Politically Correct or just oversensitive???

[slavetoabunny]

Anyone remember the Florida case where the woman (who was a Muslim convert) refused to have her drivers license picture taken without her burkha:

http://www.wftv.com/news/2253101/detail.html

 

[BethM]

You are implying in your statements that all non-Christians are also not American. In fact, there are *lots* of American citizens, born here and naturalized, who follow non-Christian religions. As the First Amendment of the US Constitution states, the government is not allowed to promote one religion over another. All religions are supposed to have an equal right here. (It doesn't seem like that's how it is most of the time, but that's how it's supposed to be.) Since public schools are run by the government, they really shouldn't be promoting the religious aspects of Christmas unless they're giving equal and fair treatment to all other religous holidays. If someone doesn't like being fair to all religions, they have the option of paying for their kids to go to a Christian school.

Also, if another country has an "official" religion, which is in the constitution or whatever of that country, then yes, I would expect to have to follow those laws if I was in that country. However, the US Constitution does not set an official religion.


SOOOSKA wrote:

This is a very interesting topic, but don't get me started on all this Politically Correct BULL SH??.

Good God when you go over to some of these Muslim Countries god forbid if you are a woman and you show your elbows. If they expect visitors and people to follow their rules in their countries then they should do the same in our countries. I'm sorry but I am offended by these woman who have their faces covered up only showing their eyes with their black scarves or what ever you call them.

Like I said don't get me started on this topic.

Susan

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I don't think she's implying that at all. I think she's saying that our country is all worried about it and if you go to other countries you don't have to be all politically correct.

We know that we have citizens who have been here for generations and are jewish, muslim, wiccan, and many other religions, but what we are questioning is this:

1. Is it so bad that we share our faiths in such small ways as a decoration?

2. Is it wrong that the people are mostly Christian so it's natural for most people to celebrate that faith?

3. If we were to be completely politically correct, we wouldn't have Christmas off work or school.

 

[BethM]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

I don't think she's implying that at all. I think she's saying that our country is all worried about it and if you go to other countries you don't have to be all politically correct.

We know that we have citizens who have been here for generations and are jewish, muslim, wiccan, and many other religions, but what we are questioning is this:

1. Is it so bad that we share our faiths in such small ways as a decoration?

I am not Christian, and I don't want the Christian faith *shared* with me without my consent. As an American citizen, that is my right.
A huge problem in this country is all the right-wing nuts who think it's their right to force their beliefs on everyone else. If it weren't for those people, there wouldn't be any problem with showing what you believe, because no one would be forcing anything on anyone else. They've ruined it for everyone.



2. Is it wrong that the people are mostly Christian so it's natural for most people to celebrate that faith?

There's nothing wrong with you celebrating your faith, but no one has the right to infringe on someone else. If you happen to work in a publicly funded place (ie, a school), no one has a legal right to promote one religion over the other, according to the Constitution. This isn't about what you do in your own home, rather, what you should be allowed to do while you are on the clock on the taxpayer's dime. The airline worker thing is a little different, that's an equality in the workplace issue, that's not a federally-funded business.


3. If we were to be completely politically correct, we wouldn't have Christmas off work or school.

That's why they call it Winter Break now. There are plenty of holidays that don't have anything to do with religion, Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc. At least where I am, the people who work for the government have lots of other holdiays off that most people don't get, like President's Day. Not religious. Where I work, we have to work MLK Day, but anyone who asks off is allowed to be off, without penalty, no questions asked.
I hate the term "Politically Correct." Many things that fall under that category just come down to equality and fairness. I've heard lots of people use it as a derogatory term, and it makes me think they wouldn't be equal and fair if they didn't have to be.

 

[SOOOSKA]

Like I said don't get me started on this topic. I'm so SICK and TIRED of always giving in to these "Groups". One complaint and the Governments give in to their whims.

Susan

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Exactly.....

If someone can't be tolerant of others - it's stupid. No one is shoving anything down anyone's throat. I'm not making anyone pray or celebrate.

Our Constitution also provides FREEDOM of Speech and FREEDOM of Religion. So, I can have my faith anyplace I so choose.

I bet if you have a Muslim who needs to face the East at a certain time, by Golly they get to if they are in the middle of a test!

 

[MissBinky]

I'm with Susan.

Don't even get me started...

There will be no end... None at all...

I'm about to start... I think I best leave this thread...

 

[kherrmann3]

I probably shouldn't post here. I normally offend people when you get me started on the topic of religion in general.

