MerrY PenguinS
The same week Principal Bernadette Floyd axed a penguin Christmas play she deemed religious, 200 public high school students from three counties sang about Jesus in an honors choir in Fort Pierce — a dichotomy some say proves the St. Lucie County School District needs a countywide policy on religion in the schools…
“How can one principal say penguins and Santa are religious, and another principal says it’s OK to sing Christian music?”
Religion drama plays out in St. Lucie schools
Motivated by a parent’s complaint about a past Christmas pageant, Floyd canceled plans for A Penguin Christmas because of its title and use of such holiday characters as Santa and Rudolph.Although federal courts consistently have upheld public schools’ right to celebrate secular aspects of holidays and educate students about religious aspects…
Civil-rights groups say such performances are acceptable as long as a variety of music is performed, and students who feel offended are given alternative assignments..
Choral music started in the church, so I cannot shy away from education because of someone’s religious beliefs,” said Redding, who teaches music at West Orange High School in Orlando. “I could do a whole concert with cowboy music, but if somebody doesn’t like cowboys, they would be offended.”
Clearly, penguins are secular, Leaming said.
“What do penguins have to do with the gospel?” Leaming said. “I don’t even think penguins could survive in Nazareth.”
And it’s not even Halloween yet. Sheesh.
Perhaps they should begin by changing the name of the entire school district…. SAINT Lucie? ……huh?
We all know if it was Gay Penguin Week or a Ra—-madan Penguin play, a hush would fall over the Principal and the entire school, now wouldn’t it?
Since when did we start basing our decisions on who “gets offended”?
Thousands of women are “offended” terribly by pornography..There is a wealth of evidence which draws direct, causal connections between pornography and violence and dehumanization of women.
Do you see anyone rushing in to censor it? Who gets to decide what is “legitimately offensive?”
Promoting sex, drugs & violence may not “offend” students in the slightest. Does that mean it should be on the curriculum?
And by all means let us continue to encourage our youth to live a life free of morals, values, traditions and above all……… penguins. 
Hey, it’s Freedom “of” religion, not “from” religion dudes.
Others sharing and caring:
TMH’sBaconBitshas a reminder about morality., thirdworldcountyhas some words for the TSA., basilsblog, PlancksConstant, StoptheACLU
October 10th, 2006 at 4:25 pm
[...] FINALLY: PENGUINS BANNED AS RELIGIOUS ICONS Motivated by a parent’s complaint about a past Christmas pageant, Floyd canceled plans for A Penguin Christmas because of its title and use of such holiday characters as Santa and Rudolph. … We all know if it was Gay Penguin Week or a Ra—-madan Penguin play, a hush would fall over the Principal and the entire school, now wouldn’t it? [...]
October 10th, 2006 at 4:56 pm
Some of the most beautiful music in the Christmas repertoire is that of intrinsically religious material. But some of the secular material can be fun, too.
Secularists need to stop being so sensitive about Christmas music. As has been pointed out here, “federal courts consistently have upheld public schools’ right to celebrate secular aspects of holidays and educate students about religious aspects…” Children can sing the songs and not believe, you know.
Note: Odd, isn’t it, that MY sensitivities seems to get pushed aside by some of the secularists?
October 10th, 2006 at 5:32 pm
Am I missing something here? Was there an old testament Penguin prophet? Were the Magi actually the Three Penguins?
Was there someone in the New Testament name John the Penguin? Or is a penguin the promised Messiah?
Penguins? Penguins as religious symbols? Penguins?
Geeks, the world is full of geeks!!!!!!
October 10th, 2006 at 6:38 pm
Secularists, like Islamists, do not co-exist well with others. It’s always a “my way or the highway” with these people, both of which tout themselves as tolerant. Strange, that; the people who tout themselves are tolerant are usually the biggest bigots; the ones who tout themselves as open-minded are the iconoclasts; and those who say they are peaceful are more violent than us all. Welcome to the new age of shadows and deceptions!
October 10th, 2006 at 11:35 pm
Christmas is about Christ! If people don’t want to celebrate Christ, then they should go to work on Dec. 25. Enough already!
October 10th, 2006 at 11:50 pm
DID ANYONE WARN RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED ONE THAT HE COULD BE NEXT.. I HOPE THE CHESNUTS ARE SAFE FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR..
THANKS SO MUCH ANGEL FOR BRINGING A FEW SMILES AND GIGGLES INTO THE DAY OF YOUR READERS..I CHECK OUT YOUR WRITING EVERYDAY BEFORE I START MY DAY….
October 11th, 2006 at 6:13 am
Well, anybody who’s ever worked with Linux knows that penguins are considered by some to be religious icons….
October 11th, 2006 at 6:17 am
I’m with Lady Jane! It isn’t good enough to celebrate CHRISTmas, but it’s good enough for the secular world to make a boatload of money?
And since when did Santa and Rudolph become a religious icon? I don’t recall worshipping Reindeer in church…
October 11th, 2006 at 11:43 am
Hey! As a relgious worshipper of the One Great Penguin, I am commanded to burn things because you offend me and my religion. Oh wait, that’s the Muslims that do that.
Yeah, it USED to be freedom of religion. Back in the early 90s (I think) it really became freedom FROM religion.