Nativity play / Hilarious correspondence between chaplain and dad

[dafydd]

I found this very amusing.
http://pics.kuvaton.com/bshit/school_play.jpg

[SOdhner]

So, the guy was funny and the chaplain gets points for putting up with it pretty well.

My question, though, is... what the hell? The emails lead me to believe this is a public school with a "School Chaplain"? Does that happen?

[dafydd]

So, the guy was funny and the chaplain gets points for putting up with it pretty well.

My question, though, is... what the hell? The emails lead me to believe this is a public school with a "School Chaplain"? Does that happen?

It does.

[SOdhner]

It does.

Wow. I'm speechless.

[KingMerv00]

The guy is kind of a jerk but funny as hell. The cactus owes me a new keyboard.

[Safe-Keeper]

I always wonder... are any of those exchanges real?
[/party-pooping sceptic]

[The True Scotsman]

Where can I go to see that play about the 15 billion year expansion of the universe? Is the play 15 billion years long? I hope so, otherwise I wouldn't feel like I was getting my money's worth. :p

Seriously though, thumbs up to David. He was hilarious.

[KingMerv00]

David Thorne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Thorne_(writer)) seems to be a real person and has a history of this type of behavior. Could be real.

[jiggeryqua]

Nativity, from the latin (a common enough language in most scientific/medical areas, although also famously used by religionists of various stripes) nativus = 'born'.

A nativity play is performed at christmas. It's not a catch all term for religious playlets.

[KingMerv00]

Nativity, from the latin (a common enough language in most scientific/medical areas, although also famously used by religionists of various stripes) nativus = 'born'.

A nativity play is performed at christmas. It's not a catch all term for religious playlets.

Interesting. Why did you tell us this?

[jiggeryqua]

Interesting. Why did you tell us this?

Because the thread is entitled 'Nativity play' but is about an easter-related production...and this is an educational forum. Consider yourself educated...

[steve s]

From the link...

I've seen the play and it's not indoctrinating anyone.

and later...


While it would be a pity for Seb to miss out on the important message of hope that the story of the resurrection gives,...


I'd call that indoctrination.

Steve S

[dafydd]

Nativity, from the latin (a common enough language in most scientific/medical areas, although also famously used by religionists of various stripes) nativus = 'born'.

A nativity play is performed at christmas. It's not a catch all term for religious playlets.

My mistake.(I hate the phrase ''my bad''.)

[KingMerv00]

Because the thread is entitled 'Nativity play' but is about an easter-related production...and this is an educational forum. Consider yourself educated...

Ah. I knew "nativity play" only referred to the birth of Jesus but I failed to connect that to the fact this is about an Easter play.

[Meadmaker]

So, the guy was funny and the chaplain gets points for putting up with it pretty well.

My question, though, is... what the hell? The emails lead me to believe this is a public school with a "School Chaplain"? Does that happen?

Check the date format at the bottom. The school is not in America. (Presumably it's in Australia, as is the David Thorne that is linked by KingMerv)

My guess is that the email exchange is fictitious, though. Just a guess.

[six7s]

Ah. I knew "nativity play" only referred to the birth of Jesus but I failed to connect that to the fact this is about an Easter play.In catholicism (aka the One True McScottish Church), they're known as 'Passion Plays' - as in Oberammergau (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberammergau_Passion_Play)

The original Permission Slip is on David Thorne's own site at 27bslash6.com/easter (http://www.27bslash6.com/easter.html)- along with a whole nother bunch of great stuff

[SOdhner]

Check the date format at the bottom. The school is not in America. (Presumably it's in Australia, as is the David Thorne that is linked by KingMerv)

Oh, duh. My ethnocentrist self jumped to the unfounded conclusion that this was in the US. Thanks, that makes me feel better. Still awful, but not as shocking.

[Bob Klase]

My mistake.(I hate the phrase ''my bad''.)

I thought maybe you meant Naivety play.

[sgtbaker]

Oh that was a hoot! I have tears in my eyes. Fiction or not, it was worth reading.

[jimtron]

This (http://www.27bslash6.com/easter.html?1) is really funny.

The first letter in a long exchange:
From: David Thorne
Date: Wednesday 10 March 2010 7.12pm
To: Darryl Robinson
Subject: Permission Slip

Dear Darryl, I have received your permission slip featuring what I can only assume is a levitating rabbit about to drop an egg on Jesus.Thank you for pre-ticking the permission box as this has saved me not only from having to make a choice, but also from having to make my own forty five degree downward stroke followed by a twenty percent longer forty five degree upward stroke. Without your guidance, I may have drawn a picture of a cactus wearing a hat by mistake.As I trust my offspring's ability to separate fact from fantasy, I am happy for him to participate in your indoctrination process on the proviso that all references to 'Jesus' are replaced with the term 'Purportedly Magic Jew.'
Regards, David.

