Falwell Confidential: Christian Students in the Crosshairs

[meegbear]

http://www.faithandvalues.us

Officials at an Ohio high school have cancelled the appearance of a local rock band because the group’s message is too controversial. No, the band doesn’t emulate Marilyn Manson, promote skin-head philosophies or bite the heads off bats, ala Ozzie Osbourne.

Instead, the band is a Christian group.

Long gone are the days when “McGuffey’s Readers” were used in American public schools to teach respect for biblical values. Today, growing numbers of American school officials have become ACLU converts and are advancing a new brand of religion that has abject secularism at its core.

Christian bands such as Pawn have no place in this Godless school culture (even though one of the members actually attends the Rossford High School). So instead of allowing the band to participate in an anti-drug assembly, the school’s superintendent decided to cancel the entire event. The Toledo Blade reported that the school district’s law firm concluded that the performance of a Christian band “wasn’t appropriate.”

<snip>

In Texas, a teacher discontinued all Christmas celebrations in her classroom and substituted the celebration of Kwanzaa, during which first graders were taught to worship their ancestors.

In Pennsylvania, a principal told a public high school teacher that he could not include religious music in the annual Christmas concert. When the teacher protested, he nearly lost his job.

In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Bible club students were told they could not distribute candy canes to classmates because the candy package included an explanation of the religious origins of the candy cane.

In Illinois, a fourth grader who enjoyed hearing her public school teacher read a book about the origins of Hanukkah was told that the teacher would not read a book about the origins of Christmas.

In Texas, a first grader was informed he could not mention Jesus during a class discussion on the origins of Christmas.

In Tennessee, teachers were told they could not include any religious material in a general holiday decorating theme in their classrooms.

<snip>

In the immortal words of Pink Floyd — and who would have ever thought that Jerry Falwell would quote Pink Floyd? — “We don’t need no thought control.”

<snip>

It's bad enough when he spouts this spew, but to quote Floyd? What an asshole!

[Not_Giving_Up]

1. Raised by fundies, we were always taught that we were

persecuted for our beliefs. (Kinda like "they hate us for our freedoms")....It's not-stop in their world.

Hello...

A religious band has no place in a public school

Public schools should not be teaching the origins of Christmas at all...So, the little first grader shouldn't have been put in that position

I could go on and on

Hey - What was Falwell doing listening to Pink Floyd? He's surely going to hell now!

[wtmusic]

2. They should *let* them read about the origins of Christmas

It was a pagan holiday. Morons.

[DBoon]

6. What the Saturnalia celebrations involved

is maybe something not suited to a first grader! ;)

Of course the same is true of much of the old testament

[enki23]

3. that's right falwell, you fucking criminal prick.

the "we don't need no thought control" is from the point of view of the students, in that song. the reason we're careful about mixing religion with public schooling is precisely that we want to avoid it. the teachers, however, are being paid. they are acting in an official, government paid and sanctioned role. as such, their rights are limited while they are serving their function. at home, they can be christian fucking nutcases. at work, they have to be representatives of a secular state, serving a myriad of different religions and cultures. luckily, as responsible, capable adults they should be able to mostly seperate their work life from the rest of their life, for the benefit of their students.

[da_chimperor]

4. Crosshairs of what?

Fundie delusions of persecution. :puke:

[rkc3]

5. No need for thought control unless it comes from Falwell himself.

[ellie]

7. Hey! I went to Rossford

and I know the board member, Dave Kleeberger. I know him very well because I dated him. He is no angel. When I heard that his son is in a Christian rock band I laughed and laughed. How ironic!

[atommom]

8. They have to keep the illusion of persecution going to energize their

base. If Christians don't see themselves as being at war for the soul of America, they might slip up and become too lenient on those who have different beliefs.

[GOPBasher]

9. Ummmm the school can decide if something is too controversial.

It can be for being like Marolyn Manson or Ozzy Osbourne, or it can be out of fear that it will incite religious hostilities. The separation of church and state is there to prevent those religious hostilities. Some of those things, if true, I might agree with him on. But they're probably lies or distortions. And there are way more cases of non-Christians being discriminated against.

[noamnety]

10. Misrepresentation in the article

It wasn't cancelled because the message was too "controversial" - it was cancelled because it's an illegal use of public funds. There's a difference.

[Love Bug]

11. Falwell is so full of shit his eyes are turning brown

Gotta keep his audience in fear so those donations keep rollin' in!

[guitar man]

12. "Pawn"

what an appropriate band name.

[davidinalameda]

13. how disgusting

isn't Falwell's form of Christianity all about control of action and thought