http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/11/01/new-jersey-school-bans-religious-christmas-music/

New Jersey school bans religious Christmas music


By Todd Starnes/

Todd's American Dispatch/
Published November 01, 2013/
FoxNews.com





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Reuters



The angels will not be allowed to hark their herald nor will the little Lord Jesus sleep on the hay after a New Jersey school district announced a ban on all religious Christmas music.

Constance Bauer, the superintendent of the Bordentown Regional School District, posted a message online stating someone had been questioning recent musical selections for the elementary school Christmas concerts.

Pardon me, the school district calls them �winter� concerts.

My guess is that a perpetually offended left-winger became unglued when they heard that little boys and girls might be pa rum pum pum pum.

�Religious music should not be part of the elementary program(s),� Supt. Scrooge wrote in her anti-Christmas screed.



So songs about Frosty, Rudolph and mommy making out with Santa Claus are fine, but harmonizing about round yon virgin will get you put on the naughty list.


So songs about Frosty, Rudolph and mommy making out with Santa Claus are fine, but harmonizing about round yon virgin will get you put on the naughty list.

�It remains the District�s mission to celebrate the rich and wonderful diversity of our children and community and hope that the joy shared through our numerous winter programs will continue to be (a) cherished part of your traditions,� she concluded.

Alliance Defending Freedom, a legal firm specializing in religious liberty cases, fired off a letter to the New Jersey grinches - reminding them that it�s perfectly constitutional to sing �Joy to the World.�

�Schools should not have to think twice about whether they can allow students to perform Christmas carols,� said Legal Counsel Matthew Sharp. �Courts have unanimously upheld their inclusion in school productions--even when songs deal with Christian themes that are naturally a part of the holiday.�

The Alliance Defending Freedom letter explains that �every federal court to examine the issue has determined that including Christmas carols and other religious music in school choir programs fully complies with the First Amendment.�

As a result, the First Amendment requires that the district �remains neutral towards religion and refrains from demonstrating an unconstitutional hostility toward songs with religious origins.�

And besides, folks love to sing about the Baby Jesus as much as they do about hauling out the holly. A 2011 Rasmussen poll found that 79 percent of American adults believe public schools should celebrate religious holidays.

�Misinformation about the First Amendment is frequently what leads to censorship of constitutionally permissible and culturally significant songs performed during Christmas concerts,� added Senior Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco. �We urge the Bordentown Regional School District to rescind this new policy and permit religious music to be included among the many non-religious songs performed at school concerts.�

Alliance Defending Freedom is urging the district to see the error of their ways and reverse the ban on religious-themed Christmas music by Nov. 1. Otherwise, I suspect they might find a lump of coal in their stockings -- along with a lawsuit.

How is it possible to have a concert celebrating the Christmas (pardon me, winter) season without singing about the reason for the season?

That�s sort of like opening a barbecue joint and telling the customers they can�t eat pork.

Perhaps the �enlightened� educators of Bordentown should take a swig or two of egg nog instead of getting their Christmas stockings in a bunch.

Pardon me, ahem. I meant to say winter stockings.



Todd Starnes is host of Fox News & Commentary, heard on hundreds of radio stations. Sign up for his American Dispatch newsletter, be sure to join his Facebook page, and follow him on Twitter.

�It remains the District�s mission to celebrate the rich and wonderful diversity of our children and community and hope that the joy shared through our numerous winter programs will continue to be (a) cherished part of your traditions,� she concluded.


As long as you're not Christian that is.

Cool by me as long as my kids don't have to observe Ramadan.

Too far? Obviously. It's my opinion, however, that such mild opposition is nothing. Remember Nero burned saints to light his garden.

Our Lord said that people rejected Him and will His followers, and we'll suffer a lot more than not being able to sing Christmas carols in public schools.

I got a classic winter holiday song they'll allow though:

One the one hand, meh.

On the other, how do you eat an elephant? One slowly eroded bite at a time

Diversity as long as it does NOT include Christianity, what BS!

Personally, it was nice to go to high school music concerts last year and not hear Christian Christmas music. It was also nice that there was much secular Christmas music either.

What would be much nicer is not having to see your face on every thread that contains "Christian" in the title.

