Monday, April 18, 2011

Spring Spheres? Truth from the Mouths of Babes

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Next weekend is Good Friday and Easter. Coupled with Christmas, these three days represent the most holy and important events in Christianity... the virgin birth, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This week, I want to share several important cultural and spiritual aspects to the days of this coming week.

This year "Earth Day" is on Good Friday. It has been described by some religious leaders as "profound coincidence," "a Providential Convergence" and "a collision."

It is really none of the above. It is as The Daily Caller has reported, a day when, "Two of the worlds holiest religious holidays are set to fall on the same day"--April 22, 2011.

Good Friday and Earth Day. They are both religious holidays. I will explain tomorrow.

But first lets take another quick look at the "Spring Spheres" issue. Most of you have heard about it, however it's worth repeating and is important to where we pick up in tomorrow's blog.

Sixteen year old Jessica told Dori Monson on Seattle's KIRO radio, that when she presented the idea to fill little plastic eggs with treats and jelly beans and other candy for some third graders, their public school teacher said she could do it, "As long as I called this treat 'Spring Spheres' . I couldn't call them Easter eggs," she said.

She decided to "just roll with it" rather than create an issue.

"But," she told Dori, "When I took them out of the bag, the teacher said, 'Oh, look, Spring Spheres' and all the kids were like, 'wow' Easter eggs. So the kids knew."

Indeed they do know. Out of the mouths of babes...

The Seattle PI's "Seattle's Big Blog" is now questioning whether or not this actually happened. That's what they do in matters like this. "The Stranger" has piled on as well.

I have been interviewed by Dori Monson. He is bright. And he knows what he is doing. I don't believe he would have interviewed Jessica had he not been comfortable with her story.

The PI has published comments and a statement from the School Board. The Board said they were unaware of the incident, then released the following statement:

"We have a 'Religion and Religious Accommodation' policy, approved by the School Board in 1983, stating that 'no religious belief or non-belief should be promoted by the school district or its employees, and none should be disparaged.'"

Two things to take away.

First, will chickens and factory workers need sensitivity training? There is a risk that some chickens may lay and workers may manufacture eggs rather than spheres in the weeks preceding Easter and unknowingly contribute to children having Easter Eggs rather than Spring Spheres, some of which could end up in the classroom. Who then is responsible? The chicken or the egg? Or the child? Or the factory worker?

Secondly. The School Board is violating its own policy. It is indeed promoting a religious belief. School districts across the country will be promoting certain religious beliefs this week and do so throughout the school year.

I will explain tomorrow.

Be Vigilant. Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Prayerful. Be Blessed
________
Gary Randall
President
Faith and Freedom

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