I often wondered why I couldn't get a good pork fried rice in Chicago. Still, it is the city of barbecued ribs. Hopefully the Muslim threat hasn't gotten to the ribs. What is also very good is the Italian Beef - something that, along with Green River shakes, just doesn't exist here near Kansas City.

I have no idea why these schools should suddenly start caring about offending Muslims. They never cared before. Do they have large Muslim populations or something? I don't recall Oak Lawn as being a Muslim enclave but I guess that is possible.

I wonder why the schools are justifying this based on not offending Islamists. Haven't a number of the more conservative Christian sects objected to Halloween celebrations based upon its possible Wiccan heritage?

LOL!

Almost all high Christian holidays, including Christmas, have pagan roots! Suborning pagan holidays was one method used by the RCC to force its way into the various parts of Europe and Britain. It was the only way they could get pagan populations to celebrate Christian holidays!

Still, this is ridiculous. If children can't eat pork they offer an alternative. If, like Orthodox Jews, they can't eat school lunches because the kitchens don't meet kosher rules, then they can bring their own lunches.

Simple. It was not only that they didn't care before, but the Jews obey almost the exact same dietary rules, and I'll bet they never blinked an eyelash over offending Jews, huh?

Stupid political correctness gone overboard.

...And the terrorists win again...

At least they're thinking ahead in Oak Lawn. It's a small world growing smaller. In egalitarian democratic states like the US and Canada religious belief systems and their attached holidays should be activities limited to the home and marketplace not schools or other public institutions. Your founding fathers knew this. The Jeffersonian Bible was created by Jefferson when he literally snipped out all references to god, miracle, resurrection, angels, spirits and virgin birth from the New Testament.. It reads like simple straight forward philosophy.

Tim, in the US, Christmas has become as much a secular holiday as anything. My daughter and her husband, staunch Catholics, refuse to celebrate using any rituals outside of the religious aspects of it because they feel it is TOO secular!

Plus, Halloween has always been secular, and has never had any overtly religious connotations here.

Thus, I see no reason why these two holidays should be banned. They are legitimate social holidays here, and do not require anyone to do anything that would violate religious taboos.

In the elevated atmosphere that has generated law suits from non-Christians over religious observations in schools, these two holidays have generated noe at al that I know of. So nobody else has been insulted by them.

So what's the problem?

AAACK! Stupid lack of editing features!

noe = none

The origins of Halloween are from Celtic ceremonies on what they called Samhain. This was a religious festival tied in with Druidic religious activities. The Romans in attempting to pacify the Celts and to further their state religion (Christianity) modified this to All Saints Day. Children being children prefer a fun life and are probably closer to the original than was the church.

For a brief discussion of this history, see

http://www.histor...pageId=713

Samhain/Hallowe'en is currently celebrated as a religious feast by organized Wiccans worldwide. Wicca is a growing religion. Christmas, though secularized has a great combo of Christian and Pagan content. Because the basic festival has been rooted in the birth of Christ, (for one thousand plus years), it should not be celebrated in public schools. That is not saying that a mid winter festival should not occur in schools. Most religions and cultures have celebrated a mid winter feast at the darkest point of the year. I mean you can wish anyone seasonal greetings and still respect their personal interpretations of the content of their celebration outside of public school. Secularized holidays, especially gift giving consumerist events tend to disclude those of other religious persuasions, (eg./ Jehovah's Witnesses), and most importantly the poor and underprivileged. I'm not saying we should abandon festivals but in a true democracy separation of church and state must be rigorous. I'm sure, after seeing the oppressions which occur in Islamic Republics the good ol' US should shudder at the gloomy possibilities of a Christian Republic.

Actually, Tim, Christianity didn't hit upon the December date for the birth of Christ until after the 4th century. Originally, it was a celebration of the birth of the god Mithras, from which at least some of Christian theology was borrowed.

Other cultures have used that rough period for solar worshiping celebrations based upon the winter equinox, where the days begin getting shorter, as they celebrate the return of the sun from its winter retreat.