WTF?!? School Says “Jesus” Shirt is Hate Speech

[Dennis Olson]

School Says “Jesus” Shirt is Hate Speech

May 4, 2012
By Todd Starnes

A Canadian high school student was suspended for a week because wore a t-shirt promoting his Christian beliefs and he was told if he wears it again – he could be suspended for the remainder of the school year.
William Swinimer, a student at Forest Heights Community School in Nova Scotia, was punished for wearing a shirt that read, “Life is wasted without Jesus.” The shirt is a reference to a passage of Scripture from the New Testament.
ZANY FUN AT TODD’S FACEBOOK PAGE – CLICK HERE.
Swinimer told Fox News that he was told the shirt was a form of “hate talk.”
“I’ve been told by my principal that it is hate talk and is disrespectful to other people’s religions,” Swinimer said. “She said it (the shirt) cannot be in school because people would get offended.”
Nancy Pynch-Worthylake, the school board superintendent, told The Canadian Press that the wording on the shirt is “problematic.”
“If I have an expression that says, ‘My life is enhanced with Jesus,’ then there’s no issue with that, everybody is able to quickly understand that that’s my opinion about my own belief,” she told the newspaper. “If the shirt were to say, ‘Without Jesus, your life is a complete waste,’ then that’s clear that it is an opinion aimed at somebody else’s belief.”
Swinimer confirmed that he had been disciplined a number of times for wearing shirts with religious references.
“I’ve found that they have dissed Christianity quite a bit,” he said. “I do not want to be disrespectful of anybody else’s religions. I don’t want to put down anybody’s opinions. All I want to do is stand up for rights and freedoms of Canadians.”
The school does not have a dress code and Swinimer said students wear a variety of t-shirts. But he said for whatever reason, his Christian shirts seem to get him sent to the office.
“They treat other religions differently than they do Christianity,” he said. “The staff and principal and school board have been very hostile toward Christianity.”
But, he said, they promote other religions in the school.
“If they can pick on Christians in this school, what can they pick next?” he wondered. “Christianity in that school is not being treated the same way. I’m being discriminated against because of my religion.”
Swinimer attends Jesus the Good Shepherd Church, a Pentecostal congregation in Nova Scotia. Pastor Varrick Day told Fox News he is proud of his young parishioner.
“I’m very proud he’s standing up,” Day said. “I think he’s being bullied by the staff at the school and by the school board.”
Day called the suspension outrageous and said he hoped it would awaken other Christians across the nation.
“It’s not about the t-shirt,” he said. “This is what our forefathers fought and died for – this freedom of speech and religion.”
School officials told Swinimer that if he returned to school wearing the shirt, he would be suspended for the remainder of the school year.
“I plan to wear that t-shirt Monday, he said. “Not because I want to be disrespectful, not because I want to defy anybody, but because I believe this is the right thing to do.”

http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/school-says-jesus-shirt-is-hate-speech.html

 

[VesperSparrow]

The name "Jesus" is hate speech....it brings the HATE right out of people who HATE Him.

 

[Richard]

This is the liberal mindset, Christians = hate, other religions are OK because they are of minorities, Islam is OK as well in spite of the treatment of women, liberal doublethink

if they banned ALL religions then at least it would be consistent

 

[energy_wave]

This is the liberal mindset, Christians = hate, other religions are OK because they are of minorities, Islam is OK as well in spite of the treatment of women, liberal doublethink

if they banned ALL religions then at least it would be consistent

Don't be so sure it's a Liberal mindset. This sums it up nicely...

Published on Tuesday, October 19, 2004 by CommonDreams.org
Wasn’t Jesus A Liberal?
by Gary Vance

Liberalism has been under assault for years now. The battering of this grand political philosophy has altered the contemporary definition of liberal to the point that Conservatives use it as a profane word. They use it to paint a political opponent as anti-God and anti-American. It has gotten to the point that moderate and liberal Christians are afraid to be open about their political leanings. Sadly, it even affects their conscience and choices as they enter the voting booth. This is particularly troubling to me as a Christian evangelical minister who loves America.

