Christian Groups Take Issue With Anti-Bullying Laws

[doggie]

This really pisses me off. So the bible is the greatest thing since sliced bread it is 100% true and the word of god. But To now even follow the most basic and important parts of the bible To love your neighbor as you love your self to not judge others to forgive and on and on. The fear of kids wanting to be gay the total lack of understanding of people.

To think Jesus would rather have you hate and love him then love other people is amazing. These people are more likely going to destroy far more families then then every protect by hating gay people.

But I guess this really shows that first and foremost Christians are just people and not special like they tend to think they are.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/0 ... 06757.html

Anti-bullying legislation may seem unlikely to spark controversy, but there are groups working to overturn new laws in the name of religious freedom.

Focus on the Family is planning to counter the "Day of Silence," an annual event to protest LGBT bullying set for April 20, with its own "Day of Dialogue". The evangelical organization's aim is to muffle an effort that "crosses the line in a lot of ways beyond bullying into indoctrination, just promoting homosexuality and transgenderism."

The group has been advocating an anti-anti-bullying message for years. When a California school adopted an anti-bullying rule that mentioned gays and lesbians in 2010, backlash ensued.

"The school introduced anti-bullying lessons, but really they're teaching elementary school kids about gay marriage," Candi Cushman, education analyst for Focus on the Family, told ABC. "We think parents should have the right to teach kids about it in their own way."

In March, a Christian hard rock band delivered an unusual message to Iowa high school students at an assembly about bullying. "They told these kids that anyone who was gay was going to die at the age of 42," one parent told the La Crosse Tribune.

Socially conservative groups nationwide have lobbied state legislatures to strike down and limit anti-bullying measures, The Guardian's Katherine Stewart reports.

Last month a Christian, family-values lobbying group convinced Arizona lawmakers to kill an anti-bullying bill that it said carried a gay friendly agenda, according to the Arizona Daily Star. The state Senate's minority leader, David Schapira, blamed the president of the lobbying group for killing the bill, calling her a "legislative terrorist."

"Cathi Herrod, an unelected lobbyist, killed a bill that would protect all Arizona kids purely because of her intolerance of gay kids," he said.

Materials on the Center for Arizona Policy's site tell Christian parents that their children have the responsibility to share their faith with others, and Herrod, the center's president, wrote in a statement that she opposed the anti-bullying bill in Arizona because it encouraged LGBT tolerance.

In recent years, concerns about bullying have garnered national attention. But when you look behind the curtain at what is driving this nationwide dialogue, you find out that the groups that are pushing the "anti-bullying" campaigns are the same organizations working to redefine marriage and to force cultural acceptance and affirmation of homosexual lifestyles.

Other states have passed legislation that specifically protects religious bullies. In 2011, Michigan passed a bill with a provision that allows bullying based on "a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction."

The law, called Matt's Safe School Law, was named after Matt Epling, a gay teenager who killed himself in 2002 after bullies assaulted him. The clause was removed following outrage from lawmakers and Epling's parents.

An anti-bullying bill introduced last year in Tennessee contained similar language regarding faith-based bullying:

Harassment, intimidation, or bullying prevention task forces, programs, and other initiatives formed by school districts, including any curriculum adopted for such purposes, shall not include materials or training that explicitly or implicitly promote a political agenda, make the characteristics of the victim the focus rather than the conduct of the person engaged in harassment, intimidation, or bullying, or teach or suggest that certain beliefs or viewpoints are discriminatory when an act or practice based on such belief or viewpoint is not a discriminatory practice as defined in 4-21-102(4).

Like the early version of the Michigan bill, this measure originally was introduced in the wake of a gay teen's suicide. Last year, the Tennessee Senate passed a so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill that would have prohibited teachers from acknowledging any sexuality other than heterosexuality to students between kindergarten and eighth grade. It was voted down in the state House.

Anti-bullying backlash doesn't only come from Christian groups. Orthodox Jewish and Christian groups came together in Toronto last year to protest an anti-bullying measure “as a vehicle to indoctrinate children into embracing a new sexual revolution.†It focused on the measure's call to establish a gay-straight alliance, and add support for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

“To force, especially Christian, classrooms or schools to have homosexual clubs would, of course, be an affront to their family values,†said Charles McVety, president of Christian Canada College. “And what does this have to do with bullying? Nothing.â€

Besides loving thy neighbor, what does the Bible say about bullying?

