CHRISTIANS BEHAVING BADLY #20 - proselytizing teacher

This post is about a teacher in Mount Vernon, Ohio who has used his teacher's lectern as a pulpit. He is not an isolated case, but he is the perfect example of someone who is so sure he knows the whole truth, that he imposes his beliefs on public school children, and as a result, has divided a community.
Although the proselytising had started as early as 2003, it came to the forefront when Jenifer Dennis's son came home from school near the end of 2007 with his arm covered with red and swollen welts and blisters in the shape of a cross. She described it as a burn that might have come from a curling iron.
Dennis's son had been burned by John Freshwater, his 8th-grade science teacher, who admitted to using a Tesla coil on the boy, but insisted it was the letter X, not a cross.
Jenifer Dennis who is a Christian stated, "I don't think that [religion] should be the decision of a school teacher. Religion...belongs in church, a home or in a religious class. I don't think any child should feel uncomfortable at school."
Soon after this incident, other allegations came to the attention of school officials. Freshwater had been promoting fundamentalist Christianity and teaching creationism using Legos™ to demonstrate that complex structures can't build themselves. He displayed religious posters in his classes, quizzed students on their religious beliefs, and offered "healing" services.

In June 2008 the school district told Freshwater he would be fired, but had the right to a hearing which has been underway for nearly 2 years. A report to the school board should be complete within a few months.

At the hearings Freshwater denied passing out religious surveys to students but the school's attorney found more than 125 completed forms in his classroom. He denied the Lego™ lessons, too, but a tape was produced on which Freshwater bragged about such a lesson on a right-wing radio station. Handouts denying evolution were produced. Freshwater never allowed students to take them home. He claimed it wasn't to hide anything, only to save paper. Other science teachers at the school stated that Freshwater often referred to the Bible as a source of research.

Many Mount Vernon citizens think Freshwater crossed the line with his proselytizing, but predictably, he also has many supporters. The Dennis family was harassed so much they moved to another town.

Meanwhile Freshwater claimed the school district is after him for keeping a Bible on his desk, and has thus become a martyr for the Religious Right. He filed a $1 million suit against the school and counter-sued the Dennis family. The Ohio Supreme Court dismissed that case in September 2009.

In fact, school officials told him he was allowed to keep the Bible on his desk and read it during breaks. He had been told to stop promoting religion in his classes, but he did not comply.

David Millstone, the school's attorney, stated: "These kids are at an impressionable age...The superintendent wants to protect the students' right to be free from religious indoctrination in the classroom."

Source: Church & State, March 2010

(published by Americans United for

Separation of Church and State)

Update: 10/12/11, A judge upheld the firing of Freshwater. In the judge's ruling, he stated that there was clear and convincing evidence that the school board was right in dismissing Freshwater. See more HERE.

It looks like Freshwater may continue to appeal this case.

CHRISTIANS BEHAVING BADLY #19 - Antichrist protection

(Click on image for a larger view.)

On 02/10/10, the Virginia House of Delegates approved a bill that some members believe will protect the state from the Antichrist.

The bill prohibits employers and insurance companies from requiring people to implant microchips ---which one delegate said might be the "Mark of the Beast" as described in the Bible. While the bill's sponsor Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg) says that the bill's goal is to address privacy issues (which may be a reasonable concern) he told The Washington Post, "My understanding ---and I'm not a theologian ---but there's a prophecy in the Bible that says you'll have to receive a mark, or you can neither buy or sell things in end times."

[Does that remark make sense to anyone?]

Some Christian groups believe the Antichrist will force everyone to accept this "mark," which could be a microchip.

House members passed the bill by a vote of 88-9.

Mmmm! What will they ban next? Tattoos? They're marks, aren't they? What about stretch marks? Felt-tip markers? Markets? Question marks? Exclamation marks! Or how about the second book of the New Testament?

Source: Church and State, March 2010

(published by Americans United for

Separation of Church and State)

UPDATE April 2010:

The bill mentioned above has been killed in the VA Senate. Four members of a subcommittee of the Commerce and Labor Committee said that the bill was a solution in search of a problem. (April 2010 issue of State and Church.)

CHRISTIANS BEHAVING BADLY #16 Pat Robertson Part 2

In my attempt to show that being religious

is not a guarantee of moral behavior,

this post is part of a series of reports featuring

the bad behavior of religious people, past or present....

Look for other posts showing the bad behavior

perpetrated by members of other religious groups.

"God told me......"

According to CBS News and Wikipedia, on many occasions, Pat Robertson has announced that god told him truths or informed him of events that would happen in the near future. "I have a relatively good track record," he said. "Sometimes I miss."
Wait a minute! If god tells Pat truths, how can he possibly miss? And, you will notice below, that if Robertson does get it wrong, he just claims that enough Christians prayed so god changed his mind.

1982: In late 1976, Robertson predicted that the end of the world was coming in November or October 1982. In a May 1980 broadcast of The 700 Club he stated, "I guarantee you by the end of 1982 there is going to be a judgment on the world."