Liberalism as defined by Webster�s Third New International Dictionary: �a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of man, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for tolerance and freedom for the individual from arbitrary authority in all spheres of life��

I am not sure why anyone would feel threatened by Liberalism as defined by the dictionary. They are apparently unaware or simply refuse to acknowledge the long history of liberals who have labored for the betterment of society and the furthering of God�s Kingdom.

The labor movement of the early twentieth century was aided significantly when major Christian denominations got behind it. No average American would have a fair wage today if it weren�t for liberal Christians and labor activists. Liberal Christians and civil rights activists fought and still fight against conservative America for racial equality. Child labor laws were enacted because liberals fought for them. Medicare and Social Security exist today because of Liberalism. �Bleeding heart liberals� have long advocated for the homeless, the hungry, the less fortunate, and the disenfranchised. The women of America owe liberals a big thank you for their almost equal rights. �Tree hugging liberals� fight for clean air and water standards instead of favoring industrial polluters and short term profiteering that destroy God�s green earth.

Liberals believe in affordable health care for all U.S. citizens. They also believe in higher taxes for the rich and lower taxes for the middle class and the poor. Liberals love their spouses and children. Liberals faithfully attend their churches to worship God. Liberals love America and hate terrorism and have proved it by fighting in every war for this country. Liberals come in all shapes, sizes, and color. They are found in the ranks of Protestants, Catholics, Jews, agnostics, and atheists.

Conservative Republican policies generally favor the wealthy and ignore the needs of the poor. Their policies are so often greed-driven, with no concern for the environmental or societal consequences for their exploitive actions. Jesus plainly taught that the love of money is the root of all evil. So, Christians can go after the various �fruit� of sin in our society, but they won�t see the real change for the better until the axe is laid to the root. Christians should oppose greed-driven policies as a primary point of political concern.

I am sick of reading letters to the editor and editorials that paint Democrats and liberals as anti-God and anti-American and that portray conservative Republicans as the only true Christian patriots. We know that many Democrats are pro-choice and many support gay issues and this troubles most evangelicals. Democrats also support causes that should be of Christian concern that go untouched by Republicans. I have listed some in the above paragraphs. True prophetic vision sees that there is great need for repentance on the left and the right. The effects of powerful lobbyists, special interest groups, greed and corruption abound on both sides of the aisles of Congress. God sees it all and so should Christians. Christian voters need to see that God�s heart breaks over more than just a few political and moral issues. It is time to take off our blinders and mourn for the sorry state of affairs that is American politics.

Jesus was the ultimate liberal progressive revolutionary of all history. The conservative religious and social structure that He defied hated and crucified Him. They examined His life and did not like what they saw. He aligned Himself with the poor and the oppressed. He challenged the religious orthodoxy of His day. He advocated pacifism and loving our enemies. He liberated women and minorities from oppression. He healed on the Sabbath and forgave adulterers and prostitutes. He associated with drunks and other social outcasts. He rebuked the religious right of His day because they embraced the letter of the law instead of the Spirit. He loved sinners and called them to Himself. Jesus was the original Liberal. He was a progressive, and He was judged and hated for it. It was the self-righteous religionists that He rebuked and He called them hypocrites.

The primary issues of Christian Liberalism were birthed when Jesus spoke the profoundly prophetic words found in Matthew 25: 31-46. These scriptures reveal God�s heart for the poor, the sick and other neglected people through out history. Christians should read this text and judge for themselves which of the two groups mentioned there more accurately reflect the political parties of today. His Liberalism lives on today and the issues have not changed much.

I am glad that conservative Republican candidates advocate for the family and a few Christian issues, but we must quit pretending that they are the only ones that Christians should consider voting for. People should not call themselves pro-life if they are only anti-abortion and yet feel no twinge of conscience over the unfair application of capital punishment or wars fought for dubious motives. A true pro-life position cares just as passionately for the born as the un-born and views war as a last resort when all other options are exhausted.

Christians should look for candidates that will work for issues that are of importance to Christ and that can be tackled legislatively. Sadly, most of those causes have historically been opposed, ignored, and minimized by conservative Republican policy makers. They seem to dangle the moral issues carrot around election time. Then, even with a Republican controlled White House and Congress, prove themselves powerless to do anything about those issues when they convene to legislate. Issues such as eliminating poverty and homelessness in America, true equal rights for all citizens, environmental protection, a fair minimum wage, affordable health care, and lowering our infant mortality rate all go unattended. That�s just to name a few.

