Posted on 04/16/2009 8:40:09 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A national coalition of pro-family organizations is urging parents to call their children out of school on the Day of Silence (DOS), an annual event sponsored by the partisan political action group, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). On the DOS, students and sometimes teachers are permitted to remain silent during instructional time to protest the bullying of students who identify as homosexual or transgender.
The coalition that opposes the DOS believes that it's inappropriate to allow political protests to intrude into instructional time. Grove City College professor, Dr. Warren Throckmorton, on the other hand, is recommending that students join his "Golden Rule Pledge" effort which urges them to remain in school and pass out cards on which the Golden rule is printed. Apparently, he finds greater moral offense in parents removing their children from class on the DOS than he does in school-sanctioned political protest in the service of GLSEN's goals, which extend far beyond reducing bullying. Unlike Dr. Throckmorton, we believe that the worthy ends of ending bullying do not justify the means of exploiting instructional time.
According to the DOS website, last year "Hundreds of thousands of students" participated in the Day of Silence, yet school administrators persist in telling gullible parents that this political action is not disruptive to the educational process. DOS participants have a captive audience, many of whom are made uncomfortable by the politicization of their classroom.
Perhaps it's easier to notice the disruption by imagining what would happen if another group of students were to be silent to draw attention to the silenced voices of women living in Muslim countries, and another to the silenced voices of soldiers killed in Iraq, and another to the genocide in Darfur, and another group that wants to show solidarity with conservative Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and Orthodox Jews who are silenced by the hostility of the left-leaning educators who dominate discourse in public schools.
Dr. Throckmorton suggests that the "Walkout" is ironic in that it is even more disruptive than silence. I agree that the Walkout is disruptive, but school administrations have turned a deaf ear to reasoned pleas to remove divisive political action from the classroom. Whereas the DOS is intended to politicize the classroom, the "Walkout" is intended to remove children from exposure to yet more pro-homosexual activism and restore political neutrality to the classroom.
Dr. Throckmorton misapplies the "Golden Rule" in his efforts to promote heretical views of the nature and morality of homosexuality. The Golden Rule, which is found in both Luke 6:31 and Matthew 7:12, properly understood, does not mean that believers should affirm all seemingly intractable human desires. Nor does it mean that Christians should refrain from making public statements regarding the immorality of homosexuality. "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets," means that Christians should affirm to others God's Word--the entirety of God's Word--in a godly way.
On his website, Dr. Throckmorton offers an account of ugly behavior on the parts of purported Christians, thus perpetuating, perhaps unintentionally, the myth that all Christians are hateful. Clearly, people who exhibit the behavior described are not living authentic Christian lives. But living authentic Christian lives and protecting those who are being persecuted do not require intrusive classroom political action.
Dr. Throckmorton also raises the specter of "judgmentalism." Often homosexualists proclaim "Judge not lest ye be judged" as biblical justification for the position that Christians ought not to state publicly that homosexual behavior is immoral. But this verse means that we are not to engage in unrighteous judgment. We're not to hypocritically condemn the speck in the eye of others while ignoring the plank in our own. We're to recognize the universality of sin and offer forgiveness as we have been forgiven. This verse does not prohibit Christians from making distinctions between moral and immoral behaviors.
DOS participants claim they merely want to end bullying. The central problem with this claim is that DOS supporters fail to acknowledge the means by which they seek to curb bullying. Supporters of DOS seek to end bullying by undermining the historical and orthodox Christian belief that homosexual and cross-dressing behaviors are immoral. What Day of Silence supporters rarely if ever admit is that they believe that disapproval of homosexual conduct is bullying, and therefore they are working to undermine that belief and prohibit its expression.
The fallacious claim being leveled at critics of the DOS is that opposition to political action in the classroom constitutes support for bullying. Some speciously claim that those who oppose DOS must not care about the suffering of "GLBTQ" teens. Put another way, this implies that the only way parents, students, and teachers can prove they care about the suffering of "GLBTQ" students is to allow classroom political protest. Those who level this charge are suggesting that there are only two options: either you support political protest during instructional time or you support bullying. This is a classic false dilemma. The truth is that students, parents, and teachers can oppose bullying while concomitantly opposing the politicization of instructional time.
DOS participants claim they seek to end discrimination. The problem is that DOS supporters believe that moral convictions with which they disagree constitute discrimination. If, however, we allow schools to define discrimination so expansively as to prohibit all statements of moral conviction, character development is compromised and speech rights are trampled. And if administrators continue to define discrimination in such a way as to preclude only some statements of moral conviction, they violate pedagogical commitments to intellectual diversity and render the classroom a place of indoctrination.
