December 16, 2005

Diversity Has Limits In San Diego

After all, we canÂ’t allow a city festival to be hijacked by Christians mentioning Jesus Christ, can we? Folks might be offended.

At the city's annual holiday celebration, a rabbi lighted a menorah. A dance troupe performed a traditional prayer to the gods.

But six young girls were told they they couldn't perform because they were wearing shirts emblazoned with a silver cross and the words "Jesus Christ" on the front.

The "Jesus Christ Dancers," a group of 8-to-12-year-olds who describe themselves as Christian hip-hop dancers, were scheduled to make their citywide debut at the Dec. 3 holiday festival.

Moments before taking the stage, employees from the city's Parks and Recreation Department barred them from performing, saying they did not want to convey a religious message in the show.

According to the group's dance instructor, Lita Ramirez, the dancers was asked to turn their shirts inside out. The group was also asked if its music had a religious message.

"I told him our music says 'You are my God' and 'We will worship You,'" Ramirez said. "I also said I think it mentions Jesus."

So letÂ’s make it clear what the rules are in this country where most folks are (at least nominally) Christian.

Rabbis lighting menorahs – OK.

Prayer to pagan gods – Acceptable.

Hip-hop music with Christian themes and shirts that mention Jesus – Absolutely not.

After all, it isnÂ’t like Christmas is His birthday.

Posted by: Greg at 08:29 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 I'm not going to bother tracking down the truth on this obviously one-sided story, but it cracks me up that Ramirez is an obvious liar in the service of Christians. I "think the music mentions Jesus". Yeah, right. If the dance director doesn't know better than that, they haven't practiced, and the organizers just kicked them out because they would suck. OR, she's a lying sack of manure. One or the other.

Posted by: Dan at Sat Dec 17 13:32:49 2005 (aSKj6)

2 Obviously one-sided? Really? Out of the local paper in San Diego?

I guess that means you didn't even bother to check out the actual story, in which the city more or less confirms that the incident happened pretty much in the way the dance group and director tell it.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Sat Dec 17 14:20:00 2005 (E4lNa)

3 Whatever. It seems pretty clear that Christianity was celebrated as part of the festival by others. But it's sad that the little girls didn't get to dance. It's also sad that their parents are exposing them to the liar Ramirez, don't you think?

Posted by: Dan at Sat Dec 17 15:30:12 2005 (aSKj6)

4 I don't know that Ramirez is a liar -- but you have already made that decision without, as you explicitly point out, tracking down the facts.

And it does not appear to me that Christianity was celebrated at all as a part of the festival. It seems to me that Christianity was explicitly banned, along with Christ himself.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Sat Dec 17 16:51:17 2005 (HIODl)

5 RWR - here's a quote from your article. "There was a Hawaiian prayer dance that was allowed to perform," Ramirez said. "There was seductive belly dancing and songs saying 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' and 'Little Drummer Boy' and 'Feliz Navidad.'" Of course, if you have concluded, as I have, that Ramires is a lying sack, maybe you didn't believe that.

You also failed to point out that the city has already apologized. Kind of undercuts the poor persecuted Christian thing, huh?

Posted by: Dan at Sat Dec 17 17:03:20 2005 (aSKj6)

6 Tht the city apologiezed is proof that Ramirez is not a liar.

That you won't admit that is proof that you are simply a liberal sack.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Sun Dec 18 02:13:20 2005 (E2BoK)

7 That they were required to turn their shirts inside out proves that the objection was to an explicitly Christian theme, as was the fact that there was concern about the acknowledgement of Jesus as the Christ.

And if you look t the three songs cited, the first contains no reference to Jesus, the second simply refers to "little baby", and the third does not refer to Jesus in any way.

Like i said -- it's not like the Christmas holy day celebrates the birth of Jesus the Christ or anything like that.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Sun Dec 18 02:18:36 2005 (E2BoK)

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