NationStates Jolt Archive

Explain to me why this is offensive. I've seen kids dress up as many things including Pagan deities and Pagans haven't taken offense (or, if they have, they've kept it to themselves)?

http://news.aol.com/article/school-boots-boy-over-jesus-costume/235134?icid=200100397x1211909634x1200756163

It's offensive the same way the Danish Muhammad cartoons were. Because people are silly bastards.

http://koew.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/zoidberg_christ.gif

And I'm his friend Jesus!

Explain to me why this is offensive. I've seen kids dress up as many things including Pagan deities and Pagans haven't taken offense (or, if they have, they've kept it to themselves)?

http://news.aol.com/article/school-boots-boy-over-jesus-costume/235134?icid=200100397x1211909634x1200756163
When minority groups complain of others making light of their beliefs, the majority don't care. That's why you seldom hear pagans complaining about aspects of their faiths being portrayed as comical or evil in pop culture. Or when they do complain, their complaints are laughed at, too.

Seriously, that costume isn't even satirical. It's straight out of an Easter pageant. What's their frigging problem?

It's offensive the same way the Danish Muhammad cartoons were. Because people are silly bastards.
I love it when someone else posts exactly what I had in mind. Love it. :D

That's just ridiculous. I sincerely hope anyone offended by this is equally offended by Christmas pageants and the movie "The Passion of the Christ." Sheesh.

Also, I'd just like to note that in the celebrity photos right underneath this story, this line appeared: "Fashionista extraordinaire Heidi Klum shakes things up as the Hindu Goddess Kali at her New York Halloween bash Friday." Clearly, Hindus should be terribly offended by Heidi Klum. :rolleyes:

He's not dressed up as Jesus; he's dressed up as a carpenter. Carpenters are pretty offensive, I have to admit.

Seriously, that costume isn't even satirical. It's straight out of an Easter pageant. What's their frigging problem?
Where in the story does it say Christians were complaining? It could have been an atheist whining about how someone dressed as Jesus was forcing religion upon him.

Its because people are so fucking hyper sensitive it isn't funny. This is rediculous on so many levels. I MIGHT be able to understand if it was satiracle in nature but its not, its just a costume. If people are gonna get offended by a costume they should be offended by costumes that 'show too much skin' or something like that. I am so sick of humanity these days; people still have this rediculous perception of things we should just start shooting everyone who gets offended.

Heh. I went to a Catholic high school, and when I was a senior on Halloween a kid came to school as Jesus, and he won best costume. :D

But seriously, no reason to be offended.

He's not dressed up as Jesus; he's dressed up as a carpenter. Carpenters are pretty offensive, I have to admit.
Especially when they try to sing. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carpenters)

Explain to me why this is offensive.

Because he wasn't riding a dinosaur.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/172/431306643_528c65a6b3.jpg?v=0

no one said it was offensive. Just that it was distracting to other students.

Edit: The school board did say that some students were offended by it.

I thought Halloween was about being scary, of course dressing as the son of God could be scary I guess :)

This isn't offensive. This is about a school being petty, and a principal on a power trip.

no one said it was offensive. Just that it was distracting to other students.

If I wear a Link costume, and no body knew who Link was, and a few kids asked me, would they send me home?

If I wear a Link costume, and no body knew who Link was, and a few kids asked me, would they send me home?

damned if I know. I DO know that in today age of Political correctness ANYTHING could be construed as offensive.

no one said it was offensive. Just that it was distracting to other students.

How distracting could it possibly be. The typical anglo-centric portrayal of Jesus is about the most common image out there. It may be novel because the kid really pulls it off, but obviously there isn't much novelty since he has drawn comments that he resembles Jesus before.

How distracting could it possibly be. The typical anglo-centric portrayal of Jesus is about the most common image out there. It may be novel because the kid really pulls it off, but obviously there isn't much novelty since he has drawn comments that he resembles Jesus before.

If you were a devout christian it would be offensive. (no likeness of the Lord God, and all that)

If you were a devout christian it would be offensive. (no likeness of the Lord God, and all that)

....


I consider myself a devout christian, and I see no problem with this kid dressing up as Jesus. Where in the world did you get:
(no likeness of the Lord God, and all that)
?

That's just ridiculous. I sincerely hope anyone offended by this is equally offended by Christmas pageants and the movie "The Passion of the Christ." Sheesh.Not to mention those Jesusland theme parks...

....


I consider myself a devout christian, and I see no problem with this kid dressing up as Jesus. Where in the world did you get:

?

Commandment #2.

Thou Shalt not make unto thee any graven image.

Commandment #2.

