With a dramatic introduction, the Burlington County Times reports on a disturbing hostage drill at the Burlington Township High School.
Do you think the resolution passed last week by the UN Council on Human Rights against the public defamation of religion will be of any help? Probably not. It was, after all, pushed through by the Islamic nations on the council in response to those Danish cartoons and only specifically mentions Islam. Were we to take it seriously, it would probably only result in the inability of any group to claim exclusive truth. Victoria, Australia has a similar law which has already resulted in prison sentences for Christians who sought to warn against teachings in the Koran.
And unlike the violence following the depiction of the Prophet Mohammed in a free and independent newspaper, all that is likely to happen in response to this portrayal of Christianity is some discussion and maybe a formal complaint. Regardless of how we are depicted, we tend to be a relatively peaceful lot. Something about "turn the other cheek" and "love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you" restrains the believer from turning out in violent protest.
(Yes, I'm aware of "Christian" violence such as those despicable acts occasionally carried out at abortion clinics. These actions, however, are not embraced by the Christian community and are generally condemned by the church as antithetical to the fundamentals of the Christian faith.)
Related Tags: school violence, Christian fundamentalists, defamation of religion
BURLINGTON TOWNSHIP — The scenario has played out in real life across America: Gunfire echoes through a school and students are held hostage.Thankfully, school shootings are not all that common and I hope they never have the air of familiarity implied by this opening line. But the phenomenon is concerning enough that it is perhaps understandable that schools would desire to have procedures in place to handle such situations. These drills are also a part of the recommendations spoken of in President Bush's Conference on School Safety implemented in response to a wave of school shootings last year.
“You perform as you practice,” Superintendent Chris Manno said prior to the exercise. “We need to practice under conditions as real as possible in order to evaluate our procedures and plans so that they're as effective as possible.”What are these "conditions as real as possible?"
Two Burlington Township police detectives portrayed the gunmen. Investigators described them as members of a right-wing fundamentalist group called the “New Crusaders” who don't believe in separation of church and state. The mock gunmen went to the school seeking justice because the daughter of one had been expelled for praying before class.Be on alert for right-wing, fundamentalist Christians. We're a dangerous set. We're responsible for how many school shootings now? Zero I think it is, but I may not be able to count quite high enough to keep up.
Do you think the resolution passed last week by the UN Council on Human Rights against the public defamation of religion will be of any help? Probably not. It was, after all, pushed through by the Islamic nations on the council in response to those Danish cartoons and only specifically mentions Islam. Were we to take it seriously, it would probably only result in the inability of any group to claim exclusive truth. Victoria, Australia has a similar law which has already resulted in prison sentences for Christians who sought to warn against teachings in the Koran.
And unlike the violence following the depiction of the Prophet Mohammed in a free and independent newspaper, all that is likely to happen in response to this portrayal of Christianity is some discussion and maybe a formal complaint. Regardless of how we are depicted, we tend to be a relatively peaceful lot. Something about "turn the other cheek" and "love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you" restrains the believer from turning out in violent protest.
(Yes, I'm aware of "Christian" violence such as those despicable acts occasionally carried out at abortion clinics. These actions, however, are not embraced by the Christian community and are generally condemned by the church as antithetical to the fundamentals of the Christian faith.)
Related Tags: school violence, Christian fundamentalists, defamation of religion
