Posted on 02/24/2007 4:17:13 AM PST by Man50D
A federal judge in Massachusetts has ordered the "gay" agenda taught to Christians who attend a public school in Massachusetts, finding that they need the teachings to be "engaged and productive citizens."
U.S. District Judge Mark L. Wolf yesterday dismissed a civil rights lawsuit brought by David Parker, ordering that it is reasonable, indeed there is an obligation, for public schools to teach young children to accept and endorse homosexuality.
Wolf essentially adopted the reasoning in a brief submitted by a number of homosexual-advocacy groups, who said "the rights of religious freedom and parental control over the upbringing of children … would undermine teaching and learning…"
David and Tonia Parker and Joseph and Robin Wirthlin, who have children of school age in Lexington, Mass., brought the lawsuit. They alleged district officials and staff at Estabrook Elementary School violated state law and civil rights by indoctrinating their children about a lifestyle they, as Christians, teach is immoral.
"Wolf's ruling is every parent's nightmare. It goes to extraordinary lengths to legitimize and reinforce the 'right' (and even the duty) of schools to normalize homosexual behavior to even the youngest of children," said a statement from the pro-family group Mass Resistance.
It also is making available background information about the lengthy dispute.
"In the ruling, Wolf makes the absurd claim that normalizing homosexuality to young children is 'reasonably related to the goals of preparing students to become engaged and productive citizens in our democracy.' According to Wolf, this means teaching 'diversity' which includes 'differences in sexual orientation.'
"In addition, Wolf makes the odious statement that the Parkers' only options are (1) send their kids to a private school, (2) home-school their kids, or (3) elect a majority of people to the School Committee who agree with them. Can you imagine a federal judge in the Civil Rights era telling blacks the same thing – that if they can't be served at a lunch counter they should just start their own restaurant, or elect a city council to pass laws that reflect the U.S. Constitution?" the organization said.
Lawyers for the families said they already had planned an appeal of the judge's opinion.
But Wolf's claims followed very closely the reasoning submitted earlier in a brief by Human Rights Campaign, the ACLU, Massachusetts Teachers Association, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders and other advocates for the "gay" agenda.
Earlier, Mass Resistance President Brian Camenker had wondered why such national groups were "so interested in a parent's right to decide what moral issues are taught to his children by adults in elementary schools, especially regarding
"They must see David Parker's case as quite a threat to their ability to push their message on children," he had said. His organization has posted information about the judge's ruling on the Internet for readers to review
But the judge concluded that even allowing Christians to withdraw their children from classes or portions of classes where the religious beliefs were being violated wasn't a reasonable expectation.
"An exodus from class when issues of homosexuality or same-sex marriage are to be discussed could send the message that gays, lesbians, and the children of same-sex parents are inferior and, therefore, have a damaging effect on those students," he opined.
"Under the Constitution public schools are entitled to teach anything that is reasonably related to the goals of preparing students to become engaged and productive citizens in our democracy," the judge wrote. "Diversity is a hallmark of our nation. It is increasingly evident that our diversity includes differences in sexual orientation."
And, he said, since history "includes instances of … official discrimination against gays and lesbians … it is reasonable for public educators to teach elementary school students … different sexual orientations."
If they disagree, "the Parkers and Wirthlins may send their children to a private school …[or] may also educate their children at home," the judge said.
Parker was arrested and jailed in Lexington in April 2005 over his request – and the school's refusal – to notify him when adults discuss homosexuality or transgenderism with his 6-year-old kindergartner. That despite a state law requiring such notification.
The incident made news around the nation and even Gov. Mitt Romney agreed with Parker.
However, in April 2006 the same school presented the book "King and King," about homosexual romances and marriage, to second-graders and again refused to provide notification.
Parker and other parents followed with the federal civil rights lawsuit, alleging school officials were refusing to follow state law.
Just days later, David Parker's son, Jacob, was beaten up at Estabrook Elementary, officials said. MassResistance said a group of 8-10 kids surrounded him and took him out of sight of "patrolling aides," then pummeled and beat him.
"The state must fight 'discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation' in ways that 'do not perpetuate stereotypes,'" the lawyers for the school district had argued at an earlier motions hearing. They also explained to the judge that, in their opinion, parents have no right to control what ideas the school presents to elementary schoolchildren.
