Jesus Costume Too Scary
by admin
February 22, 2007
A suit was filed on Tuesday in Pennsylvania by the Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of a 10 year old boy whose freedoms of religion and free speech were violated. During a Halloween celebration, officials at Willow Hill Elementary School in Glenside, Pennsylvania informed the boy that he could not wear a crown of thorns or tell others that he was Jesus.
Alternatively, school officials said that, because his garb included a robe, he could identify himself as a Roman emperor or some other religiously neutral figure. Since both the boy and his mother found the pagan elements of Halloween offensive, they did not want to celebrate Halloween in the typical manner; however, the mother of the boy also did not want her son to feel isolated from his schoolmates simply because he was not wearing a costume.
As I take stock of the situation, I can’t help but chuckle in amazement at the brazenness of school officials. The purported reason for prohibiting the boy’s costume was that it was in violation of a school ordinance against the promotion of religion.
Apart from the fact that such a policy is no more than a façade for promoting virtually anything but Christianity, the school was not promoting religion by allowing the child to wear a costume. The school did not sanction the costume, obviously did not show support for the custom, and certainly did not give it undue preference over the myriad other costumes present – among which were the typical devils and witches.
Upon closer examination, I think what you will see is that religion is defined very narrowly by many secularists: religion = Christianity. Toleration is all-inclusive, with one small exception – Christians.
Why do I get the feeling that a Ghandi costume wouldn’t have elicited the same response?
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Comments
“The school officials would not likely preceive a Ghandi costume as religious. Likewise they don’t see Wiccan symbols as religious either.”
Religions are not considered capable of offending if they are either tiny or dead. Wicca is in the former category. Ancient greek or egyptian gods are latter, so they are costumable. As for demons… they arn’t taken seriously enough to worry about. They are comical, noone wants to actually worship them these days.
The school will lose, of course. They had no good reason to object in the first place – probably just being over-cautious.
We have to remember that public schools are dominated by liberals who only approve of “diversity” when it mocks tradition and influences children away from, as they refer to it, “institutionalized” religiion.
School administrators have been thoroughly cowed by the ACLU into believing anything remotely suggesting Christianity is taboo.
And of course in these days of political correctness and tolerance, everything and everyone except Christians are equally adored and promoted.
What Reven said about Wicca, while generally true, is not true where I live.
I live in a city, Salem, Massachusetts, where Wicca is indeed seen as a bona-fide religion. And there have been seneral invidents of tension between Wiccas and Christians in the city.
I don’t see what Elaine says as being the case at all. I see most schools genuinely trying to navigate the minefield of Church and State separation vs. free expression.
I don’t see hostility so much as ignorance.
I am constantly puzzled as to why this is so difficult. I find it rather simple to distighuish between the competeting doctrines (grey areas notwithstanding), and am always amazed at how ignorant (dare I say “stupid”) the school administration can be.
It just occured to me how ammusing it is that the Christian family is complaining the school was objecting to a Jesus costume… when the only reason they made a Jesus costume was because they objected to Halloween.
By: John | February 22, 2007 at 2:57 pm
The school officials would not likely preceive a Ghandi costume as religious. Likewise they don’t see Wiccan symbols as religious either.
I willing to cut the school a bit of slack and consider their actions due more to ignorance thatn malice.
But I will all but guarantee the school will lose this suit, and well they should.
Unless there is something more to the story, this is open and shut.