All this fuss over candy canes

I love candy canes — the look of them on Christmas trees and the feeling I get when I can hand some out to little kids during the holiday season.

The sweet treat has apparently caused a ruckus in Michigan and the flap has now gone all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Religion News Service reported that the court was asked on Monday to consider whether a fifth-grade student’s religious expression on a classroom project can be considered “offensive” and subject to censorship by school officials.

According to the news service’s story, in December 2003 Joel Curry (who was 11 at the time) made candy cane-style Christmas ornaments with a note that officials at his school considered religious literature. The note was titled “The Meaning of the Candy Cane” and referred to Jesus six times and God twice.

The news service reported that Joel copied the message from an ornament at a Christian bookstore. He is now a sophomore at Heritage High School in Saginaw, Mich.

“It’s unfortunate it has to be pushed this far,” his father, Paul Curry to RNS. “When children step out in the world, they have to deal with different faiths and religions. It’s a good way for teachers to educate students as long as no one is proselytizing or pushing it down someone’s throat.”