Native Ceremony takes place at a public school

[DogOnPorch]

10 minutes ago, msj said:

My fear is Christianity.  They are going to jump on this and say "see, they are doing it so we get to do it to." 

Hence my comment about bigots gonna bigot - I am very bigoted towards Abrahamic religions all of which can go stuff themselves. 

 

Except Islam...go tell it to stuff itself and let us know the results.

[DogOnPorch]

2 minutes ago, Boges said:

I think Rastafarians should try and get some of their rituals demonstrated in public schools. 

 

We'll be forever loving Jah.

[Boges]

1 minute ago, DogOnPorch said:

Except Islam...go tell it to stuff itself and let us know the results.

 

If you're a woman, you have to cover your hair and entire the side door before you can tell Islam to stuff it. 

[DogOnPorch]

1 minute ago, Boges said:

 

If you're a woman, you have to cover your hair and entire the side door before you can tell Islam to stuff it. 

 

They have a solution for uppity women.

[cybercoma]

11 minutes ago, Boges said:

I think Rastafarians should try and get some of their rituals demonstrated in public schools. 

I can see how that would be as significant as the historical and cultural influence of the indigenous peoples on Canadian history and culture. /s

[Boges]

4 minutes ago, cybercoma said:

I can see how that would be as significant as the historical and cultural influence of the indigenous peoples on Canadian history and culture. /s

I think you can learn that without getting smoke wafted in your face. 

Just like you can learn about communion without having bread and wine or learning about Ramadan without fasting during the day. 

Edited November 16, 2016 by Boges

[BubberMiley]

1 hour ago, Boges said:

I think Rastafarians should try and get some of their rituals demonstrated in public schools. 

Rastafarianism is a religion. What religion are you referring to when you speak of the smudging ceremony?

(Your inability to answer that question may lead you to the answer to your OP question.)

Edited November 16, 2016 by BubberMiley

[Boges]

6 minutes ago, BubberMiley said:

Rastafarianism is a religion. What religion are you referring to when you speak of the smudging ceremony?

(Your inability to answer that question may lead you to the answer to your OP question.)

So your claim is that smudging isn't a religious ceremony? 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/heavenlycreatures/2013/10/when-religion-and-spirituality-meet-sometimes-theres-smoke/

Buzzwords like Spirits and Energy certainly indicate a religious tinge to it. It's certainly not secular. 

Edited November 16, 2016 by Boges

[BubberMiley]

21 minutes ago, Boges said:

So your claim is that smudging isn't a religious ceremony? 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/heavenlycreatures/2013/10/when-religion-and-spirituality-meet-sometimes-theres-smoke/

Buzzwords like Spirits and Energy certainly indicate a religious tinge to it. It's certainly not secular. 

Spirits and energy can also describe Red Bull and vodka but that doesn't make it religious. For something to be religious, you need a religion. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

[The_Squid]

5 minutes ago, BubberMiley said:

Spirits and energy can also describe Red Bull and vodka but that doesn't make it religious. For something to be religious, you need a religion. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

It's not an Abrahamic religion, but it's certainly a religion when you are warding away "spirits" and "energy" in a metaphysical/supernatural sense.

http://www.ammsa.com/node/12407

Quote

Gifts from the Creator for man's use...The smudging ceremony

--------------------------------

As the smoke rises, our prayers rise to the Spirit World where the Grandfathers and our Creator reside.

Definitely a religious practice.

[TimG]

12 minutes ago, BubberMiley said:

Spirits and energy can also describe Red Bull and vodka but that doesn't make it religious. For something to be religious, you need a religion. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

From the NP article:

Quote

 

A letter to parents said the ceremony would be led by a member of the Nuu-chah-nulth, a group of West Coast First Nations, and outlined their belief “everything is one; all is connected” and “everything has a spirit and energy.”

The students would “experience cleansing of energy from previous students in our classroom, previous energy in our classroom and cleanse our own spirits to allow GREAT new experiences to occur for all of us,” it added.

 

Enough hocus pocus to call it a religion as far as I am concerned.

[Moonlight Graham]

It sounds spiritual to me.  I'd err on the side of caution and not make students do it.  You can learn about something without participating in that activity.

[-1=e^ipi]

4 hours ago, cybercoma said:

Such a terrible situation....what if the kids actually learned to respect indigenous culture. It's a national nightmare.

Religious fairy tales should never be respected.

 

Trying to force children to respect such nonsense sounds like indoctrination.

Edited November 17, 2016 by -1=e^ipi

[WestCoastRunner]

8 minutes ago, -1=e^ipi said:

Religious fairy tales should never be respected.

 

Trying to force children to respect such nonsense sounds like indoctrination.

Indoctrination. Oh please!  That area has a high percentage of First Nation and Eyeball may know more. This is an act to demonstrate inclusiveness in the community. It's a shame this woman couldn't accept it for its innocence in sharing cultures. 

[Boges]

42 minutes ago, WestCoastRunner said:

Indoctrination. Oh please!  That area has a high percentage of First Nation and Eyeball may know more. This is an act to demonstrate inclusiveness in the community. It's a shame this woman couldn't accept it for its innocence in sharing cultures. 

Would you feel the same about observing communion in a school? 

[DogOnPorch]

2 minutes ago, Boges said:

Would you feel the same about observing communion in a school? 

Or have Anton LeVay's church come by for a demo? Or Jim Jones? Cultural enrichment.

[WestCoastRunner]

3 minutes ago, Boges said:

Would you feel the same about observing communion in a school? 

If the community had a high presence of Christians then It wouldn't bother me. 

[DogOnPorch]

1 minute ago, WestCoastRunner said:

If the community had a high presence of Christians then It wouldn't bother me. 

Or Satanists?

[WestCoastRunner]

1 minute ago, DogOnPorch said:

Or have Anton LeVay's church come by for a demo? Or Jim Jones? Cultural enrichment.

Give me a break. What a ridiculous argument. 

[DogOnPorch]

Just now, WestCoastRunner said:

Give me a break. What a ridiculous argument. 

Why? Are they, too, religions/cults?

 

Why the discrimination?

[WestCoastRunner]

Just now, DogOnPorch said:

Or Satanists?

Tell me which public school has a high population of satanists. 

[DogOnPorch]

Just now, WestCoastRunner said:

Tell me which public school has a high population of satanists. 

 

So they don't exist? Or are not significant enough for you to NOT discriminate against?

You open the door for one...you open it for all. Unless you have an agenda to spread one certain cult's message.

[cybercoma]

6 minutes ago, DogOnPorch said:

Or have Anton LeVay's church come by for a demo? Or Jim Jones? Cultural enrichment.

Jim Jones, Anton LeVay, those guys have the same historical and cultural place in Canada, yeah? Your comment is alarmist absurdity. 

[cybercoma]

2 minutes ago, DogOnPorch said:

You open the door for one...you open it for all.

No you don't. Don't be ridiculous. The school has to pick and choose what to include in the curriculum and I'm pretty sure Satanists and the People's Temple are pretty far down the list of historically and culturally significant groups in Canada.

[DogOnPorch]

Big whoop-de-doo. Your bias towards other religions/cults is noted.