Story: High school student sent home for wearing ‘homosexuality is a sin’ T-shirt, father says

  • Thread starter Thread starter mdgspencer
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
yankeesouth said:
I bet this story has prompted many to look it up but If only a few still worth it if it prompts some to read God’s Word.
Click to expand...
You should balance that against all the people who are turned away from God’s word by such crass use of biblical passages. Not to mention the preacher’s inference that all gay people are paedophiles.

And people wonder why church attendance is falling…
 
Last edited:
That was not clear to me. Be that as it may, I don’t think the shirt is a good way to advance the teachings of Jesus!
 
Just make school uniforms mandatory like they do in most parts of Britain. Plus children from poorer backgrounds won’t be picked on for not having the latest expensive article of clothing.
 
Last edited:
In principle, freedom of speech and freedom of religion are precious things to be defended at all costs. In practice, common sense tells us that some things are simply not appropriate for certain situations. Wearing a t-shirt that says “Homosexuality is a sin” is clearly a provocation intended to serve as some kind of rebuke to homosexuals and what are now called “allies”.
Cimachol said:
What bothers me most is the inconsistency of it. If a school wanted to make a rule that no religious or political messages could be displayed on campus and enforced it consistently, I would be fine with that.
Click to expand...
Tis_Bearself said:
I agree that prohibiting any shirt with writing on it, unless it’s an official school shirt, is the only way to solve this. Otherwise we will have kids showing up in shirts promoting everything from Bible verses to Communism
Click to expand...
It may be that that would be the only absolutely watertight criterion to apply. However, a degree of common sense would also determine what is likely to be innocuous and what is likely to be offensive. “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs” is not a principle shared by everyone, but it is also hard to see anyone being particularly offended by it. On the other hand, “With our boxes of matches and our necklaces we shall liberate this country” is likely to be almost universally offensive. “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” is not going to offend anyone. However, “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them” is clearly going to be controversial.
 
Jbrady said:
Love your neighbor”, which is what Christianity is all about.
Click to expand...
I’m afraid you’re wrong.

Christianity is all about entering into relationship with the Jesús who died for our sins so we could go to Heaven.

Not being nicety-nice according to the societal whims du jour.

That being said, like the posters upthread pointed out—feeling attraction for members of your own sex isn’t a sin.
 
Last edited:
EmilyAlexandra said:
In principle, freedom of speech and freedom of religion are precious things to be defended at all costs. In practice, common sense tells us that some things are simply not appropriate for certain situations. Wearing a t-shirt that says “Homosexuality is a sin” is clearly a provocation intended to serve as some kind of rebuke to homosexuals and what are now called “allies”.
40.png
Cimachol:
What bothers me most is the inconsistency of it. If a school wanted to make a rule that no religious or political messages could be displayed on campus and enforced it consistently, I would be fine with that.
Click to expand...
Tis_Bearself said:
I agree that prohibiting any shirt with writing on it, unless it’s an official school shirt, is the only way to solve this. Otherwise we will have kids showing up in shirts promoting everything from Bible verses to Communism
Click to expand...
It may be that that would be the only absolutely watertight criterion to apply. However, a degree of common sense would also determine what is likely to be innocuous and what is likely to be offensive. “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs” is not a principle shared by everyone, but it is also hard to see anyone being particularly offended by it. On the other hand, “With our boxes of matches and our necklaces we shall liberate this country” is likely to be almost universally offensive. “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” is not going to offend anyone. However, “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them” is clearly going to be controversial.
Click to expand...
That’s a good point.

As I said earlier, I tend to support the position of the school, in prohibiting things that might be disruptive to the school’s mission. Also I’d support a ban on such things as a marijuana leaf symbol or a beer or cigarette logo.

But the “no messages at all rule” might be the only one that could work consistently.

Anything somebody wears conceivably could offend somebody. I had a conversation on a similar subject years ago with my cousin. He suggested that if a school bans something that’s possibly controversial (anti-gay, white racist, etc.) but allows somebody to come in with a T-shirt with a picture of Mickey Mouse, it involves somebody representing the government picking and choosing what speech is allowed and what isn’t.
 
Honestly even outside of any rules against bullying, or hate speech, or any pro-LGBT sentiments the school might have, I can see why you would send home a child with a provocative t-shirt. Imagine all of the arguments and commotion that would occur if every kid turned up with a t-shirt announcing their controversial opinions! I can see why schools in lots of countries have uniforms.
 
Regular_Atheist said:
Honestly even outside of any rules against bullying, or hate speech, or any pro-LGBT sentiments the school might have, I can see why you would send home a child with a provocative t-shirt. Imagine all of the arguments and commotion that would occur if every kid turned up with a t-shirt announcing their controversial opinions! I can see why schools in lots of countries have uniforms.
Click to expand...
. . . and that follows exactly what I said about controversial t-shirts being disruptive to the school’s mission.
 
Quick follow-up:

There’s a “legal guide” on avvo.com discussing the legal aspects of “Controversial Student T-Shirts and School Discipline,” including a discussion of a case where the student wore a t-shirt with anti-gay message and a reference to the Bible on a “Day of Silence” when other students were allowed to wear t-shirts with a pro-gay message. The Court upheld the suspension of the student.

legal guide

Court opinion
 
So if a student wore a T-Shirt with the marking, “He Who Marries A Divorced Women Commits Adultery” Luke 16:18, would that be appropriate to wear in school ?

How would it make the students of mothers who were divorced and remarried ?

This is a public school and pointing at the sins of others is inappropriate.

Why look at the spec in your brother’s eye when you have a beam in yours, comes to mind.
 
RuthAnne said:
Where I live if your kids go to school 7 hours a day plus bus rides to and from. Then there’s homework. The average kid, not counting any extra curricular activities, spends about 10 of their waking hours, 5 days a week, under the eye of the state. And you wonder whose raising them?
Click to expand...
I just did the math for my “young’ns”. It works out to less that 1/6th of the year. Trying to count extra curricular as being “raised by the state” is preposterous…well actually I guess this whole notion has been…but that was a real reach.
 
Last edited:
It looks like the school is indoctrinating the children in a religion that this father disapproves of.
 
fredystairs said:
Do you think it’s ok to contracept or be an adulterer?
Click to expand...
Why would you even ask that? My entire point is that there seems to be a small vocal group that continually rages about homosexuality but never even whispers about any of the myriad other sins, even other sexual sins. I am trying to figure out why the focus on one particular sin. If you don’t know, then fine.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top