legislature would obviously violate the constitution by banning a book like the bible.
It’s the language in the book.
Alberta School Division Bans “Offensive” Bible Verses
The Battle River School Division, a school division in the western province of Alberta, has ordered Cornerstone Christian Academy “to refrain from reading or studying ‘any scripture that could be considered offensive to particular individuals.’” One chair member claims that “human rights legislation prevents religious schools from teaching what a child, or a parent, might find ‘offensive.’”
However, according to the justice center representing the school, two of the civil and human rights documents Canada has signed state that governments must respect a parent’s right “to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions” and that “Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.” Therefore, shouldn’t parents have the right to choose a Christian education for their children that uses God’s Word—all of it—as the basis for their thinking?
I Don’t Like This Verse . . . Or This One . . . Or This One
There are significant problems with telling a school they can’t use certain Bible verses.
The school division now becomes the authority on which parts of God’s Word can and can’t be used.
Anything in the Bible could be considered “offensive” to somebody, so you would have to throw the whole Bible out. For example, children might find Ephesians 6:1 offensive, an evolutionist might find Genesis 1:1 offensive, and an atheist might find Psalm 14:1 offensive. Indeed the Bible itself says the Christian message is offensive (1 Peter 2:8).
Not allowing a Christian school to base its handbook on biblical teaching takes away from their distinctiveness as a Christian school. Suddenly they are using secular ideas to frame their thinking instead of biblical ones—how does that make them a Christian school?
The school division is taking away the right for parents to choose a wholly Christian education for their children. Parents put their children in a Christian school because they want their children to learn biblical principles, not because they want their children to learn secular ones! If they wanted a secular education, they can send their child to any public school.
Ignore Scripture Because of “Today’s Legislation and Sensitive Environment”
The school district pointed to two verses in the school’s student handbook that were deemed “offensive”:
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9–11)
