When Being Inclusive Means Privileging Christianity
Board member Bob Miller said he thinks removing a sign that says Merry Christmas on it is taking the court's ruling too far.
"As a person of faith, I find it insulting when we deny (a person's) faith," Miller said. "We have to be inclusive."
Source: Lake Placid News (via Atheist Revolution)
So let me get this straight: not singling out Christianity and a Christian holiday is "insulting" because it "denies" Christians' religion; furthermore, being "inclusive" doesn't mean treating everyone equally but instead means treating Christianity as special. That's almost too bizarre for words.
In the real world — the world most people live in — you "deny" a person's religion by, well, denying it. The absence of good wishes to Hindus on Hindu holidays doesn't mean that the schools are "denying" Hindus' faith, so why should that be the case with Christianity? Perhaps it has something to do with Christians being too accustomed to special treatment?
In the real world it's also the norm to say that "being inclusive" means including everyone. You aren't really being inclusive if you are only including those whose religious views closely match your own. Apparently, though, some Christians can only handle diversity at the limits of including Catholics and Protestants. Expecting to treat Hindus and Buddhists as equals is just too unreasonable.
Fortunately, Bob Miller appears to have been a lone voice on this school board:
Janet Smith, a fellow board member, said she can understand how the sign, which was displayed during the 2006 school year, can seem exclusive. "The kids are so accepting of all different things but I can understand how it looks from the outside looking at it, and we want to be sensitive to that," Smith said.
Superintendent Ernie Stretton said that as long as he's been with the school district, there's been a distinction between church and state, and religious traditions, while respected, are not forced on anyone. "It's important that we are sensitive to all religious beliefs," Stretton said. The school district uses non-religious monikers such as "winter vacation" and "spring vacation," in place of other labels, Stretton said so as to avoid placing significance upon one particular belief over another.
"You have to be tolerant of all beliefs and all things on all issues, and religion is one of them," he added.
Janet Smith seems to understand quite a lot more than Bob Miller — she seems to have the ability to step outside her own perspective in order to get a feel for how things look to others, especially outsiders. This isn't a skill that should be unusual — when you get right down to it, it's basically a strong form of empathy with a good dose of critical thinking tossed in. People need this ability in order to be at least a little sensitive towards others rather than stuck-up and self-righteous.
Luckily, the Janet Smith approach won the day and the sign won't be hung this year.
Comments
Thanks for the link. I thought that Lake Placid story was interesting too. Some days it almost feels as if we are in the midst of another cold war, this one around religion.
Idiocy. I am an atheist, but I love Christmas. It is hardly a religious holiday anymore. Just like I say GD it when I am made, I do not mind saying Christmas. Most people celebrate it like the secualr holiday it is anyhow, the classic name is just unfortunate, but the way it is. If the biggest religious persecution you are suffering is that there is a sign saying Merry Christmas, I think you have it pretty good.
got to agree with roboninja, Christmas is a secular holiday (as stated with plenty of evidence on this very site) so saying “Merry Christmas” is tantamount to saying “Merry Secular Holiday” but “Christmas” sounds better - Jesus is NOT involved for most people and its rare to see him anywhere other than a church in the holidays themselves. Even if the majority of Americans do go to church on Christmas day surely thats the separate religious part? Ive seen “time for family” repeated far more often than “time for jesus”, even in the U.S.
Outside America where atheism is more common and not such a big deal - no one has a problem using “Merry Christmas” any more than protestants have a problem drinking guiness on St.Patricks day
I think using “Merry Christmas” as a term for the celebration should be encouraged…but perhaps with a small disclaimer at the bottom :”Christmas is a secular holiday, good wishes to all, even wiccans”
Would you wish a family Merry Christmas if you knew they were practicing Jews?
Would you wish a Merry Christmas to a practicing Christian family who doesn’t celebrate christmas? Wouldn’t be more appropriately to wish a Happy Nativity, as in happy birthday instead?
I can wish a Merry Christmas to jews, if they indulge in the celebration as well… but if they don’t, and take resentment for it, it would be inappropriate. The same with those few Christians who do not celebrate Christmas.
As well as I saying Happy Day of the Dead to non-mexicans. Outside of Mexico it’s not usually a ‘happy’ occasion.
Contrarian,
“Would practicing Jews respect Jews respect goys in the neighborhood?
After all, all those old testament rules are written by JEWS.”
Is there any chance you could rephrase that as something intelligible?
I’m am atheist but I also celebrate xmas but in the sense of peace on earth, good will to men. I have an xmas tree with (obviously) no religious ornaments, but gifts from friends, things with a meaning to us or things our son made in school and even some atheist/secular ornaments (I think from CafePress). We give money, gifts and time to local groups that try to make xmas good for poor people. I don’t feel a bit hypocritical about it, it’s a pagan holiday anyway, stolen by the unimaginative xtians.
And since it was originally a pagan holiday, I wish everyone a Happy Yuletide. Most Christians are none the wiser.
You all make sense, and of course it’s become a secular holiday associated more with Santa Claus than Jesus Christ and has become little more than an excuse to max out the Visa & MC cards and stay drunk for a month. And if the Bob Miller’s of the world were using that as the reason to be insulted that Christmas isn’t pushed to the front of the line and the hell with all the other’s, it might make it a big deal about nothing. (Or it might not, one would have to ask Jews, Moslems, Hindu’s etc to know for sure.) As an atheist who has no problems buying presents for friend’s children, I can understand that. Somehow I don’t think that’s where these yokels are coming from though. Fundy’s will say anything, but when you get right down to it, they want it like it was 50 years ago and screw those pagan religions. (which as #8 pointed out is a riot since Christmas, the date, and every tradition associated with it is ‘borrowed’ from pagan celebrations; plus nobody has any idea exactly when JC was born in the first place.)
“nobody has any idea exactly when JC was born in the first place”
… including Luke & Matthew…