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!
