Wishy-washy Christians in education

Mike Adams

If Christianity dies in America it will not be for a lack of evidence of its truthfulness. It will be for a lack of dissemination of the evidence of its truthfulness. And the blame for the lack dissemination of that evidence will fall squarely on the shoulders of Christian men who are simply too weak and passive to deserve to be called “Christian” or “men.”

In the last few months, I have been in no less than one dozen arguments with “Christian men” who have attempted to persuade me to stop my advocacy of, and direct involvement in, litigation against public universities. This is despite the fact that the universities are seeking to curtail the rights of Christian students and professors.

Three common arguments I have heard, and my brief responses to them, follow: Argument for passivity: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek to whoever slaps us on our right cheek. How do you reconcile that with your assertion that “a lawsuit a day keeps the atheists at bay”?

Response: This one is easy. A slap on the face is a personal insult. Jesus is clearly admonishing us to ignore such personal insults; He isn’t saying we can’t aggressively call out evil. Jesus Himself aggressively called out evil as recorded later in the same Gospel (Matthew 23).

This coming year I am planning a series of legal challenges to universities that have launched “Queer Resource Centers” and “LGBTQIA Centers” on campus. The goal is not to shut the centers down but, instead, to force them to present issues in a more balanced fashion.

For example, those centers using mandatory student activity fees to bolster the case for gay marriage will be pressured (legally) to invite speakers like Frank Turek who will argue the other side of the issue. We will rely on the ten-year old Southworth case in our efforts to ensure that student fees are spent in a viewpoint neutral manner.

When I launch these challenges the “liberal” blogs will say I am secretly gay. That is the way they always respond. It’s a silly personal insult revealing nothing more than the unfortunate fact that many gays secretly hate themselves. I will simply ignore such insults and proceed with the lawsuits.

I would urge everyone – especially those who trumpet the importance of “context” - to read the entire Sermon on the Mount. When they do, they will realize that Jesus also said that those who are persecuted in His name will be richly blessed. The tallest blade of grass is the one that gets cut first. Similarly, the Christian who stands tallest is the one that gets persecuted first. Therefore, those who stand tall and do not roll over will be the first to be blessed.

Argument for passivity: In Luke 6:29, Jesus urges that one who has his coat taken from him to should also hand over his tunic. Doesn’t that suggest that we should not resist campus efforts to take away Christian rights?

Response: The coat and tunic are material things. We would do well to hand over material things to those in need. If we were more generous on the front end, people would be less inclined to steal. But religious liberty is not a material thing. It is a non-material thing that is the principal basis for this nation’s founding. It belongs to everyone and, therefore, cannot be handed over by any one individual to any other individual.

Put simply, we have a right to hand over our own tunic. But we cannot hand over someone else’s tunic as well. When we give away our rights we give away the rights of others without their consent. That is not a requirement of Christianity. It is a hallmark of cowardice.

Argument for passivity: Doesn’t the Bible tell us to abide by laws and submit to the authority of government?

Response: It sure does. And the First Amendment is the law of the land. When it is violated, we should protest by using the First Amendment. If our protests are ignored we should use civil litigation to uphold the laws that lawless secular humanists seek to destroy. The key word here is “civil.” Christians should not hurl stones in the streets. They should remain civil by filing civil suits.

The Apostle Paul tells Christians they should not sue one another. But he did not say we should not sue heathens. Let us never forget that a large proportion of what is written in the New Testament was written by Paul from inside prison. He was boldly asserting his rights as a Roman citizen. He was not cowering in the face of abject evil, as so many man-boy “Christians” are today.

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3,500 British straight-A students miss out on university

Dozens of universities declared themselves full yesterday as a minister triggered fury by urging thousands of high- achieving students to settle for 'less competitive' degree courses.

Institutions filled up more quickly than ever as record-breaking A-level results allowed 388,000 applicants to claim their chosen places. Incredibly, around 3,500 students with straight A grades could be left high and dry and forced to reapply next year.

Pass rates rose for the 28th successive year despite a toughening up of the exam system, while one in 12 pupils scored the new A* super-grade. It left more than a quarter of university applicants - 187,625 - without confirmed places and facing the biggest scramble for ten years to find last-minute vacancies through the clearing system.

Research by the Mail indicates that more than 20 universities - including Bristol, Birmingham, Warwick, Exeter, Bournemouth and Leeds Metropolitan - have effectively put up 'closed' signs, while a further 18 have just a handful of places left.

Half as many courses were being advertised in clearing this year compared to 2009 - 18,500 down from 32,000, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service said.

