Parents of the Dove World Outreach Center recently sent their children to local public schools with their own messages of faith: t-shirts that read “ISLAM IS OF THE DEVIL.” They then protested after school officials sent their children home and are threatening possible legal action. Parent Wayne Sapp insists the problem is runaway tolerance. The rise of the Sapps and others lacks either a constitutional or moral basis for objection to the school policy.
On the front of the t-shirt, there is a verse from the Gospel of John: “Jesus answered I am the way and the truth and the life; no one goes to the Father except through me — followed by the statement “I stand in trust with Dove Outreach Center.”
When the children arrived at local schools, they refused to take off their t-shirts and were sent home.
The parents in this case have little legal basis for a challenge. While I am a strong advocate of the first amendment, school officials have a right to keep out messages of hate and intolerance. These t-shirts do not profess love for Christianity but hatred for Islam. These people have as little legal basis as parental judgment.
Notably, Dove Senior Pastor Terry Jones had the t-shirt printed up over the Internet because no local company “had the guts” to print the shirts. It is funny how few people want to participate in hateful acts.
The Dove World Outreach Center defines itself as:
“We are a New Testament, Charismatic, Non-Denominational Church that believes in the whole Bible and that we are to act in response to the word of God in order to change the times we are living in. Those times have gotten further and futher [sic] away from God; full of deception like abortion and same sex marriages.”
The Church defends its “Islam is of the Devil” campaign and responds to criticism on its website :
Why would the Church put up such a sign?
To expose Islam for what it is. It is a violent and oppressive religion that is trying to mascarade itself as a religion of peace, seeking to deceive our society.What is the reason or message the Church wants to get out with a sign such as that?
The message of the truth that there is only one way to God, only one way to salvation, and that is through the blood of Jesus. Through the repenting of your sins and being born again. It is time that all Christians unite, stop being passive and selfish and stand up and fight for the truth.What is your response to those offended by the sign or the message of the sign?
The truth should never offend us. We should embrace the truth. That is the foundation of our country and that is the only way to true freedom. Islam is a lie based upon lies and deceptions and fear. In Muslim countries, if you preach the gospel or convert to Christianity – you will be killed. That is the type of religion it is.
Wayne Sapp’s daughter, Emily Sapp, 15, was one of the children who refused to take off the shirt and was sent home.
Parent Wayne Sapp objected to the “subjectivity” of the school policy that allows principals and school administrators to determine what is offensive or distracting clothing. We certainly have seen abuses of such discretion (here and here) but this would not be such a case. Sapp sent his child into school with a manifestly hateful and prejudicial statement. He may want to rise a religious fanatic in his own image or that of his pastor, but he will have to do that at home or through a religious school. There are plenty of models for such education in countries ranging from Iran to Pakistan to Sudan.
Sapp insists that he wants to teach his kids to “stand up for what they believe instead of saying the rules might not let me do it” and said that society has grown “so tolerant of being tolerant.” I get it now. The problem is too much tolerance. It is not like those Taliban educators who know how to instill good old-fashioned religion in public education.
Jones insists that spreading the church’s message was “even more important than education itself.” Hmmm, a religious movement composed of uneducated religious fanatics. Sounds strangely familiar.
Some parents have said that they are debating whether to allow their children to go to school if denied the right to wear the t-shirts.
For the full story, click here.
I am not suggesting that the girl in question be made an object of either scorn or ridicule. But I firmly believe that in a nation founded upon tolerance for opposing views on everything, the obligations that that imposes upon all of us as citizens needs to be inculcated from an early age. There is such a thing as civic virtue, although one will not find it in many of what have been mistakenly identified as “town hall meetings.” And 15 is hardly too young an age to start developing an appreciation and understanding of diversity of opinion.
GLSM,
Those camps aren’t nearly as effective in the long term as you’d fear.
If I remember correctly only about 1/3 of the kids my age that I went to church with stayed Fundamentalist. My father was a Deacon, and later a Church Elder, and only 2 of his 6 children are remotely religious.
Plus, Brainwashing can’t overcome hormones. I know at least two people who lost their virginity at the bi-annual National Camp that the EFCA put on. Even I got a little action, and I was far from the ruggedly handsome stud that my wife assures me I am now.
gyges writes: When we’re talking about the motivations of teenagers or younger we have to be careful not to oversimplify. On the one hand, at that age, most of what you believe is what your parents believe. On the other hand, you really do believe it.
