Tuesday, June 10, 2008

News from Irmo: School Board postpones decision regarding GSA

Yesterday, a commentator asked about the situation in Irmo regarding the GSA.

I have gotten news that the school board has postponed their decision regarding curricular and non-curricular clubs:

Lexington-Richland 5 trustees postponed a vote on a controversial plan to add more regulations to noncurricular student clubs.

The proposal would add stringent rules to such clubs, including requiring parental consent for participation, banning those clubs from fundraising on school campuses and prohibiting clubs from using the school’s name.

The board is expected to take up the measure again June 23.

Eddie Walker, principal of District 5’s Irmo High School, said last month he would step down at the end of the next school year because a planned Gay-Straight Alliance club conflicts with his beliefs and religious convictions.

Officials had said the district couldn’t stop the alliance from forming because federal law prohibits discriminating against a club based on its purpose.


At first glance, I don't think this is a bad thing. The postponement gives area lgbt groups more time to educate the community on the importance of GSAs.

And I have a feeling that they will take advantage of the opportunity.


The audacity of nonsense

Now that Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee for president, all of the mess is coming out of the woodwork.

From emphasizing his middle name to calling him the Anti-Christ to overanalyzing his fistbump with wife Michelle, too many people are obviously demonstrating that they have too much time on their hands.

But this article from One News Now takes the cake:

Televangelist Bill Keller, founder of an interactive Christian website, says while only God knows the hearts of men, he has his doubts about Barack Obama's claims of being a Christian.

Keller is the founder of Liveprayer.com. Last year the evangelist challenged former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's claim to be a Christian, due to the fact that he was a member of the Mormon Church, which holds beliefs in opposition to orthodox Christianity. Now Keller is questioning Obama's Christian credentials, based on some statements the Illinois senator has made.

"A lot of the things that he is saying really call into question whether he really is a Christian," says Keller, offering up as an example Obama's statement that there are many roads that lead to God. "He has consistently been on record that he's willing to give away part of the land that God himself gave to the children of Israel directly to their enemies," he adds.

A campaign brochure titled "Faith. Hope. Change." describes Senator Obama as a "committed Christian" who visited a local church one Sunday, "felt a beckoning of the spirit and accepted Jesus Christ into his life." But Keller says Obama has views on social issues that most evangelicals regard as unbiblical.

"He has consistently voted to uphold a woman's right to kill babies," Keller points out. "He has consistently voted to support the gay agenda, gay 'marriage,' gay adoption, special rights for gays."


So apparently to Keller, the only true Christianity is the one he pushes. No discussion, no nothing.

And so many Christians like Keller wonder why folks think of them as self-righteous and overreaching.

I keep hearing that there is a problem with the perception of Christianity in this country. If this is true, then people like Keller is the problem.

There seems to be more than a personal belief going on here. Too many Christians in this country have an incorrect sense of entitlement. Not only that, but this sense of entitlement seems to be consistently stroked by people like James Dobson, Pat Robertson and the last James Kennedy.

"This is a Christian nation," they say. "This country needs to get back to its Biblical foundation."

Translation - "This is our country. The rest of you Godless people, especially you homosexuals, are here because we let you be here. You exist at our pleasure and you are overstepping your bounds."

I never knew Christianity was about having power and a sense of entitlement.

I thought Christianity was a belief in the goodness and mercy of God.

Of course I'm probably going get responses about "loving the sin and hating the sinner," or "God has rules for us to follow."

That's all well and good. But historically when people took it upon themselves to "enforce God's rules," the world ended up with lots of chaos and death.

Christianity, like all religions in their true and uncorrupted forms, teaches us that no matter how bad things get, we are the children of a living God who will never leave us. Everything else, especially interpretations of Biblical verses, is ballast.

At least, that's what I believe. Apparently I was wrong.

Whatever you do, don't tell my mother. She would be crushed to know that what she taught me is incorrect.

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Let us pray that Lexington School District #5 recognizes that something needs to be done about the fact there are GLBT teenagers that need support.

I still don't know if this is the first such club in a public school in South Carolina. Does anyone know?

I will admit that I was not harassed in high school. I just thought I was the only homosexual in my school.

BlackTsunami said...

According to GLSEN(The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), there are 16 GSAs in South Carolina.

I didn't know that.

Unknown said...

If there are that many in South Carolina, why can't those schools and school districts give some input to help the board members of Lexington #5?

I would be interesting if "The State" would do a story as to these clubs impact.

BlackTsunami said...

I can only hope that the board members will solicit their opinions.

From what I'm reading though, it seems that the board was ready to put restrictions on the GSA. I think the threat of a lawsuit may have scared them.

Anonymous said...

Televangelist Bill Keller, founder of an interactive Christian website, says while only God knows the hearts of men, he has his doubts about Barack Obama's claims of being a Christian.

I think that statement alone proves your theory about "Christian entitlement." Keller freely admits that judging the hearts of men is the job of God alone, he still feels entitled to put out his own opinion on the matter. Can a clearer example of audacity be found?

Unknown said...

Where is the leadership in the South Carolina public school education system that understands the problems confronted by GLBT teenagers? The threat of lawsuits should not even have to be considered. They know the right thing to do.

Lexington County is changing. Jake Knotts is in a runoff with Ms. Shealy. Someone needs to get a photograph of Knotts Senate office with all the Confederate flags. I still can't believe that "The State" endorsed Knotts.

BlackTsunami said...

I think that battle has a lot to do with opposing or favoring private school vouchers. apparently that's why the governor has been pushing Knotts's opponent.

Anonymous said...

Well, there IS something you can do about it. The school board says it wants input from the public on this, and students have been circulating emails asking people to write letters to the board. The email that's going around, with mailing addresses for all the board members, talking points, and a model letter has now been posted at the ACLU's blog here.

Unknown said...

Anynomous, I don't think I need talking points, but I do appreciate the links to the addresses of the board members.

Unknown said...

I read "The State" editorial that supported Jake Knotts. Frankly, it listed more reasons not to vote for Jake Knotts than the one that the editorial mentioned. Today I grabbed a copy of this week's Free Times newspaper and read one opinion writer that questioned the sanity of Brad Wharten. I will have to agree with that opinion writer.

I am heartened that the Free Times is well distributed in Lexington County. Every Lexington County District #5 board member should be required to read it along with "Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters". If the board members can read.

BlackTsunami said...

LOL. you are so kind, charles. Thanks ;p