Grinchy remark sends kids home in tears

[Shay]

If you're curious, the teacher later wrote the paper a letter:

http://www.ldnews.com/fastsearchresults/ci_3334340

I think she sounds a bit looney, but no worse than a lot of folks around the holidays. And she has a point in that maybe the public schools shouldn't be having lessons about Santa as through he is a real person. She seems pretty religious herself, so I would guess she knows it when she sees it- she asks if we're going to teach about Sanata, why not teach about Jesus as well?

[Livingston]

If you're curious, the teacher later wrote the paper a letter:

http://www.ldnews.com/fastsearchresults/ci_3334340

I think she sounds a bit looney, but no worse than a lot of folks around the holidays. And she has a point in that maybe the public schools shouldn't be having lessons about Santa as through he is a real person. She seems pretty religious herself, so I would guess she knows it when she sees it- she asks if we're going to teach about Sanata, why not teach about Jesus as well?

That sounds like a good idea. Jesus was also an historical person so it only makes sense to teach about Him.

[bubba]

Farisi is just one more in a long line of cretins that take great delight in sucking the joy and magic out of life and replacing it with broken dreams and a grey uniformity. And if we're going to fall back into religion teach about Mithra too. After all, December 25th was his day long before Chrisianity. Some people are pagans y'know.

[Livingston]

Sorry Bubba. That teacher just got my goat. I went to a parochial high school where we actually studied many religions including Chrisitanity, Judism, Hinduism, paganism, and others. (VERY enlightend for the Catholic Church in the 60's) Many of the pivitol persons in each of the "mainstream" religions were historical and not just name made up by someone. As such, they should all be included in history books and classes in school so that kids these days can learn where some of our laws and customs come from, including those based on paganism. Many of the religious customs come from the various pagan religions of the time they were started.

Darn...there I go again, getting on the soap box. Enough Greg...go home.

[bikercelt1]

I get so damn frustrated with people like this!!! They are quick to tell me I shouldn't celebrate Christmas and believe in "Santa Claus" because they don't. They want to make sure that I don't celebrate Halloween be cause they think it is "Satan's Holiday". They point out that I shouldn't wear any Christian medals or symbols because those would be "graven images" or might offend people of different "belief systems". These are some of the same people who think I should wear the same neutral grey suit that they wear instead of the kilt I want to wear. Somehow though, they have to be appeased at the expense of my belief system. How does that work?

Jamie

[bubba]

Sorry Bubba. That teacher just got my goat. .

I wasn't picking on Christians, really, I wasn't and I wasn't insulted. I usede Mithra in a bit of a sarcastice way. In my opinion that womans action was reprehensible and trying to use Christian beliefs as an excuse was immoral as hell. My belief is if it harms no one it's moral. In her case she harmed a classroom full of young children deliberately by destroying the joy they held in the season and should never be allowed to teach in that age bracket again. I see people like her as evil and part of the reason for the constant strife in this world.

[Southern Breeze]

I wasn't planning on commenting on this. The teacher was way out of line. Period.

[Graham]

I actually tried phoning the lady concerned, I still bet the real story is somewhat different. I just don't trust the media!

Sadly she has a private number.

Re. parenting, I agree with parents rights to teach their own children as they see fit. This is a God given right and I wouldn't want to interfere even if i dissagreed with parents.

But teachers have to teach and many times it conflicts with the teaching of the home.
The big issue of Creationism vs Evolution is a classic example of this.
Do kids go home crying and say 'Mummy, you lied to me, God is dead, we came from monkeys!!" ? If so, do teachers care? They teach what they think is right, whether it is or not.

I don't mean to open a controversial issue and I won't debate it here, I'm just making a comparison.

and listen, I don't take any comments here as an attack on Christianity, I'm certainly not offended, we're just considering comments by the media about a teacher and whether they are justified or not.

I'm not even defending "Christmas" (the Christian version or otherwise) since I celebrate neither.

I'm quite prepared to admit that if I had actually been there, I might have considered Theresa's comments out of place also.

[Colin]

From the letter the teacher (?) wrote to the newspaper:

While I can appreciate the poem for its literary value, the subject matter is offensive to me, and the reading of this poem to the children imposed values upon me which are against my deeply held religious beliefs. I could not in good conscience present the notion of Santa Claus as a truth to the children, and stated so.

So there's the problem. Instead of realizing that public figures (politicians, teachers, reporters, etc) should be seen as impartial in the eyes of the public, this loon has decided to use her position of power to preach her believes to people forced to listen to her.

As a parent, I would be quite upset if some flake ruined my childrens dreams. Yes it's a fake story, but why do my kids need to face the real world at such a young age. We have long enough to see the ugly side of life, but all too short a time to truly enjoy the magic of youth. Kids will always find out the truth later in life, but I doubt they will be bitter at being lied to, but will rather enjoy the experiences of their childhood.

Sounds to me like someone got a lump of coal in her stocking as a child.

[Livingston]

Wonder what she would answer to a child, not hers, that asked where babies came from? Or how they got there? As a parent, Grandparent, and religious myself, I see absolutly nothing wrong with either the stork or the story. If she feels that way about The Night Before Christmas she should have just changed the lesson plan for the day and it go.