brightmorningstar Posted June 12, 2012 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 0 Topics Per Day: 0 Content Count: 141 Content Per Day: 0.03 Reputation: 22 Days Won: 2 Joined: 03/05/2012 Status: Offline Share Posted June 12, 2012 It is encouraging to hear the comments of fellow believers here. The huge swathes of converts across the world especially in Islamic countries such as Indonesia do not get fooled by the western media and their spokespeople the head of Stonewall who spin the idea that there are only a few churches and Christians left who oppose this perversion of same sex relations. This is not about homosexuals, in addition to a number of media people who identify as homosexual who are cautious about the message of groups like Stonewall a poll has come out recently that says about 50% of those who identify as homosexual do not particularly want same sex as marriage, nor do they necessarily think it should be. NO the problem is I have just seen the news in the UK where the Church of England has spoken out against same sex marriage and the News provides a debate between a 'christian' from Ekklesia and a Bible believing Christian. They seek to divide. It is time Bible believing Christians expelled false teachers from their midst and start loving them as pagans as the Bible says (1 Cor 5, Matt 18, 2 Peter 2, Jude 1) Enough of entertaining their cancer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bold Believer Posted July 20, 2012 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 121 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,931 Content Per Day: 0.35 Reputation: 126 Days Won: 8 Joined: 01/22/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/13/1955 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Fear of being sued in no way excuses the behavior of the superintendent toward the student. I agree. However, the school was stuck between a rock and a hard place. As it is a lot easier for schools to deal with freedom of speech issues (all the school has to do is prove that the publication somehow disrupted the educational process) than discrimination issues (which is probably what they would have faced), they made the decision they felt was least risky. Do I agree with it? Of course not, but I can see where they are coming from. That aside, the real point here is that it was an OpEd piece in which opposing opinions were sought out. One look at the article is all the evidence that is needed to prove that. It is not the school or the school paper promoting either view. The paper itself in no way endorsed either opinion, but only sought to present both sides from the perspective of students. I don't know if they were sought out. I don't know how it works in their school, but in mine, even the opinions are written by newspaper staff and closely vetted by the school. The fact that the school vets the paper makes it their responsibility if it interferes with the management of the school. I believe that it wouldn't have mattered if the student had refrained from using any Bible verses - though I am convinced that doing so only inflamed the school officials and presumably the "couple" who complained even more. If he'd merely referred to studies that suggest children need both mother and father, the gay couple in care would likely still have called the school in a huff. Because we just aren't allowed to so much as question the gay lifestyle in any way, shape or form. The fact that the boy is a Christian only gave them more reason to complain. We have no evidence either way on this. However, more recent evidence suggests that gay parents are just as good as straight ones. See: http://www.huffingto..._n_1208659.html And you BELIEVE that line of bullcrap? If you do, you're wrong. I can speak to what I see happening in the life of someone very close to me whose former wife is a homosexual. She is (wrongfully) in primary custody of their daughter and there is no doubt that she is bringing that child up to believe that such behavior is acceptable. This is what they do. They bring the children up in their lie, confusing them regarding proper sexual conduct. Homosexual 'parents' are nowhere NEAR as good as normal parents. They truly aren't parents at all, merely caretakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bold Believer Posted July 20, 2012 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 121 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,931 Content Per Day: 0.35 Reputation: 126 Days Won: 8 Joined: 01/22/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/13/1955 Share Posted July 20, 2012 It is encouraging to hear the comments of fellow believers here. The huge swathes of converts across the world especially in Islamic countries such as Indonesia do not get fooled by the western media and their spokespeople the head of Stonewall who spin the idea that there are only a few churches and Christians left who oppose this perversion of same sex relations. This is not about homosexuals, in addition to a number of media people who identify as homosexual who are cautious about the message of groups like Stonewall a poll has come out recently that says about 50% of those who identify as homosexual do not particularly want same sex as marriage, nor do they necessarily think it should be. NO the problem is I have just seen the news in the UK where the Church of England has spoken out against same sex marriage and the News provides a debate between a 'christian' from Ekklesia and a Bible believing Christian. They seek to divide. It is time Bible believing Christians expelled false teachers from their midst and start loving them as pagans as the Bible says (1 Cor 5, Matt 18, 2 Peter 2, Jude 1) Enough of entertaining their cancer. You'd better be careful. That