With universities under threat of hefty fines for exceeding strict recruitment targets and applications up 10 per cent on last year, some 150,000 applicants are expected to miss out altogether. While nearly 48,000 students found courses through clearing last year, the number this year is expected to be closer to 30,000.

Universities Minister David Willetts, who has predicted that 3,500 candidates with three As will be left without places, drew a storm of criticism after suggesting that well-qualified applicants faced with rejection should lower their expectations. He told them 'I am sorry', and added that one option would be to 'look at applying for slightly less competitive universities for next year'.

But Sally Hunt, a university union boss, said: 'I am astounded that the Government's insulting response to the university crisis is simply to advise some people to temper their ambition. After years of being inspired to aim higher the coalition government is actually telling students to aim lower.'

The row erupted as A-level students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland celebrated yet another crop of record-breaking performances. The inexorable rise in results continued despite the introduction of open-ended essay-style questions aimed at restoring the credibility of the 'gold standard' exam. Candidates were also expected to study fewer units but in more depth.

While 8.1 per cent of exams - one in 12 - were awarded the new elite A* grade, for students scoring 90 per cent in their final exams, the proportion of A grades rose for the 13th straight year to 27 per cent - up 0.3 per cent. The pass rate covering A to E grades, meanwhile, rose to 97.6 per cent. It means only one in 42 exams were failed.

John Dunford, representing secondary school and college principals, said: 'No question, those examinations have been harder and yet the results have been maintained and indeed slightly improved.'

SIX As BUT NOT A SINGLE OFFER

Benedikt Scheffer has discovered that good grades are not enough to secure a university place. Ben Scheffer achieved three A*s and three As yesterday but does not have an offer from a single university.

The 18-year- old student at Brighton College had applied to study economics at Oxford, London School of Economics, University College London, Bristol and Warwick. The teenager, who lives with his family in Munster, Germany, was turned down by all the institutions despite being predicted to get two A*s and three As.

Ben had already achieved an A in German A-level during his lower sixth studies at the independent school. Yesterday, he went on to get As in chemistry and further maths and A*s in maths, physics and economics.

He said: 'I'm really pleased with my results but don't understand why I didn't get a place. The system is wrong when so many are missing out. There just aren't enough places.'

Ben plans to take a gap year before reapplying next year. His headmaster, Richard Cairns, said his case showed the ' vagaries' of the admissions system and the need for an overhaul.

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Australia: The collapse of school discipline again

Parents threaten legal action to remove primary school 'bully'

PARENTS of a six-year-old boy may take legal action to remove an alleged bully who has been tormenting their son in class.

Taner, a pupil at Roxburgh Homestead school, in Melbourne, has allegedly been kicked, punched, ridiculed and verbally abused by a classmate for several months.

But Taner's parents, Sue and Cane, yesterday accused the school of failing to protect him even though staff had admitted the perpetrator was "fixated" on their son and a psychologist had recommended he be moved.

Sue, who asked that the family's surname not be published, said Taner had become so distressed by the bullying that he was admitted to hospital after vomiting and complaining of stomach cramps and breathing problems. "He said, 'Mum, I can't go to school. Every time I go he's just going to hit me and hurt me all the time'," she said. "He's been kicking him in the legs, punching him in the arms. He's having nightmares, he's extremely distraught."

Taner, who is being kept at home, said the attacks made him sad and he hadn't learnt much this year. "He hits me every school day. I say, 'Stop it, I don't like it', I give him one warning and then a second or last warning and then he hits me," he said.

Sue said the Roxburgh Park school had promised to deal with the issue, but the attacks had continued. It is believed the alleged bully has autism.

Taner's parents want the other boy removed from the class, but so far the school has offered only to transfer Taner. A child psychologist has recommended that Taner remain in his class, but an Education Department student wellbeing officer has told the parents the alleged bully will not be moved.

When told that the parents were considering legal action, the officer allegedly said: "I'll see you in court." It is believed this has been disputed.

Cane said the school had admitted the alleged bully's fixation on his son, but the family felt let down by the school and the department. "We are the victims but we are being made to feel like we're the guilty party," he said.

Roxburgh Homestead principal Barb Adam said the school had been dealing with the issue and wanted to continue talking with both families to resolve it. "There have been mechanisms that have been put in place to support both students," she said. "We're really confident we can resolve this issue but because it appears to have become a legal matter it would be inappropriate for the school to comment further."

The department confirmed it was investigating the matter. "We're working with both families to resolve the issue," a spokesman said. "No bullying is tolerated in our schools." [Except when it is!]

Parents Victoria spokeswoman Elaine Crowle said there was rarely a win-win situation in these matters. "The child and the parents deserve to feel supported by the school and we would always encourage parents to try and have it handled by the school," she said.

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