I have some questions for the Christian Right. Why have you not held our current elected majority officials accountable for their failure to address the full spectrum of Christian issues? Why would you vote for them again?

It is time for Christians of conscience to stand up to religious and political hypocrisy. Christians should proudly proclaim progressive values today and should advocate for the Christian Liberalism that is our heritage and our legacy.

Gary Vance (Lezlo2025@wmconnect.com) lives in Loretto, Tennessee.

###

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1019-24.htm

 

[mzkitty]

*sigh*

I guess from now on, only plain t-shirts should be allowed. Or maybe they all should wear uniforms. Like some schools do. I don't believe any religion should be promoted in public schools. It's getting crazier every day now, isn't it?

 

[Anrol5]

I agree with them.

If the T-shirt said.

I love Jesus
or
Jesus makes my life better
or
Jesus saved me
Or
Jesus is fantastic
Or
something else
Then there would have been no problem.

The T shirt would say how he felt about Jesus. It would be a personal opinion.

But the T-shirt said,

“Life is wasted without Jesus.”

But this boy's personal opinion, is that, the life of anyone who does not believe in Jesus is a wasted life. So Jews, Moslems, Hindus, etc., and atheists have wasted their lives.

There are many who are religious, of whatever faith, and some atheists; who do not understand, that their beliefs / world view is *NOT* everyone else's.

I personally don’t care what your beliefs are. I dislike the way some people think, they have a right to demand I follow their faith, or who make judgements about my life, based on their beliefs.

I suspect that I don’t share this boy's beliefs. Just like I don’t share the beliefs of anyone who feels, that I *must* follow their beliefs. Is my life a waste?

Anrol

 

[Satanta]

e_w, that is true of old school Liberals however, what we now have masquerading as 'liberal' is more akin to progressive socialism.



Anrol-I see where you are coming from however, non-religious folks and non-Christains need to just get over their mental malfunctions. Seriously. When I see ads or shirts or people promoting the homo lifestyle it really makes no difference to me. If I see someone promoting Islam-if they stop me on the street and say
'
do you know Allah?" it is not going to offend me any more than some little kid wearing a superman T-shirt is going to offend me.

If the Atheists or the Islamics or the Spaghetti Space Monster people were firm in their beliefs there would never be an iasue unless someone else came along and told them to remove their shirt or whatever and made a court case out of it.

 

[NoName]

e_w, that is true of old school Liberals however, what we now have masquerading as 'liberal' is more akin to progressive socialism.



Anrol-I see where you are coming from however, non-religious folks and non-Christains need to just get over their mental malfunctions. Seriously. When I see ads or shirts or people promoting the homo lifestyle it really makes no difference to me. If I see someone promoting Islam-if they stop me on the street and say
'
do you know Allah?" it is not going to offend me any more than some little kid wearing a superman T-shirt is going to offend me.

If the Atheists or the Islamics or the Spaghetti Space Monster people were firm in their beliefs there would never be an iasue unless someone else came along and told them to remove their shirt or whatever and made a court case out of it.

You're right Sat, it boils down to not being a matter of MY strength of faith in Jesus, but the weakness of their strength of faith in whatever they believe in.

 

[Ragnarok]

Isaiah 5:20 - " Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. "

 

[Satanta]

You're right Sat, it boils down to not being a matter of MY strength of faith in Jesus, but the weakness of their strength of faith in whatever they believe in.

Exactly.

Every time I see something like this I figure what mostt are missing is that the other side is showing how weak their belief system is.

I'm Christian and have had friends who were Atheists and even one who was a Satanist.

We talked and sometimes debated but it never got violent. They did not bring me anti-Christian pamplets or whatever and I did not try to beat them with the bible.

If one of us wore a cross or a pentagram or whatever-a shirt saying "Darwin is King" no one else gave them crap about it [[I rerely pay attention to what others wear to be walking billboards anyway-Coke wants me to wear one of their shirts? Cool-pay me to do so because *I'm* not buying one so I can advertize for them.]]

