Teachers banned a nine-year-old schoolboy from attending his class Christmas party - because of his lack of religious beliefs.
His parents were told he wasn't welcome at the celebration because they had pulled him out of religious eduction earlier in the year.
Headmaster Ian Davidson said that because the boy had no interest in religion he couldn't celebrate the birth of Christ.
Douglas's mum Dawn Riddell, 38, was furious with the decision. Yesterday she said: "It doesn't make any sense to me.
"I've helped out at the Christmas party before and it's got absolutely nothing to do with Jesus. It's all about the kids getting excited about Santa and enjoying themselves.
"Douglas was heartbroken he couldn't go. It was cruel. There was no reason for him to be excluded."
Once again I feel it falls on me to point out that Christmas is really a celebration that was usurped by the Christian religion and started off to be a pagan festival.
But beyond that we have modified Christmas in this country to be much more inclusive so that even those who do not necessarily believe in the myth of the birth of Jesus can still enjoy the holiday.
It is really the intolerant among us, both Christian and secular, who seem to miss the true magic of the holiday. It does not stem from a connection to God, in my opinion, but to the reminder of the connections between all of us.
It is a time when we celebrate giving and humanity, and for that reason it is my favorite holiday.
And people need to stop fucking it up by insisting that there are those who cannot be included.
I would like to see Christmas, or something like it, opened up so that people of ALL faiths could feel included and respected. Wouldn't it be the greatest holiday ever if Muslims, Christians, Atheists, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Rastafarian's, Pastafarians, Jain's, etc.., could be included?
I mean just think of the number of presents alone!
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