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Muslims students at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC have lodged an official complaint of discrimination against the private Christian university.

Their major complain revolves around not having an official prayer room on campus and all of the Christian symbols including crucifixes in the classrooms which they find offensive. The official allegations claim that CUA:

“does not provide space – as other universities do – for the many daily prayers Muslim students must make, forcing them instead to find temporarily empty classrooms where they are often surrounded by Catholic symbols which are incongruous to their religion.”

Muslim students would also like to form an official student group on campus.

Also, another complaint of discrimination, involving female students, has been lodged against the university practice of maintaining traditional same-sex residence halls on campus. Many universities across the country has gone with coed and mixed sex dorms.

The District of Colombia Office of Human Rights (OHR) is reviewing the allegations. According to reports, the DC office maintains the strictest discrimination laws in the country.

Response: This is incredible. It is a private Christian university after all. Muslims say they like to go there because they feel safe and accepted yet are offended by the Christian symbols so want to change the place? Why not go to a secular school instead where there are no offending crosses or symbols? 

The school is allowing the students to pray in empty classrooms so where is the real discrimination? If the Catholic school is forced to take down the crosses and allow a room for Muslim symbols to be put up instead than real discrimination would be taking place. It is not a public school after all but a Christian institution. The symbols should be expected and the school should not be forced to make room for an entirely different religion.

Also, are traditional same-sex dorms discriminatory? Again, this is a Catholic institution which is trying to maintain some semblance to Christian morality. Christian colleges and universities all across the country still maintain the ‘old-fashion’ separation of the sexes in the dorms on campus rather than the modern hedonistic mixed dorms found in most public universities.

What really would be discriminatory is if the CUA is forced to make changes in their Christian environment to accommodate another religion or secular morality.            *Top

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At Western Hills High School in Fort Worth, Texas, 14 year old Dakota Ary was sent to the principal’s office and suspended for telling a classmate that he believed homosexuality was wrong.

According to Fox news this is how the event unfolded:

Dakota was in a German class at the high school when the conversation shifted to religion and homosexuality in Germany. At some point during the conversation, he turned to a friend and said that he was a Christian and “being a homosexual is wrong.”
“It wasn’t directed to anyone except my friend who was sitting behind me,” Dakota told Fox. “I guess [the teacher] heard me. He started yelling. He told me he was going to write me an infraction and send me to the office.”

The Principal originally sentenced Dakota to 1 day in-school suspension plus 2 days of full suspension. After meeting with Dakota’s mother and an attorney from Liberty Counsel, the additional 2-day suspension was dropped.

Dakota’s mother, Holly Pope, noted that Dakota was an honors student who played on the football team and was active in his church youth group. She said the following in an interview about her son and the situation:

“Dakota is a very well-grounded 14-year-old. He’s been in church his whole life and he’s been taught to stand up for what he believes.”

“He should never have been punished. He didn’t disrupt the class. He wasn’t threatening. He wasn’t hostile. He made a comment to his friend and the teacher overheard it.”
“My son knows people that are homosexual. He’s not saying, ‘I don’t like you.’ He’s saying, ‘I’m a Christian and I believe that being that way is wrong.’”

Liberty Counsel attorney Matt Krause claimed that the teacher may have inappropriately addressed homosexual issues in a German class:

“There has been a history with this teacher in the class regarding homosexual topics. The teacher had posted a picture of two men kissing on a wall that offended some of the students.”
“He told the students this is happening all over the world and you need to accept the fact that homosexuality is just part of our culture now.

“In German class there should be no talk of being pro-Gay or homosexual topics.”

Krause also indicated that Liberty Counsel would continue to monitor the situation.

Response: It is hard enough to get through high school without getting caught up in a incident like this. I really feel for the kid. Dakota was not picking on another student or challenging the teacher but only commenting to a friend about his religious beliefs in regard to homosexuality.

Talk about an over-reaction by the teacher and the principal. I could understand a student getting in trouble for taunting, bullying, or mistreating another student who might be homosexual. But in this case Dakota was only expressing his Christian Biblically-based beliefs.

Teachers and school administrators all across America are now being taught to be on the look out for potential bullies, particularly when it comes to homosexuality. Especially after one middle school student in California shot and killed a homosexual student sitting in front of him in a classroom.

Christian parents need to be on the look out for school teachers and administrators going over-the-top on this issue. Also, parents and pastors need to be sure and teach their youth to stand up for their faith on one hand but also be sure to extend the love of Jesus Christ to everyone and to never be involved in taunting or bullying anyone for any reason.

Has it really come to this? Is there no longer any freedom of religion and expression in this country when it comes to the issue of homosexuality? Have folks with traditional Christian beliefs about homosexuality become a pariah? Is Biblical teaching no longer tolerated? Has part of the Christian canon become ‘hate speech’?

In the UK and even in Canada pastors have been arrested for expressing a Biblical view on homosexuality. Christians need to stand up in this country and not allow that to ever happen here.

Fortunately conservative Christians still have a great deal of support in America and we are blessed with organizations like Liberty Counsel, Pacific Justice Institute, and Alliance Defense Fund to help out when our freedoms and rights are challenged.             *Top

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(Talmud via Wikipedia)

The Jewish Talmud is a best seller in South Korea. Not only that, it is also required reading in Korean public schools and most Koreans have The Talmud prominently displayed in their homes.

At the same time there are no Synagogues and it is extremely difficult to practice Judaism in S. Korea which has a historical Buddhist background and where over 30% regularly attend Christian churches.

However, there also is no anti-Semitism to speak of. Quite to the contrary, Judaism is held in high regard but it is not the religion that is sought after, but the example of Jewish family practices which lead to continual success in education and business.