idea doesn't go well in Christian circles, after all, we have to love them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winsomebulldog Posted July 22, 2012 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 20 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 732 Content Per Day: 0.14 Reputation: 113 Days Won: 5 Joined: 03/26/2010 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/30/1971 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 I don't think this is "proof Christians are not allowed to have opinions", but I do agree the punishment of the student was inappropriate. He presented his viewpoint without attacking any individuals and gave his opinion in an un-hateful way. If the reaction to this article isn't proof that this Christian boy wasn't allowed to have an opinion, then I don't know what else to call it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oh Hamburgers! Posted July 22, 2012 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 10 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 2,144 Content Per Day: 0.34 Reputation: 163 Days Won: 1 Joined: 02/02/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/05/1985 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I don't think this is "proof Christians are not allowed to have opinions", but I do agree the punishment of the student was inappropriate. He presented his viewpoint without attacking any individuals and gave his opinion in an un-hateful way. If the reaction to this article isn't proof that this Christian boy wasn't allowed to have an opinion, then I don't know what else to call it. A single example of a poor decision is never proof of anything so broad. It would be like saying "my road has a pothole in it, so it's proof that our country's transportation system is underfunded" or something else equally absurd. Did the school inproperly punish this student? I believe that they did, yes. Does that prove that "christians" in the country aren't allowed to have an opinion? Not at all, especially when you consider that the majority of the country self identifies as christian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winsomebulldog Posted July 23, 2012 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 20 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 732 Content Per Day: 0.14 Reputation: 113 Days Won: 5 Joined: 03/26/2010 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/30/1971 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 I don't think this is "proof Christians are not allowed to have opinions", but I do agree the punishment of the student was inappropriate. He presented his viewpoint without attacking any individuals and gave his opinion in an un-hateful way. If the reaction to this article isn't proof that this Christian boy wasn't allowed to have an opinion, then I don't know what else to call it. A single example of a poor decision is never proof of anything so broad. It would be like saying "my road has a pothole in it, so it's proof that our country's transportation system is underfunded" or something else equally absurd. Did the school inproperly punish this student? I believe that they did, yes. Does that prove that "christians" in the country aren't allowed to have an opinion? Not at all, especially when you consider that the majority of the country self identifies as christian. I would agree with you if this were the only incident of a Christian being verbally attacked for daring to have an opinion contrary to whatever is deemed "politically correct." However, as I'll point out, this isn't the only time something like this has happened. It really doesn't take much searching to find examples across the internet and in the news. Anyone who isn't pro-gay is automatically labeled as intolerant, bigoted, a bully, and a host of other unflattering and ugly things. Also, what the majority of the country chooses to identify themselves as in no way means every person who calls themselves a Christian is one. (Just as an FYI, you might want to look into the reality of those statistical percentages that suggest the majority of Americans are Christians. This article is a few years out of date, but the point it makes is still valid.) The definition of a Christian is another topic entirely and I don't wish to derail this thread with it. The point I did intend to make and that I maintain is true is that there is a very hostile environment for any Christian who dares to disagree with the gay lifestyle (among other things). Christian opinions are subject to ridicule, insult, and abuse, but rarely respect. This was a single example of just how far things have gone. Christian beliefs, whether about homosexuality, evolution, or the existence of God Himself, are routinely treated with derision. As I and others pointed out in various posts on this thread, if the shoe had been on the other foot things would have been handled differently. If a Christian parent had called the school to complain about the pro-gay side of the article, I honestly believe they would have been ignored. If you sincerely believe that Christians aren't having their opinions bashed and ridiculed, particularly on homosexuality, then you need to pay more attention to any Christian opinion posted on any secular site. It takes virtually no effort at all to see this reality. The recent decisions by the Boy Scouts of America to uphold their ban on homosexuals can provide a wide array of articles calling the BSA bigots and accusing them of promoting intolerance and contributing to the abuse and bullying of homosexuals. Chick-fil-a's decision to stand by their Christian values has made them a target as well. And here's another incident from a school: Texas teen's suspension reduced after anti-gay remark And, the very