You also shouldn’t forget that Church Youth Groups put just as much pressure on their members to fit in as any other social group.
Is the church just using the kids to send a point? Yup, and it’s despicable. Is there a good chance the kids volunteered to be used? Oh yeah.
lets not forget that inculcation starts at an early age. kids are trained to believe by the adults in their lives. all those warriors for christ camps are very effective in training the next generation of haters.
these kids are being used as poster children for hate.
shouldn’t someone mention this?
btw. I dislike the boy scouts of america. I don’t buy the stuff they sell door to door or outside my grocery store. kids sort of expect that because hey ring a bell people will buy. like halloween. i tell them that I wont buy, nicely, and then I tell them why. I tell them that BSA is an organization that promotes bigotry
and while they may think that the crafts are fun and the camp outs are really neat they have opted to join an organization that discriminates. BSA can admit anyone that they want and exclude anyone they don’t like. its a private organization. my squeeze thinks that what I do is wrong. I don’t.
kids should know what kind of club they are joining.
maybe things in pre-war germany would have been different if hitler youth was more open about its mission.
I see BSA as a slightly more benign group of brown shirts.
I’m sure that I will get some disagreement here.
that’s fine with me. I’ve thought about this and stick to my decision to use the few moments I have with these kids to educate them.
MAS writes: Wait, so it’s ok for an authority figure in a rigid hierarchy to mock and ridicule the beliefs that a student is taught at home? This is an elementary school, not a college debate class. This is not the place to fight this battle for EITHER SIDE and it’s repulsive to even consider using a child’s classroom for this kind of debate.
What you’d really be teaching the children is that it’s ok to mock and shame people who disagree with you. That it’s acceptable for a teacher to target a student and their beliefs as an object of scorn.
golly did I say that? just seems to me that when parents dress their kids in clothing that is provocative, politically, someone ought to teach the kids what their clothing says on their behalf.
on the other hand, what makes anyone think people care what their sweater says?
When we’re talking about the motivations of teenagers or younger we have to be careful not to oversimplify. On the one hand, at that age, most of what you believe is what your parents believe. On the other hand, you really do believe it.
You also shouldn’t forget that Church Youth Groups put just as much pressure on their members to fit in as any other social group.
Is the church just using the kids to send a point? Yup, and it’s despicable. Is there a good chance the kids volunteered to be used? Oh yeah.
Mike A.,
I agree with MAS about not singling out this girl. As an earlier poster pointed out she is probably wearing this to please her parents, thus having been used for the cause by people who are supposed to love her, not sell their beliefs on her apparel. But I do think that there would be no harm in a discussion of religion and its role in our govt. That’s a good idea, just no singling out of any child.
Something to e-mail our BFF’s in Florida!
“Ever seen those signs in front of churches with the moveable letters? Ever wanted to rearrange the letters to make your own church sign? Well, now you can. Choose a design below, add your text, and a personalized church sign photo will be created for you! Save it, send it to a friend, put on your website, or use it however you like. Enjoy!”
http://www.says-it.com/churchsigns/
P.S. Xenu, this site includes sceintology as well. Get smoting!
MASkeptic: “Anyone who thinks they have a monopoly on the ‘truth’ is dangerous. That kind of certainty lets them get away with alot of hate and evil because they’re able to justify it because they KNOW they’re right.
Give me some good old fashioned heathen uncertainty any day.”
———-
The last installment of “The Ascent of Man” by Jacob Bronkowski was about the danger of certitude (primarily in science) and how that plays out in all other aspects of life. He advocated against it. It was a devastating episode because it began and ended with Bronkowski walking in the marsh behind Auschwitz and the closing frames had him making the point that ‘certitude always brings us to this place’, as he reached his hand into the water and plucked up a marsh plant, blooming in the rich earth composed of and fertilized by the ashes of the camps crematoria.
Your and Mike A’s comment reminded me of that image which seems to illustrate so much of what is wrong with the world and our own politics over the last several years: certitude and the hubris that flows from it.
Mike A., GWLawSchoolMom, lottakatz,
Wait, so it’s ok for an authority figure in a rigid hierarchy to mock and ridicule the beliefs that a student is taught at home? This is an elementary school, not a college debate class. This is not the place to fight this battle for EITHER SIDE and it’s repulsive to even consider using a child’s classroom for this kind of debate.
