my daughter who is 7, has come home from school yesterday with an invitation to her christmas event?

Question

which is on the 6th December at 2.30pm OUTSIDE!! They are not doing a traditional Nativity play this year, they are doing years 3 and 4 together, each year has 3 classes of 30 children in, and each class is going to sing a christmas song, whilst us the parents, grandparents have to stand in the playground and listen. I was not very happy about this for 2 reasons, how ridiculus to make them and us stand out in the cold to do this, and 2 why isnt a traditional play being done, I telephoned the head mistress this morning, as many parents this morning, we not happy about this, and her reply was, well we live in a multi racial community and some of these children cannot participate in the nativitly plays!! never mind that it is a Church of England school, the majority of children are of that religion, and because of a few people they wont do such thing. It is multi cultural week at school, they had to dress up in costumes from around the world, have visited a Jewish exhibtition,

people come into the school to talk about religion, which i have no worries about at all,i think it good that they learn all different religons and cultures but then others must learn ours aswell. She came home from school with a happy dawli card, but no happy easter card????? Also getting back to the point it outside, many grandparents look forward to seeing their grandchildren performing, how many of those are going to be able to stand outside for about an hour in the cold, i know it will kill my back, and i still in my 30s, (well just!). What do people think on this, and would they be willing to let their child participate in an outside concert?? i am thinking of keeping my daughter off school that day.

Answer 1

Neither Christmas nor Easter have any connection with Christianity. So-called "Christmas" celebrates the pagan Saturnalia and the appropriately-named "Easter" celebrates the pagan goddess Eostre.

Jesus was not even born in December. Nearly all so-called Christmas customs dishonor Christ.

http://watchtower.org/e/19981215/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20001215/
http://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19981215/
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/article_11.htm

Christendom adopts "Easter" from pagan worship of the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre (or Oestre). Most Easter traditions merely repackage pagan fertility festivals and concentrate on eating, decorating, and frivolity. Christ certainly never wanted that.

By contrast, it's tragic that the one holiday Christ actually *DID* ask Christians to commemorate is entirely ignored by almost all of Christendom. It is, of course, the Memorial of Christ's death, sometimes called "the Last Supper" or "the Lord's Evening Meal".

(1 Corinthians 11:23-25, NWT) The Lord Jesus in the night in which he was going to be handed over took a loaf... Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” 25 He did likewise respecting the cup.. Keep doing this... in remembrance of me.”

(1 Cor 11:24, 25, NEB) "Do this as a memorial of me.”


Christ Jesus himself personally celebrated and explained the significance of that Last Supper to his followers (see Matthew 26:26-29). Christians who commemorate the Last Supper have done so on the same Jewish calendar date as Jesus did, Nisan 14, which generally falls between late March and mid-April. Interestingly, Christians in the centuries immediately after Christ's impalement were sometimes called "Quartodecimans" which literally mean "Fourteen-ers", because the early Christians were well-known for this true holy day.

How would Jesus feel to learn that the holiday he commanded was widely ignored, while his so-called followers chose to celebrate a pagan false god and their own traditions of men? We don't need to wonder.

(Matthew 15:6-9) You have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you when he said, 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. 9 It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’”

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/article_08.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20011115/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/

Answer 2

All this non-sense creates is just a great big 'us' and 'them' culture. It will pi** many people off because this has gone way beyond human decency. If you are not able to watch a nativity play in a christian country in a C of E school then I think we've already dug ourselves very deep in the brown matter. I think you need to get in touch with your local parish councilors and make a joint complaint with other parents. It is ok to learn about other cultures but not oppress 'our' culture at the same time. That's absolutely ridiculous. Why don't they exclude these one or two kids who cannot participate in the nativity play rather than exclude the majority of the school? I'm sure other parents, like yourself, may keep their children at home that day.

Answer 3

Having this event outside is beyond ridiculous.

Maybe the auditorium was already booked... I can't understand any other reason for making the poor grannies and poppas stand in the cold.

(This is reverse discrimination: Giving special treatment to individuals/groups that have been the target of discrimination.)

Those who practice reverse discrimination may be trying to show that they are not prejudiced. But reverse discrimination is not genuine, it insults the dignity of the group to which it is directed.

Reverse discrimination may benefit people in the short run, but it deceives them and creates false hopes, setting them up for greater disappointment in the long run. People deserve objective opinions.