first comment I read at the end of the article, "I would've pointed out that his thoughts are perfectly in line with the Nazi's use of Christianity and left it at that." It devolves into further Christian bashing from there. Certainly, there are Christinas who defend themselves and their beliefs, but the point I'm making stands: Anyone who dares to openly disagree with homosexuality can fully expect to be called an assortment of vile names. The side that loves to preach tolerance and acceptance clearly does not extend either to anyone who dares to disagree with them. When a boy who wears a shirt to school that says, "Life is wasted without Jesus" can be told to remove it because it is "hate speech" then we've reached a place where Christian opinions are being attacked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingnut- Posted July 30, 2012 Group: Royal Member Followers: 39 Topic Count: 101 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 7,673 Content Per Day: 1.31 Reputation: 7,358 Days Won: 67 Joined: 04/22/2008 Status: Offline Share Posted July 30, 2012 A 15 year old boy was asked to write and opinion piece for his school newspaper on the merits of homosexual couples adopting children. Then, when he dared to suggest that it is wrong (and worse, quoted Bible verses to support his position) he was punished and threatened by school officials. See article, here. After the op-ed was published, a gay couple whose child attend s the high school, complained. The school immediately issued an apology – stating Wegner’s opinion was a “form of bullying and disrespect.” “Offensive articles cultivating a negative environment of disrespect are not appropriate or condoned by the Shawano School District,” the statement read. “We sincerely apologize to anyone we may have offended and are taking steps to prevent items of this nature from happening in the future.” See the boy's original article, as well as the opposing view that was included with it. I read it and saw nothing that I would describe as even remotely akin to "bullying" and/or "disrespect." But then, we now live in a society where anyone who does not openly embrace, support, and even champion gay/homosexual causes is labeled a bigot and far worse. I am no fan of frivolous lawsuits and am not really sure if this situation warrants one or not, but at the very least, the school system should have to issue an apology to the boy for their behavior. I'd be amazed if that actually happened, however. A 15 year old boy was asked to write and opinion piece for his school newspaper on the merits of homosexual couples adopting children. Then, when he dared to suggest that it is wrong (and worse, quoted Bible verses to support his position) he was punished and threatened by school officials. See article, here. After the op-ed was published, a gay couple whose child attend s the high school, complained. The school immediately issued an apology – stating Wegner’s opinion was a “form of bullying and disrespect.” “Offensive articles cultivating a negative environment of disrespect are not appropriate or condoned by the Shawano School District,” the statement read. “We sincerely apologize to anyone we may have offended and are taking steps to prevent items of this nature from happening in the future.” See the boy's original article, as well as the opposing view that was included with it. I read it and saw nothing that I would describe as even remotely akin to "bullying" and/or "disrespect." But then, we now live in a society where anyone who does not openly embrace, support, and even champion gay/homosexual causes is labeled a bigot and far worse. I am no fan of frivolous lawsuits and am not really sure if this situation warrants one or not, but at the very least, the school system should have to issue an apology to the boy for their behavior. I'd be amazed if that actually happened, however. We live in a fallen world which no longer embraces the truth, but mocks it instead. When you try to offer hope to it, you are insulted and turned into a villain, and heaven forbid we introduce consequence into the closed off world of the entitlement era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayyycuuup Posted July 31, 2012 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 68 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,384 Content Per Day: 0.37 Reputation: 155 Days Won: 1 Joined: 01/20/2014 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/22/1996 Share Posted July 31, 2012 A 15 year old boy was asked to write and opinion piece for his school newspaper on the merits of homosexual couples adopting children. Then, when he dared to suggest that it is wrong (and worse, quoted Bible verses to support his position) he was punished and threatened by school officials. See article, here. After the op-ed was published, a gay couple whose child attend s the high school, complained. The school immediately issued an apology – stating Wegner’s opinion was a “form of bullying and disrespect.” “Offensive articles cultivating a negative environment of disrespect are not appropriate or condoned by the Shawano School District,” the statement read. “We sincerely apologize to anyone we may have offended and are taking steps to prevent items of this nature from happening in the future.” See the boy's original article, as well as the opposing view that was included with it. I read it and saw nothing that I would describe as even remotely akin to "bullying" and/or "disrespect." But then, we now live in a society where anyone who does not openly embrace, support, and even champion gay/homosexual causes is labeled a bigot and far worse. I am no fan of frivolous lawsuits and am not really sure if this situation warrants one or not, but at the very least, the school system