:34:48 PM2007-12-21T14:34:48+01:00163870http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q11<![CDATA[bunnysutra @ 12/21/2007 2:34:21 PM]]>12/21/2007 2:34:21 PM2007-12-21T14:34:21+01:00163855http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q10<![CDATA[gammerus @ 12/21/2007 2:24:04 PM]]> If you involved santa clause in any holiday party it is no longer a strickly religious celebration.]]>12/21/2007 2:24:04 PM2007-12-21T14:24:04+01:00163810http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q9<![CDATA[blurmore @ 12/21/2007 1:39:29 PM]]>12/21/2007 1:39:29 PM2007-12-21T13:39:29+01:00163804http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q8<![CDATA[fugazi @ 12/21/2007 1:32:44 PM]]> christianity has really become laughable. too many of its 'adherents' are stinking up the place. they could learn a lot from most of the atheists i know.
in fact, of the people i find that are concerned with the world and the well-being of others, the vast majority are atheists.]]>12/21/2007 1:32:44 PM2007-12-21T13:32:44+01:00163773http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q7<![CDATA[TheStep @ 12/21/2007 12:41:32 PM]]>He's been chucked out of religious education lessons, too? Man, I wish I'd told my teachers I didn't believe in Jesus.
EDIT: Reread it and realised I'd misunderstood. Ah well.]]>12/21/2007 12:41:32 PM2007-12-21T12:41:32+01:00163760http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q6<![CDATA[spamtrap @ 12/21/2007 12:23:24 PM]]>«tundramonkey : There's no mention of Santa in the bible - let the boy go to the Christmas party, for goodness sake!I agree!
I hate to say this Santa but you’re acting like a d**k you should give presents to everyone that’s good and not just to your personal click if you bring me a toy to open Christmas morning I’ll let you be my boyfriend all bearded, fat and horny oh yeah oh yeah What does Jesus have to do with you? You’ve got as much to do with Jesus as you do with Scooby Doo, what do you have to do with Jesus, you have as much to do with him as you do your mother’s pe*is oh yeah so I don’t think he’s the son of god I think he was still a nice boy if you ask yourself what would Jesus do he’d say give the Jew girl toys, give the Jew girl toys, give the Jew girl toys, don’t be a doosh, what would Jesus do, he’d say give the jew girls toys, Kwaz – is that german? Santa Claus, Santa Claus, you made a list and I checked it twice and there’s nobody named Silverman, or Moskowitz or Weiss, you have a list well Schindler did too, Liam Neeson played him, Tim Allen played you, give the jew girl toys, don’t be a doosh, what would Jesus do, he’d say give the jew girl toys give the jew girl toys]]>12/21/2007 12:23:24 PM2007-12-21T12:23:24+01:00163747http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q5<![CDATA[BILLYAYLE @ 12/21/2007 12:09:13 PM]]> It's always good to see the forgiving and open hearted nature of the Christian religon in action. I would like to know why the parents pulled him out of religous education. Could be they wanted him to have nothing to do with it.]]>12/21/2007 12:09:13 PM2007-12-21T12:09:13+01:00163740http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q4<![CDATA[dollyllama @ 12/21/2007 11:56:25 AM]]>12/21/2007 11:56:25 AM2007-12-21T11:56:25+01:00163726http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q3<![CDATA[mandolinorange @ 12/21/2007 11:48:02 AM]]>«tundramonkey : There's no mention of Santa in the bible - let the boy go to the Christmas party, for goodness sake!I agree. An jeez, how Christian is it to exclude a little boy from a fun children's gathering?
Poor kid, I hope Santa's extra good to him this year.]]>12/21/2007 11:48:02 AM2007-12-21T11:48:02+01:00163709http://www.plime.com/l/44981/1/xml_widget.rss#q2<![CDATA[tundramonkey @ 12/21/2007 11:25:30 AM]]>12/21/2007 11:25:30 AM2007-12-21T11:25:30+01:00