nativity play today no jesus ????

Lyndsay_21

when we went to my daughters xmas play on thursday, they're where several muslim women there joyfully watching they're children they didn't seem to give a monkeys it was a christian play they where just happy to be seeing they're children looking cute in their outfits.

r.mac_2

gosh me. I am not particularly religious, and although I am not into being overly PC, I do think that it is only right not to offend others intentionally.

However, we are talking about a 'christmas' play - the story of Christmas effectively. Without Jesus and the story there would be no christmas. Seems a little odd.

TheFlyingGerbil

If the school is not directly affiliated with a religion then the Nativity play should not be a nativity in my opinion but a celebration of all the winter celebrations (including Christian) or our old primary school put on a musical.

Joe

margaretclare

TheFlyingGerbil wrote:

If the school is not directly affiliated with a religion then the Nativity play should not be a nativity in my opinion but a celebration of all the winter celebrations (including Christian) or our old primary school put on a musical.

This has only come about in recent years - political correctness, fear (real or imagined) of offending others, general secularisation...

Neither I nor my children went to a 'religiously-affiliated' school but to an ordinary straightforward village primary school. Village church and village school were just part of the fabric of village life. It would not have occurred to any of us, at that time, that a Nativity play was not about the Nativity. If Christmas is not about Christ then what is it about?

Those who want their children to discover that Jesus was not the first man on the moon, you won't find it in school - not any more. It used to be written into the Education Acts that the school day must begin with an act of Christian worship - not now. My DH was brought up in a different religion and he remembers saying the 'Lord's Prayer' daily at school. So if you really want your child to find out about Jesus, your only option is to make contact with one of the local churches who will be having different events this coming weekend and the one after. IMHO the 'real story' is far more magical than anything you can get from Santa and elves.

Margaret

liz.._4

I've just got back from our primary school production and as its a multi faith/ multi cultural environment they seem to have it right. It was called 'All around the world' and it focussed on peoples from around the world but the birth of Jesus was central to the story. Different spin on an old classic! Lots of singing, dancing and everyone joining in.

Lets face it, Christmas is a Christian tradition, yes, there are pagan qualities to it, tree, mistletoe etc but no one can get away from the fact that it is about the birth of Christ. Muslim people have Jesus as one of their prophets too.

Lets not get too deep but just enjoy a chance to hope for peace on earth and goodwill to all men whether people are religious or not.

Love and light and a happy, peaceful Christmas to you all
Liz

Spendless

margaretclare wrote:

If Christmas is not about Christ then what is it about?

My DH was brought up in a different religion and he remembers saying the 'Lord's Prayer' daily at school.

And me, and Grace every day before lunch in infant and junior school, and taught hymns and carols and I didn't attend a church school either, and yes I agree with you Margaret if we are not celebrating Christ then why are the schools closed at Christmas . They may as well move the 2 week shut to some other point in winter? (and I'm not a big Church goer either)

BungleGirl

This reminds me that I went into BHS last week to buy Christmas cards and there was not a single pack that had anything to do with the the birth of Jesus.

I was so disgusted I wanted to complain. Might send them an email now actually...

margaretclare

BungleGirl wrote:

This reminds me that I went into BHS last week to buy Christmas cards and there was not a single pack that had anything to do with the the birth of Jesus.

I was so disgusted I wanted to complain. Might send them an email now actually...

Good idea. One of our fellow church members phoned me a couple of weeks ago about the Royal Mail's Christmas stamps. He and I both wrote to the Royal Mail to complain - here's the address if anyone is interested:

Ms Mairi Murphy
Royal Mail Direct Customer Services Manager
Royal Mail
Tallents House
21 South Gyle Crescent
EDINBURGH
EH12 9PB

See the article in today's 'Daily Mail': http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=421926&in_page_id=1770

DH tells me that, as a little Jewish boy, he was given the option of standing outside morning assembly, but he never did. He 'wanted to fit in', as kids do, and that's how he learned to say the Lord's Prayer.

Margaret

Natters30

Christmas.

Spendless

Natters30 wrote:

Christmas.

Thank you. That's exactly my point. If we want to do a play about different religions etc, why not do it in June . Why do we do this no offending anyone at Christmas time, as another member put it the clue is in the title:D