Thursday, December 05, 2013

Bainbridge Is. School Investigates Potential Christian Activity

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Seattle's KING 5 News is reporting, "Some parents were kept in the dark about youth pastors volunteering at a public school on Bainbridge Island, WA."

"Concerns," says KING 5, "from parents at Woodward Middle School led to the school district hiring an investigator."

This week the findings were released and made public.

And were discussed at a special School Board study session Tuesday.


KING 5 reports the controversy began months ago when parents noticed the men on campus.

Dawn Weber told KING 5, "We knew they weren't staff and we knew they weren't parents."

It turned out, the men were youth pastors from local churches. One was a Young Life leader.

Joe Weber told KING 5, "Where was the rabbi in the group? Where was the Scientologist in the group? There were three Evangelical pastors."

But was the concern merely about diversity?

Others who attended the meeting this week said the situation has led to the three men being treated unfairly, especially on social media.

One parent said, "Comments and threads that were accusatory, biased and misleading have made me very sad."

Another person stood at the meeting and said, "I've heard all the people that have said we want to keep volunteers, but not Christian ones. I want to warn us not to go there."

But we are going there on many fronts.

A growing, well funded, often militant, group of activists are not just working to remove religious symbols from the public square of America, but to silence Christians and punish them when they share their faith.

We have seen extraordinary efforts to silence Christians in public education, sports and the US military.

Where censorship cannot be enforced by so-called "separation of church and state" or the enforcement of some law or policy, it is mocked and ridiculed and defined by the most pejorative term.

Proselytizing.

So what did the paid investigation turn up?

The report re-states that the youth pastors were told not to discuss religion on campus.

The investigation found 2 "violations."

One was with a new student at the school and the other was when a student (who also attends the pastor's church) asked him a religious question while on school property.

The investigation found that the youth pastors had invited some students to off campus religious activities.

However, KING 5 summed it up with this:

"On the whole, youth pastors volunteering in the lunch room did not use their time and access to promote religion or convert students to their faith."

Every parent understands the need to know who is on their child's campus.

But why are some so aggressively opposed to any kind of Christian expression in a nation that was founded upon, and been blessed by, Judeo-Christian principles and values?

Much is being written and said about this issue.

Huffington Post, a far left publication, has written a great deal on the subject. In their article, "Christian Proselytizing: A Form of Oppression? Only Death Will Tell" says when Christians share their faith, it creates a climate that marginalizes other faiths like Judaism, Wiccan, Islam, atheism, etc.

The article says Christianity also creates discomfort for homosexuals and gender non-conformity.

Apparently those who seek to silence Christians attach greater value to "diversity" and "equality" than Truth.

But if "diversity" and "equality" are the greatest virtue, how can it be fair or virtuous to discriminate against and silence Christians?

And why are so many Christians so intent on sharing their faith...I mean proselytizing?

Greg Stier, founder and president of "Dare 2 Share Ministries," has written an excellent article on the subject for the Christian Post.

It's titled, "Proselytize: 3 Reasons Why Christians Can't (and shouldn't) Stop."

I recommend you read it.

His points are:

1. Jesus Told Us To.

2. It's Good News.

3. It saves People From Hell.

Jesus also told us not to be surprised if we were opposed.

"If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.…" (John 15:18-19).

Be Vigilant. Be Faithful. Be Discerning. Be Prayerful. Be Pro-Active. Be Blessed.