OK, this is the first I have heard of this. I get an email today talking about the following (from a Christian Organization): "Dear Brett, Friday, April 25, several thousand schools across the nation will be observing "Day of Silence (DOS)." DOS is a nationwide push to promote the homosexual lifestyle in public schools. Join other family-oriented groups in urging parents to keep their children at home that day if their local school is participating in the DOS project. By remaining silent, the intent of the pro-homosexual students is to disrupt the classes while promoting the homosexual lifestyle. DOS is sponsored by an activist homosexual group, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). DOS leads the students to believe that every person who identifies as a homosexual, bisexual or cross-dresser is a victim of ongoing, unrelenting harassment and hate. Students are taught that homosexuality is a worthy lifestyle, homosexuality has few or no risks, and individuals are born homosexual and cannot change. Those who oppose such teaching are characterized as ignorant and hateful bigots. " Many of you may know I am a Christ-follower. I am not what you would call "anti-gay." While I cannot understand nor relate to what it's like being gay, I also cannot understand how keeping my child home that day does any good for anything or anyone. I feel no need to make a statement like this. My feeling is that we should show love, compassion and kindness to all people, regardless of race or sexual orientation. I certainly am not perfect at living this out, but I try. Love people where they are at....that's kinda what I try to do. OK, what's my point? I don't think I have a point, other than to ask for feedback from others on this. I'd be interested to hear what other Christians would say about this, as well as non-Christians.
I'm willing to bet that the e-mail is embellishing some details. Are the actual schools sponsoring the day of silence, or is it being sponsored by school groups (i.e. Gay/Straight Alliances)?
Yes, those trouble-making silent students are very disruptive. I know teachers much prefer rowdy, loud ones! I also find that silence in the classroom promotes homosexuality.
Dang. All those years when I was silent in class, I didn't know I was promoting homosexuality. Crap. No wonder it's so widespread now. Sorry about that, folks. .
Which is better/worse? Staying home or counter-protesting: http://www.dayoftruth.org/about/default.aspx
I support the protest and the cause behind it, but I can actually see how it could be disruptive. Like in a lit, foreign language or history class or something, where there's a decent amount of expected class discussion.
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I'm Catholic. And the "TRUTH" just makes me LOL. Here's some truth for ya...straight from Jesus Himself. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." "Blessed are the merciful." "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye"
I think most tolerable Christian peoples have no quarrel with a gay or lesbian. Its the promotion of it that is the problem. I am not one to say they cant do what they want to do in their own private time. But its not OK to bring that to the public schools in attempts to get it more awareness. Its pushing an agenda. Do not quote scripture in defense of someone teaching that its OK to have same sex relationships when its clearly opposed in the bible. Hate the sin. Love the sinner. Any students who are disruptive in their silence should face the same punishments that students who are disruptive in other ways do.
Ya know, I've been aware of Day of Silence for a long time now, but I had no idea it had become officially sanctioned by schools in any way. Frankly, I think that's bull***t. I disagree with Christian conservatives on a lot of things... but forcing DoS on everyone is like forcing everyone to recite the Our Father. I think it's fantastic when people who feel strongly about it participate... but public institutions should at most respect that it's going on, not actually encourage or force participation in it. And on a side note... [RANT] Of all the bigotry in the world I despise... all the brainwashed republicans, all the brainwashed democrats, all the racists, all the sexists... all the arrogant pricks in the world who wouldn't listen to another point of view if you offered them a billion dollars to do it... Christians who bash homosexuals and act like their sexual preference is a "disease" that can be "cured" or a "choice" that they can change are the absolute bottom of the f***ing barrel. F*** Christian gay-bashers. Who the f*** wakes up one day and says "I think for the rest of my life, I'd like to be hated, despised, and marginalized! Oh, and don't forget I'd like to never be able to have children with the person I love!" Who consciously chooses that? F***ing no one, alright? I'm a big fan of Christ, and there's no way Christ would ever condone the kind of overt hatred homosexuals have to deal with. So stop f***ing complaining. Over-population is a problem anyway. If I ever actually saw someone wearing one of those "day of truth" t-shirts, I would feel a rather strong urge to beat the s*** out of them. Gay-bashing Christians preaching to gays about "tolerance" and "respectfully listening" is a f***ing joke. Talk about your textbook hypocrisy. The only view these people "tolerate" is their own. They've never "respectfully listened" to an opposing view on the matter in their lives. [/RANT]
