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.
It's a whiney, Democratic website that hates Free Republic. I've never personally been there, but there are threads about it at FR.
I don't ned to learn about the Mennonite faith. Hubby has several Menonite preachers and a deacon in his very near family. What I've learned from Hubby's relatives hasn't warmed me toward their style of worship.
You have the correct keyword in "tradition". Interpretations become traditions. Traditions become sub cultures. Some of us are uncomfortable within those subcultures.
Amish...don't even go there.
Oh, come on...
Michelangelo's David is one example. Here are a bunch of Grecian nude sculptures. Granted, they aren't exactly nude people like in the club, but they're depictions of nakedness.
Come on. What does that have to do with a five year-old kid not being allowed to finish out the last three weeks of school? The school was within their rights, but they helped to harm a little girl emotionally, and that is WRONG.
This woman obviously has not figured out whether she will follow the Lord or not. What a Loon....
Or maybe the little girl told a teacher. Don't make an idiot out of yourself. If you don't know the facts, don't make assumptions to try and get your point across. The school had the absolute right to do what they did. If you don't like it, tough. Further, a church isn't responsible for the actions of its members, so the church acting on something a member might have told them isn't setting a bad example.
In the story of "David and Goliath," David shows up at the battlefield to bring some provisions to his older brothers. One of his brothers ignores his stated reason for coming to the battlefield, and instead, accuses him of "rubber-necking." When the brother does so, it is with a claim to "know" David's heart.
Now I always found it hilarious that God refers only to David as "a man after God's own heart."
If some of you projected any more into this story, instead of reading what it says, I'd swear there were some screws loose.
As a middle aged grandma, I can't believe I did this, but I went to their web site. I didn't find a pic of Christina Silvas, but DID find this...
"All of the photos on this site have been copyrighted from day 1. For all of you who have taken from this site, we hope you have a good lawyer."
Err...this does not bode well for the unnamed concerned "parent" who downloaded images and took them to the staff for THEIR...err...perusal.
I STILL think the school should have simply barred the daughter from entry next yesr, rather than kicking the little tyke out of school. Then again, not too many people seem too worried about the EFFECTS of this incident on THE AFFECTED five year-old. Just the moral implications of the mother's sin. It's really sad when people forget about the kids.
If the stories I've read about "exotic" dancers' take-home pay is true, then do you recommend every mother take up that line of work? They'd then be able to provide better for their children with the dancer's high pay, unless they were already neurosurgeons or something equally well-paid.
Well, then, shouldn't every mother be a stripper, because if the tales of strippers' take-home pay is true, then they would be better able to provide clothing, food, shelter, private schools, etc.?
Bwhahahahaha!!!
I've been a member there, several times. I keep getting banned for writing far more politely than I do here.
They're OBSESSED with FR. They have "What do you think FR's chances of survival are", and "We can't go around accusing all newbies of being FReepers!" threads. Weird. I avoid the DU now, because one really doesn't need that many showers a day.
If every mother became a stripper and sent their kids to a private school and therefore destroyed the public school system, our country would be improved greatly and the future would be very hopeful and positive.
Yeah, it would probably have been better for them to work it out over the summer with the mother in question. Three months would be sufficient time, with the congregation's help, to find a replacement job for her. Of course it would necessarily be less well paid, but there is a sufficient reason for that woman to take the pay cut that would come with work that keeps her little girl in that school.
Exactly.
Absolutely.
Well said.
BUMP.
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