elisheva

Please continue discussions of the place of religion in the public sphere in this thread (Christmas, prayer, etc). Also, I'd like to remind all posters to please make sure you don't get too personal or disrespectful.

chicah

I just have to say that I think we should also make idh and such an official holiday. Not only because I am still at school and of course loves days off, but also because even though I know that countries are officially Christian I think that it would be fair if we got a day off during the biggest religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam etc.) most important days, to show that all religions matter to the community.
At least the religions that matter to us in the countries we live in.
I also think that there is way too much christianity in school and the religion books.

Jacob1983

LMAO@ there being too much Christianity in school.

What school subjects have Christianity in them? Math, spelling, reading, writing, geography? LOL

The only ones that I could say Christianity is involved in is World History and American History. However, only the historical aspect of Christian is usually taught in history classes in public schools.

If you say that Christianity must be taken out of history books in schools, then I guess you would have take out the Holocaust and the Crusades right? You have to balance it out right?

America is becoming too secular but that's because people are obsessed with greed and power. Those are flaws from being imperfect beings.
I do think that there are some Americans out especially some atheists that purposely try to pick apart and defame religion especially Christianity because they want attention and want to hurt other people.

There is more anti-religion especially anti-Christianity in the world and America than there is anti-secularism and anti-atheism.

I have been blasted for saying this before but you guys all know that I could care less what you say about me or think of me.
One of the main goals of atheism aka human secularism is globally make the world secular. And that is from a World Religion public college textbook.

quaist

chicah, I'd love the additional days off, too, but that would be a problem for schools I think. I don't know how many holidays there are in Judaism, Islam etc., but I can imagine those added are many.

I agree with you that there is too much christianity in school. Imo, school should be neutral on that topic, so that every student's able to form his own opinion about it.

Indian Summer

I've honestly never understood public schools getting off Good Friday and that sort of thing. I've never had problems with winter vacations starting the day before Christmas Eve or whatever, since it makes sense given how many people travel.

I don't know. It just seems like most religious holidays should be personal choices. Like if you don't feel right going to school on Good Friday or Ash Wednesday, have your pastor write a note you can give to your headmaster or whatever.

Jacob1983

Ya wanna know why public schools get off for Good Friday? 85 percent of America is Christian. Question answered!

If you have a problem with schools being off for Good Friday, just go to school on the holiday and pretend you are having class if that makes you feel happy. Besides, you would think that kids would like the time off from class.

My college could care less about holidays and it doesn't matter if they are religious or non-religious. My college wasn't even off for labor day or Columbus Day. The only days we get off are three days for Thanksgiving, and a week in March for spring break.
We technically don't get off for Christmas since the semester ends usually in the
2nd week of December. We don't go to college on Christmas because the next semester does not start until mid January.

Indian Summer

Christianity is not a state religion. Therefore, it doesn't matter if 100% of Americans are Christian. Christian holidays have no place in federal, state sponsored schools.

...All colleges pretty much are like that with Christmas. You're still getting Christmas off, though, given that the semester breaks are arranged with the holidays in mind.

chicah

Jacob: Yeah, well, I go to school now, and trust me, there is far too much christianity. You have several chapters about christianity in the religion book and then one chapter in together for all the other religions. quaist agreed with me too so I'm not the only one thinking this way.
One is practially indoctrinated by school. Our teacher basically never uses our religion book because he thinks it's way too biased and too much about christianity.
And how come children go to church with school every last day before christmas? Luckily here in Norway we are allowed to don't do that if we are above 15 but I think it is wrong. Trying to take the kids while they're young and their brains are still soft and easy to affect.

Jacob1983

What do you expect from a religion book, honestly? Christianity is the most dominant popular religion in mankind. Jesus is probably the most influential person in Earth's history.
Besides, if it's a religion class 9 times out of 10 Christianity is going to dominate. There is more history to the religion than probably all other religions combined and you can't forget that 2 billion followers are a lot.


Oh no, not evil Christian holidays! You don't want to get offended by a seeing a nativity scene or a Christmas tree right? We all know how offensive those things can be. I hope they don't pop out and try to hurt you the next time you see them. I also hope that a perfect divine savior (Jesus) doesn't offend you too.

