We’re certainly not immune

Well, the Christmas, Holiday, Winter Solstice

, Completely-religion-free-days-end-of-fall-school-celebration insanity continues apace, this time in Oklahoma. Now, I’m unapologetically Christian, but I don’t take the so-called “religious right” party line on most issues. I don’t think religion belongs in most political discussions. I think Christians should go out of their way to accommodate minority religions. We should be bending over backward not to impose our views on others. Now accomodation, tolerance, celebration of diversity, love for our fellow man is one thing - but common sense should prevail over all. This leads me to today’s rant:

Lakehoma Elementary School in Mustang (another suburb of OKC) has removed Christian imagery & music from their Winter Program, but left in Kwanzaa and Chanukah elements. 

Now, I’m not one to force my religion down anyone’s throat. But Christmas music and imagery isn’t going to burn anyone’s skin! Elves are not going to pop out of the Christmas trees and baptize children in boiling oil. If we spin dreidels at school, or make Muslim prayer mats to study comparative religions, nobody is going to get hurt. We can read from the Bhagavad Gita. We can even celebrate a completely disused politically correct media holiday like Kwanzaa. I don’t care! It doesn’t hurt anyone to hear songs, or hear stories from someone else’s religious (or non-religious) tradition! We can even put up Christmas trees, wear those dreadful Christmas sweaters, and eat candy canes. Nobody’s going to get hurt.

Does anyone at Lakehoma Elementary celebrate Chanukah? What about Kwanzaa? Knowing the area, I find it extremely unlikely. (Of course, it’s possible) But more than 99% of those kids (excluding a few JWs and possibly, MAYBE a few Jews) will celebrate Christmas at home with their families. There will be no Chanukah or Kwanzaa at home, so maybe it’s good that we learn about them in school. But oppressing the majority religion just to placate a few litigious wingnuts - that’s wrong. We’re better than that. Separation of church and state does not mean eliminating the majority religion from all public discourse. How stupid and paranoid have we become?

I have a feeling that, in 100 years, our grandkids will look upon us with a mixture of disgust and amusement. Our teachers are grossly underpaid. Our values are in the toilet - culture is coarsening. Kids go without health care, food, or coats in the winter. And we’re worried about Christmas trees and Silent Night.

Via Tonguetied.

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