"Student's 'Jesus' shirt sparks feud with school"

[Jacksnyte]

That sounds more like Stalinism than democracy.

No, it is seperation of church and state.

 

[Jacksnyte]

Wrong

. They like to hide behind the veil of "secularism" when they tread the exact same ground

So their religion is homosexuality? Is there such a thing as non-secular homosexuality?

 

[Jacksnyte]

However, if another student had a shirt that said "life is wasted without mohammad/buddha/Krishna/etc." many of those who support the Jesus shirt would likely be screeching and flailing in response.

Amen to that, bruthah!

 

[Jacksnyte]

RF being a private entity is well within its rights to censor any type of language. On the other hand, while some people interpret that t-shirt as a violation of church and state separation we must consider that the school building is public property. If we can't express our beliefs and/or pray on public property then we are not a free people. This is under the assumption that schools don't take an official position on religion. And God help us if we're supposed to feel obliged to bow to everyone's easily offended sense of what's approriate. A policy of yielding to people's demands every time they claim to be offended is just begging to be used as a tool of manipulation for those looking to silence certain opinions. Like I said, for the sake of freedom and democracy sometimes we need to suck it up when people are saying things we find repulsive

So, would you feel the same way about the situation if the same scenario were happening, but the kid was wearing a shirt that said " A life without SATAN in it is wasted" ?

 

[Falvlun]

I think that the self-esteem of kids is a legitimate concern of a public school, and I think that forbidding a shirt with a message that implies that many students at that school are worthless is a perfectly acceptable application of that concern.

There are lots of nasty things that kids will encounter in the "real world", but that doesn't mean that the school administration shouldn't endeavour to make the school as safe and encouraging as possible.

I think self-esteem of kids is more reliant upon the fact that their clothes are from K-mart and the cool kids wear Abercrombie, or that they are wearing sneakers from last year, or that they didn't make the Cheerleading squad, or they are too nerdy, or not smart enough, or they have no friends, or the other kids are spreading rumors about them, or they are fat, etc.

I really have my doubts that a t-shirt expressing the wearer's belief that Jesus is necessary for a meaningful life would actually make kids who didn't believe that Christianity were true to suddenly think that their lives were worthless. From a teenagers' perspective, they have much more important things to worry about.

A start of the year assembly about the fact that different people believe different things and that's okay (among acceptance about other differences) probably would be more useful than sheltering teenagers from things they probably have read on billboards anyway, and has the added bonus of not restricting freedom of speech.

 

[-Peacemaker-]

So you would be fine with my atheist son repeatedly wearing a t-shirt to school that stated "Worshiping Jesus is a waste of time" or "Christianity kills"?

You don't think that would be disruptive to an educational environment?

Besides being a Christian I'm also a red blooded American. You're damn right I would tell my Christian brethren to suck it up in the name of freedom. I look at this debate similar to the one regarding flag burning. As sickening as such an action is, making it illegal would profane "Old Glory" far more

 

[HerDotness]

While the fact that the shirt expressed a religious point may have been an issue, as a former teacher, I support forbidding that particular shirt. It IS possible to find shirts with religious expressions that don't invite getting beat up for insulting non-Christians.

 

[fallingblood]

I think self-esteem of kids is more reliant upon the fact that their clothes are from K-mart and the cool kids wear Abercrombie, or that they are wearing sneakers from last year, or that they didn't make the Cheerleading squad, or they are too nerdy, or not smart enough, or they have no friends, or the other kids are spreading rumors about them, or they are fat, etc.

I really have my doubts that a t-shirt expressing the wearer's belief that Jesus is necessary for a meaningful life would actually make kids who didn't believe that Christianity were true to suddenly think that their lives were worthless. From a teenagers' perspective, they have much more important things to worry about.

A start of the year assembly about the fact that different people believe different things and that's okay (among acceptance about other differences) probably would be more useful than sheltering teenagers from things they probably have read on billboards anyway, and has the added bonus of not restricting freedom of speech.

It can be more than just self-esteem though. We are talking about kids who often don't think the most clearly. I know I didn't in high school. It is a shirt that can offend and upset others. Just like any other form of bullying, it has the very real potential of starting a fight, or at the least, distracting others from their school work.

School is not the place to make statements like this kid is making. School is hardly the place to really make any political or religious statements at all. It is a learning institution, and such political and religious statements are just a distraction. Especially when they are narrow-minded, and intolerant.

 

[fantome profane]

I think self-esteem of kids is more reliant upon the fact that their clothes are from K-mart and the cool kids wear Abercrombie, or that they are wearing sneakers from last year, or that they didn't make the Cheerleading squad, or they are too nerdy, or not smart enough, or they have no friends, or the other kids are spreading rumors about them, or they are fat, etc.

I really have my doubts that a t-shirt expressing the wearer's belief that Jesus is necessary for a meaningful life would actually make kids who didn't believe that Christianity were true to suddenly think that their lives were worthless. From a teenagers' perspective, they have much more important things to worry about.

A start of the year assembly about the fact that different people believe different things and that's okay (among acceptance about other differences) probably would be more useful than sheltering teenagers from things they probably have read on billboards anyway, and has the added bonus of not restricting freedom of speech.

I agree, and I also think the attempt to prevent this student from wearing this t-shirt has been and will continue to be much more disruptive than it would have been if they had just allowed him to wear it.

 

[Jacksnyte]

I think self-esteem of kids is more reliant upon the fact that their clothes are from K-mart and the cool kids wear Abercrombie, or that they are wearing sneakers from last year, or that they didn't make the Cheerleading squad, or they are too nerdy, or not smart enough, or they have no friends, or the other kids are spreading rumors about them, or they are fat, etc.