What you’d really be teaching the children is that it’s ok to mock and shame people who disagree with you. That it’s acceptable for a teacher to target a student and their beliefs as an object of scorn.
Mike A, Exactly right, They had an opportunity to do precisely what a school is supposed to do and discarded it.
Mike A writes:
would permit the wearing of the t-shirt as a permissible expression of opinion under the First Amendment. I would also use it as an opportunity. The kids in this young lady’s class would be asked to write papers on the meaning of religious tolerance in this country and how her opinion fits in with that concept. The papers would then be made the topic for classroom discussions. The best weapon against this sort of nonsense is not suppression, but exposure.
exactly. make it an object lesson. then take them all to the closest holocaust museum. or some similar venue.
LA has this marvelous place, The Museum of Tolerance. What I like about it is that it addresses bias of all kinds.
I would permit the wearing of the t-shirt as a permissible expression of opinion under the First Amendment. I would also use it as an opportunity. The kids in this young lady’s class would be asked to write papers on the meaning of religious tolerance in this country and how her opinion fits in with that concept. The papers would then be made the topic for classroom discussions. The best weapon against this sort of nonsense is not suppression, but exposure.
Gyges,
It’s what I would say about anyone attempting to link their religion to the “one true faith” *gag*
Anyone who thinks they have a monopoly on the ‘truth’ is dangerous. That kind of certainty lets them get away with alot of hate and evil because they’re able to justify it because they KNOW they’re right.
Give me some good old fashioned heathen uncertainty any day.
MASk,
Actually that’s what you’d probably say about Catholics and Mormons.
I want to see someone Photoshop that sign to replace the ‘ISL’ in Islam with an ‘H’ and add a question mark ‘?’ at the end.
Trying to reason with this group is pointless since they’re already coming from an irrational place.
Roland,
If I /were/ a religious fundie, I would say “Their [jews and islam] similarities to Christianity without embracing the teachings of Jesus and accepting His Word only proves the depths of their apostasy.”
so what. kids wearing t-shits that paraphrase John which says about Jews, “ye are of your father, satan”
is this not the same 1st amendment that allows other t-shirt slogans? or the 2nd that allows whack jobs to carry assault rifles to town hall meetings?
as for christians loving their neighbor…. they don’t seem to do a great job of that unless their neighbors are also christians. obviously this is not a wide paint job on all christians of every stripe, only the ones who get their names in the news for moronic crap like this.
And I wonder how many of these young people, especially the *elementary school* girl who wore this shirt on the first day of school, did it on their own, or because their parents or pastor said it would be a Really Good Thing To Do and Jesus Would Want You To Do It? Inquiring minds want to know….
Theocrats always give a good lesson on why this is the worst form of govt. Perhaps some Muslims should make a very public offer to “dialoge” with this church in a neutral, open forum (preferably with a video tape rolling). The local news could cover this meeting.
We live in extremely frightening times. This means many leaders of all stripes will be working the “hate that other group” message very hard. This isn’t just a right wing problem, it’s a human problem. IMO, this will be our greatest test as a people, that we not turn on our neighbor because we are afraid. I do not mean that we should agree with our neighbor, not protest our neighbor, not peacfully try to stop them from doing things we believe are wrong–only that we do not succomb to the hatred of groups.
I know that many people, including me, were distrubed by right wing hatred on display at the health care “forums”. But I worry that many people on the left were sucessfully whipped into our own mindless hatred of those on the right, because this was in the interest of the govt. to do so. I actually ran into a Rotarian meeting and the people there were talking about how the left calls us brown shirts. They were scared and shaken. They also said some really offensive things like, “astorturf, I don’t even know what that was. I thought that was started by the left busing in a bunch of HOMELESS (say with complete contempt) people. O.K., that was truly repugnant. But lefties, don’t fall for the same thing. We all need to stay focused on the greater well being for everyone. This will never be accomplished by turning on our neighbor. It really will be either our worst or finest hour in this nation. Stand fast. To the Christians–love thy neighbor as thyself. To the rest of us, don’t turn on your neighbor. End of story.
Not only are they bigots, they are stupid bigots since CHRISTIANS, JEWS AND MUSLIMS WORSHIP THE SAME GOD! We have different names for HIM but he is the god of Abraham.
Free speech be damned. This is incendiary speech made to provoke hatred and more importantly, violence.