A celebration, an embarrassment

zev

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041225/OPINION/412250600/1029

There has been much talk lately about where Christ belongs in Christmas when it comes to our government and public schools. Until the early 1990s, I was among those who declared, "What's the harm?" At that time, I did not consider discussion of this Christian holiday problematic, because the community in which I taught was quite homogenous, and all churches in the county were of one Christian denomination or another.

I therefore saw no harm in using Christmas as a focal point for a 10th-grade writing assignment. We'd read Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory," and I assigned my students to do a personal narrative based on a Christmas memory of their own.

One student's response to this taught me the damage done by assuming no one gets hurt by commingling public school teaching and religious matters. This student wrote, "When I'm 18, I'm going to quit Jehovah's Witnesses because they won't let me do Christmas things at school. In third grade, my dad wouldn't let me be a shepherd in the Christmas play. When we drew names to exchange presents, I wasn't allowed. Every memory I have about Christmas at school is one of being embarrassed."

I apologized to my student for my insensitivity and let him know he'd taught me a valuable lesson. This lesson is even more compelling in a diverse community like Sarasota.

Christians can keep Christ in Christmas in their home, in their churches and in their hearts. We do not have the right to embarrass a child who happens to practice Judaism, Islam, Buddhism or no religion at all.

Benjamin Franklin declared that the Bill of Rights should protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority. One student taught me that years ago.

Karen Pugh Esham

Sarasota

Elsewhere

Great post Zev.

jst2laws

hello Zev,

Good story. And good to hear from you again.

Steve

Junction-Guy

That was a good story, however its not the schools fault or the teacher's fault if this child feels embarassed, its the parents fault for subjecting these children to such destructive isolationism. If it wasnt Christmas, it would be something else- In order to make schools less embarassing to JW children, they would have to get rid of all school sports, any holiday(religious or not), college preparatory courses, school dances,pledge of allegiance, boy scouts and girl scouts, and the list goes on and on. If it was just Christmas, then it wouldnt be so bad, but EVERYTHING about growing up a JW is tough on kids, you would literally have to shut the school down. I commend this teacher for showing some sensitivity toward this child, but giving them a cult awareness book would be alot better. I dont believe the majority of kids should have to sacrifice their holiday because of one quack religion.

Dave

Joker10

"When I'm 18, I'm going to quit Jehovah's Witnesses because they won't let me do Christmas things at school

This girl will suffer in life. Instead of being strong, she will be weak trying to please people.

Evesapple

she will be weak trying to please people.

you mean like the Witnesses?

WildHorses

This girl will suffer in life. Instead of being strong, she will be weak trying to please people.

As if the Witnesses aren't trying to please a few men in Brooklyn. They go beyond what is written in the Bible and force that upon their members and if they do not conform they are cast out like garbage.

mkr32208

This girl will suffer in life. Instead of being strong, she will be weak trying to please people.

Yeah she'd be much better at 15 or 16 to stand up to her parents and say "I'm not gonna be a witness anymore." Then she could get the $hit kicked out of her and maybe thrown out of her house with no where to go and no friends who will have anything too do with her... Maybe all her family is Witlesses so she could go stay at a shelter and have to drop out of school...

Thats a great idea wish someone had given me great advice like that when I was that age...

Joker10

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041229/OPINION/412290447/1029/OPINION01

Hiding one's religion feels horrible

The letter published on Saturday, Dec. 25, titled "A celebration, an embarrassment" really touched me. The teacher-writer's willingness to learn from her students as well as her ability to apologize for her former insensitivity are outstanding and unique qualities, ones to be treasured in any teacher.

I, too, was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, and still am one. But as a child, I can remember wanting to be anything else because I was embarrassed to be different from my peers. This was many years ago, when there was little diversity in beliefs, especially where I lived, and even less tolerance. More than any other holiday, Christmas seemed to devour the entire month of December in all classrooms. And never did a teacher ask me why I didn't celebrate the holiday, or try to make me feel appreciated just for being myself.

Often I was accused of not being Christian and not believing in Jesus Christ, both of which were totally untrue. Jehovah's Witnesses simply do not combine their worship with traditions that are pagan and teachings that do not agree with the Bible. However, it seemed that everyone at school just looked at me as weird, so I tried to hide my religion and blend in.

Thankfully, by the time I was 15, I realized that everyone was different and began being proud of myself, who I was and what I believed. I hope that the young man who wrote the essay mentioned by the teacher found the courage to decide for himself what he believed, instead of allowing the fear of being embarrassed to rule his life.

Thank God there are teachers like the letter writer, and thank you for printing a letter that may foster tolerance and diversity in the educational process.

Wendi Simons

Bradenton

Well said.

A celebration, an embarrassment

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