I really have my doubts that a t-shirt expressing the wearer's belief that Jesus is necessary for a meaningful life would actually make kids who didn't believe that Christianity were true to suddenly think that their lives were worthless. From a teenagers' perspective, they have much more important things to worry about.

A start of the year assembly about the fact that different people believe different things and that's okay (among acceptance about other differences) probably would be more useful than sheltering teenagers from things they probably have read on billboards anyway, and has the added bonus of not restricting freedom of speech.

Of course, this is the response that would make the most sense, however, it is also less likely to happen because certain religious groups feel they should be more entitled than others due to the fact that many seem to be under the impression that democracy as practiced in a republic should champion only their religious beliefs, and not others.

 

[Gomeza]

However, if another student had a shirt that said "life is wasted without mohammad/buddha/Krishna/etc." many of those who support the Jesus shirt would likely be screeching and flailing in response.

Ain't that the truth.

When this type of story makes the news it is helpful to know a bit of background information. The setting is a small town on the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. An area that has not yet experienced the immigration influx of other cultures and their respective religions to any measurable extent as some urban communities have.

Subsequently the long prevailing sense of Christian entitlement in all things pertaining to culture is still alive and well in that region. It is not until a demographic shift that has taken place in other parts of the country, takes place there that they will ever fully comprehend the importance of having everyone keep their provocative religious messages to themselves.

This was never about freedom of speech or anything else other than getting an individual to stop wearing a T-shirt with an insulting message to school.

 

[tumbleweed41]

Besides being a Christian I'm also a red blooded American. You're damn right I would tell my Christian brethren to suck it up in the name of freedom. I look at this debate similar to the one regarding flag burning. As sickening as such an action is, making it illegal would profane "Old Glory" far more

It's not illegal.

It has to do with disrupting the educational process. Like when schools ban overtly revealing clothing.
I would not let my son wear such a shirt to school. But he is free to walk down the street with it on.

 

[Astravalon]

"A Christian student suspended from a high school in Nova Scotia for sporting a T-shirt with the slogan "Life is wasted without Jesus" vows to wear it when he returns to class next week.

William Swinimer, who's in Grade 12, was suspended from Forest Heights Community School in Chester Basin in Lunenburg County for five days. He's due to return to class on Monday.

The devout Christian says the T-shirt is an expression of his beliefs, and he won't stop wearing it.

Nancy Pynch-Worthylake, board superintendent, said some students and teachers found the T-shirt offensive.

Swinimer wore the T-shirt every day to class for several weeks. The principal told him repeatedly to stop wearing it, but the student refused to comply.

Swinimer says the principal would have accepted a shirt with the slogan, "My life is wasted without Jesus."
source

​

So, what do you think? To me it looks too much like proselytizing, and should be stopped.

I side with the principal as well on this, especially since I see a certain
theological inaccuracy in the T-shirt's message. If Jesus is believed to
be God, and God is omnipresent, then there would be no such thing
as a "life without" Jesus. So, assuming most Christians believe in an
omnipresent God, the T-shirt is actually delivering a message that
goes against that belief.


.

 

[Jacksnyte]

I side with the principal as well on this, especially since I see a certain
theological inaccuracy in the T-shirt's message. If Jesus is believed to
be God, and God is omnipresent, then there would be no such thing
as a "life without" Jesus. So, assuming most Christians believe in an
omnipresent God, the T-shirt is actually delivering a message that
goes against that belief.


.

:clap:clap:clap

 

[waitasec]

"A Christian student suspended from a high school in Nova Scotia for sporting a T-shirt with the slogan "Life is wasted without Jesus" vows to wear it when he returns to class next week.

William Swinimer, who's in Grade 12, was suspended from Forest Heights Community School in Chester Basin in Lunenburg County for five days. He's due to return to class on Monday.

The devout Christian says the T-shirt is an expression of his beliefs, and he won't stop wearing it.

Nancy Pynch-Worthylake, board superintendent, said some students and teachers found the T-shirt offensive.

Swinimer wore the T-shirt every day to class for several weeks. The principal told him repeatedly to stop wearing it, but the student refused to comply.

Swinimer says the principal would have accepted a shirt with the slogan, "My life is wasted without Jesus."
source

​

So, what do you think? To me it looks too much like proselytizing, and should be stopped.

imo, he has the right to wear that shirt .... as much as i hate to say it

his shirt says much more about him then what is written on it

 

[Vinayaka]

the news update Suspended student allowed to wear 'Jesus' T-shirt - Nova Scotia - CBC News

I hope it opens a can of worms and others wear other t-shirts and they have to rescind this poor decision. Time will tell. Its not an urban school.

 

[Skwim]

Suppose they'd allow . . . .

?
​

 

[Skwim]

imo, he has the right to wear that shirt .

In Nova Scotia evidently he does.

 

[fantome profane]

the news update Suspended student allowed to wear 'Jesus' T-shirt - Nova Scotia - CBC News

Thanks for the update. I applaud the decision.:clap

 

[Tristesse]

I think wearing a shirt is an absurd reason to be suspended. When I was in high school I was actually suspended for a day(I think it was a day, this was quite some time ago) for wearing a morbid angel shirt that depicted a demon squashing a crucifix. So, I guess I'm an example of the opposite end of the spectrum. But I don't think my suspention nor the suspention of this other kid is justified. The teachers or the faculty have no place in proselytizing, but the student wearing a shirt is not so much proselytizing as it is stating what they believe.