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A youth director has been banned from being a lunch time volunteer at an Oregon middle school.
One atheist student complained that he had "preached" to her and her friends during lunch on October 23.
Tim Saffeels is youth director at nearby Salem Heights Church and has been volunteering at the school where many of the kids from the church attend.
Shelby Conway, a 14-year old student has accused Tim of "preaching" to her, telling her she is not an atheist, she is simply rebelling and much more.
Tim says of the letter she wrote to the principal, "None of those things came out of my mouth."
More on this in a moment. But first: Tomorrow is election day across America. Both Washington and Oregon use mail-in ballots. Your Washington ballots must be "postmarked" by tomorrow, while voters in Oregon must have them in by 8 PM tomorrow.
While Oregon and Washington are among the most secular progressive left states in the nation, there are victories to be won in both states for conservatives and people of faith.
The same is true in other states across the nation. Be sure to get your vote in, or get to the polls in your area.
Now, more on the 14-year old atheist, the school district and the youth director.
Fourteen year old Shelby Conway, a student at Straub Middle School in Salem, Oregon sent an email letter to Principal Laura Perez which said in part, "Today at lunch, our table was approached by a youth pastor who said he was from a Christian Church in South Salem. He then proceeded to preach to our entire table, several of whom are not Christians."
She says, "When he finished, he asked us for our religious beliefs. I replied I am an atheist, which I am, and I am very firm in my beliefs and that he should not try to convince me otherwise."
She continued.
"He began insulting me, my beliefs and my intelligence," saying that he "believes I am simply trying to rebel."
There's more, it's a lengthy letter. The entire letter is linked above.
She casts the image of an overly aggressive zealot, essentially preying on 14-year old kids advocating and proselytizing for his religion, while asking the school to ban him.
The school has immediately complied. He has been banned.
A couple of thoughts...and questions.
First, if you believe a 14-year old girl constructed that letter, raise your hand... I see no hands.
Secondly, Saffeels says he didn't say any of the things Shelby says he said. He says the first time I heard or saw those things was "when I received a call from the principal" about the letter.
Saffeels says the students started the conversation by asking a question about Jesus. He says the questions were directed to another student who attends his church.
Saffeels says he sat down at a table with a few kids from his church and they started asking about religion.
He says, "I wasn't in any way trying to force any of those things. They actually did literally ask me 'Who is Jesus?' "
He said, "Since they instigated that, they were asking my personal opinion."
However, the Salem-Keizer School District says that's against the rules.
At closer look, their policy, however, does not explicitly outline how visitors should respond to religious questions.
I know...this is about what Thomas Jefferson never said when he promised the Danbury Baptists the government would not interfere in the business of the church, because there was a wall that held back the government from inserting itself into the church.
Think about this.
This school district is taking action on the complaint of one 14-year old atheist, who claims she was "offended." And they are invoking a policy that isn't even clear in regard to questions directed toward visitors.
There is no end to which public schools won't go to kick Jesus or anyone who talks about Him off the campus.
Yet these same schools all across America regularly teach abortion as a "right" with materials developed and supplied by Planned Parenthood and their allies. Margaret Sanger was a euthenist, yet we kick Jesus off the campus while celebrating a racist.
Kids in primary grades are regularly introduced to sexual activities that would never occur to them if it were not for an aggressive sexualization agenda facilitated by public education and taxpayer money.
The homosexual agenda dominates public education through GLADD, GLSEN and other activist organizations. Do school districts think it is not offensive to Christians and conservatives to have boys pretending to be girls and girls pretending to be boys walking in and out of school bathrooms?
Are they not aware it is offensive to Christian kids to live in an atmosphere that celebrates gender confusion?
Do they think it is not offensive to teenagers to be taught same-sex relations are normal, when nature, common sense and God's Word tells them it is not.
It's offensive, very offensive, for public schools to consistently and deliberately undermine the Judeo-Christian values that millions of American families hold so dear.
Some would say, you are talking about two different things. One is religion, the other is not.
Why then did a public school in East King County, last school year, invite Muslim Moms to the classroom to explain Islam to the kids? And not fully disclose it to the parents until after the fact?
There remains much to do for Christians and conservatives.
Voting is one big thing you can do.
Prayer and action is the most important thing we can do.
I write this article everyday with the hope and prayer that all will be informed, and someone will be inspired to stand strong for righteousness and biblical values in their world.
Thanks for standing with me.
Be Informed. Be Vigilant. Be Discerning. Be Prayerful. Be Blessed.