LETTER : Christian Christmases need Santa - and cribs
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.From Mrs J. M. Challender
Sir: It will be a sad day for Christianity when the nativity play is "suppressed", as the Rt Rev Dr David Jenkins suggests it should be (Another View; "Separating the nativity from the naivety", 18 December)
As an infant teacher who has staged the nativity play more times than I would care to remember, I know that for very many children this is possibly the most enduring and objective piece of teaching about Christianity that they will ever receive.
I, and countless teachers like myself, go to great lengths to put the birth of Jesus in an historical context, and even very young children are capable of understanding that it was a real event, that it took place in a country far away, and that it is this event that we celebrate each Christmas.
They are able to understand in a remarkably mature way concepts such as angels being symbolic message-bearers from God, and in their own mysterious way they are able to differentiate between pure fantasy - as in the tooth fairy - and reality. Abolish nativity plays and you take away the last vestige of a meaningful Christmas from the young children of society. It would appear that there are a good many clergy who have little understanding of young children and who certainly underestimate both their need for fantasy and their capability of understanding difficult concepts.
Yours faithfully,
Julia Challender
Petham,
Kent
18 December
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments