Comments on: Teacher Wants To Exploit Christmas To Proselytize In Public Schools

By: planetspinz

planetspinz — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:46:56 +0000

Growing up in New Rochelle, NY in the 1950s, until my Jewish teacher told all of us Jewish students not to say the Christian prayers during assembly. She wouldn’t even let us stand up.

Until she told me these were Christian prayers, I had no idea I was praying to Jesus. If I had known, I would have stopped myself, because I knew what happened to my mother when she was 5,a kindergarten student in the Bronx.

Some older Catholic boys took her jump rope, put it around her neck, strung her up from a basketball hoop and told her they were going to kill her because she was a Jew and she killed Jesus. By the time the principal cut her down, her tongue had already turned black. My 90-year-old mother remembers that attempted murder as if it happened yesterday.

A few decades before, her parents escaped the antisemitic pogroms in Russia, believing that in America they would not be murdered because they were Jewish.

The principal who cut my mother down from the basketball hoop told her parents not to call the police, or the boy’s families might attack them. Her brother and mother walked her to and from school every day after that.

So I see not much has changed since 1924.

By: Merlyn

Merlyn — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:15:52 +0000

I have taken time to read about a third of the comments at the Sphere site and the ignorance and mean-spiritedness of the fundamentalists is simply amazing–distressing as well. Of course, there was MORE than enough of the homophobia for which the religious wrong is justly infamous. Still I guess this is what we can expect from Christian Triumphalists.

I am a Pagan and I would never want the Christian religion rammed down my child’s throat if I had one. I honestly believe religion needs to be kept out of the schools because if you have one religion you must include the others…it would be impractical and ridiculous.

What on earth ever happened to parents raising their children, teaching them values and religion, if they profess one? I was raised Lutheran, by pretty conservative parents in the 1950s and 1960s, but once I left parochial school, I never once heard them say that they expected the public schools to teach me religion. C’mon people! It’s not rocket science. If you want your child taught your religion, then teach them at home on your own time, send them to after-school religious instruction, or send them to a parochial school.

By: Merlyn

Merlyn — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:55:14 +0000

I just love how fundies like this Merry Hyatt person think that their religion should be shoved down everyone’s throat, like it or not.

And how lovely that non-Christian students could have a “Holiday” assembly in another room or some alternative “learning experience”. Who in the hell does this bitch think she is??!

I don’t have children but if I did, if my school district imposed this Christianist crap I would be suing the school system pronto.

By: Gary

Gary — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:35:13 +0000

When I was in High School in the early 70s, a kid’s religion was such a non-issue. Not only were Jewish kids not harassed for being non-Christian, I don’t think most of us even knew who was Jewish and who wasn’t. But this was in New Jersey, not Texas–enough said. Forty years later and things obviously havent changed much down there. Someone must have told that shit-kicker that you were Jewish, I doubt if his piscine intellect was capable of figuring that out on his own.
You should have told him that you were a Druid. He’d still be pondering that one. PS…I wonder if he knew that Jesus was a Jew!?

By: Buffy

Buffy — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:14:28 +0000

The egotism in such people is astounding. It’s all about me, me, me and my beliefs! To heck with the rest of the world and what they believe.

By: Ed G

Ed G — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:55:01 +0000

I am still thinking of Merry Lunatic. Doesn’t she and her followers realize the damage she would cause. Non-Christians would be looked upon with suspicion and subjected to all kinds of taunts? Violence would invariably prevail. Is this what the Merry one wants? About time the majority took over, she says. Lady go to hell. Sorry to say this, but I know what you think of Jews and other non-Christians. The U.S. was NOT predicated on majority rules when it comes to religion or race.
Will someone please investigate why Merry Hyatt taught briefly in her respective schools? The principals probably realized what kind of nut-job this is and they wanted her bounced.

By: Ed G

Ed G — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:54:47 +0000

Things started off like this in Germany in the 1930s. The Jewish people were immediately placed in a position of being ostracized from German society. Again, who the hell does this modern day Salem witch think she is?
Which ultra-right wing organization is promoting Ms. Hyatt? Lady, campaign instead for health care reform, and other worthwhile reforms. Am Yisroel Chai, Ms. Hyatt- The nation of Israel lives. It’s children and all others of different faiths make up the American dream. A narrow minded numb skull such as yourself shall never destroy that dream.

By: Diane

Diane — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:53:43 +0000

Thank you for this. I was one of the few Jews at my school in a Dallas suburb in the early 90′s and it was brutal. I was constantly asked why I didn’t believe in Jesus or how I didn’t know who Mary and Joesph were and the whole bit. I was upset that these kids couldn’t understand why I was different from them when I could understand and accept easily that they were different from me. It was oppressive.

By: Evan Hurst

Evan Hurst — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:48:38 +0000

That’s fine, Merry, as long as you’re okay with me bringing an assembly to your school on the last week before Winter break where I talk about the case for nonbelief.

Wouldn’t be okay with that, now would you?

By: Ed G

Ed G — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:06:31 +0000

P.S. Miss Hyatt, Your actions would not win you the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at next year’s Oscars.
In addition, isn’t education supposed to include all children and never single out any child? What kind of stigma are you attempting to place on non-Christian or atheistic children?
From the picture of you, you look similar to Mary Todd Lincoln in both facial expression and clothing worn. Please note that Mrs. Lincoln died in an insane asylum in 1901.