"David Parker's dilemma … threatens the parental rights and religious freedom of every Massachusetts parent, and indirectly every parent in America," said John Haskins of the Parents' Rights Coalition.
"As the Lexington schools themselves are arguing, the state's right to force pro-homosexuality indoctrination on other people's children arises directly from former Gov. Mitt Romney's nakedly false and unconstitutional declaration that homosexual marriage is now legal."
Haskins said when the Massachusetts state Supreme Court demanded homosexual marriages in the state, it didn't have the constitutional or legal authority to order the governor to act or to order the Legislature to make any changes, and the creation of same-sex marriages in Massachusetts actually was accomplished by executive order from Romney.
I want video......
I can advise, for fun, the E channel and the show is called "The Soup".
After that you are on your own.
Tagline says it all.
"They have made their decision, now let them enforce it..."
Andrew Jackson.
This NAMBLA judge should be dragged out of the court and hung by an angry mob...
The Soup??
Do you mean the johnny whatshisnames', hollyweirdo, liberal, sissified, hate Bush, anti-American, pro-moonbat little lighthearted peak at the 1/2 hour world of continuing hollyweirdo imaginary life situations?
Never saw it. :-)
No, this is terrorism...
"A federal judge in Massachusetts has ordered the "gay" agenda taught to Christians who attend a public school in Massachusetts, finding that they need the teachings to be "engaged and productive citizens.""
Can the teachers also teach the Chistian agenda since the teachings have been proven to be engaging and productive?
Soon, parents will not have any option. Once public schools are taken over completely, private schools will be next. And homeschooling will be illegal.
YOu have this right. The schools teach the value of homosexuality and the churches reinforce that teaching. The role of liberal churches in this country should not be underestimated. They have even more influence than the public schools because after all, if my church says homosexuality is good, it must be.
The people of America are braindead.
Either that, or they will ban homeschooling.
Poor Mr. Parker probably lacks the resources to pursue an appeal, which is unfortunate, since mighty oaks grow from little acorns.
The acorn in this case is that the 1788 Constitution, as amended, allows, indeed requires, an agenda of the social reeducation of children to be made mandatory.
This is a falsity, indeed made up out of whole cloth, which will be seized on by the Left to expand exponentially.
These decisions without any Constitutional foundation need to be rooted out wherever they spring up - and since this idiot judge cited the Federal constitution in his decision there ought to be grounds for an appeal.
actually it is already in the works. The lesbian couple that brought the lawsuit that led to the Massachusetts court decision were the first ones married under the new "law". Although mentioned many times here in the news, I forget their names. Anyway, they have already filed for divorce!
Really, though, I think we need to revive tarring and feathering as a stopgap measure, something nonlethal.
This is blatant terrorism from the courts... the judge should be sent to Gitmo... then shot...
We were Evangelical Lutheran Church in America but left 14 years ago for the Lutheran Church Missour Synod.
If you notice the LCMS is not on this list and is a conservative, Bible believing church.
• African Methodist Episcopal Church • Alliance of Baptists • The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
• Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
• Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
• Church of the Brethren
• The Coptic Orthodox Church in North America
• The Episcopal Church
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
• Friends United Meeting
• Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
• Hungarian Reformed Church in America
• International Council of Community Churches
• Korean Presbyterian Church in America
• Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
• Mar Thoma Church • National Baptist Convention of America
• National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.
• National Missionary Baptist Convention of America
• Orthodox Church in America
• Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the USA
• Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
• Polish National Catholic Church of America
• Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
• Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.
• Reformed Church in America
• Serbian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A. and Canada
• The Swedenborgian Church
• Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America
• United Church of Christ
• The United Methodist Church
What I have a hard time reconciling is the blatant disregard from the bench for the first amendment rights of Christian parents and students to NOT be exposed to this crap.
Mark Wolf sounds like a non-Christian name that is demanding that the GAY agenda be taught to Christian children!!! This is WRONG!!!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1052017/posts
Accused Terrorist Wrote School Guidelines with ACLU
Excerpt:
Additionally, Clinton went beyond the ACLU copyright guidelines and added:
"Students generally do not have a Federal right to be excused from lessons that may be inconsistent with their religious beliefs or practices."
It is terrorism... nothing to do with the First Amendment...
Terrorize people by attacking their children when they are at school... molest their minds first... then they will molest their bodies later...
Why not teach the kids how to impeach idiot judges?
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