Observations and inanities by a second-shift assistant supervisor in the Puppy-Grinding division of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy® (our motto: "Sure it's cruel, but think of the jobs!"), your host, Brent Rasmussen.
Jesus Christ!
New Jersey 8th grader Alex Woinski decided to dress up like Jesus for Halloween Friday - and was sent home for it. (Picture courtesy of the Woinski family.)
Not - as the hysterical Christians who have heard of this story have claimed - because he was dressed up like Jesus Christ. Rather it was because of the way that his fellow students were reacting to the costume. Specifically, they were reacting to it in such a way as to disrupt the school day. That is the official reason why he was sent home.
It's probably even true - but I call bullshit.
A reasonable human adult wouldn't be silly enough to assume that kids dressed up for Halloween - as anything, let alone a controversial religious figure - are at school to learn on that particular day. You could have then taken that into consideration and either not allowed the kids to dress up, or allowed the dress up to continue - but understood that not a lot of actual learning would be going on that day. Or, you could have turned it into a learning experience somehow. A real educator could have.
Apparently this was a little to difficult for the brainiacs that administer West Brook Middle School.
[link] Superintendent James Montesano said he didn't know about the incident but said he believes the reason for doing so was most likely not because anyone was offended by the religious nature of the costume but that it may have been disrupting classes.
“As much as we want to have our kids enjoy celebrations, whether it’s through school spirit week or something like this, the fact of the matter is we certainly are here for the central purpose of education,” said Montesano. “If students in any form are wearing things that are bringing too much added attention that disrupts us from an educational environment, then school administrators would make that decision.”
The school year is only 180 days, he added, so it's important that youngsters are able to get the most out of each day of instruction, and a disruption in the classroom could impede that goal.Woinski said her son complied with the requests of teachers and administrators, without complaint, and called his mother to pick him up. He was home for an hour and a half before returning to school.
I have to admit - that's a great costume. I'm thinking about going as Jesus next year myself because of this.
Well, maybe zombie Jesus.
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A bit of balance
Perhaps next year we could send kids dressed as Charles Darwin into the schools.
Brent: I agree
Halloween has always been a mythological, semi- or pseudo religious observance. To selectively enforce a "no controversial..." viewpoint against only one type of religious figure while accepting all others is evidence of an illegal prejudice. And just what would make a Jesus figure more "disruptive" than, say, a realistic cadaver or an accurate Elvira costume?
"I believe in preaching to the converted; for I have generally found that the converted do not understand their own religion." -G.K. Chesterton
Education
Superintendent Montesano certainly provided a real-life educational educational experience. I only hope kids and parents learned from it. Freedom is second (or less) to religion, religion is a sacred cow (Baal)?.
MIssed opportunities
It's a shame. If nothing else, it could have made for some great headlines in the school newspaper. "Jesus conducts Communion in the cafeteria with Mountain Dew and Tuna Melt."
The spectre of "disruption"
The spectre of "disruption" is the American school system's perennial excuse for all manner of fascism.