Comments on: Sitting Out the Christmas Songs and other Pagan News of Note

By: vitamin k

vitamin k — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:38:40 +0000

Hello
Now a days Facebook is a popular social networking site and people use it for friends and business.Its really good to know about Nigella lawson's.You have provided so much information to us and I came to know so many new news of pagans.

By: Lokisgodhi

Lokisgodhi — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:19:25 +0000

Yeah, you're right. I'd forgotten about that.

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:56:29 +0000

You two may get at least a little kick out of the latest Spongebob Squarepants holiday song, "Don't be a Jerk, It's Christmas! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V928jhDMQ1E

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:44:37 +0000

It looks like Nigella unintentionally outed herself if she is Pagan, but who knows. I always thought Terry Pratchett was Pagan until he publically stated he was an atheist. Jim Henson seemed to be another good BNP candidate, may he rest in peace. He will always be remembered for the Muppets, but his heart truly lied in creating works like 'The Dark Crystal,' 'Labyrinth,' and the 'Storyteller' TV series.

By: Nick Ritter

Nick Ritter — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:40:49 +0000

What sorts of materials for teaching Norse mythology would you be looking for?

By: Cat C-B

Cat C-B — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:24:24 +0000

Well, the standard of the separation of church and state has been set by SCOTUS as student-led for student groups, and as Bible-as-literature or cultural history in classrooms. There is nothing unconstitutional about my teaching a course in the Bible, any more than there is a constitutional issue in my teaching my (annual) unit on Greek mythology. (I also hope to teach a little Norse mythology, but it's been harder to find appropriate materials to use there.)

How do I know? I've taken graduate-level training specifically in how to teach the Bible as literature in a public school without violating the separation of church and state. It can be done–it's not even all that hard, though it does take thought and an awareness of where the law really stands, as opposed to where our personal opinions would put it.

By: LJRich

LJRich — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:03:18 +0000

I think as a Pagan, and as a musician, I disagree with the student sitting out the Christian songs. If she were a member of any other chorale group, she would sing what she was asked or be booted from the group. In organizations that hold auditions for their members, you don't play games. And the songs they'd sing around this time would have a very large chance of being Christian, and written in LATIN, a lot of times.

I realize this is a school and there are separation of church and state issues, but it seems the only people trumpeting those issues are pagans. I've never seen a Jewish child yet, and went to school, with several, who sat out during the rendition of Silent Night.

I think the family and the student are taking this opportunity to play "eternally oppressed", and I think it's in poor taste. There's no reason that student can't sing along to someone else's religious music, save for the fact that she wants to stomp her feet and make a big scene and drum the fact that she's Wiccan into the skulls of the community. A point that's probably well taken, and will now cause even more resentment toward her faith and serves as negativity for the rest of us to have to endure.

If this were my child, and I'm Pagan, his butt would be up there singing along like he's supposed to. There are secular songs in the show, so he could just shut his yap and do what he's told. It's negative press like this that Pagans do NOT NEED. "Pagans are always causing a scene. Pagans are always having a fit about having to do this or that." So, we can be seen as just another religious group, hellbent on bending the world to our own view. Well, I think it sucks and I view it with distaste.

So, basically what this does is set a precedent. Now that the snobby Wiccan can sit out for the Christian songs and act like a 2 year old(with her parent's consent, no less!), the Christian kids just might get it in their skulls that it's acceptable to throw a tantrum and sit out for songs that are not religiously intended for them. Oh, how nice! Just what we needed. Some more religious banter. It'll be great the next time my son's school does songs for Chinese New Year to see all the Christians sitting out because they're too good to participate in something that might further their knowledge of World Societies. I'll toss a thank you letter to the Keens for having started this little trend.

If I were the school admin, I'd fail her little butt for the semester for failure to participate, and if I were her mother I'd blister her behind for drawing such attention to things that need to be left OUT of school, although it looks as if her parents are most of the problem.