Dr. Throckmorton believes that "Christian students should be leading the way to make schools safe and build bridges to those who often equate 'Christian' with condemnation." In this statement, Dr. Throckmorton glaringly omits the truth that Christians must condemn volitional homosexual conduct. And to those who view homosexuality as moral, this necessary Christian condemnation of homosexual behavior renders homosexual students unsafe.
Christians are obligated to balance truth with grace and love, but on this issue, the church errs on the side of grace and retreats from truth with all due haste. The body of Christ has become cowardly. American Christians flee from the persecution that inevitably results when we speak the truth about homosexual behavior, and then we rationalize our cultural conformity and self-censorship as Christian compassion. Living an authentically orthodox Christian life is irreconcilable with the goals of GLSEN.
Foolish, superficial thinking has resulted in the commonly held belief that affirming students' feelings represents the zenith of wisdom and compassion. The truth, however, is that the minds and hearts of fallen humans are rife with thoughts and feelings that ought not to be affirmed, even as we affirm the people who experience them.
Teens who experience same-sex attraction no more choose their feelings than any of us choose ours. But as moral beings living for a time in a fallen world suffused with brokenness of all kinds, we are all charged with the same moral task: We all must determine which of our myriad messy feelings are morally legitimate to act upon. Adults are supposed to help children navigate those murky waters.
Many Christians desire to build bridges between the Christian and homosexual communities. The problem is that they are pursuing this noble effort by concealing from their "GLBTQ" friends the true nature of orthodox theological positions on homosexuality.
The goals of building bridges, cultivating community, and fostering relationships between the orthodox Christian community and the GLBTQ community, and spreading the Good News of Christ's work of redemption within that community are not only noble but critical goals. And certainly different people are called to approach these goals in different ways. But the methods or strategies employed must never sacrifice, obscure, or compromise truth.
If we strain to find ways to avoid speaking the truth that God proscribes homosexual practices, we do a disservice both to those experiencing same-sex attractions and to our relationship with Christ. Our equivocations, evasions, or ambiguity will either appear as untruthful and manipulative, or they will deceive people into thinking we believe something we do not. We should instead do as we are commanded and speak the truth in love.
Dr. Throckmorton might be well-served by remembering the words of Martin Luther:
"If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the Word of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him. Where the battle rages there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battle front besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point."
Those who self-identify as homosexual are no different from those of us who struggle with other sinful inclinations. All of us come to the cross as sinners, and none will be fully sanctified until Christ's return, but retreat from or obfuscation of what the Bible teaches about, for example, selfishness, greed, envy, pride, promiscuity, fornication, gossip, gluttony, or any other of the myriad manifestations of sin is simply not scriptural--and therefore not good. We don't want teens bullied for these or any other behaviors, and yet we likely wouldn't support days of classroom silence during which teachers and students show support for those who engage in these sinful behaviors.
I can already hear the cries of indignation over my analogy. Supporters of the DOS will take umbrage with it because they view these other behaviors as immoral and not constitutive of identity.
But you see, that is the debate. Orthodox Christians view homosexuality as immoral and not constitutive of identity, and therefore we don't want public education to be used as a conduit for the spread of beliefs we see as false and destructive.
If parents leave their children in school on the Day of Silence as Dr. Throckmorton recommends, they become complicit in the exploitation of the classroom for partisan political purposes. Dr. Throckmorton's misguided effort does nothing to restore political neutrality to public education. In fact, his effort will help to further institutionalize GLSEN efforts to use public education to undermine orthodox Christian beliefs on the complex and emotionally charged issue of homosexuality.
This article is an opposing view to this one written by Grove City College professor, Dr. Warren Throckmorton :
http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/opinion-evangelicals-should-do-more-than-day-of-silence
Evangelicals Should Do More Than Day of Silence
By Dr. Warren Throckmorton , Assoc. Professor of Psychology
On April 17, 2008 thousands of high school and college students will attempt to remain silent during parts of the school day to bring awareness to bullying and harassment of gay, lesbian and bisexually identified students. In its 12th year, this student-run event, called the Day of Silence, is supported by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Some social conservative groups have advised parents either to keep their children home or have them walk out if the Day of Silence is being observed.? The groups advocating the boycott are concerned that the Day of Silence promotes homosexual behavior. However, to me, the strategy seems off the mark.
I know that many evangelicals feel conflict about an event like the Day of Silence. Despite moral misgivings about homosexuality, they loathe judgmental disrespect, harassment or violence toward any one, including their gay friends and neighbors. So even though there is dissonance, I think there is something wrong about not showing up.
Are we missing a teachable moment?
What if evangelical kids and college students led the way to make schools safe for all students? Where could we start? How about on the Day of Silence?
