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  • THURSDAY JANUARY 11 2007 11:00 PM

Not in Our Schools

Submitted by johnnyfu

Edited by erin_broadley

Tags: Schools, Christians

It’s been a while since I’ve been in school, but here’s what I remember of it: school pretty much sucks. Most of the time there’s some teacher all bah-blah-blabity blah about calculus or some shit, and when they do break with the program, it’s for something else just as boring. If I had the chance to watch a critically acclaimed documentary film or practice some semi-trendy deep breathing exercise, I would have been three shades of psyched.

But, judging from two news stories this week, some spoil-sport Christian parent would have ruined it for everybody.

A school board in Washington has put the kibosh on students watching Al Gore’s global warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth because of a complaint from a God fearing parent. Apparently, father of seven Frosty Hardison has little tolerance for deviating from standard school curriculum or a literal interpretation of the Book of Revelations, even though one would think that being named for a beloved cartoon snowman would have made him loosen up years ago.

"Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher," said Frosty Hardison, a parent of seven who also said that he believes the Earth is 14,000 years old. "The information that's being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is ... The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD."


After Hardison sent an email complaint to the school board, the board decided that the film could only be shown if a teacher has permission from their principal and superintendent, and if a "credible, legitimate opposing view” is also presented. Which means, in theory, a school could screen the Kirk Cameron-starring Christian end times film series Left Behind to balance out the lack of rapture-informed content in Mr. Gore’s PowerPoint presentation.

Meanwhile a couple of days ago, a Canadian school anti-obesity program was knocked for an alleged anti-Christian bias. The program included yoga, which Christian parents in Quesnel, British Columbia feel is a religion. One parent objected to how a yoga pose required her child to put their hands together in a prayer-like gesture. Another parent was quoted speaking against yoga in language strikingly similar to that of Robert Mitchum’s evil preacher character in The Night of the Hunter.

"There's God and there's the devil, and the devil's not a gentleman. If you give him any kind of an opening, he will take that."


Thankfully, the school is continuing to teach yoga. Those Canadians really are more sensible. Actually, scratch that. Lately even Christians are more sensible. There’s a growing Christian environmental movement and a series of video tapes about Christian Yoga.

Can’t the cool Christians get together with all the stick-in-the-mud Christians for a three day seminar on how to chill-the-fuck-out?

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motorfirebox

motorfirebox

Pittsburgh, PA
March 2004

JAN 12, 2007 02:12 AM

Hardison's e-mail to the School Board prompted board member David Larson to propose the moratorium Tuesday night.

"Somebody could say you're killing free speech, and my retort to them would be we're encouraging free speech," said Larson, a lawyer. "The beauty of our society is we allow debate."


i like this guy's logic. i'm going to go rob a bank, and then tell everyone that i'm actually not robbing a bank. that will make it true!

Mark_plus_Beer

Mark_plus_Beer

United Kingdom
August 2005

JAN 12, 2007 02:14 AM

Condoms and Al Gore , thats a phrase i never thought i would read eeek

I thought the Inconvenient truth was quite interesting personally

theconservative

theconservative

Spring, TX
October 2004

JAN 12, 2007 03:22 AM

MschfMayhemSoap said:
That would require reason and a SLIGHTY more open mind. Now bear in mind this is CHRISTIANS we're talking bout.
tongue



that's am idiotic thing to say. i realize it's a feeble attempt at humor, but, please think a little bit before you hit that button.

CptPyjama

CptPyjama

United Kingdom
October 2006

JAN 12, 2007 03:48 AM

My dad's friend believes that aliens created the earth and put us here*.

Does that need to be taught in schools now too?


*This is not strictly true. This is what he told the Jehovah's Witnesses so they would blacklist his house and not come back.

MrCrisp

MrCrisp

I'm lost
August 2004

JAN 12, 2007 03:53 AM

theconservative said:

MschfMayhemSoap said:
That would require reason and a SLIGHTY more open mind. Now bear in mind this is CHRISTIANS we're talking bout.
tongue



that's am idiotic thing to say. i realize it's a feeble attempt at humor, but, please think a little bit before you hit that button.


spoken from experience?


what makes this situation worse is that the more radical christians in the country not only continue to permeate our government and force their views on others, but that they also complain about a percieved "persecution" when things don't go their way. what's even worse is that they're offering a hypocritical response: that others need to respect their beliefs, but that they need not respect the beliefs of others. even, the radical christians' beliefs are not exactly "christian" to begin with. they're more interested in everything but the whole "jesus christ and his teachings" thing.

if they want their children to learn an alternative viewpoint than what is being taught in public schools they can do it themselves.

quagmirething

quagmirething

I'm lost
June 2005

JAN 12, 2007 03:55 AM

I wonder what a credible counter argument would be. The people who say the ice isn't melting and that CO2 has nothing to do with temperature may be argumentative but they tend to have simply not looked at the facts. It's been said Gore over dramatizes things, but addressing that is really qualifying rather than countering.

