Ok So I went to my daughter's choir program at her school last night. It was 6th - 8th grade band and choir.
This has to be the first time since I was a kid that I remember the program actually being called a "Christmas Program" instead of "Winter program, Holiday show" etc.
They sang songs like Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Silent night, Away in a Manger. They sang Halleljuah the Messiah, King of Kings... and people in the audience started standing up like they were saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
The choir themselves sounded AMAZING. The choir director is outstanding. In all of the school programs I have been to, this school by far has the best choir and bands I have ever heard. Really outstanding.
HOWEVER... I am opposed to the songs and the program itself.
I am not a practicing Christian. I let my daughter attend it because I feel she gets to choose. She likes Christmas carols and she loves choir so I wasn't going to take that from her.
I know of at least 2 kids in her class that didn't get to sing in the choir because they are Muslim.
The 6th grade class ( that my daughter is in ) mainly did songs like jungle bells and frosty the snowman. So they got to sing those. But they had to actually sit out for the other songs when they started combining the choirs together.
Literally, I felt like I was in church. I think it's wrong to make people feel like they're in church when they're in a public school. And kids shouldn't have to be left out because of their religion when it comes to a public school.
I just think it's wrong...

I dont think it was leaving people out if it was not a mandatory event. Parents of other religions could easily speak to the school or rally to have hannukah presentations or any other type. If this was the program that was agreed to and it was not the holiday everyone celebrates, than those did not have to come. I see it as no different than having a mothers day(which leaves out dads) or a shakespearan play(not everyone likes shakespeare). If it is just a performance, people have the option to go if its a performance they would like to see or to stay home if it isnt.

But it is required... it's part of their grade. It's "particpation"

I was speaking about those attending. AS far as the kids participating,, Christmas is a real holiday that people really celebrate, participating in a performance about it is not something I see as a problem. If our school had a Hanukkah program, Id have no issue with my child participating or having to participate if all the other children had to as well. I think people sometimes make too much out of things the moment religion comes in the picture. But religion is a real thing and , in my opinion, should not make anyone feel uncomfortable. As I said before, I dont agree with everything Shakespeares plays portrayed,, the values,, but I realize its a real and documented thing and therefore not off limits for my child to learn about or participate in.

I don't see why kids that are in the choir, could not come and sing and dance with their classmates if they wanetd to. It shouldn't be religious based.
I have seen some schools go as far as to have songs for just about every holiday imaginable... and it's a "holiday program" and not a "Christmas" program.
Why do the Muslim, Jewish, Atheists, etc etc, kids have to sit out so they can sing praise to their Messiah King of Kings during a school program?

I'm surprised they did that. Probably time to go in and ask the principal why they made a decision to put on a show that excluded some of the children.

In my opinion it is as bad as racial discrimination. Only the white kids or only the black kids get to participate in this event.

I have no problem with it being done, as long as kids aren't excluded from particpating or being forced to participate as part of their grade.
I wasn't offended by the songs or the program. It doesn't bother me in that way. I understand it's "Christmas" the biggest commercial holiday of the year...
I have never once missed one of my daughter's programs at school. I'm not going to stay home and not support her because of the songs. My point is that I shouldn't feel like I should have to. No one should.
Religion just doesn't belong in the public school unless you're open to all of the religions to all of those that are attending. Not just the Christians.

If they made a religion based decision on who could participate that is different. Are you saying only christians could participate in the program?

What if it was a Yule show and the children sang praises to the Moon Goddess?

uhm, you cannot take Christ out of CHRISTmas....

CHRISTmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, not the comming of "Frosty the Snoman" "The Grinch"... or "Rudolph"...

*sigh*...

$.02

Id have no issue with it honestly. Because I dont believe in a Moon Goddess, the songs would hold no meaning and merely be songs,,like anything I hear on the radio.

That's my point! It has no business being there anyway!
Oh and CHRISTmas was here waaaayyy before Jesus ever was but we don't need to go there.

No one is trying to take anything out of Christmas. But, not everyone celebrates Christmas. There are many important religious holidays occuring at the same time of year and they should all be recognized. Christmas is not the most important one.

If they would have sang songs to the Moon Goddess in this school, there would have been anarchy! People would have stopped the program right then and there, took their kids out of this school and sued.
This town drives me crazy.

Then you are in the minority. Most Christians would have a problem with the Moon Goddess being sung to by their children. Chrisianity specifically prohibits the worship of any other gods.

I'm saying it's a Christian based program. And those who are not Christan could not participate because of their beliefs.

Exactly.

exactly... she would be the 1 person not suing the school and chasing people with pitch forks and torches.

The actual CHRISTMAS holiday is taken from the words CHRISTS MASS.. so it does involve christ.....but that is besides the issue.

We cannot expect to include every celebration and every holiday but that does not mean that we should make all holidays invisible by lumping them together either. I believe parents can pull together in communities where the religion is something other than christian and ask their schools to include programs that reflect that. I am sure many native american schools probably have native american themes,, same is true in schools where the predominant student is of a christian background. I dont agree with excluding people based upon religion, but I do believe people of all religions should be able to participate in programs without feeling intimidated or discriminated against just because the program reflects someone elses beliefs or interests.