More Religious Insanity

[Peter]

Va. School Board OKs Keeping Bible Classes

Tue Feb 15, 9:33 AM ET U.S. National - AP


"STAUNTON, Va. - Public elementary schools will continue to allow Bible classes during class time while the local school board conducts a one-year review to determine if criticism of the practice by some parents is valid.

Several hundred people attended the school board meeting Monday, with many standing and applauding the 5-1 decision to begin the review while continuing religious classes, a tradition in Staunton and some other rural Virginia school districts for more than 60 years.

"My conscience tells me this community needs this program, and we need to keep it," board member Angie Whitesell said.

In the Weekday Religious Education program, first-, second- and third-graders go to nearby churches for Bible classes during school hours.

Some parents had asked the board to eliminate or modify the program, saying children who choose not to go are stigmatized and lose valuable class time.

The Supreme Court ruled decades ago that the classes do not violate the separation of church and state because they are held away from school premises."



I remember as a child, once attending a day camp in our neighborhood that had us attend daily church services as part of the program. My mother complained to the camp, and a counselor took a couple of us children aside, and said that we were to be excused from the daily church services because our parents had complained of the practice. I remember the counselor turning to me and saying, that this particularly applied to me because I was Jewish. He did not say it in a nice way. Talk about stigmatizing. The remainder of my time at that camp was pure Hell, as the other kids tormented me without stop. What is the school board thinking? How can being asked to be excused from bible classes not be seen as a source of stigma for the child? As in the case of intersex children, we really need social change that recognizes that children should not be pawns in hands of intolerant people.

Peter

[RGMCjim]

Peter,
My son is multi-racial, adopted, gay, and handicapped. I'm handicapped and intersexed. Tim's daughter is severly handicapped and Tim is gay and big. Between the 4 of us I think we've experienced every kind of intollerance there is. You're so right. We need to kick the darkness until it bleeds daylight.

Jim

[Dana Gold]

If one thinks Bible lessons in school is "forcing an issue"......check out the link below and an excerpt from it (pertaining to health care providers) in Michigan;

Sec. 5.
(1) A health care provider may assert as a matter of conscience an objection to providing or participating in a health care service that conflicts with his or her sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.

Sec. 2. (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, a health facility may refuse to provide or participate in a health care service that violates an ethical, moral, or religious principle reflected in its articles of incorporation, bylaws, or an adopted mission statement.


http://www.consciencelaws.org/Proposed-Conscience-Laws/USA/PLUSA04b.html


Similar proposals/laws are "in the works" here in California and other states (who already have "moral objection" statutes that are currently limited to abortions, "morning-after" pills (also in rape cases), and contraceptives.

Theoretically, "sexual minorities" may be withheld treatment by conscientious objector medical personnel in "applicable instances" (homo/transphobia)...not that it hasn't happened to many (surreptiously) already....I've been refused to having been seen by doctors on 2 ocassions, 3 years ago)....however, it would then be legal to do so.....but then for said "sexual minorities"...it would be detrimental for them to see such "caretakers" anyway (as it was for me 3 yrs ago...and why I felt compelled to not only change PCP, but also medical group altogether.)

Dana :pizza:

[RGMCjim]

I almost prefer Doctors having a right to refuse to treat GLBTI people. At least that way we have half a chance of not being treated by a phobic Physician who doesn't have our best interest at heart but can't get out of treating us. Our GLBTI Community Center has kept a list of "safe" professionals of all kinds for years. It's necessary.
I didn't get a decent medical evaluation for what my body contains and what I need until I was 44 because my past experience made me terrified. When I finally asked for it my Primary opened my file and pulled out a referal he'd kept for years just waiting for me to get up the guts. He'd done his homework in finding someone right for me. I got fantastic care, but it didn't happen by accident. Last year I had to leave my dentist because he had hired a hygenist who was so homophobic she refused to treat me. God knows what she'd have been like if she knew I'm intersexed.
Many gender/sex variant people have lost their lives to phobic medical professionals. The one that shocked me the most was a transwoman in New York (NYC!!!!!!! Queer people aren't exactly rare in NYC!!) who was critically injured in a car accident and when the EMT's cut away her clothing they stopped treating her and let her bleed to death.
Every year Dignity/Integrity has a special service during "Remember Our Dead" week. I just joined an Episcopal Church whose new Rector is gay and partnered. The congregation is planning a special mass, as is every other Episcopal Church in Rochester. Rochester has a lot of welcoming congregations of many denominations and an Interfaith Coalition of Churches who are countering anti-GLBTI persecution done in the name of Christ. While there are a lot of Pseudo-Christians attacking anyone who isn't one of them there are also fed-up denominations who are sick of religion being abused this way and are doing something about it. Thank God.

Jim

[Dana Gold]

there are also fed-up denominations who are sick of religion being abused this way and are doing something about it. Thank God.

I, too, am grateful for such. My current dentist is a very devout Christian. I have told him what and who I am, and he has not only accepted me whole-heartedly, but also treats me kindly and graciously. After one lengthy and difficult (surgical extraction) procedure, he gave me some roses from his lobby vase and a big hug for being "brave and patient"... This is a good man and human being. :star:

And no, we are not having an affair.....I wouldn't mind it, though :wink_smil

Dana :tounge_sm

[Dana Gold]

Although this is good news from good people; what impact it will have is debatable:

Excerpt from link below:

Washington D.C. The National Religious Leadership Roundtable today rejected Pope John Paul II’s statement in his recently-published book calling equal civil marriage rights for same-sex couples "part of a new ideology of evil.
..........................snip..................................

"If same-sex marriage qualifies as part of 'a new ideology of evil,' then the world is in far better shape than I thought," said Catholic theologian and National Religious Leadership Roundtable member Mary Hunt, Co-director of Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER). "Marriage, whether in a same-sex or opposite-sex context, is a celebration of love and commitment, fidelity and family, and all desirable aspects of common life. Poverty, greed, war, and ecological destruction would better fit the Pope's category of 'evil' and be more worthy of his scrutiny. In a world full of such evil, the power of same-sex love is a refreshing antidote."

http://www.thetaskforce.org/media/release.cfm?releaseID=794

Dana

[RGMCjim]

Fundamentalist pseudo-Christians have co-opted the word "Christian". They aren't entitled to have exclusive use of that word. Or, in the immortal words of Rev. Janie Spahr, "We must be talking about a different God. Mine is the God of Love." (out-lesbian Presbyterian minister who was called to Pastor at a large church in Rochester only to be trounced by the Presbytery and eventually started the organization; "That All May Freely Serve").

Check out this website - www.soulforce.org I promise, you'll love what you see and the word "Christian" won't sound like a synonym for "shit head" as much.

Jim C.

[Betsy]

Soulforce is a great organization for those who see and get past the madness of the ones who use their religion as a weapon of hurt.

They are also good supporters of the intersex movement.

Thanks for sharing the link, Jim.

Betsy