At any rate-if your belief is solid then there is no reason to bash someone else for theirs unless their belief actually causes physical harm or property damage to you.

 

[Anrol5]

But this story is not about adults, it is about teenagers. Some of those teenagers will still be trying to work out who they are.

I know kids disrespect each other all the time, but in school if an adult catches child disrespecting another person, then it should be dealt with. It is about creating an environment where children can learn.

Bottom line this boy has shown disrespect for anyone else' beliefs other than his own.

As the story said, if the boy had said, I love Jesus, there would have been no problem. But it didn’t. It said that anyone who did not share his beliefs, had a wasted life.

Nobody has stopped asking him to proclaim his belief in Jesus. They have asked him to stop showing disrespect for other people's beliefs

But then some people can never compromise.

Anrol

 

[Dennis Olson]

Anrol, we have the absolute right in this country to show disrespect to anyone we please. That's a huge difference between our country and yours. Even though our "leaders" (spits) are trying desperately to catch up to you. The fact that you LIKE the restrictions placed illegally upon you by your leaders suggests that you deserve no rights at all...

 

[Satanta]

But this story is not about adults, it is about teenagers. Some of those teenagers will still be trying to work out who they are.

I know kids disrespect each other all the time, but in school if an adult catches child disrespecting another person, then it should be dealt with. It is about creating an environment where children can learn.

Bottom line this boy has shown disrespect for anyone else' beliefs other than his own.

As the story said, if the boy had said, I love Jesus, there would have been no problem. But it didn’t. It said that anyone who did not share his beliefs, had a wasted life.

Nobody has stopped asking him to proclaim his belief in Jesus. They have asked him to stop showing disrespect for other people's beliefs

But then some people can never compromise.

Anrol

But even going by what you say you and the school are making assumptions.

"Life is wasted without Jesus."

"Just do it"

"Rock and Roll forever"

"Got Milk?"

"Eat at Joe's"

"Wear a Condom"

"Kill 'em All, Let God sort 'em Out"

None of those are pointed at any particular individual unless that individual decides to be offended.

"Drink Pepsi"

Hell I *HATE* Pepsi. Nasty stuff so if I and others who hate Pepsi decide to be offended should we get Pepsi shirts banned?

"Vote Obama"

Aaarrgggh! Worse than Pepsi but I do not see or read about schools or anyone declaring no one should put those signs/shirts on.

You have the absolute right to be offended but you do not have the right to remove someone else' rights.

I also hate flip-flops. Hate seeing people and hearing them walk around with the frelling things but you'd think it was absurd if I went before Congress or the Board of Directors at Wally World to get them banned.

The only difference in those and the shirt are basically ones religious beliefs but if the shirt said "Without Haggis life is wasted" you would not be here arguing for the school and assuming that some students made a fuss because they were offended.

 

[ambereyes]

Over reaction, by overly sensitive babies!! Not a Christian and I can't understand why anyone would be getting their knickers in a knot over this t-shirt!! Dang, people grow up get a life and move on.. Sorry sick of the wussy in the world getting their wittle feelings hurt..

 

[Boise Rocker]

Anrol, not to pile on (American football term), but Dennis is 100% spot on. There is no right in this country to not be offended. Hell, I see or hear probably 20 things every day that offend me. Being offended is part of life, as is being picked on, being bullied, being treated unfairly, and so on. We do a disservice to our kids by putting them in an environment where they're insulated from the problems they'll have to deal with for their entire lives. In short, by trying to create an offense-free, bully-free, fair to all environment in our schools, we're raising a nation of wimps who won't be able to deal with losing/not getting a job, much less when the Chicoms roll across the Mexican border.

 

[Witness]

There IS NO "right to freedom of speech" WITHOUT THE CONCURRENT RIGHT TO "OFFEND" THOSE WHO DISAGREE. It was PRECISELY to defend UNPOPULAR SPEECH that freedom of speech was among the enumerated rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

The TRUTH ALWAYS "OFFENDS" THOSE WHO PREFER the LIE.

 

[gawarriorqueen]

This is a page directly out of the communist playbook ... get the kids when they are young and teach them only what you want them to know.

