Christian Counselor in Public School Outed for Giving Student REQUESTED Advice on Homosexuality

World Net Daily ^ | December 12, 2003 | WorldNetDaily.com

[HuskerJeff]

A dropout-prevention counselor at a North Carolina high school has been suspended for reportedly sharing Scripture with a student who was struggling with homosexuality.

Beth Pinto, 38, was suspended with pay from Concord High School in Cabarrus County pending an investigation into whether she gave the student religious advice.

Citing sources familiar with the situation, the Independent Tribune reports a female student came to Pinto and said she was wrestling with the issue of homosexuality. The girl asked Pinto, who is active in First Baptist Church in Concord, N.C., for the Bible's take on the matter. Pinto reportedly responded by sharing specific Scripture with the girl.

According to the local paper, a third person caught wind of the conversation and tipped off a school administrator.

"School staff are to remain neutral in religious matters," school board member Grace Mynatt told the paper when asked about the case. "You can not make a school an area of religious studies."

The district's attorney, Mark Henriques, attributed the school's position on the matter to "the separation of church and state as set out in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution."

"Consistent with cases decided by the Supreme Court and other federal courts, the Cabarrus County Schools do not allow their employees to advocate personal religious beliefs in the classroom or in their interactions with students at school," Henriques said in a press release.

Critics of this increasingly prevalent zero-tolerance stance on the part of public schools across the country argue the Constitution is being misconstrued and that officials, attorneys – even judges – fail to note the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment of the Constitution, which provides that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" also reads "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

Pinto's peers weren't happy about her suspension and staged a protest earlier in the week by forming a circle outside the school and holding hands, according to the Tribune.

[HuskerJeff]

You can email the principal of the High School at: bkinsey@cabarrus.k12.nc.us

let's stand up for this counselor's freedom of counsel!

[smith288]

Pinto's peers weren't happy about her suspension and staged a protest earlier in the week by forming a circle outside the school and holding hands, according to the Tribune.

If that doesnt get the job back, I dont know what will...

[biblewonk]

Any advice about being a homo is religious whether it happens to be Christian, Muslem, Wiccan or just Secular Humanism.

[smith288]

Email sent...

[jimt]

If she was truly asked by the student for "the Bible's take on the matter", she was well within her rights to give it.

If she was counseling a confused kid who made no such request and launched into a fire and brimstone speech on her own, that's wholly different.

I hope it was the former and she's reinstated with her rights recognized.

[Tax-chick]

Posted here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1038947/posts

[jimt]

Any advice about being a homo is religious whether it happens to be Christian, Muslem, Wiccan or just Secular Humanism.

Why ?

I can think of lots of non-religious arguments against homosexuality.

I'm not saying religious arguments aren't valid, just that there are strong non-religious ones as well.

[scory]

What's to argue? The First Amendment does not guarantee free speech or a free practice of religion. Our rulers have made this clear. What right does anyone have to protest this? And don't tell me a *constitutional right* because no such rights actually exist.

[yoe]

Christianity and the Bible no longer viable?

[biblewonk]

I can think of lots of non-religious arguments against homosexuality.

To argue from a secular/scientific standpoint is to take a stance apart from the one in the Bible on an intrinsically religious issue. You can argue Ford vs Chevy and it is not a religious matter but arguing about human sexuality is religions no matter what. If you argue that it is unhealthy and remove God from the the argument, you are implying it is not a matter of God's will which is implying that He does not exist.

Secondly the arguments against it from a natural point of view are very very weak. Most of them can be equally turned against hetero marriage, speaking naturally that is.

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP - This is so sad...Scripture is OUT, homosexuality is IN.

[philosofy123]

If she gave a Moslem advice like the teacher in California, that would be protected by the court. You see, our court protect all religions EXCEPT Christianity.

[CSM]

I thought that this was considered confidential, in the same manner as doctor/patient relationship. Why is the third party getting off scott free after they violated this privelage?

[yoe]

There are a lot of reasons for not being homosexual

(link)

It is pitiful to see how smokers, who harm no one but themselves have been singled out as the ones creating 'the' health plague..........

[11th Earl of Mar]

What is the school's policy on arranging secret abortions without the parent's knowledge or approval?

[BibChr]

Here's the simple irreducible fact:

IF any ethically-related, values-related question about homosexuality can be answered from any viewpoint and not from a Christian viewpoint, that is anti-Christian discrimination.

Either NOBODY may answer those questions, or EVERYONE can.

And either way, there's not a law written that I can imagine preventing me from answering, in any context, when someone asks me what I believe Scripture says about such a life-and-death issue.

Dan
Biblical Christianity web site

[Jeff Chandler]

She was suspended with pay. I wish I could get suspended with pay.

[adiaireton8]

To argue from a secular/scientific standpoint is to take a stance apart from the one in the Bible on an intrinsically religious issue.

Asserting that this is an intrinsically religious issue neither indicates nor demonstrates that it is so. We need some evidence or argument to that effect. Anything can be asserted.

Secondly the arguments against it from a natural point of view are very very weak. Most of them can be equally turned against hetero marriage, speaking naturally that is.

Would you spell out those arguments and show why they are "very, very weak"?

[Gottwnz]

What a bunch of Christaphobic leftwing haters, Where is the tolerance! Where is the acceptance! Oh the horror! Having to hear the dreaded name of Jesus! she may be scared for life, and require years of counseling.

[biblewonk]

Asserting that this is an intrinsically religious issue neither indicates nor demonstrates that it is so. We need some evidence or argument to that effect. Anything can be asserted.

The origin of man is a religious discussion whether you believe it is a product of Creation or evolution. This is so because evolution is in opposition to Creation. By be in opposition to creation it is religious. If God said he created the world and someone says there is no God and the world is a product of evolution then they are discussion two different religious points of view. This comes from the definition of religion. All that is true with homosexuality because sexuality, like the origin of man, is a religions discussion because it is the topic of one religion. For that matter, anything that is the topic of any single religion must be a topic of all religions.

Would you spell out those arguments and show why they are "very, very weak"?

No, there are too many. Give me your favorite one and I'll address it.