Without altering convictions about sexuality, I propose that evangelicals should have something more to contribute than a protest toward the elimination of hostility and aggression against gay people and other people who are viewed as different. Indeed, we should be leading the way to make schools safe and build bridges to those who often equate “Christian” with condemnation.
To pursue those bridges, Michael Frey, Western PA Director for College Ministries with Campus Crusade and I are promoting an alternative. We encourage Christian kids to demonstrate the grace of Christ by pledging to follow the Golden Rule in their interactions with all students. Last year, students in over 30 high schools and colleges participated by agreeing with GLBT peers to respect each other as Image bearers of God. Students distributed pledges to honor the teaching of Christ to love as He loved and to treat others as we want to be treated.
In the process, some bridges were built. For instance, a Christian group at Slippery Rock University entered a dialogue with a gay support group on campus and helped lead a call for respectful treatment of all students on campus. Randy Veccia, student leader, said the efforts of both groups served “to raise awareness that everyone deserves to be loved.” Christian students in high schools in Greensboro, NC reached out with Good News in unprecedented ways. On the campus of Appalachian State University, Christian students took part in anti-harassment activities alongside students from the GLB support groups on campus.
Rev. Bob Stith, Gender Issues Strategist for the Southern Baptist convention had this to say about the Golden Rule Pledge:
Several years ago I stood outside a church which was being picketed by two very vocal and rabid “Christian” groups. Also standing on the sidewalk were some young lesbians doing their own picketing. The first group became more and more vocal in their opposition and insults. They began telling the young women how despicable they were and how God despised them.
At that point I walked over and told the girls, “I am a Christian and I do believe the Bible says homosexual behavior is sin. But I want you to know what these people are saying is wrong. I want to apologize to you and tell God does love you very much. Don’t ever let anyone convince you He doesn’t.”
I have long thought Christians were missing a great opportunity by not being more vocal in helping to make our schools safe places for all kids. It doesn’t require that we compromise our beliefs. Indeed it can give us a great opportunity that we might not otherwise have.
What a wonderful opportunity to express our convictions in a way that is positive, loving and redemptive. What a wonderful opportunity to train our children to care about all people, to model the example of Jesus and the woman at the well.
Who knows but what this could even be the beginning of a movement that will turn the tide of school shootings and violence in the hallways?
I hope you are correct, Bob.
In most schools this year, the Day of Silence is slated for April 17. Students and leaders can learn more about the Golden Rule Pledge by going to the Golden Rule Pledge website: www.goldenrulepledge.com
What’s going on with this DOS stuff is simple cruising. Overt “silence” for the entire day (not the minute or two so hated by the Leftwingtards) gives pedophiles and homosexuals on the school staff the opportunity to identify potential sexual partners without themselves “coming out”.
YEP....You’d think we could find an attorney or two who could file suit against this kind of crap.
What a nasty and carping tone this article has.
And at the most basic level, it’s a lot easier for the staff than having to teach those terrifying academic subjects about which they know so little. Whew, what a relief!
If I had a kid, I wouldn’t want him or her participating in either the day of silence or the skip school alternative. Now, if there was a protest after school for a cause the kid felt passionate about, then fine, but school time should be like work time where there is no time for such activities.
How about a day of silence for ex-gays?
I don’t get how this DOS is a bad thing for evangelicals. When your enemies protest, counter their protest. Evangelicals should use that day to hand out tracts, pray aloud in groups, or sing praise and worship songs. They might as well use that silence to bring attention to their concerns. What’s going to happen?.....are the DOS’ers going to complain? Woops, they can’t....they have to be silent. I guess there will be alot of scribbling on notepads on that day.
This should be the DON for evangelicals.....Day of Noise.
Crap like this makes me glad I already graduated. Schools are no longer areas of learning, but merely government re-education camps, and a rugged individualist like me would not be liked in them.
In radiology there is a joke of a sign that's been around forever called "Throckmorton's sign". Throckmorton's sign indicates that on an xray the penis points towards the side of pathology 50% of the time.
I can't hear the name Throckmorton without laughing.
How about passing out a card with the Ten Commandments on this day?
“My tax dollars were supposed to pay for teachers to teach, not participate in political protests. This is indoctrination, not education.”
Billions have been spent on indoctrination.
If a child has a t-shirt that says “Sex outside Marriage is outside God’s Will”
... would they kicked out of school for it?
“I don’t get how this DOS is a bad thing for evangelicals. When your enemies protest, counter their protest. Evangelicals should use that day to hand out tracts, pray aloud in groups, or sing praise and worship songs. They might as well use that silence to bring attention to their concerns. What’s going to happen?.....are the DOS’ers going to complain?”
Good point. Day of evangelizing.
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