should have to issue an apology to the boy for their behavior. I'd be amazed if that actually happened, however. A 15 year old boy was asked to write and opinion piece for his school newspaper on the merits of homosexual couples adopting children. Then, when he dared to suggest that it is wrong (and worse, quoted Bible verses to support his position) he was punished and threatened by school officials. See article, here. After the op-ed was published, a gay couple whose child attend s the high school, complained. The school immediately issued an apology – stating Wegner’s opinion was a “form of bullying and disrespect.” “Offensive articles cultivating a negative environment of disrespect are not appropriate or condoned by the Shawano School District,” the statement read. “We sincerely apologize to anyone we may have offended and are taking steps to prevent items of this nature from happening in the future.” See the boy's original article, as well as the opposing view that was included with it. I read it and saw nothing that I would describe as even remotely akin to "bullying" and/or "disrespect." But then, we now live in a society where anyone who does not openly embrace, support, and even champion gay/homosexual causes is labeled a bigot and far worse. I am no fan of frivolous lawsuits and am not really sure if this situation warrants one or not, but at the very least, the school system should have to issue an apology to the boy for their behavior. I'd be amazed if that actually happened, however. We live in a fallen world which no longer embraces the truth, but mocks it instead. When you try to offer hope to it, you are insulted and turned into a villain, and heaven forbid we introduce consequence into the closed off world of the entitlement era. Anyone who has been on this wonderful site can testify to that. We try and lead them into the right direction but they act as if we are trying to lead them to the slaughter. Worse part is things will progressively get worse. God Help us.. .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winsomebulldog Posted July 31, 2012 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 20 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 732 Content Per Day: 0.14 Reputation: 113 Days Won: 5 Joined: 03/26/2010 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/30/1971 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 A 15 year old boy was asked to write and opinion piece for his school newspaper on the merits of homosexual couples adopting children. Then, when he dared to suggest that it is wrong (and worse, quoted Bible verses to support his position) he was punished and threatened by school officials. See article, here. After the op-ed was published, a gay couple whose child attend s the high school, complained. The school immediately issued an apology – stating Wegner’s opinion was a “form of bullying and disrespect.” “Offensive articles cultivating a negative environment of disrespect are not appropriate or condoned by the Shawano School District,” the statement read. “We sincerely apologize to anyone we may have offended and are taking steps to prevent items of this nature from happening in the future.” See the boy's original article, as well as the opposing view that was included with it. I read it and saw nothing that I would describe as even remotely akin to "bullying" and/or "disrespect." But then, we now live in a society where anyone who does not openly embrace, support, and even champion gay/homosexual causes is labeled a bigot and far worse. I am no fan of frivolous lawsuits and am not really sure if this situation warrants one or not, but at the very least, the school system should have to issue an apology to the boy for their behavior. I'd be amazed if that actually happened, however. A 15 year old boy was asked to write and opinion piece for his school newspaper on the merits of homosexual couples adopting children. Then, when he dared to suggest that it is wrong (and worse, quoted Bible verses to support his position) he was punished and threatened by school officials. See article, here. After the op-ed was published, a gay couple whose child attend s the high school, complained. The school immediately issued an apology – stating Wegner’s opinion was a “form of bullying and disrespect.” “Offensive articles cultivating a negative environment of disrespect are not appropriate or condoned by the Shawano School District,” the statement read. “We sincerely apologize to anyone we may have offended and are taking steps to prevent items of this nature from happening in the future.” See the boy's original article, as well as the opposing view that was included with it. I read it and saw nothing that I would describe as even remotely akin to "bullying" and/or "disrespect." But then, we now live in a society where anyone who does not openly embrace, support, and even champion gay/homosexual causes is labeled a bigot and far worse. I am no fan of frivolous lawsuits and am not really sure if this situation warrants one or not, but at the very least, the school system should have to issue an apology to the boy for their behavior. I'd be amazed if that actually happened, however. We live in a fallen world which no longer embraces the truth, but mocks it instead. When you try to offer hope to it, you are insulted and turned into a villain, and heaven forbid we introduce consequence into the closed off world of the entitlement era. Anyone who has been on this wonderful site can testify to that. We try and lead them into the right direction but they act as if we are trying to lead them to the slaughter. Worse part is things will progressively get worse. God Help us.. .. I'm finding myself increasingly amazed and horrified by just how quickly socital decay