My face is not on every thread which contains Christian.

As the token Pagan somebody has to defend the other side.

+1

The parents should refuse to let their children attend or perform in these "Winter" concerts. Instead they should organize Christmas concerts outside on the school grounds with plenty of religious music. The idiots in charge of the schools have no right to dictate what the children should sing.

Or Christians could just send their kids to Christians schools as many parents do.

I think religious music is beautiful. We should have the kids sing Hannukah and Wiccan Yule tide songs! The more, the merrier!

We have gone thru this crap at work....

In 1999 when I started my current job we had a "Christmas" party at a local hotel with over 500 employees, great meal, entertainment and Santa came and delivered gifts.

Around 2003 it became a �Holiday� celebration and no more professional entertainment. Managers handed out gifts.

Around 2007 it became a �winter� celebration, then a Year�s end get together and no more gifts.

By 2011 the party was totally dropped, all due to political correctness.

You live a dark,cloistered existence, don't you...

Good Lord, there is cereal everywhere you turn these days.

I used to think that the idea of homeschooling was pretty strange. But these days, I think it's about the only thing that makes sense.

The public schooling system is a branch of the state,..and the state sucks,...so the schools suck.

Of course, with so many parents working, it's difficult for everyone to home school their kids.

In my opinion, the time for school cooperatives has arrived.

Groups of parents of a like mind could get together,..hire professional teachers that they approve of, and have small private schools for their kids to attend.

Instead of the current type of public schools, the new age public schools could be very small,...maybe 50 students.

The parents of the children could either lease space for the school or have one built.

There's lots of possibilities.

"Homeschool or die"

http://voxday.blogspot.com/2013/08/homeschool-or-die-vol-567.html

Don't fret, persecution of the church makes the church grow in numbers and strength. American christians are (as a hole) to complient to bs. More christians need to make a stink like the towel heads do.

I can't imagine Christmas without "Silent Night" and a few other Christian Christmas carols.

Yep.

I am a Christian and have no problem with this.

I HATE Christmas. Christ is NOT the "reason for the season" but rather it was invented for political expediency and to encourage peace in the Roman Empire once it's state religion became Christianity. It's called syncretism and Christians ought to applaud the so-called secularization of the day as that is intellectually honest since it was a cynical use of religion by the state in the first place.

Like I said, as long as my kids don't have to do Ramadan or whatever I could care less. If I want a sacred observance I go to a Christian institution. Fact is, public institutions always over sentimentalize so-called "Christian Holidays" anyway.

Vance Havner said syncretism was another word for hash. He didn't eat hash away from home because he didn't know what it was made of and he didn't eat hast at home because he did know what it was made of.

Nope we have a lot of Christian schools around from kindergarten to high school and college. The schools are doing well.

To be honest, even though I'm a Pagan, if I had kids I'd probably send them to one of these schools.

No arguments from me.

They are called Charter Schools, and it's all my kids have ever attended.

If hearing Holy Night gets your panties twisted you have far greater problems to concern yourself with. Of course we've all known that.

You have been deceived. In America Jesus has been the reason for the season. That's why the Left opposes it so.

Recently I had a conversation with a young man attending a "Christian" college. Finally I understand Daniel when he prayed to God about his nation being so sinful. Our country is in a heap of trouble starting with the Christian colleges. The students come out of these colleges disbelieving God's Word. They say they do, but don't; because they are deceived.

All one has to do to confirm this is have a conversation with one of these folks. Jesus say the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart. It is heart breaking.

Nothing worse than going to some "christmas" concert at the school. Having to sit through those things almost ruins the holiday for me.

Shut your hole ringman. The almighty dollar has been the reason for the season here in the USA. Now if you can tell me if AEO is going to have a strong holiday earnings season, then I'll listen to you. What say you..?

]

Let the portion of Christians taxes that fund public schools be allowed to help send their kids to Christian schools................or do you just a Christians money?

Typical hypocrisy.

Vouchers.....

Let every parent choose.

