Posted on 05/16/2002 2:29:30 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
A private Christian school and a kindergartener's mother who stripteases for a living are quickly becoming the focus of the latest debate on religious freedom.
Officials of Capital Christian School in Sacramento, Calif., discovered that what they thought had been a private meeting with a mother of a kindergartner who violated her commitment to school policy had become a news story on the local CBS affiliate KOVR.
The story first came to the attention of WorldNetDaily when WND columnist Rebecca Hagelin was invited Wednesday morning to discuss the issue on CNN's popular afternoon talk show "Talk Back Live." The only information circulating at the time was a brief description of a broadcast report filed by KOVR-TV which broke the story late Tuesday evening.
The summary blurb summed up the story this way: "A mother says her daughter is getting expelled from kindergarten because mom is a part-time stripper. This is about a five-year-old girl who attends Capital Christian School in Sacramento. But her mother says when the school found out she was an exotic dancer they told her she had one week to get her daughter out of their school."
Since the school's position was entirely absent from the report, Hagelin contacted the pastor of Capital Christian Church, the sponsoring church of the school. Senior Pastor Rick Cole was clearly disturbed by the events and reluctant to discuss details. Cole did, however, agree to provide certain facts about the case that had not been disclosed by the mother when she contacted the local television station about the situation.
Although Cole did not reveal the identity of the mother or child, WND subsequently learned their identities from KOVR-TV reporter George Franco, but has opted not to disclose the names to protect the child's privacy.
Hagelin reported the other side of the story during her appearance on CNN yesterday.
"By air time Wednesday afternoon, I had secured two interviews with pastor Cole from my car phone," she said. "His greatest concern and reluctance to speak came from his desire to protect the mother and her daughter." Given that only part of the story had become national news, she added, Cole thought it important provide the rest of the story.
Cole explained that recently school officials had become aware that the mother in question works as a part-time strip-teaser dancer at a local club. Since her occupation is in violation of an agreement with and commitment to the school philosophy that parents must sign before the children are admitted to school, school officials, including Cole met the mother.
Not wanting to divulge the personal and confidential details of the conversation with the mother, Cole only briefly outlined the details of the offer officials had made the mother -- which had been left out of previous news stories.
"The school offered to waive the last month's tuition for the student so the young girl could remain in school to the end of the year if the mother would quit her job as a strip-tease dancer. They also offered to support the mother and walk 'hand in hand' with her as she worked through the spiritual issues involved and sought to better her life," said Hagelin. "The pastor believed that the meeting had been well-received by the mother, but the next thing he knew he was getting calls from the local media. I found Pastor Cole to be clearly upset that his efforts to help a woman in a very bad situation were not successful."
As a requirement for admission, parents of prospective students must sign a "commitment" to support the philosophy of the school. That philosophy, in part, reads: "Emphasis is placed on learning about God and the truths of God's Word in relationship to man and his world; recognizing that the way to God comes through personal faith in Jesus Christ; and Christian maturity comes by application of the truths of the Bible in all areas of life." In signing the document, parents agree to maintain a "partnership" with the school "regarding the standards and criteria of a Christian learning structure that involves the entire family."
"Although school officials see the mother's job as a stripper as a clear violation of her signed commitment, automatic termination of the relationship was not an option for them," said Hagelin. "The pastor and school attempted to help the mother better her life, and offered her both financial, spiritual and emotional support."
In Hagelin's interview with the pastor, he described how the role of the school differed somewhat from that of the church. While the church has open arms to all who wish to attend, he discussed how essential parental commitment is to the success of a school of 1,200 students that seeks to provide both high academic and spiritual standards for each and every student, noted Hagelin.
Reporter George Franco of KOVR told Hagelin that the mother has retained legal counsel and is considering filing a motion for an immediate injunction to have the child remain in school while the mother continues to work as a stripper.
Shunning is the modern equivalent of a stoning. Any church is perfectly free to practice it with gusto, but then, they are hipocrites to call themselves Christian.
You're arguing a spiritual issue from a worldly practicality position.
That is really keeping things in perspective there.
When that pastor stands before G_d, he may get to learn firsthand what its like to really be shunned.
Here Appy, I'll let you fling the first stone...
And chicken farming is the modern equivalent of the Holocaust, right?
This may be wishful thinking on your part... but there is no biblical support for it. You are ignoring the pastors duty to his congregation. To his "flock". You are ignoring instructions to the church. If the bible is true and accurate.... this church has responded properly.
I'm reminded of an old country song (from the 1960s or 1970s) called Please Don't Go Topless Mother where a small boy is pleading for his mom to give up topless dancing.
I couldn't find an mp3 or a wav (or even a copy of the lyrics) but I did find an archived real player radio broadcast where it is 11 songs into the show. Playlist for Inner Ear Detour with David S - October 22, 2001
Nah, but it sure smells that way.
I find that this verse is misquoted most often when Christians are standing up for moral behavior. It is just a veiled(?) attempt to get us to shut up.
My mom got divorced when I was a small child. She remarried because she needed someone to support her two kids, which she wasn't able to do. The Stepfather physically assaulted all of us on a regular basis. I wish she'd stripped instead of marrying him...it would have been easier on all of us. Until you've walked a mile in the other guy's shoes, don't assume you know him.
I appreciate your position. I fall almost into the same boat. You wishing your mom had done something doesn’t make that thing right. In an ideal world your mom’s family would have been around and able to help out by taking you all in. Either that or whatever church you attended (if you attended one) would have been able to help take care of your family's needs.
A lot of families and churches are falling down in their responsibility to help care for the widows and the fatherless (which I would classify single mom households).
-Kevin
I have the right to my opinion. Nobody is ever FORCED to commit adultery. There are other choices. If you aren't a Christian than you don't care what the Bible dictates. I do.
That's pretty shaky ground---I wouldn't stands2reason there.Did you read what she signed? It was a broad expression of principles, not a "I swear I'll never work as a stripper" document.
Have any of you people actually read the Sacramento Bee story I linked? The woman was a SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER AT THE CHURCH THAT SPONSORED THIS SCHOOL. Obviously she was doing something right!
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