If the school is bending over backwards to prove that they support other religions, they are not being realistic. What's going to happen next, someone of a different religion comes to your church, so you worship their way?

We have to stop feeling likely we are being politically incorrect for standing up for Christianity. I think all religions should be celebrated by those who practice them.

You have sent your child to a Church of England school, where is the religion that is meant to be practiced. Children do need to learn about other religions and cultures, but not instead of celebrating their own.

I can understand having a multi-religion event at a public school, but a good question here is, would this happen at a muslim school, or a jewish school? They are proud to celebrate their own religions while still learning about others.

Enough with the Christian guilt.

Answer 4

I think you should make a stand, not allow your daughter to attend and say you feel you are being descriminated against because you are CofE and you want something done about it.

When your daughter is an adult, imagine just how much further these rules would have gone?

I am Catholic but I still feel that education should be CofE dominant and only celebrate CofE type festivals within school - thus meaning halloween, happy honicur etc would be band from celebration at school.

But then again 43% of London is not white. So is it any wonder why these rules are in schools when these 43% are voting?

Hasnt she got a school hall?

Answer 5

In the normal way i would not be concerned about this - i would just send my child to school that day with a warm vest on, plus wooly hat, gloves etc for when going outside.

But you say it is a Church of England school and therefore i think, if you are a Church goer (which you should be if you feel that a Nativity play is important, and if you send your child to a C of E school) then you should contact the local Church that your school is affiliated to and speak to the vicar.

I am Catholic and if, when my kids were at school, that they had ignored our religion to pander to a few children and their parents who were not the same religion (but had chosen to go to that school for goodness sake) i would not have been happy either and would have spoken out.

If you get as many mums together as possible, or get in touch with the PTA, then you may be able to join forces and the Head will not be able to ignore your wishes.

I feel strongly about this issue. It is up to all of us to preserve Christianity in this country.

Answer 6

I find that society today is dominated by religion issues but it about other religions that do not concern us. But we are always told that we need to help other nationalities integrate into our society when in fact they don't help themselves to integrate and then blame us the government, whoever.

My wife and I are nearly always talking about it. We live in the East End of London where cultural differences are seen everywhere. But at the end of the day these people come over here for a better life with many refusing to speak English or adapt to our ways and criticise us for the way we live. In fact it has come way past the point where we should just tolerate this as it has been going on for over 40 years and only now has it become a real issue.

But if we point all of this out, we are told that we do not understand. But at the end of the day, none of these people understand us and in fact don't want to.

I think you should complain to the school and explain your concerns as I would be disgusted that this happens at all.

Answer 7

There should not be a Christmas event without the Christian emphasis as we celebrate Christmas as a Christian event. It is frustrating that political correctness has gone so insane that we can't be Church of England but have to respect all other cultures. On instinct I would keep my child off school if it's outside although please ask her and honestly listen if she is looking forward to performing. If she really wants to be involved wrap her up warm, let her participate and make your point to the head teacher after Christmas. If she isn't bothered about it keep her off school.

Answer 8

I agree it is ridiculous. We have to celebrate other cultures, yet we can't celebrate our own. Perhaps the parents could organise something themselves. I can't see why it's ok for us to put ourselves out for other cultures but they in turn cannot do it for us. Perhaps on the next multicultural day, parents should protest. See if the school cancel that too. I am in no way racist, but why should these children from other cultures be able to attend a COE school. they should have their own schools so not as to interfere and disrupt others beliefs. Our children can't attend their schools. I think we're just too passive and accepting. All of these other cultures in a way have got it right. They kick up a fuss and get what they want. Where as we don't.

Answer 9

Sounds like equality gone mad... but if the children can't do a nativity play then why are they singing christmas songs? I would be very irritated too, as you say, it's a church of england school and so the children have to respect our traditions just like we respect theirs.
I would be annoyed too. Keep on at the head mistress.

Answer 10

my daughter who's 8 had to miss her play time because she talked about Halloween and every time there Christmas play is on its always on in an evening and we never get home til gone half past nine and usually have school the next day i don't think the head teacher really care whats best for the parents i think they do things like that to pee us off

Answer 11

Christmas is about the birth of Jesus... the nativity story should be allowed... if other children want to share their faith or culture also at that time, then let it be.....but multi-cultural does not mean excluding one culture to make others happy