 

[naturallysweet]

If someone wore a shirt that said Life is wasted without (Allah, Buddha, Gaia, the Spaghetti Monster, et) then I would not be offended. It's just how they believe.

I'm sick of teaching children that to give offense is the worst thing that one person could do to another.

 

[Richard]

I agree with them.

If the T-shirt said.

I love Jesus
or
Jesus makes my life better
or
Jesus saved me
Or
Jesus is fantastic
Or
something else
Then there would have been no problem.

The T shirt would say how he felt about Jesus. It would be a personal opinion.

But the T-shirt said,



But this boy's personal opinion, is that, the life of anyone who does not believe in Jesus is a wasted life. So Jews, Moslems, Hindus, etc., and atheists have wasted their lives.

There are many who are religious, of whatever faith, and some atheists; who do not understand, that their beliefs / world view is *NOT* everyone else's.

I personally don’t care what your beliefs are. I dislike the way some people think, they have a right to demand I follow their faith, or who make judgements about my life, based on their beliefs.

I suspect that I don’t share this boy's beliefs. Just like I don’t share the beliefs of anyone who feels, that I *must* follow their beliefs. Is my life a waste?

Anrol

what about Islamic T shirts promoting Islamic sexist beliefs, also Hindu and Bhuddist?

 

[Richard]

But this story is not about adults, it is about teenagers. Some of those teenagers will still be trying to work out who they are.

I know kids disrespect each other all the time, but in school if an adult catches child disrespecting another person, then it should be dealt with. It is about creating an environment where children can learn.

Bottom line this boy has shown disrespect for anyone else' beliefs other than his own.

As the story said, if the boy had said, I love Jesus, there would have been no problem. But it didn’t. It said that anyone who did not share his beliefs, had a wasted life.

Nobody has stopped asking him to proclaim his belief in Jesus. They have asked him to stop showing disrespect for other people's beliefs

But then some people can never compromise.

Anrol

you are a marxist, pure and simple

 

[ainitfunny]

But this story is not about adults, it is about teenagers. Some of those teenagers will still be trying to work out who they are.

I know kids disrespect each other all the time, but in school if an adult catches child disrespecting another person, then it should be dealt with. It is about creating an environment where children can learn.

Bottom line this boy has shown disrespect for anyone else' beliefs other than his own.

As the story said, if the boy had said, I love Jesus, there would have been no problem. But it didn’t. It said that anyone who did not share his beliefs, had a wasted life.

Nobody has stopped asking him to proclaim his belief in Jesus. They have asked him to stop showing disrespect for other people's beliefs

But then some people can never compromise.

Anrol

You really drank the kool-aid Anrol!
What a brainwashing.
Where is it required that I MUST RESPECT that which I DO NOT RESPECT????

It is NOT THERE.

They are trying to COMPEL YOU, and force you to BESTOW HONOR, AND BESTOW(compel) "RESPECT" upon that which very many, IF NOT MOST people find unworthy of respect, if not outright contemptible. They DELIBERATELY try to commingle the entirely separate ideas of "respect for a person" and "respect for an idea or belief" THEY ARE NOT THE SAME AT ALL.

 

[Thomas Paine]

BS. The Muslims can say there is no way but Allah, but a Christian cannot say there is no way but Jesus.The Muslim can claim it is an insult to their religion if a CHrisitan is allowed to profess their faith and the Chrisitian gets shut down. The problem is, God bless them the Canandians have went all wobbly and Politically Correct. They actuallt persecuted Christian Preachers for speaking out against Homosexuality, when the Islam and preached the same but no muzzie holy man has been persecuted for teachingit.

 

[undead]

Energy Wave,

I don't remember where Jesus demanded by force of law that others pay for the needs of their neighbors.

I also believe in affordable health care for all American.

I also believe that the INDIVIDUAL should pay for it.

Those that believe someone other than themselves is responsible for their needs in life represent the new liberal.

Liberals are cockroaches - you can nuke them with common sense and they still propagate and come out of the cracks.

 

[Warthog]

Isaiah 5:20 - " Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. "

Exactly what's going on world wide today.

 

[Beelbill]

If you want to know where we are headed just look at Canada and Europe. We are on the same road, just not as far down the road. King Obama has the gas pedal pushed to the floor and we are gaining on them.