2006: In May 2006, Robertson said, "If I heard the Lord right about 2006, the coasts of America will be lashed by storms." On May 17, 2006, he elaborated, "There well may be something as bad as a tsunami in the Pacific Northwest." His declaration was generally received with mild amusement by the Pacific Northwest media. The History Channel's initial airing of its new series, Mega Disasters: West Coast Tsunami, was broadcast the first week of May. Robertson repeated his claim at least 4 times on the 700 Club.

2007: On the January 2, 2007, broadcast of The 700 Club, Robertson said that God spoke to him and told him that "mass killings" were to come during 2007, due to a terrorist attack on the United States. He added, "The Lord didn't say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that." When a terrorist attack failed to happen in 2007, Robertson said, in January 2008, "All I can think is that somehow the people of God prayed and God in his mercy spared us."

2008: On the January 2, 2008, Pat Robertson predicted that 2008 would be a year of worldwide violence. He also predicted that a recession would occur in the United States that would be followed by a stock market crash by 2010.

2008: In October 2008 Robertson posted a press release on the Georgian Conflict speculating that the conflict is a Russian ploy to enter the Middle East, and that instability caused by a predicted pre-emptive strike by Israel on Iran would result in Syria's and Iran's launching nuclear strikes on other targets. He also said that if the United States were to oppose Russia's expansion, nuclear strikes on American soil are also pending. "We will suffer grave economic damage, but will not engage in military action to stop the conflict. However, we may not be spared nuclear strikes against coastal cities. In conclusion, it is my opinion that we have between 75 and 120 days before the Middle East starts spinning out of control."

2010: At the start of 2010, the Associated Baptist Press said Robertson shared God's predictions for the year and said he wouldn't bless America because of abortion, homosexuality and prayer. "Fifty million babies slaughtered," God allegedly complained to him. "You can't have legislation that is anti-God. You can't foster in your midst things that I call an abomination… If you do, sooner or later judgment's going to come."

You can bet that sometimes Pat misses, like maybe he is missing a few marbles.

CHRISTIANS BEHAVING BADLY #12 expelling other Christians

CHRISTIANS BEHAVING BADLY

TOWARD OTHER CHRISTIANS

(imagine how they would treat non-believers)

According to Compass Direct News (News From the Frontlines of Persecution) on July 13th - 17th, Catholics in Mexico tore 57 evangelical Christians from their homes in Hidalgo and Oaxaca for refusing to join religious festivals consisting of drunken native rituals and the worship of Catholic icons, which the evangelicals regard as idol worship.

Expelled Christians lost their lands and crops after being dragged from their homes. In some instances members of the group have been threatened with violence or death. They have not been allowed to earn money for food, nor tend to their crops or plant for the new crop season. Children have been denied school registration.

In Los Parajes, Catholics offered to allow the evangelicals to return if they denied their faith and paid approximatelyly $14,000 in fines, but the expelled Christians refused.

Read the full story HERE.

What ever happened to "LOVE THEY NEIGHBOR...."?

I am an atheist, but I would never deny someone the right to worship as they believe, or refuse to worship what they do not believe, a long as they were not hurting anyone or infringing on the rights of others.

This is just one example of how hypocritical religious people can be.

It is just one more example that demonstrates religion does not bring people together, but divides us. When one thinks s/he is in possession of the "truth" it justifies any behavior in the name of God.

CHRISTIANS BEHAVING BADLY #10 killing infidels

Francisco Pizarro
(c. 1471 or 1476 - 1541)

In my attempt to show that

being religious is not a

guarantee of moral

behavior,this post is a part

of my series of reports

featuring the bad behavior

of religious people, past

or present....

Look for other posts

showing the bad behavior

perpetrated by members

of other religious groups.

In 1532, when Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro conquered the Incan empire, he captured the Inca ruler Atahualpa and promised to free him if the Incan people would fill one room (17” X 22”) with gold and two with silver. In 1533, once the task was completed, Pizarro killed Atahualpa anyway. His reason? The Inca was not a Christian, thus he had no obligation to fulfill a promise to him.

According to Wikipedia: “Though Pizarro is well known in Peru for being the leader behind the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire, a growing number of Peruvians regard him as a kind of criminal. By taking advantage of the natives, Pizarro ruled Peru for almost a decade and initiated the decline of Inca culture. The Incas’ polytheistic religion was replaced by Christianity and both Quechua and Aymara — the main Inca languages — were reduced to a marginal role in society for centuries, while Spanish became the official language of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Chile. The cities of the Inca Empire were transformed into Spanish, Catholic cities. Pizarro is also vilified for having ordered Atahualpa's death despite his paid ransom of filling a room with gold and two with silver which was later split among all his closest Spanish associates.”
In 1541 Pizarro was assassinated by Diego Almagro II and his armed supporters in order to avenge Almagro’s father who had been a companion, and later a rival, of Pizarro. Pizarro (who was between 65 and 70 years old) collapsed on the floor, alone, painted a cross in his own blood and cried for Jesus Christ. He reportedly cried: “Come my faithful sword, companion of all my deeds.”