The Koreans are turning to The Talmud and other Jewish teachings for principles of success.  Noting that Jews have been successful even under the most trying of cultural conditions for thousands of years. The Koreans see some parallels in their own history and want to emulate that success and particularly want to apply some of those principles in training and encouraging their own children to seek higher education and better occupational opportunities.

One Korean mother, Lee San-sook, explains  that Jews raise their children are viewed as positive in Korea:

“The stereotype of Jews here is that they are ultra-intelligent people. Jews have come out of nowhere to become business chiefs, media bosses, Nobel Prize winners – we want our children to do the same. If that means studying Talmud, Torah, whatever, so be it.”

Response: The South Koreans have been a success story in the last couple of generations. It is interesting the role that Jewish teaching has played in their success along with the conversion of nearly half of the population to Christianity.

While most of the world is backing away from support from Israel, the South Koreans are far more supportive than anyone might expect. The influence of The Talmud in Korean society also brings some unexpected implications for Korean foreign policy.           *Top

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According to Doug Clark, a spokesman for the national SYATP 2009 organization the theme for this year’s observance-= "Engage: Go and pray"- is taken from II Kings 22:

“…it’s a great story to look up and…to refresh and build your vision for this generation, because Josiah, the king of Israel, was 16 years old when he began experiencing an awakening in his own life. And that led to him being part of one of the greatest revivals and awakenings in the Old Testament…."

Response: What a great event and one that can help to change the spiritual climate on school campuses all across America. This is a ‘student-led’ movement that is allowed through the equal access laws in this country. Contrary to popular belief, while ‘official school prayers’ have been banned in American schools, students are still free to pray on their own at any time.    *Top

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"According to the guardian ad litem’s further report and testimony, the counselor found Amanda to lack some youthful characteristics. She appeared to reflect her mother’s rigidity on questions of faith."

"it would be remarkable if a ten-year-old child who spends her school time with her mother and the vast majority of all her other time with her mother would seriously consider adopting any other religious point of view."

According to the article:

The case involves divorced couple Martin Kurowski and Brenda Voydatch and their 10-year-old daughter, Amanda. The couple split in 1999 when they were living in Massachusetts, and the proceedings moved to New Hampshire after Voydatch relocated to that state with her daughter in 2002.

The court appointed a moderator between the parents who had differences over the plan of education for their daughter. The father wanted her to attend public school while the mother who had physical custody had been homeschooling her instead since first grade. The moderator/guardian concluded that Amanda’s:

"interests, and particularly her intellectual and emotional development, would be best served by exposure to a public school setting in which she would be challenged to solve problems presented by a group learning situation and…Amanda would be best served by exposure to different points of view at a time in her life when she must begin to critically evaluate multiple systems of belief and behavior."

Alliance Defense Fund is coming into the case on the side of the mother and allied attorney John Anthony Simmons has filed a motion to reconsider. He says this ruling is dangerous to home schoolers because it will set a precedent for other cases and in this case the sole reason given for the decision is the religious beliefs of the 10 year old girl.

ADF attorneys contend that the child’s religion should not play a role in the decision that the court should focus solely on the academic merits of Amanda’s education which has proved to be excellent according to the required standardized testing.

Response: This is a case where the court appointed counselor/guardian and the judge both have a prevailing secular anti-Christian bias. All the reports from the supplemental classes that Amanda already does take in public school indicate that she is a well-liked and well adjusted child that gets along well with everyone.

This will be an interesting case to follow since it does involve a parents right to raise a child in the religion of their choice without governmental interference. Most believe that the Constitution backs this right.

There is an increasing view among many in this country that children should not be indoctrinated by their parents in a particular religion. In fact a recent UN document on the rights of children reflects this view and many progressives believe that this should be the case in the USA also. The judge in this case seems to be reflecting that view.

This secularist view should not be allowed to gain legal precedent in the USA which is why this case is important from a Christian point of view. It is a major part of the Christian lifestyle and responsibility to raise and train ones children in the faith. If the government infers in this process than the freedom to practice ones religion has in reality been curtailed in a major way in this country.          *Top

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The new website, "HealthierSF.org/LGBQ/index.html," includes links promoting Gay Pride Celebration Month, Day of Silence, and Gay/Straight Alliance clubs. A site generally promoting the homosexual lifestyle and agenda.

The district is coming under fire for using public funds to sponsor the site. Also, students are being encouraged to visit the site while at school without parental notification.

According to Karen England, of Capitol Resource Institute, the school district is excluding and over-riding parents on this issue:

"What about parents? Can parents opt [their child] out? And the explanation that they give is that, no, they can’t opt out. [They say they] are under no obligation to even let them know because this is not sex education — and that’s all the law requires [them] to do."

Response: I guess I should be surprised but I’m not. But what is astounding—children as young as kindergarten are being exposed to the gay agenda. The school officials believe that it is their right and duty to properly form and instill gay friendly opinion and attitudes in the children under their care—regardless of the parental views.            *Top

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Brian Camenker, president of Mass Resistance ,a pro-family organization in Massachusetts, points out that after the Massachusetts courts made homosexual marriage legal in his state, schools promptly began teaching about same-sex marriage, both in public elementary and middle schools. <<read the whole story>> 

Response: One of the major battlegrounds in the fight for traditional marriage in California is over whether the Homosexual marriage agenda would be taught in public schools if Prop. 8 doesn’t pass. Pro-family supporters and parents with young children are concerned over the issue.

The California Superintendent of Public Instruction says that the issue is a ‘red herring’ but proponents of traditional marriage only have to point to Massachusetts for an example of what’s to come.            *Top 

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