[Harpyja]

It's funny, just a bit too combative for my tastes. I like the first post, but not the one thereafter, and the rest I liked. :D

[jimtron]

Yeah, it does get a bit mean, as do other correspondences on that site. But the guy's a really smart, really funny writer.

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

That is hilarious- but the chaplain was absolutely right: if he didn't want his son to see the play, he could and should have just ticked off "no" on the boxes.

And that would have been the end of that.

You almost feel sorry for the poor chaplain, erhm, Christian Volunteer for being messed with for no real reason like that....

[ddt]

That is hilarious- but the chaplain was absolutely right: if he didn't want his son to see the play, he could and should have just ticked off "no" on the boxes.

And that would have been the end of that.

You almost feel sorry for the poor chaplain, erhm, Christian Volunteer for being messed with for no real reason like that....

Well, there were two (technical) reasons from the outset that warranted a reply. First, the already ticked-off box, and secondly, that he called himself "school chaplain". Then, the chaplain's first reply was hypocritical:
I've seen the play and it's not indoctrinating anyone. It's a fun play performed by a great bunch of kids.
whereas the rest of the conversation then clearly shows it is about indoctrination. For instance:
Learning the teachings of the Bible is not just about religion. It teaches a set of ethics that are sadly not taught by parents nowadays.
and
There's an old saying that life without religion is life without beauty.
the chaplain shows his true colours.

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

Good point.

Still, he very easily could have just said "No" and the school and possibly the chaplain would probably have accepted it with no questions asked. They probably exempt irreligious/Muslim/Jewish/other kids all of the time.

Very funny guy, anyway.

[slingblade]

It is hilarious, and I only wish I had opportunity to do the same. :D

[Complexity]

It's funny, just a bit too combative for my tastes. I like the first post, but not the one thereafter, and the rest I liked. :D


They aren't nearly combative enough.

I've got a book by this guy. Very funny.

[Soapy Sam]

I find it a bit childish.
I understand and share his objection to the very presence of this "chaplain" in the school, but he's doing nothing to object to that fact or change it. He's just being a bit of a smug pillock.

Whatever the "chaplain"'s role, he has no obligation to deal with stupid, rude and irrelevant email.

If the writer wants to object to the presence of the chaplain, then the place to do that seems to be at the ballot box, PTA meeting or wherever.

The preticked acceptance box was a bad PR move though.

[SOdhner]

May want to merge:

http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=174205

[Third Eye Open]

I'm pretty sure most of this guys stuff is fake, but it's hilarious anyway.

[sthomson]

I'm pretty sure most of this guys stuff is fake, but it's hilarious anyway.

I'm almost 100% sure it a "satire" AKA fake. The author is a humorist. Perhaps the originating permission slip is real but the rest of it is entirely suspect.

[ddt]

I'm pretty sure most of this guys stuff is fake, but it's hilarious anyway.

I'm not so sure. Look at this one (http://www.27bslash6.com/p2p2.html), where he derides a certain Simon Edhouse. And then read this blog post (http://www.bloggerheads.com/archives/2009/11/simon_edhouse.asp). The fuming of Simon Edhouse, but lack of legal action, suggests me it's true.

[sthomson]

I'm not so sure. Look at this one (http://www.27bslash6.com/p2p2.html), where he derides a certain Simon Edhouse. And then read this blog post (http://www.bloggerheads.com/archives/2009/11/simon_edhouse.asp). The fuming of Simon Edhouse, but lack of legal action, suggests me it's true.

Don't see much evidence either way. Of course Edhouse would not bring legal action if he were, as they say, friends.

Given Thorne's self-reference as a satirist and his history as a troll "for fun", it seems justified to be suspect. For example, could Edhouse be "in on the joke"? If the Internet is a playground, a mock fight is good publicity.

[godless dave]

If real, then I think the chaplain had the snark coming. He claimed the play wasn't about a specific religious message, even though it was about Jesus's resurrection. That's dishonest and manipulative.

[six7s]

You almost feel sorry for the poor chaplain, erhm, Christian Volunteer for being messed with for no real reason like that....I have no such sympathies for wooists...

The permission slip (http://www.27bslash6.com/images/chaplain_letter.jpg) says:During the presentation, the true meaning of Easter will be explained in an entertaining and fun filled play performed by Grange Uniting Church youth drama group

In his first response in this hilarious (and fictional?) exchange, the School Chaplain says:I've seen the play and it's not indoctrinating anyoneIn my opinion, spouting such nonsense suffices as a reason to "mess" with any such 'volunteers'

[Spindrift]

A "fun filled" play about Easter? Easter is about betrayal, torture and death. Sounds like a hoot!

[Damien Evans]

Pikkiwoki, the papua new guinean mud god sounds awesome!