I believe the Anti Defamation League is wrong to push this
in the courts. For pete's sake, isn't Christmas a legitimate
Christian holiday ? A celebration of Christ's birth? Non-Christians
don't need to be forced to join in if they don't want to.
Schools Try To Take Religion Out Of Holiday Concert
POSTED: 11:11 am EST December 6, 2004
UPDATED: 11:21 am EST December 6, 2004
MESA, Ariz. -- Many Arizona public elementary schools' winter concerts don't have children singing about angels, Bethlehem or the little Lord Jesus this year.
Instead, it's "Frosty the Snowman," "Sleigh Bells" and "Jolly Ol' St. Nicholas."
Teachers say the refocusing of music sung at schools is part of a growing effort to be sensitive to an increasingly diverse student population.
Some programs that include Christian music such as "Silent Night" or "Away in a Manger" this holiday season also will typically include songs from other religions in an effort to keep every concert balanced.
The legal counsel with the Center for Arizona Policy in Scottsdale says suppressing references to Christ during the Christmas season violates students' constitutional rights of free expression.
But the state director of the Anti-Defamation League in Phoenix applauded the efforts to reach out to students of all backgrounds.
He said that with the diversity that is now comprising the classes, what you have is not only many different races but also many different religions.
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