“Anyone who claims to be in the light, but hates his brother is still in the darkness.†1 John 2:9

According to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, 9 out of 10 LGBT teens report being bullied at school and these students are two to three times more likely to commit suicide than their straight peers.

[JesusPony]

Who Would Jesus Bully?

[doggie]

Who Would Jesus Bully?

They gay kid of course it says it right in the bible right right??? :roll:

[Dhani_C]

I'm all for anti-bullying legislation as long as it encompasses all groups and not just LGBT. By putting the focus on one group you just send the bullies to another- and it's usually the fat kids (which everyone thinks is okay to make fun of). >:/

[Guest Anonymous]

I'm all for anti-bullying legislation as long as it encompasses all groups and not just LGBT. By putting the focus on one group you just send the bullies to another- and it's usually the fat kids (which everyone thinks is okay to make fun of). >:/

I assure you that everyone does not think that.

[Dhani_C]

I assure you that everyone does not think that.

I know, but where I grew up this was rampant. People never batted an eye when a fat kid was bullied because they figured it might encourage the kid to lose weight (my own preschool teacher wrote a note to my mother telling her I needed to lose weight because I was hardly "model material" at the rate I was going). A dear friend of mine was tortured through middle school because of this (and her overall eccentric behavior- she's an artist) and it took three years until someone (our health teacher) finally stopped it.

[doggie]

I'm all for anti-bullying legislation as long as it encompasses all groups and not just LGBT. By putting the focus on one group you just send the bullies to another- and it's usually the fat kids (which everyone thinks is okay to make fun of). >:/

I don't think that it was only for LGBT's but the Christians sure made it out that way. but Yes it can be more for sexual difference then other differences.

[mirele]

I got bullied in junior high school because I was just plain weird. (Still am.) I was made an example of at a school assembly, had my books stolen and my locker burned down. (Which took care of the books stolen problem since the school was like, Oh, you lost your books, here are some more.) Things did not improve before we moved away and--guess what--when I went to the next school, 1500 miles away, I was such a social nitwit that things were barely better. Yikes.

That said, I do not understand how people who claim to follow Jesus are in favor of these laws. This makes me rage. Jesus was a guy who had a bad reputation because he hung out with tax collectors, prostitutes and other notorious sinners. His parables are full of examples of people on the outs, not the respectable people that go to church. How can you say "Love God and love your neighbor as yourself," yet insist that bullying people because of their sexuality is OK? That is fucking bullshit.

[lilwriter85]

I think anti-bullying laws need to cover various types of bullying. I'm not surprised that Christians are pissed by the LGBT aspect of some laws.

[doggie]

It's all about sex and who is having it with who. Fundies claim us non Christians are obsessed with sex but I think the average fundie is obsessed with everyone else's sex.

I had the same issue with the school problems following me. i think it really showed me you can't run away from your problems of yourself.

[Swamptribe]

Tolerance does not mean acceptance. And one can pass on the word of their religious beliefs without bullying.

I'm reading a great book about religious tolerance right now, Titled Beyond Tolerance, Searching for Interfaith Understanding in America, by Gustav Neibuhr. Excellent so far, the first chapter brought tears to my eyes. Why does tolerance have to be such a dirty word, like liberal, among so many religious conservatives?

[FJismyheadship]

Jesus was a guy who had a bad reputation because he hung out with tax collectors, prostitutes and other notorious sinners. His parables are full of examples of people on the outs, not the respectable people that go to church. How can you say "Love God and love your neighbor as yourself," yet insist that bullying people because of their sexuality is OK?

I love this. Mind if I post it to my facebook?

[mirele]

I love this. Mind if I post it to my facebook?

Be my guest.

[ladypuglover]

We're living this right now in our family and it really, really sucks. My son's straight but happens to be over weight and over tall for his age. Makes him a prime target. Thankfully the school is listening and taking action.

[Visionoyahweh]

In March, a Christian hard rock band delivered an unusual message to Iowa high school students at an assembly about bullying. "They told these kids that anyone who was gay was going to die at the age of 42," one parent told the La Crosse Tribune.

Aside from the whole 'gays die young' argument, telling 'immortal' teenagers they'll die in their 40's is just plain LOLs worthy. Might as well be a million years away for schoolkids.

