The Eradication of Christmas from schools

[SeattleUte]

This crystallizes the crazy paradox that is America: We teach kids about dinosaurs, prehistoric humans, Greek gods and mythology, Athenian democracy and science, the Roman Empire, the American Revolution, the Constitution, the Civil War, our nation's triumph over fascism and Communism, and every October the classes become festooned with paper witches and goblins, but there's nary a trace of Christmas this time of year. At least that's the way it is with my kids, and they are scattered between good public and private schools.

For 1,800 years the history of our culture was at once the history of Christianity, but our teachers hardly talk about Christianity. Christmas has been virtually eradicated from the schools. I mean no offense to Jews or any other sect, but this strikes me as a gaping hole in the curriculum. No, I don't believe Christ was the son of God or walked on water or came back to life (if there was a single historical Jesus, which I believe there more likely than not was, but that's hardly the point). But if you love America, or Western Europe, you can't hate Christmas, or even ignore it and be culturally literate. What we would have become absent Christianity is pure conjecture. But clearly the dominant public ethos for 1,800+ years can't be ignored when considering what made us what we are.

Of course understanding Christianity is a part of cultural literacy. I've not really worked out how I can impart this properly to my own kids, absent any help (and one is in college). One of the private schools we seriously considered was a very fine Catholic school here. We decided to go elsewhere, to a secular school, for various reasons, but one factor that favored the Catholic school was it would take care of this huge element of cultural literacy for my kids.

I've decided this is really no one's fault. Schools have to teach facts and reason. They could only teach Christianity by contextualizing it, essentially deconstructing it and eliminating the the magic. This is intolerable to parents who believe in virgin birth. So, we study the Greek gods, but our dominant myth for the past 2,000 is left unexamined.

[Donuthole]

This crystallizes the crazy paradox that is America: We teach kids about dinosaurs, prehistoric humans, Greek gods and mythology, Athenian democracy and science, the Roman Empire, the American Revolution, the Constitution, the Civil War, our nation's triumph over fascism and Communism, and every October the classes become festooned with paper witches and goblins, but there's nary a trace of Christmas this time of year. At least that's the way it is with my kids, and they are scattered between good public and private schools.

For 1,800 years the history of our culture was at once the history of Christianity, but our teachers hardly talk about Christianity. Christmas has been virtually eradicated from the schools. I mean no offense to Jews or any other sect, but this strikes me as a gaping hole in the curriculum. No, I don't believe Christ was the son of God or walked on water or came back to life (if there was a single historical Jesus, which I believe there more likely than not was, but that's hardly the point). But if you love America, or Western Europe, you can't hate Christmas, or even ignore it and be culturally literate. What we would have become absent Christianity is pure conjecture. But clearly the dominant public ethos for 1,800+ years can't be ignored when considering what made us what we are.

Of course, understanding Christianity is a part of cultural literacy. I've not really worked out how I can impart this properly to my own kids, absent any help. One of the private schools we seriously considered was a very fine Catholic school here. We decided to go elsewhere, to a secular school, for various reasons, but one factor that favored the Catholic school was it would take care of this huge element of cultural literacy for my kids.

I've decided this is really no one's fault. Schools have to teach facts and reason. They could only teach Christianity by contextualizing it, essentially deconstructing it and eliminating the the magic. This is intolerable to parents who believe in virgin birth. So, we study the Greek gods, but our dominant myth for the past 2,000 is left unexamined.

Dude, this is a Tuesday afternoon post. Not a Friday night post. Just thought you should know.

[SeattleUte]

Dude, this is a Tuesday afternoon post. Not a Friday night post. Just thought you should know.

It's a Christmas post.

[wuapinmon]

You seem to be railing against the negative effects on faith that E. Michael Jones blames on the rejection by Modernists of acknowledging the historical enculturation (the solid implantation of a culture in the members of the society which share it) of Christianity in European, and thus Western culture, during Modernism. This is now carried over into American public school curricula by people who ignore the Christian enculturation of our society.

When my students read Latin-American Literature, I often have to explain Biblical references to them--they have no idea what I'm talking about sometimes. And these are kids who ostensibly go to church every week.

Jones, E. Michael. Degenerate Moderns: Modernity as Rationalized Sexual Behavior. New York: Ignatius P, 1993.

[SeattleUte]

You seem to be railing against the negative effects on faith that E. Michael Jones blames on the rejection by Modernists of acknowledging the historical enculturation (the solid implantation of a culture in the members of the society which share it) of Christianity in European, and thus Western culture, during Modernism. This is now carried over into American public school curricula by people who ignore the Christian enculturation of our society.

When my students read Latin-American Literature, I often have to explain Biblical references to them--they have no idea what I'm talking about sometimes. And these are kids who ostensibly go to church every week.

Jones, E. Michael. Degenerate Moderns: Modernity as Rationalized Sexual Behavior. New York: Ignatius P, 1993.

Wuap, this is fascinating. Thanks.

By the way, no offense to Mormons, but I'd be surprised if your kids learn how to recognize Biblical reference in Latin American lit where you take them to church. My own feeling is that Mormonism is counterproductive in the regard we're discussing here. my 2 cents.

[wuapinmon]

Wuap, this is fascinating. Thanks.

By the way, no offense to Mormons, but I'd be surprised if your kids learn how to recognize Biblical reference in Latin American lit where you take them to church. My own feeling is that Mormonism is counterproductive in the regard we're discussing here. my 2 cents.

Seminary and dad quizzing them and making them read the Bible and Borges and GGM during the Summer will make sure that that doesn't happen.

