Atheist Group Backs Parents Against A ‘Charlie Brown Christmas’
Little Rock, AR – The so-called “war on Christmas” gives ground to atheists and parents who protested a school’s decision to take students to a church for a viewing of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
Some parents of students at Little Rock’s Terry Elementary School are upset by a school-sanctioned trip that shuttled students to a local church to see a stage production of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The state-based Arkansas Society of Free Thinkers are backing the angry parents, and protesting the field trip, reports MSN.
“The parents that we know in this situation are reluctant to speak up because they are concerned about their kids being singled out and bullied,” said a member of the group.
The group is a volunteer organization of secular individuals (atheists) whose goals are to “promote public acceptance of nonbelievers” and “defend science education and the separation of church and state.”
On the group’s Facebook page, they criticize the school of “sponsoring field trips to evangelical churches.”
“While everyone loves Charlie Brown, the religious content of the program is a problem, as is the trip to a church to see it,” said a group member.
For those of you who don’t watch the cartoon version that plays every year during the holiday season, the Peanuts character Linus gives a long speech about the birth of Jesus Christ and the “real meaning of Christmas” at the end.
Parents had mixed feelings abut the controversy, reports CBS Atlanta. One parent said he “wouldn’t have a problem with my child going to see Charlie Brown,” but did have a problem with the church venue.
“I think church and school should be kept completely separate at all times,” another parent said.
What do you think? Should parents and the atheist group be upset about the school’s trip to “A Charlie Brown Christmas” or should they let this one go? Sound off!
Tags : a charlie brown christmas, a charlie brown christmas stage play, Arkansas, arkansas society of free thinkers, atheist group, little rock, terry elementary school, war on christmas
Posted: November 21, 2012
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Nov 22, 2012
Get over it. This is ridiculous. If you don't want your kids to go let them stay home.
Nov 22, 2012
jesus hates booger eating atheist.
Nov 23, 2012
Find a real subject to protest. Get a freakin life. Get invoved in aerobics. Do some brain excercises. Go outside and light your farts afire. Leave charlie Brown alone. Let your kids live and be free to make their own choices. It's people with NOTHING TO DO BUT WHINE LIKE A SISSY WHIMP and MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF A KIDS MOVIE. If they are going to public school let them be with the other public school children wIthout feeling singled out because MY MOMMY AND DADDY DOn't LIKE CHRISTMAS.
Nov 24, 2012
Are you kidding me? Does that not realize this is a religious holiday? "Christ" mas!
Nov 25, 2012
It's not mention here in this article that the school sent out letters to parent stating if they didn't want their child to go they could stay at school. I like how they left that out.
Nov 26, 2012
Keeping the atheist kids away would deprive them of the opportunity to see how the "other half" lives. They should have the right to see the inside of a place of worship in a non-threatening situation. In fact, they should be able to see the inside of a synagogue, a mosque, a Hindu mandir, you name it!
Nov 30, 2012
As a parent, I know that they send home PERMISSION slips for field trips! If you do not like what the field trip involves, simply don't sign the permission slip & If you must call the school & ask what the trip involves & what the alternatives are! Why does one person (or a small minority) have to screw everyone else? Did they really need to drag this to court & cost tax payers dollars?
Nov 30, 2012
So why do non religious people want to take religious holidays? Anyways, it's not just a Christian holiday. Christian + Pagan holiday (Christ + Santa)
Dec 6, 2012
Judging by the comments, you'd think peer pressure never existed. But it does, and a child singling themselves out by not attending (or their parent choosing that for them) can result in bullying and shunning.
Also, I notice the story didn't mention who was paying for the buses to shuttle the students. Or the teachers to chaperone them back and forth. Or the loss of educational time involved in this little evangelical effort.
Luaprelkniw mentioned keeping the atheist kids away would deprive them of the opportunity to see the other side. But it wouldn't. They could go on the weekend, as the pastor suggested in another story on the topic. So can those poor Christian children "deprived" of this splendid educational opportunity to see a reenactment of a TV show they've already seen. But I guess if it isn't done under the auspices and financial support of the government, it just isn't good enough.
Dec 6, 2012
I don't see the point of the trip at all! Is there a child anywhere in America who hasn't already seen "A Charlie Brown Christmas"? Numerous times?