See, here's the thing... I agree with a majority of your post. I absolutely think something like this should NOT be officially sanctioned or promoted... it should simply be tolerated at most. But I have to disagree with the bolded parts. It may seem to you that homosexuality is "clearly opposed in the Bible." Problem is, as was famously pointed out in that open letter to Dr. Laura, the Bible also states the following: *It's okay to buy slaves from other nations *It's okay to sell your daughter into slavery *People who work on the Sabbath are supposed to be put to death Since pretty much all Christians seem to have no problem discounting these ideas as outdated, why can't they do the same for homosexuality? Why is that directive so sacred and never-changing, while these aren't? Who gets to make that call? I would argue that homosexuality was a threat to "god's people" as they're called early on, because homosexuals obviously can't have children. It went against the directive "go forth and multiply." And that directive existed because, well... their group started out small, and the best way to grow in strength as a group was to have lots of children ("go forth and multiply") and win converts ("spread the word of god"). Homosexuals threatened directive #1. That's all it's about. And what's my point? My point is that hatred of homosexuals is an OUTDATED DIRECTIVE. Christians don't need to go forth and multiply anymore. Their survival is not threatened. Homosexuality is an irrelevant issue to the Christian believer today. It's as outdated as forbidding people to eat pork. Eating pork was forbidden to keep people from getting sick and dying... again, these directives were all about survival in ancient times. These days people realize that there's no reason to not eat pork anymore. It's outdated. Doesn't apply anymore. And neither does doggedly discouraging homosexuality. And second, to address your "hate the sin, love the sinner" point... even if what I posted above isn't true (I thoroughly believe it is), Christians should not have any power to rule over the lives of homosexuals, or any non-Christians. The idea of stopping homosexuals from marrying "because the Bible says so" flies in the face of the idea of separation of church and state (and I mean state-sanctioned marriage, not religious marriage). The Bible should not be used as a basis for laws which govern ALL people, including non-Christians. If Christians want to let the Bible rule over their lives, that's their prerogative... but Christians trying to force the Bible on everyone else is like homosexuals forcing DoS on Christians EVERY DAY.
Oh, wait... for a minute there I thought the DOS movement was telling kids to stay out of school, and I was going to disagree on that as a form of protest. But on re-reading, that's not it- the Christian response is to actually keep their kids at home if their school permits a "day of silence." Wow. (Like being silent in school is disruptive?? Huh??) Kids that promote openness, tolerance, and acceptance are promoting the 'homosexual lifestyle.' They don't even see the contradiction. Supporters of gay rights believe that homosexuality isn't a choice. You can't "recruit" someone to be gay (or straight) if they aren't born that way. I've already written long posts here on D&D on this topic so I'll try to keep it shorter this time. I'm just shocked that there are so many millions of sheltered people in this nation that think that gayness is some kind of thing you catch, like a cold. Why the hell would anyone choose to be gay? Get beat up by the jocks at high school regularly, be discriminated against for employment and housing (legal in most states)... be ostracized by your society, shunned or even disowned by your family. Always marginalized, and if you aren't being persecuted by hypocrites who pay lip service to Christs' message, you're dealing with people who will only tolerate you if you stay in the closet. That's an awesome "lifestyle" to choose. People actually think that kids choose this? Like, gay sex is so awesome they'll take a lifetime of persecution for it? Those of you who think people choose to be gay- you do realize you are making the statement about all human beings, and therefore yourself- YOU could be gay? Like, one day, you'll wake up and say "man, for some reason I'm attracted to members of the same sex!! I'm infected with teh ghey!!" As if sucking **** is suddenly some big temptation that you must try not to "choose?" Let's hear from you, you as-yet-to-be-discovered fags! How hard has it been for you to stay on the straight and narrow? Me? I don't have to worry about that. I love teh t*tties and I can't help it. I was born that way.
Good post. This bears repeating. Christians who use the bible to support their oppression of gays use it "cafeteria style." Hmmm... let's leave behind that bit about buying and selling slaves... let's skip over that dress code stuff... Ooooohhh but three helpings God HATES man lying with another man! That's a keeper!! Yay Leviticus! Playing cafeteria style with the Bible is fun. You get to enjoy the parts that support whatever you believe, and then just ignore the parts that don't!
I could be wrong, but I get the impression that this DOS thing is designed to raise awareness of the harassment and discrimination against the gay & lesbian community - not to promote the lifestyle itself.