Thou Shalt not make unto thee any graven image.

How exactly is a Halloween costume a graven image?

If I wear a Link costume, and no body knew who Link was, and a few kids asked me, would they send me home?

That's offensive to elves everywhere, I thoguht you would knwo that! :mad:

I personally thought he did an awesome job on the costume. It really made my day.

That's offensive to elves everywhere, I thoguht you would knwo that! :mad:

I personally thought he did an awesome job on the costume. It really made my day.

Link isn't an elf.

How exactly is a Halloween costume a graven image?

How are stained glass images in churches not graven images?

This forum requires that you wait 30 seconds between posts. Please try again in 2 seconds.

Commandment #2.

Thou Shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
Aside from providing an opening for someone to make a pun about "grave" (and anyone who does so is a terrible person), I don't really see how this could be construed as relevant. 1) This kid isn't graven in any sense of the word; 2) Every church I've ever been in (and I've been in a few) has had at least one picture, stained glass image, mural or statue of Jesus. Catholicism is all about the Crucifix, even, a little graven Jesus you can keep in the house, in the car, on the patio, anywhere good times are found!

And I still have yet to see any proof that for this assumption that Christians were offended or complaining about this costume, rather than atheists, Jews or shaving enthusiasts.

He should have said "I'm not supposed to be Jesus... I'm supposed to be Chuck Norris."

Then proceed to roundhouse kick the shit out of everyone within sight.

:D

Commandment #2.

Thou Shalt not make unto thee any graven image.

Followed of course by Moses being commanded to make several graven images . . .

its terrible because everyone knows Jesus was a black man

also he wasn't in uniform

Followed of course by Moses being commanded to make several graven images . . .

It makes much more sense if you look at the actual wordings of the commandments.

It makes much more sense if you look at the actual wordings of the commandments.

Yeah, isn't the commandment a prohibition against worshipping graven images?

The principal of West Brook Middle School said that the boy was sent home because the costume was disruptive to other students. "Children were [asking], where is the boy who is Jesus Christ?" principal Joan Broe told WCBS-TV. "It was disrupting the education process."
Which is different than any other good costume how? If people arn't asking where you are, it's not a good costume.

Yeah, isn't the commandment a prohibition against worshipping graven images?

The answer would depend on who you are asking. I don't think the number as #2 is set on stone either. :p

The answer would depend on who you are asking. I don't think the number as #2 is set on stone either. :p
#2 like the second commandment - thou shalt bear arms?

Yeah, isn't the commandment a prohibition against worshipping graven images?

That is what its taken as in most western Christian sects, I think eastern orthodox may still say no to any representations of the J-man. The whole iconoclasm thingy.

This isn't offensive. This is about a school being petty, and a principal on a power trip.

I agree with this.

#2 like the second commandment - thou shalt bear arms?

a- = against or not
co- = together

:eek:

Maybe because it was Halloween, and people thought the kid was diminishing Jesus to the ranks of hoboes, witches, and Yoda? I don't know; I think the decision to send him home was pretty silly.
"Children were [asking], where is the boy who is Jesus Christ?"
Is it just me, or does this sound like a line straight out of the Gospels?

This isn't offensive. This is about a school being petty, and a principal on a power trip.

power trips are the best kind of trip.

This isn't offensive. This is about a school being petty, and a principal on a power trip.

That and the constant worry over image and especially LIABILITY. Schools have been ridiculously paranoid about lawsuits for about the last 30 years or more. They send the kid home, they risk liability from one family. They let him stay, they risk liability from an unknown number of families, but it's more than one, so the petty response wins. That's administrative calculus when it comes to free expression in schools -- the decision will be made based on the number of those likely to sue. It's sad, but it's reality.

If you were a devout christian it would be offensive. (no likeness of the Lord God, and all that)

Uh, no. The Jehova's Witnesses (who seem to have no problem using God's name) are fanatical about not worshiping graven images. They don't salute the flag, do birthdays, and on and on. Ridiculous, but faith is a funny thing.

Commandment #2.

Thou Shalt not make unto thee any graven image.

Uh...ever been to a church, a Christmas or Easter pageant?

Aside from providing an opening for someone to make a pun about "grave" (and anyone who does so is a terrible person), I don't really see how this could be construed as relevant. 1) This kid isn't graven in any sense of the word; 2) Every church I've ever been in (and I've been in a few) has had at least one picture, stained glass image, mural or statue of Jesus. Catholicism is all about the Crucifix, even, a little graven Jesus you can keep in the house, in the car, on the patio, anywhere good times are found!