I was asked last month if I would like to perhaps teach an independent study class called "The Bible As Literature" next fall, because there's no one in our English Department who feels qualified/wants to teach it.

How 'bout them apples!?!?

Oh, and, you're very welcome. I'm right on board with you, baby.

[SeattleUte]

Seminary and dad quizzing them and making them read the Bible and Borges and GGM during the Summer will make sure that that doesn't happen.

I was asked last month if I would like to perhaps teach an independent study class called "The Bible As Literature" next fall, because there's no one in our English Department who feels qualified/wants to teach it.

How 'bout them apples!?!?

Oh, and, you're very welcome. I'm right on board with you, baby.

I'm proud of you.

I asked for this book for Christmas (in English):

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/War-World-Mario-Vargas-Llosa/dp/0140262601"]Amazon.com: The War of the End of the World (9780140262605): Mario Vargas Llosa, Helen R. Lane: Books[/ame]

[wuapinmon]

I'm proud of you.

I asked for this book for Christmas (in English):

Amazon.com: The War of the End of the World (9780140262605): Mario Vargas Llosa, Helen R. Lane: Books

Let me know if it's any good. I've a few things by him, but I always use his essay (from the New York Times) called, "My Son, the Rastafarian" when I teach about the Rastafarian movement in Latin America. It's also available in his essay collection called Making Waves.

[SeattleUte]

Let me know if it's any good. I've a few things by him, but I always use his essay (from the New York Times) called, "My Son, the Rastafarian" when I teach about the Rastafarian movement in Latin America. It's also available in his essay collection called Making Waves.

I read that essay years ago!

[woot]

This crystallizes the crazy paradox that is America: We teach kids about dinosaurs, prehistoric humans, Greek gods and mythology, Athenian democracy and science, the Roman Empire, the American Revolution, the Constitution, the Civil War, our nation's triumph over fascism and Communism, and every October the classes become festooned with paper witches and goblins, but there's nary a trace of Christmas this time of year. At least that's the way it is with my kids, and they are scattered between good public and private schools.

For 1,800 years the history of our culture was at once the history of Christianity, but our teachers hardly talk about Christianity. Christmas has been virtually eradicated from the schools. I mean no offense to Jews or any other sect, but this strikes me as a gaping hole in the curriculum. No, I don't believe Christ was the son of God or walked on water or came back to life (if there was a single historical Jesus, which I believe there more likely than not was, but that's hardly the point). But if you love America, or Western Europe, you can't hate Christmas, or even ignore it and be culturally literate. What we would have become absent Christianity is pure conjecture. But clearly the dominant public ethos for 1,800+ years can't be ignored when considering what made us what we are.

Of course understanding Christianity is a part of cultural literacy. I've not really worked out how I can impart this properly to my own kids, absent any help (and one is in college). One of the private schools we seriously considered was a very fine Catholic school here. We decided to go elsewhere, to a secular school, for various reasons, but one factor that favored the Catholic school was it would take care of this huge element of cultural literacy for my kids.

I've decided this is really no one's fault. Schools have to teach facts and reason. They could only teach Christianity by contextualizing it, essentially deconstructing it and eliminating the the magic. This is intolerable to parents who believe in virgin birth. So, we study the Greek gods, but our dominant myth for the past 2,000 is left unexamined.

Good post. It is an important issue, but one that I don't think will be solved by public education any time soon. In the distant future when Christianity is just another mythology that people once believed in it won't be an issue, but until then it will be difficult. I plan to teach all of my hypothetical children about the Bible, but am unlikely to be happy if it gets taught in their classroom. There are some things that public school just isn't equipped to handle.

[LA Ute]

Seminary and dad quizzing them and making them read the Bible and Borges and GGM during the Summer will make sure that that doesn't happen.

I was asked last month if I would like to perhaps teach an independent study class called "The Bible As Literature" next fall, because there's no one in our English Department who feels qualified/wants to teach it.

How 'bout them apples!?!?

Oh, and, you're very welcome. I'm right on board with you, baby.

I took "The Bible As Literature" in college and it's been a life-long benefit to my appreciation and understanding of the Bible.

[Solon]

Good post. It is an important issue, but one that I don't think will be solved by public education any time soon. In the distant future when Christianity is just another mythology that people once believed in it won't be an issue, but until then it will be difficult. I plan to teach all of my hypothetical children about the Bible, but am unlikely to be happy if it gets taught in their classroom. There are some things that public school just isn't equipped to handle.

It depends on how they teach it and what they teach from it (IMO). I teach the book of Acts almost every semester in Western Heritage, Roman history, early Christianity, or whatever.

The problem is, society can't seem to look at the Bible with the same detachment as it looks at other sacred writings.

[Viking]

It's a Christmas post.

Spoke with your bro in Campinas last week. Very good guy.

[Rosebud]

Right now my son is watching a rather sensational show about Cain and Abel on the National Geographic Channel. He's learning that "the pacifism of Jesus, Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. can all be traced back to the story of the mark of Cain......" He next gets to learn how the story is interpreted by scholars of the Koran. Yesterday he watched one about the Book of Revelation (those are a dime a dozen these days). I can't even begin to tell you how many of these programs he's watched about Christ.

So.... maybe the solution is for America to watch more TV ;-) ???????

EDIT: Hey, we're famous: Brigham Young made the show, too!!! He was quoted for saying that black people are descendants of Cain. haha....

[pellegrino]

It depends on how they teach it and what they teach from it (IMO). I teach the book of Acts almost every semester in Western Heritage, Roman history, early Christianity, or whatever.

The problem is, Christian society can't seem to look at the Bible with the same detachment as it looks at other sacred writings.

I think that's the reason behind the problem.