seems to be overtaking us. I do not consider myself old at 41, yet have seen a complete collapse of even the most basic sense of respect and consideration for our "neighbors" in my lifetime. I tell people all the time that if I had behaved even marginally like young people today do, my mother would have slapped me full across the face. But the truth is I would never have acted like I see so many people acting because I was taught to behave and be respectful of others, both my peers and my elders. And it isn't just kids and teens. I am continually amazed by how many times I see and hear people even older than myself behaving with a complete lack of manners and consideration. We are devolving into a nation of people who claim to want peace and equality for all, yet happily bully and belittle anyone who doesn't share whatever view happens to be the favorite at the moment. Selfishness has become not only the norm, but the "right" of all since everyone is now "special" and entitled to be treated like royalty. Unless, as I've said, you dare to disagree with politically correct viewpoints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTC Posted July 31, 2012 Group: Royal Member Followers: 18 Topic Count: 200 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 2,795 Content Per Day: 0.65 Reputation: 1,502 Days Won: 1 Joined: 06/25/2012 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/26/1952 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I am also amazed and horrified at what our world has become. I said world but I really mean America, and I guess most of the Christian and Catholic European countries. I remember first reading that this would happen in the Bible, about 30 years ago. The Bible said people will call good bad and what is bad will be called good. Even 30 years ago there were examples of it happening, but it's progressed too much in a mere 30 years. I almost can't believe it. The only reason I can believe it's for real is because the Bible said it would happen. So that's the amazement part. The horrifying part is how far it's gone, and Jesus has not yet returned to put an end to this. What scares me is how much further will it go and Jesus is not yet back. I know the Bible talks about Christians being put to death for holding to our views on morality and righteousness, but I thought that part had already happened. I didn't think American society would ever decay to where a person who stands up for Biblical morals would be sued, and maybe soon to be executed. The Bible talks about people giving themselves over to a depraved mind, and no longer knowing what is natural and what isn't. But this is it. This is an example of the proof of that scripture. And here's another scary fact. Until recently, albeit recently may be 40 years or so, babies could only be conceived by a man and a woman having intercourse. That used be the #1 argument for why homosexuality was wrong. But now a woman can be impregnated by doctors. Yes they still need the sperm of a man, but the sex act is no longer required. And what with people being greedy and all, there will always be a man willing to sell his sperm for a price. But what's worse is that people may come to see medical impregnation of a woman as the natural thing to do. I'm afraid in a few generations from now, all children will grew up assuming the boys will sell or donate sperm, and the girls will expect to be impregnated medically, rather than through love making. And I used the phrase love making to make a point. I fear all people are forgetting what love is. And this is horrifying. I'm not very old, but I am on the down side of the hill of life. With all this stuff going on it makes me hope my death comes soon. Either that or I hope Jesus returns. But the Bible also says that Jesus won't return until things are so bad that if He doesn't come back, there will be no flesh left alive. I suppose that can happen at any time if all the countries launched their nuclear war bombs. But I also tend to think that won't happen anytime soon. As greedy and hateful as many people are, most people still wish to live. So I doubt an all out nuclear war will happen soon, which also means Jesus won't be back anytime soon. I fear for the children of this world. I don't fear for me, because I'm past the age of fearing for me. I fear for all our children and our children's children. I think as Christians we better teach morals to all the children and young people we have the chance to come into contact with. I have been doing this and a surprising number of young people listen to my words, and from their responses, I am offering them hope. Some just laugh and I don't continue talking with them. But some sound surprised to hear me talk of love and how people should treat each other with love. I have even told some that my generation screwed this world up, and now it's up to them to try and fix it. One young man asked if I thought it was possible, could his generation fix the world. I said yes, if enough of you want to fix the world you can do it. So we older people must encourage the younger people to fix the mess we made. I find it helps to admit to them we created this mess they were born into. It doesn't help to come off as righteous, or self righteous. It helps to tell them we made errors, and we want them to fix it. But we also need to tell them the way life ought to be. As Christians we should all know this. If you're a Christian and you don't know, then read the Bible more. All the morals and values we need are contained there in. I hope we can do this before it's too late. Before even people professing to be Christians forget what love and righteousness is too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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