And I still have yet to see any proof that for this assumption that Christians were offended or complaining about this costume, rather than atheists, Jews or shaving enthusiasts.

Agreed. As in my first paragraph in this post, the school was covering its ass.

a- = against or not
co- = together

:eek:

Close.

"Amend" comes, through French, from the Latin "emendare", which is the prefix "ex-" ("out of") with the "x" elided for pronunciation + "menda/mendum", meaning "a fault" (seen in words like "mendacious" or "mendacity").

The prefix in "commandment" is "con-", which means "with", "together", "or sometimes "very". The "n" elides to "m", again for ease of pronunciation (common in most words that have double letters with prefixes). Add to that the Latin base "mandare", which means "commit" or "entrust" (you can see that root in "mandate"). Some dictionaries see "com-" as an intensifier prefix, but it never showed up in the etymology courses I took back when I was going to be a cunning linguist.

Maybe because it was Halloween, and people thought the kid was diminishing Jesus to the ranks of hoboes, witches, and Yoda? I don't know; I think the decision to send him home was pretty silly.

Is it just me, or does this sound like a line straight out of the Gospels?

Ooh, good thought! I always found it odd that there was little or nothing written about Jesus after Bethlehem. We pretty much don't see him again until he's out doing is thing as Prophet and Savior.

Hector Berlioz wrote L'enfance du Christ, which had a little more to say about the infant Jesus being left with the charpantier family in Egypt, but nothing about his days in junior high, when he'd walk on the streams from water fountains for a goof.

Close.

"Amend" comes, through French, from the Latin "emendare", which is the prefix "ex-" ("out of") with the "x" elided for pronunciation + "menda/mendum", meaning "a fault" (seen in words like "mendacious" or "mendacity").

The prefix in "commandment" is "con-", which means "with", "together", "or sometimes "very". The "n" elides to "m", again for ease of pronunciation (common in most words that have double letters with prefixes). Add to that the Latin prefix "mandare", which means "commit" or "entrust" (you can see that root in "mandate"). Some dictionaries see "com-" as an intensifier prefix, but it never showed up in the etymology courses I took back when I was going to be a cunning linguist.

Yeah.. I really should learn how to use those smilies correctly.

People are suprised that Christians are getting special treatment?

Ooh, good thought! I always found it odd that there was little or nothing written about Jesus after Bethlehem. We pretty much don't see him again until he's out doing is thing as Prophet and Savior.

Hector Berlioz wrote L'enfance du Christ, which had a little more to say about the infant Jesus being left with the charpantier family in Egypt, but nothing about his days in junior high, when he'd walk on the streams from water fountains for a goof.
There's some apocryphal books of the Bible, and Anne Rice wrote that Jesus book.
Most of that stuff isn't very common, because secular people don't want to read about Jesus and the really religious don't want to read about Jesus getting his first erection or throwing a friend off the roof.

OK, a more careful reading does show that the principal did not specify that the few students he says complained were themselves religious, so even though I personally think it is likely that this is the case, it will be more correct to say that we don't know that.

What I get most strongly from the story is the principal complaining that the costume was disruptive, but that begs another question, to wit: If this school is not willing to tolerate a little disruption to the learning process on Halloween, why do they allow kids to come to class in costume?

This is starting to read like another adult being a Halloween-douche.

And the kid does make a great Jesus.

That is what its taken as in most western Christian sects, I think eastern orthodox may still say no to any representations of the J-man. The whole iconoclasm thingy.

Um... The Russian and Greek orthodox churches are the ones that DO use icons.

Face it, there is no Christian prohibition against images of God or Jesus. The Orthodox churches venerate icons, and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is not sacreligious.

power trips are the best kind of trip.

I always prefered trips down stairs.

Ooh, good thought! I always found it odd that there was little or nothing written about Jesus after Bethlehem. We pretty much don't see him again until he's out doing is thing as Prophet and Savior.

Well IIRC we do hear from him when he is a child (or at least not an adult as his parents came back looking for him) and is discussing religious themes with elders in the temple.

I always prefered trips down stairs.

*trips SaintB down a flight of stairs*

You're Welcome.

*trips SaintB down a flight of stairs*

You're Welcome.
The technical term for that is a "Whoopsy-daisy" (alternately, just Whoopsie or Whoopsy or woopsy). Now, if you had thrown him, it would have been a "First Degree Man Slaughter" down the stairs.

The technical term for that is a "Whoopsy-daisy" (alternately, just Whoopsie or Whoopsy or woopsy). Now, if you had thrown him, it would have been a "First Degree Man Slaughter" down the stairs.

And then you ask them why they didn't send you a postcard.