Posted on 05/30/2002 11:52:00 PM PDT by Sabertooth
"Jesus loves the little children," the classic Christian ditty goes, "all the children of the world." All of them except the one whose mom works as a stripper.
That seems to be the moral of the story of nude dancer Christina Silvas, whose 5-year-old daughter was recently expelled from kindergarten when the school found out about her mother's stripping. A single mom, Christina danced at a gentlemen's club in Rancho Cordova, California to pay the $400 monthly tuition at Capital Christian School, operated by one of America's biggest Assemblies of God churches. School officials declared stripping violated the "Christian Commitment/Philosophy" Christina signed when she enrolled her daughter, and they gave the 24-year-old an ultimatum -- stop stripping or we'll stop teaching your daughter.
Christina and the private religious school eventually reached an accord. She consented to stop dancing for the last three weeks of her daughter's school year, and Capital Christian will allow the girl to finish kindergarten. Christina did not, however, say she wouldn't pose for Playboy.
When we learned about this tale of lack of Christian charity, we tracked Christina down. She had no qualms about our offer to pose, and she was soon on a plane to Playboy headquarters in Chicago. During a break in her shooting, we chatted with Christina and asked her to strip down the controversy for us.
Playboy.com: Once your daughter is finished with kindergarten, will you return to dancing?
Christina Silvas: That's not my intention, but I have not closed that door.
PB: Does the club want you back?
CS: The club can't wait for me to come back. They said that if I decide to return they'll throw me the biggest welcome back party the city has ever seen.
PB: When you were dancing there, did you ever see anyone from the church or the school at the club as a patron?
CS: Absolutely.
PB: How many?
CS: What goes on at the club stays at the club, so I can't comment about that.
PB: Rick Cole, the church's senior pastor, said God thinks stripping is demeaning. Do you agree?
CS: I think it's demeaning to have a day care raise your child while you're working.
PB: So he is off the mark?
CS: I don't feel that anything I did brought anything negative to my daughter.
PB: Cole is implying that stripping is a sin. Do you see it that way?
CS: It's definitely a difficult job, but the reason I was doing it was to provide the best life for my daughter that I possibly could, and I don't believe that is a sin.
PB: As a Christian, has this whole episode tested your faith?
CS: Life is a test. I believe that in that line of work you definitely have to be a strong individual. You use that occupation or it uses you.
PB: And you used it?
CS: Yes I did, and I think my strength of character to do that came from God.
PB: Your dancing was a sacrifice for your daughter. Do you think God was pleased with your sacrifice?
CS: I believe God sees our heart and looks at why we are doing what we are doing as opposed to solely our actions, and I believe that my actions were absolutely honorable. I was trying to provide for my daughter. I didn't have the luxury of looking for something else to do. It was very sudden that the financial responsibility of providing for my daughter fell onto my shoulders, and this was the first opportunity that seemed like it would help me accomplish my goals.
PB: How shocked were you when you found out about the expulsion?
CS: I was absolutely, totally, completely shocked. When I received the phone call that they were expelling my daughter based on my occupation, I did not believe it.
PB: Has this traumatized your daughter or has she been shielded from all of this?
CS: I have shielded her as much as I could. She caught a glimpse of the news and asked why her school doesn't want her to come back. I immediately reassured her that everybody loved her and that everything was going to be OK.
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CS: She is an extremely intelligent child. I've sacrificed almost six years to be the best parent I can be and I fully believe she has the foundation to overcome any obstacle. PB: Will your daughter return to Capital Christian for first grade? CS: No. I was deeply disappointed with their actions throughout this entire situation. PB: Did you enjoy dancing at the club? CS: It was an extremely positive experience. It helped me accomplish the goals that I think are important, which is spending time with my daughter and providing the best that I can for her. PB: Was it fun, though? Did you enjoy doing it? CS: I enjoyed the challenge of it, of doing the best job I could. PB: Did you have a certain style or a signature move? CS: I was good with the pole. Everyone asked if I was a gymnast. PB: When this story broke, it was reported that people were coming forward to offer you other jobs so that you would not be violating church policy. Has anything panned out? CS: I want to take the next three weeks to find myself and my daughter a new church to attend, a new school for her to go to next year and hopefully a new occupation. PB: What would you like to do? CS: I have many interests. I got straight As in high school and great grades in college, so I have unlimited possibilities and opportunities. PB: Why pose for Playboy? CS: Before all of this happened, I was extremely interested in posing. I have the utmost respect for the entire company, and I believe posing for Playboy is the American dream for a woman. PB: What do you think the church's reaction will be to your posing? CS: I think they will believe that my intentions throughout this entire process were for self gain and that I had evil intentions. But I can't help what other people believe. I can't change other people's thoughts. PB: Are you prepared for the fallout? CS: I am. I have to live my life for me. I can't live my life for the public or the church. |
What kind of an example led her to... this?"