Let's start off with this: I am agnostic. I have been for quite a few years (I was forced to go through confirmation even though I didn't believe in it). I used to HATE Christmas time in school. Everyone made such a big stupid deal about it. LET THEM DECORATE THE DOORS WITH CHRISTMAS TREES! It's not going to hurt ANYONE. If someone wants to do a Hanukkah mural or decorations, let them! It shouldn't offend anyone to allow other people to celebrate their holidays. You don't need religious symbols to decorate for holidays. That may be what started the holidays, but you can keep the religion at home. It's not that hard. Among my group of friends in high school, there was ONE Christian. The rest of us were agnostic or atheist. None of us cared except for the Christian. She wanted the Jewish kids to take down their Hanukkah mini-poster. It was so stupid! One person can ruin it for the rest. I celebrate Christmas but do not associate it with a religion. Why can't other people just see that? You don't HAVE to see a Christmas tree and think of Christianity. You really don't. It's just a tree! Ugh... I can't go on with this. I WILL offend someone lol

NOTE: I had to go through here and edit my post several times. I hope that this one is less offensive than what I wrote before :biggrin2:

 

[Bo B Bunny]

LOL!

Religion and Politics - 2 subjects that can start a war!

 

[BethM]

I also consider myself agnostic. (Though I usually just go with "not religious.") My family is catholic, but I was never baptised or confirmed or whatever it is they do. My mom said I should choose my own faith, but then everyone got mad when I decided to choose none at all. My husband's mom is Baptist or Protestant or something, and when there is a big get-together, I usually don't participate in saying grace. That's just not part of my beliefs, and I think it would be phony of me to participate in something I don't believe. (I think that your personal morals, and how you treat others, is more important than what church you go to.)

I celebrate Christmas as a tradition, much like Thanksgiving. I don't place any more weight on a Christmas gift than I do on a birthday gift. I do really like the smell of the fresh-cut greenery, and ornaments on a tree are pretty, but that's where it stops for me.

The Constitution *does* allow you to practice your religion, as a matter of freedom of choice and free speech. But you are not allowed to infringe on another person'ts rights to the same. A student can say grace before eating his school lunch, but a teacher (paid by the state) cannot force students to say grace if they don't want to. Facing east during a test would be a disruption for the class, but they would not be prohibited from doing it between classes or whatever.

I like learning about other religions, as long as it's not being forced on me. This spring, I got a free Quran outside the public library, the guys were really nice and didn't try to "teach" me anything, they just offered the book and I took it, I would like to learn about it. (Haven't had time to read it, though.)

I was pleased to see a Best Buy commercial last night featuring Hannukah. (Where the parents got their daughter an ipod and gave her one piece of it each day until she got the actual device on the 8th day.) I know, they're just trying to make a dollar, but it's nice to see that they'll take anyone's dollar equally.



I apologize if I've written anything that has offended anyone. I don't really mean to, and I know religion can be sensitive for some people. I know things might be different in other countries,England has an official religion, I don't know about Canada. But in the United States (which is where the memo in the OP for this topic was handed out), all religions are supposed to be equal, and the government isn't supposed to promote one over another. Since it was passed out in a school, which is funded by tax dollars, they shouldn't be able to promote Christianity over anything else. It's just a legal thing, the school is protecting itself by reminding people of this.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Regarding facing east - they have to do it at a certain time and I do know they allow them to wherever it is - work, school, even in a courtroom.

 

[BethM]

I don't know anything about the facing east thing.

I mentioned in an earlier post a story I heard on This Americn Life, about a Muslim family that was tormented by a teacher pushing Christmas on them. I believe one of the girls was in first grade. Several "Christian" boys pushed her down on the school playground during recess and peed on her. It's people like that who ruin things for everyone. It's the right of those boys to disagree with her religious views. But it was not their right to do that. I don't think they were even punished for it. The teacher who told the older girl she would go to hell if she didn't "accept Jesus" wasn't punished, either. Disgraceful.

It's things like that, that make me dislike religion. I know not everyone is like that. But it's things like that, that make in necessary to keep religion out of school.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Yeah, I don't agree with that sort of thing either. I think you get the backwoods, fanatics who cause those things!

Here, it's really very easy going. When my daughter was in Choir and sang at the big mall in Indianapolis, they did Christmas carols, holiday songs and songs for Chanuka and Kwanzaa. I saw an older lady tear up when this group of 5th graders were singing the Kwanzaa song. Then, they did a cute "rap" about Santa and it was hilarious!

I think the problems happen when people try to convince the others that their own faith is the "right" one. If we had more teachings of tolerance - instead of hiding things - that's what I would want. Not that you HAVE to participate, but that some people have this faith and others have another and it's all ok!