Wiccan refuses to sing

Burn the witch, burn her, burn her… No wait, wrong era.

Wiccan Katarina Keen refuses to sing “Silent Night” or “Listen to the Stars” at her Christmas concert at Borger High School. I think it’s pissed a few Texans off.

Students began preparing in October for the concert in Borger, and Katarina said Miller had planned for the choir to sing Christian songs. She and her mother, Jean Keen, told Miller she couldn't sing those songs because she's Wiccan.

The Keens also have raised concerns this year about prayers in class and a prayer board posted in the choir room.

Miller said he gave students permission to lead prayers in class Mondays, at their request. The prayer board was a student-led activity, he said. Miller revamped the concert to include a wider variety of secular songs for the holiday season.

Common sense says don’t make the Wiccan kid sing Christian Christmas songs. Of course common sense also says have an inclusive holiday concert, prohibit prayers in the classroom, and do away with the “Prayer Board.” But common sense is missing in Texas, it has been missing for a long time.

Choir directory Johnny Miller doing his best to teach the Christian origins of choir, but those damn Wiccans keep interfering.

"Choral music has its roots in the church. In order to teach it accurately, you have to teach it from whence it came," Miller said. "I teach the foundation or the building blocks so these students can go out with a well-rounded foundation in choral music."

Really? you must teach about religion in order to teach kids to sing? Are you being honest?

Some school districts have staged concerts that mirror a church service, while others have excluded religious content entirely, Haynes said. Either scenario can result in conflict, the former creating a potential issue with the First Amendment and the latter producing a community backlash.

So if you sing secular songs the Christians protest and if you sing Christian songs, the ACLU gets involved? What happens when you include interfaith music? Oh wait… I’m pretty sure you don’t do that.

The better solution is to make a "good-faith attempt" to teach religious material in the context of discussing cultures and traditions, being careful not to promote a particular theology, Haynes said. Schools also should provide a reasonable, limited opt-out policy that is specific to certain songs or a lesson, he said.

Children get our your bibles. We are going to have a good faith discussion on the origin of Silent Night. Oh hell…  you don’t need the bible to tell that story unless you are trying to teach what the song is about? Do you do that? Do you teach what Silent Night is about? What about Jingle Bells?

Make no mistake, Johnny Miller is a Baptist fundie. I picked this jewel off his choir’s myspace page.

(Johnny Miller) is saddened again today. Get ready Borger, Christmas is soon going to be Xmas! Christians AWAKE and put on the whole armor of God cause satan is rid'n high. We must tolerate other ideologies, but when it comes to our faith, there is no toleration. Ironic since it was our faith and belief in God that allowed others to do their thing under "freedon[sic] of religion."

How can Katarina expect a level playing field in an environment where her choir director is a raving fundie? What if Katarina were an atheist?

As usual, the comments are gold.

…I hear no mention in the story of the fathers feelings on this matter, only that of the mom and daughter. That is where the photo should have casted shot of, rather than dragging those poor children into it and dismissing the thoughts of how this story might impact their lives once AGN broke this. SHAME ON YOU AGN!

Who contacted the press anyhow? If you did Mrs. Keen, well shame on you for your lack of compassion towards the remaining children. You must realize the harmful affects your actions would have on your family? Seriously, there is no way they can hide now. I just pray there are compassionate school psychologists on alert, ready to take action and help your children work through the abuse that is about to be unleashed from other children. It is not possible for them to escape this unscathed.

Oh… think of the children!

Other than being disappointed with this family, I am extremly disappointed with the Globe News giving this "story"? front page space.

Maybe this girl will be (one of the virgins) for a martyr someday...

If she won’t sing we kill her!

AspenEmerald. . . . . This is a Free Country. Live wherever you chose BUT don't push your beliefs on me. I am a God Fearing Christian and I believe in the Power,Grace,Mercy and Love of God and I would be more than willing to share my thoughts/experiences on the matter and though I would hope that you would want to join me in my beliefs but if you can't find your way to join me I would do as God tells me to do . . .Stomp the dust from my feet and Move On. On the other hand I would be willing to listen to what you have to say in what you believe but DON'T push your beliefs on me. . . . .Stomp the dust from your feet and Move On,which is something I find rarely happens from those trying to convince me to convert to their way of thinking. These people tend to be like a Pit Bull and won't let me Move On!

How dare she not sing! How dare she push her faith on me! I’m Christian damn you! Now get out of my town!

Those poor girls... they think they are not satan worshipers.. Just another way that satan deceives people! I hope they find the true God before they die or they are going to be very very surprised!

Yep, if you look closely, that dad of hers looks awful Satan like.

I can go on and on. The Texas pan handle appears to be overrun with intolerant nutball fundies. If she were my child I would push to make sure the Christian choir director did not foist his religious beliefs off on her. So, hurray for the underdog and good luck. Of course, you can just opt so close your mouth while everyone else sings. That will work too.

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