Well... maybe she was brought up to do what she had to do to take care of herself and her child. She has some very nice assets and has a right and an obligation to use them to take care of herself and her child.
Is there supposed to be something wrong with what she's doing to provide for herself and her child? Seems some people would prefer she be on welfare.
Hooters Girls are whores. They're friggin' waitresses, you fool! Any more generalizations you want to lay on us?
Spot on, man, spot on.
Oh, she won't violate the "code of the club" but will violate the code of her God.
I have to live my life for me. I can't live my life for the public or the church.
Kind of says it all. Too bad.
And to be honest, it wasn't directed at you. I only read Dave's post, and didn't scroll up to see what he was responding to. It was intended more generally toward those who insist they are men of science and reason, but refuse to look into the fact behind the fable when it suits them not to.
I guess my original statement was broad. Obviously learning and order existed prior to the Church. But in the history of Europe, you find that, indeed, the Church was a force for order and learning.
SD
You haven't read 1 Corinthians 5. I challenge you to read that entire chapter and then ask the question. Jesus taught us how to live as individuals. And he instructed us through Paul how to function as a church. And didn't Jesus tell his disciples that to those who rejected his words, the message, that we are to shake the dust from our sandals as we leave their home? This lady has rejected the instruction. She has rejected the word. She has rejected the message. This church went out of its way to work with her.... even to the point that she was enabled to break a second agreement. The church did exactly right.
First off, you don't know what I've read and what I haven't. I can tell you without blinking an eyelash that the 5th chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians deals with Paul's being alerted to the fact that the church that he founded in Corinth was congratulating itself on its "gracious" handling of a situation in the church where a man was sexually involved with his stepmother. Paul calls them on this and insists that the church part company with one who would practice such flagrant evil. He commanded that they put the sinner out of the church, where Satan might have his way with him. They were not to eat, drink, or have any association with this former brother until he came to the point of repentence.
Later in Paul's writing to the Corinthian church, Paul's is made aware of the fact that this man, who he had previously commanded to be put out of the church, has seen the error of his ways and repented of his sin. Paul, then, admonishes the church to receive him back into their fellowship with grace and forgiveness.
However, nothing in these writings addresses the concern which I originally raised. My point was that the woman's daughter could have been better served by the continued access to the school, rather than to be shunned along with her mother. The girl, a kindergartner, had done nothing to merit such a shunning, and her relationship to God is personal and separate from her mother's (such as it is).
Has God not said in Ezekiel 18 ...
2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
3 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right, ...
6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,
7 And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
8 He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
9 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.
10 If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,
11 And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife,
12 Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,
13 Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.
14 Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,
15 That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife,
16 Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,
17 That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.
19 Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.
20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
Already your fable is drifting from the more interesting tale. Find out what Urban thought about Galileo BEFORE Galileo did something to anger him. Find out what it was Galileo did to anger him (hint - it has nothing to do with scientific discovery). Find out what other Rennasaince scientific opinions were on celestial movement (hint - Galileo wasn't the only one at the time dismissing Ptolemy, but he was the only one to enrage the pope). Find out how Galileo conducted debate with other Rennaisance scientists on his theories. Find out where Galileo actually had the evidence to back up his more controversial claims against those of other scientists, and where he was guessing.
Like I mentioned, it's an interesting story. And the papal condemnation without context tells you about as much about the case as reading the sentence of Al Capone without knowing the context.
Would this make her a CHINO?
!!!!If my wife knew my nom du guerre, I'd be sleeping in the attic every night!
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