Wow! How far has the world fallen? A group of parents in Missoula, Mont. are upset over the religious nature of Christmas songs performed at a local elementary school – alleging the songs about the Baby Jesus is unconstitutional and a “form of bullying.”
The parents, who declined to be identified, are threatening to sue the Missoula County Public School District unless songs like “Joy to the World” and “Good Christian Men Rejoice” are replaced with secular tunes.
“Bullying is such a hot topic, yet that seems to be what is occurring here,” the parents wrote in a letter obtained by The Missoulian. “When the children are singing about the lord and savior Jesus Christ – public school is not the place.”
The complaint came from parents who have children attending Chief Charlo Elementary School. A number of students are Jewish, Buddhist, and Muslim.
They said they have no problem with Frosty the Snowman or Santa Claus – but the real reason for the Christmas season has no place in school concerts, they argued.
“One of the largest complaints last year was the young children singing about “their Lord,” they wrote.
Superintendent Alex Apostle told The Missoulian that he takes separation of church and state issues seriously.
“These are difficult waters sometimes, and I think we are moving forward in a respectful way,” he told the newspaper. “We as a school system, want our children to enjoy the holiday season. In the process, we are obviously respectful of the beliefs and cultures of all children and their families.
By Todd Starnes, Fox News
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Adults are able to understand religion for what it is. For some, it is a core of their belief system which, in modern times, has as its source an explanation of life that comes from a single god and and is recorded in accepted religious reference books; like the Christian Bible, the Muslim Koran, and the Jewish Torah. The religious teachings provide clarity to adults for their relationship with the world and for what they believe happens after their death.
For others religion is a natural outgrowth of the evolution of human beings that also provides explanations of life but, in addition, creates a framework within which a few people will control the actions of the rest of a society.
And, for others, religion is a collection of myths that has no bearing on how they come to understand their relationship with reality.
Children, on the other hand, are not mentally equiped to understand any positions adults take about religion. Children can be taught by rote memory to recite concepts and rules of religion but that is the extent of what can be done.
Children like to have fun. That is their job. A holiday season, whether it be Christmas, Passover, or any other religious based celebration of the religious belief is only a fun time for children. A time that usually gets them closer to their parents and other relatives. A time for gift giving and receiving. And, yes, a time to sing songs.
Some countries have a rule of law that only one religion is valid and that all ways of life must reflect the concepts and rules of the one religion. The U.S.A. was formed by groups of people who were fleeing that type of religious autocracy. Our laws and rules about separation of church and state reflect that background of the forefathers of the U.S.A. That does not mean that songs must not be sung by children who want to feel happy during holiday time.
For times when children are under the authority of a public school system there are plenty of songs that will not get caught up in the controversy of separation of church and state. Songs like Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindear, Frosty The Snowman, and I’m Dreaming Of A White Christmas. I was brought up in a Christian household so I am only familiar with the songs that relate to Christmas. I am sure that there are analogs to these songs for people that follow the Jewish faith, the Muslim faith, and any other faith that exists.
Don’t make the children unhappy by interjecting controversy in the singing of songs in public schools. Give them lyrics to sing in public schools that are not controversial. When these children attend their houses of worship or meetings of same, they can then be given the opportunity to sing songs that are relevant to the faith in which their parents prefer they believe. That is the way to have a HAPPY HOLIDAY!