Hey, we haven't but barely got past the horrible pagan 'event' known as Halloween, the perversion of what some Christians celebrate as All Hallows Eve, the eve of All Saints day. That is surely an even more toxic 'celebration' on many levels than are a few carols at Christmas, uh.... Xmas, uh,,,,,,, shhit, let's just call it forking dark and cold, so everyone can be happy.....or not. Where's Scrooge when we need him anyway? This celebrating needs to stop. Nix Labor Day.......heck, less than half the people work anymore anyway. Besides, that's more a union deal than anything anyway. Veteran's Day. Sheesh, that just encourages more killing and war. Columbus Day, seriously? That guy committed more human rights violations than Obama....almost. Halloween: check. Thanksgiving? For what? That's largely fiction warmed over anyway; a bad excuse to commit crimes against domesticated survivors of the Paleolithic Era. Throw out the feast of Saint Valentine, the Christian martyr associated with the 14th day in February. Washington, Lincoln, King, etc; all were humans and had the usual bad attributes common to virtually all humans. Saint Patrick's......well, the title says it all. Stop with the celebration of stupid rabbits, aborted chickens and other silly stuff. Let's just get on with what matters, whatever that is. (Wife, bring me a beer!!!)

While we're at it, let's see if we can get some lessons in Soviet architecture, at least the stuff commonly offered to the masses. We need some spirit ....never mind. That term suggests the wrong thing.

This cracks me up! Notice when you drive through any city during CHRISTmas time. The Chinese resturants, The Hindu temples, The Jewish temples, and other religious groups and organizations that do not acknowledge Christ and his deity all year long. Then for some reason (???) they all have lights on thier buildings , around windows, and a lit up CHRISTmas tree in front. They are all celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, like it or not! If HE isn't the reason for the season who is??? It's not called Buddamas, Allahmas, Assmas etc,etc. MERRY CHRISTMAS !!! YOU IDIOTS!

Yep

They are merely taking advantage of the season to separate you from your money that you are going to spend during the holidays.

The only thing those heathens are celebrating are the profits they make during the biggest shopping season of the year. The Chinese know you are very likely to stop by for mooshu pork and rice especially if they are conveniently located near or in the mall you just raided for the last Tickle Me Elmo for your little snot-gobbler. You are more likely to stop by if they give the appearances celebrating the same holiday you are.

You take all the fun out of wallowing in self-pity while suffering through our progeny's adolescence and wishing for days past.

Me either. And don't even get me started on the easter bunny and eggs! Pizzes me off. Following pegan traditions blindly the chuch is. Easter comes from the name of a pagen god of fertility, thus the rabbits and eggs. The word easter is in the KJV in one place and is a incorrect translation. It should have been passover. Christians should be celebrating passover like jews but we accually know the meaning of it as Jesus was the picture that passover painted. The cup that was his blood was only 1 of many cups in passover celebration. To understand passover look up messianic jew and passover, they got it figured out.

Christmas is not scriptural. It also came out of pegan traditions. But I can see how some would get bent out of shape over it.

By default in a Christian Nation such as ours, schools, by default are Christian.. There lies the rub.

A word of advise.. There will come a time when Christians will no longer turn the other cheek.

g

This nation has become a land of pussies. There is two ways to take the culture back is to defiantly plan to have the audience and students sing traditional songs during the event or plan another song fest at the same time at a different location.
Ignor the school system's pc program at every turn.

Jim

America was once a land of equality before the law. What happened to that idea?

All businesses that can make money off of Christmas, regardless of who owns them, put forth a tremendous amount of effort to do so. The holiday has no real spiritual meaning for the vast majority...it's simply consumerism at its most disgusting pinnacle.

Many 'Christians' are more detrimental to the cause of Christianity than anything else is.

Constance is FOS...the ban is noting more than an abridgment and violation of free speech and expression of religious freedom among the students and suppression that does nothing to promote tolerance toward religious diversity.

Out right bans of Christmas music is suppression of religious expression and out right(blatant) discrimination based on religious affiliation.

These clowns over step their bounds and violate individual and religious constitutional rights. As such, and as public officials they should be sued personally for damages and be forced to meet the standards of personal liability of any public official who violates an individuals Constitutional rights in the conduct of their office.

Only one way to stop this crap and that is to make these heathens pay from their pockets for the infractions...these people piss me off and I am no religious zealot.