I have said this before on here and I will repeat. I never get offended when I see Muslim and Jewish religious symbols and signs so why should other religious groups be offended by Christian symbols and signs? Could it be jealousy?

I am never offended by the Star of David or the Crescent and Star in Islam. I'm also never offended when Jews wear their yamakas or when Muslims wear their veils and cloaks. So why should they be offended by Christian things?

elisheva

I'll come back and post properly later but I just had to respond to this -

You're joking, right? Christianity is less than 2000 years old. There are several religions that are older than Christianity, and many with a great deal of fascinating history. It may be the dominant Western religion and it certainly had an enormous impact on Western society, but that statement is just so beyond ridiculous I can't even begin to express it.

flagpolesitta43

I can only speak for my public school but I don't remember learning about Christianity or having any sort of religion in any of my classes.

As for public schools getting off for Good Friday...my public school didn't get off for Good Friday, but if a large majority of the students and teachers are going to need to take the day off it makes sense for the school to close.

People have a right to practice their religions whatever they might be. Schools can't give off days for every single one, but they do make accommodations for other religions and for the greater majority they close the schools.

If they don't have enough teachers and staff to effectively run the school, and not only that but there will be hardly any students, then what is the point? It's a practical decision.

chicah

Jacob: It's more the fact that they in church present their view of the world as the right one and kids are easily influenced.
I think it's a very well planned brainwashing.
I have no need to go to church and it just annoys me how they are justifying and gloryfying everything about their religion. Like I mentioned another place on this forum Christianity is the religion I have the biggest problem with.

But of course I am of the belief that religion does nothing good for the world, which I've argued with my friends about numerous times - but I don't think that crusades, suicide bombs, conflicts like the Israel/Palestine one, witch burnings and such would've happened if we hadn't had religion. Imagine how many people have died and suffered in the name of religion.

I don't believe in religion.

Indian Summer

...Where do you get this stuff? Seriously! Christianity and Islam have about the same number of adherents. The major difference is that Christianity's declining in popularity and Islam's increasing. I think that safely says Islam is the "most dominant popular religion in mankind."

As for your second point... I personally feel Gandhi or Buddha could fight for that title as well, among others. That's your opinion; not fact.


Once again, learn a little something. Islam has a similar amount of history and as many followers, and Judaism has more history.

It's your opinion that Jesus is a "perfect divine savior." For all you know, someone else could think he's a creepy guy in weird clothes who needs a shower and a haircut.

What is there to be jealous about?

When's the last time you were pressured to participate in Ramadan or Hannaukuh because everyone around you was bringing their celebration into the classroom? How'd those latkes little Jilly's mom prepared taste?

migamoo

Maybe it's a regional thing, but when I was in school we had off for both major Christian and Jewish holidays. But then again, the area of Maryland I grew up in had a very large Jewish population and most would not attend school on holidays such as Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashanah.

Keeping with the whole religion in school thread, I never really experienced any bias from teachers for one religion over another. We learned about the major world religions and how they effected certain civilizations, and some of that did include what they stood for, but no one was saying that we (the students) need to follow this or that religion. In college it is different though. At my school we do have quite a few classes on religion, what it is and it's history, and even teach some of the Holy Books as literature.

I do believe there needs to be a more strict separation of church and state though. There was a time and place for state religions, but in this (more democratic) world, I believe that endorsing one religion over another hurts the general population. I think politicians have the right to believe what they want, just as long as they don't legislate based solely on their beliefs. Not everyone is going to agree and even if there is a majority, they still need to respect the minority.

froggiepopple

Fair enough, but what about those people that grew up in nonreligious households and still use the term Christmas to equate it with a day of presents, family get togethers, and a meal without even recognizing the birth of Jesus? People can have a day like that any day of the year, but why do they have to call it Christmas????? The first 6 letters of the holiday spell out Christ. What gives them the right to change one of the most important holidays of Christanity? On television during the holiday season most of the specials that my cousin were watching talked about how Christmas was about family, giving, spreading joy, etc but not one of the shows mentioned the birth of Jesus. (Of course there were still specials that did.) Yes, Christmas can be about family, giving, and spreading joy, but if you take out the most important aspect of the holiday than it is no more a Christmas celebration than Ground Hog's day is.