[Third]

I got teased for being too skinny. Kids will pick on other kids for just about any reason.

Anti-bullying should focus on all types of bullying. I find it odd the Christian communities are saying this is promoting a life style when some of those same communities have homosexual children or those simply seen as such by the kids at school committing suicide as a result. I think there was a Time article about it.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

There are campaigns against bulllying of LGBT teens specifically because various LGBT and allies groups took action and organized. It didn't just magically happen, and it certainly didn't just magically happen because someone in the school boards woke up one day and decided to do the right thing.

Absolutely bullying of all kinds should be excoriated (and I think it is, more and more). But... to have some other campaigns, people need to take action.

To the Christian communities who are so upset about the idea of anti-bullying campaigns (particularly when focused on LGBT issues) it seems they can't wrap their heads around the idea that it's okay to think that someone is living a "wrong" lifestyle, it's okay to say "my religion thinks you're a sinner" but it's not okay to bully them for it. If you honestly think gay kids are sinning, let God take care of it.

Meanwhile what of all the other sins those Christians are committing? I'm sure there are at least a few. Pride and avarice come to mind.

[Guest]

So there are people who feel so strongly about their right to oppress others by bullying that they will expend time and energy on a legal fight? I wish I was surprised.

My daughter is 18 and she asked me the other day when it became acceptable to be gay - she has several friends who have out since highschool and in her world it's generally accepted. She was horrified by tales of the 80s when I was in highschool and I didn't know anyone who would have dared be open about it. My 16 year old son who is still in highschool and also doesn't understand why it was ever a big deal.

I wish I could say its because I'm an awesome mom who deliberately instilled this, but I don't recall it ever coming up. Two guys from their highschool even went to prom together and it was no big deal. Which is kind of surprising as I live in what is a red area in a blue state.

We have a long way to go as a society until its a complete non-issue - but there has been progress in the right direction. Now if only people wouldn't actively petition the legal system to turn back the calendar maybe progress would be a little quicker.

[Knight of Ni]

Unfortunately bullying has a long way to go before it disappears from the schools. Teachers and other school employees are still sometimes refusing to take action. My mom is a substitute teacher and one day she came home saying that one of the boys in the class came up to her during recess telling her that other kids were making fun of him. At the end of the day she went and told the counselor about it. The counselor's reply was "Oh that boy again, you know he just brings it on himself." I totally agree with my mom's opinion. It doesn't matter if he does bring it on himself, bullying is still unacceptable.

It absolutely sickens me that some "family groups" are against anti-bullying rules. Their true colors are shining through more so than ever.

[SayNoToMullets]

Focus on whose family, exactly? My family wasn't immune to bullying. I got it for being short, bookish, lousy at gym, shy . . . the list goes on. My sister got it much worse - she too is short, clumsy, and geeky, and she's a lesbian with Asperger's. And yes, it is a family matter - my mom went in time and time again to advocate for my sister only to be met with a line of bullshit. One time my sister was teased for her underwear in the locker room, and the school social worker told my mom, "You know, Victoria's Secret isn't that expensive." Yeah, missing the point just a bit there . . .

Aside from the whole 'gays die young' argument, telling 'immortal' teenagers they'll die in their 40's is just plain LOLs worthy. Might as well be a million years away for schoolkids.

I see, so all the older gay men I know are just lying about their age. That must be it. I'll let them know I'm onto their dirty tricks.

[Tator Tot Tubby]

But you know that if some kid was being bullied for being Christian they'd shit their pants.... I am so frustrated by these people

[ADoyle90815]

But you know that if some kid was being bullied for being Christian they'd shit their pants.... I am so frustrated by these people

QFT. Only when some kid gets bullied for being Christian will these assholes support anti bullying laws.

[Austin]

Christian children are not bullied. They're persecuted.

[asinglevoice]

Religion is not supposed to be wielded as a weapon and used as a way to legitimize hurting other people. Stuff like this makes me so fucking mad that I can't breathe when I think/read/hear about it.

[fluttershies]

"Cathi Herrod, an unelected lobbyist, killed a bill that would protect all Arizona kids purely because of her intolerance of gay kids," he said.

Well this seems ironic.

I am a Christian and I was bullied (physically as well as verbally) at school for being queer, and even participated in the Day Of Silence. Indoctrination was definitely not on my agenda :roll: It is painful when those who are supposed to be my spiritual family act like this.