The Day is coming.....and so few are ready.

Qtip
Soli Deo Glory!

Take a page out of the liberal play book. Make them defend their position.

File multiple lawsuits against the school system for violating the Christian's freedom of religion with policies that overly favor the secularists.

Tie them up for years with endless litigation to the point where a major portion of the yearly school budget has to be denoted for legal fees.

Before it's done, the real Christ-following church will be underground, it's beliefs outlawed. The public churches will be teaching a watered down false religion. Everyone will be happy...for a while. You really don't want to be here when it becomes unraveled.

"Christians" getting worked up over inane and inconsequential matters...who'd thunk it? A completely pagan holiday in origin that is now the most perfect representation of consumerism and avarice possible, reigns as their holiest of "holy days".

How many children die every day from hunger, abuse, war etc. in the world and they DGAS, but take away their songs from a school play and they go apeshit. First world problems, indeed...

Of course, if their kids (or others) had to sit through some Muslim, Buddhist, etc., songs, they would go berserk and equality would fly out the window..

And, btw, read some Foxe's and get back to me on how badly the 'church' is being persecuted...laffin.

Any christian in America who claims "persecution" over christmas music needs a swift kick in the nuts.

Try being a christian in Egypt or china right now.

So much for "...one nation under God..."

It is called Liberal Brain Washing , they are trying to turn out good Little Democrats from all our schools today . This is straight out of the Communist Play Book , if you want to win, brain wash and indoctrinate the children first.

This brain-washing has been at least taking place, bit by bit since the mid-50's when I was in grammar school. I remember (via my Weekly Reader ) the lampooning of those early tin-foil hat people who saw a Red under every bed, what idiots they were, won't happen here, etc. My teachers, even then were (possibly in ignorance) on the band wagon. Now 60 plus years later the Left is in every aspect of our lives, including entertainment, the news media, the government, even business. Warnings went out back then, but any who spoke for them were labelled as fools. Nobody listened, and here we are. I'll retain my TF hat, thank you.

Well if it was up to me as a libertarian I would let market forces determine which schools stand and which schools fall. No tax money would go to any school. I'm a libertarian anarcho-capitalist no hypocrisy with me.

Bristoe, One of your more excellent posts asessing the reality of our times. FWIW Home School co-ops are thriving, an obvious solution to the limitations of home schooling.

Re vouchers: BAD idea. It is the government's way to extend control over private schools via money. If anything, make it tax credits for individual parents of kids in alternative schools. But be wary of that...

DITTOS! and this says it all.

DITTOS and some more common sense.

Ours is a nation of Christians but it is not a Christian nation and it never has been for to be a Christian nation one would have to chose a Christian sect as the official Christian religion.

DITTOS.

Amen brother!

You seem to forget this was a Christian country. The reason there are so many of the ones you mention is because Christians are tolerant.

The "tolerant" tolerates anything that is antiChrist. I have a friend in prison. He wanted a Christian book. I had to order it from the company and have it dropped shipped. He told me if it was a witch craft of Satan worship book I could send it directly to him.

I like the Holidays. I like all the traditional American Holidays. Easter, Halloween, Passover, Christmas are all great holiday that we can each celebrate in a manner that brings joy to our families, and reinforces our personal family creeds.

I look at holidays as opportunities for fun and education. What you choose to do with these opportunities, is up to you.

Remember, the closer you come to Jesus Christ, the greater effort Satan makes to resist you. So it is with nations. A nation built upon sacred tenets, that worships openly with strong faith, will always be the bigger target of Satan and his demonic legion. Do not expect this to be a fight against unseen things lurking in basements and dark places only, it isn't a ghost hunter show, but expect to find an army of flesh and blood moral zombies attacking relentlessly. These will be such corrupted souls as we find in the Progressive Democratic Party wing, those who trumpet for perversion as normal, abortion as a woman's right to choose, oppression of religious freedom, and all the other debasements of national virtue and righteousness. Yet also remember that Jesus Christ empowers you beyond the angels, falsity and malevolent intent must always be met with truth and the light of the Holy Spirit within. Do not cower, do not retreat, rather pray for His protection and guidance.

Progressive fascism is a religion and tries to destroy other religions.