Conservatives seem to be grouping around the idea that it's true to some degree, but that it's not practical to do anything about it. So I guess that would have to be it. "Look children, here's what'll happen if we don't change what we are doing", countered with "It can't be stopped. It will be the world's poor who suffer most, so make sure that's not you."

Johnny_Flapjacks

Johnny_Flapjacks

Williamsport, PA
September 2006

JAN 12, 2007 03:56 AM

Yoga??? Silly Christians..... EVERYBODY knows the god damned pilates are the work of the anti-christ..... and don't even get me started on Atkins..... Fucking devil worshipping diet!!! CARBS FOR CHRIST!!!!!!! oh yeah, and snowmen too! Global warming melts the snowmen.... its practicly a crucifiction. Move over jews, here come the mother fucking greenhouse gasses!!!

zyryx

zyryx

Tyler, TX
April 2004

JAN 12, 2007 04:42 AM

MrCrisp said:

theconservative said:

MschfMayhemSoap said:
That would require reason and a SLIGHTY more open mind. Now bear in mind this is CHRISTIANS we're talking bout.
tongue



that's am idiotic thing to say. i realize it's a feeble attempt at humor, but, please think a little bit before you hit that button.


spoken from experience?


what makes this situation worse is that the more radical christians in the country not only continue to permeate our government and force their views on others, but that they also complain about a percieved "persecution" when things don't go their way. what's even worse is that they're offering a hypocritical response: that others need to respect their beliefs, but that they need not respect the beliefs of others. even, the radical christians' beliefs are not exactly "christian" to begin with. they're more interested in everything but the whole "jesus christ and his teachings" thing.

if they want their children to learn an alternative viewpoint than what is being taught in public schools they can do it themselves.



+10,000. fucking christians... when the backlash comes, remember, you brought it on yourselves.

Roaring_Tulips

roaring_tulips

Jacksonville, FL
April 2006

JAN 12, 2007 04:54 AM

I already was in a mood to smack someone, now I've got it narrowed to down to Fundamentalist Christians.

el_duderino2

el_duderino2

Kyrgyzstan
April 2006

JAN 12, 2007 05:03 AM

At our school we made all the year 10s see the film. School is a place where students should develop their critical faculties, that means being exposed to many different points of view.
Oh well, lets just watch Life of Brian instead... it hasn't got anything to do with global warming but... oh hang on...

Ascanius

Ascanius

USA
October 2006

JAN 12, 2007 05:04 AM

I have to say, I concur with the Christians on the whole Yoga thing, but for a very different reason. Yoga is not just a fitness regime. It is, and I quote dictionary.com "a school of Hindu philosophy advocating and prescribing a course of physical and mental disciplines for attaining liberation from the material world and union of the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle."

My problem is not with children being exposed to religions and cultures that are not their own, but the idea of "Christian Yoga" seems to me to do a great disservice to yoga's Hindu origins. Yoga is a path towards Brahma-hood. It is a sacred practice. It is not, or should not be, a substitute for dodgeball. This is my problem with the whole Western yoga movement, though. If you're looking for enlightenment in a Hindu context then yoga away, but if you want a good stretch then I guess 'pilates' is the way to go.

Roaring_Tulips

roaring_tulips

Jacksonville, FL
April 2006

JAN 12, 2007 05:08 AM

Ascanius said:
I have to say, I concur with the Christians on the whole Yoga thing, but for a very different reason. Yoga is not just a fitness regime. It is, and I quote dictionary.com "a school of Hindu philosophy advocating and prescribing a course of physical and mental disciplines for attaining liberation from the material world and union of the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle."

My problem is not with children being exposed to religions and cultures that are not their own, but the idea of "Christian Yoga" seems to me to do a great disservice to yoga's Hindu origins. Yoga is a path towards Brahma-hood. It is a sacred practice. It is not, or should not be, a substitute for dodgeball. This is my problem with the whole Western yoga movement, though. If you're looking for enlightenment in a Hindu context then yoga away, but if you want a good stretch then I guess 'pilates' is the way to go.



I gotta agree with you on that. I used to do yoga everyday, but more to give me that time everyday to be spiritually aware. It DID help me lose a few pounds and give me more energy during the day, but that's just icing on the cake. I don't do it now, because I keep getting interrupted by my children and that defeats the purpose.

Max16Characters

Max16Characters

Korea, Republic Of
March 2003

JAN 12, 2007 05:56 AM

It's stories like these that make me fear to become a teacher.

I'd also like to know when it became a requirement for school administrators to haave their balls removed prior to assuming office.

mingol

mingol

Singapore
July 2005

JAN 12, 2007 06:11 AM

"Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher."



I don't recall Jesus being a schoolteacher, either.

Chainlink

Chainlink

Key West, FL
August 2005

JAN 12, 2007 07:15 AM

Ut oh Frosty !

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