TheScroogeReport

This from Associated Press:

Mike Huckabee, a Republican relying on support from religious conservatives in Thursday’s hard-fought presidential caucuses, on Sunday stood by a decade-old comment in which he said, “I hope we answer the alarm clock and take this nation back for Christ.”

In a television interview, the ordained Southern Baptist minister and former Arkansas governor made no apologies for the 1998 comment made at a Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Salt Lake City.

“It was a speech made to a Christian gathering, and, and certainly that would be appropriate to be said to a gathering of Southern Baptists,” Huckabee said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

He gave the speech the same year he endorsed the Baptist convention’s statement of beliefs on marriage that “a wife is to submit graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ.” Huckabee and his wife, Janet, signed a full-page ad in USA Today in support of the statement with 129 other evangelical leaders.

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FEEL GOOD

This from the NY Times:

Staff Chaplain Sets a Restaurant Chain Apart
By SAMUEL G. FREEDMAN

ORANGE PARK, Fla. — Midway through the dinner rush at the Loop Pizza Grill on a November night, the Rev. Becci Curtis, graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., pulled a disposable glove onto her right hand and plunged it into a container of shredded romaine. Her mission, at the moment, was to assemble a Gorgonzola salad.

As she worked, adding the croutons and cheese, Ms. Curtis chatted with the waitress beside her, April Mechler. They talked about the Thanksgiving just past, about how Ms. Mechler’s homemade mac-and-cheese had turned out. Then they talked about Ms. Mechler’s dream of becoming a journalist and her application for a summer internship at The Florida Times-Union, the daily paper in nearby Jacksonville.

Ms. Mechler stepped away from the salad station to deliver an order, and Ms. Curtis walked through the swinging door into the kitchen, spotting Richard Calalang amid the grills and deep fryers. She knew his dream, too: to move to California and work for a catering company that serviced film studios and even the Playboy Mansion. She also knew his private worry about fitting in on the West Coast: He did not know how to surf.

It was all part of Ms. Curtis’s job, the conversing and the confiding and the salad-making, too. A lifetime as an observant Christian and a top-rank education in divinity had led her, improbably or providentially or both, to being the spiritual leader of a pizza joint. She worked four hours a week for $10 an hour, plus the occasional tip, and on her flowered blouse she wore a name tag that identified her official position: chaplain.

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In the Jesus Glasses and Bloggers For Chad Farnan post, a high school politics and sociology teacher in the UK asks in the comment section some very pointed questions. Seems he is a bit perplexed by Capistrano Valley High School teacher James Corbett’s “teaching” approach…and on a wider scale, the US public school approach to religion.

Here’s his comment:

Could you tell me, is the kind of agenda pursued by Corbett quite common in US state schools?

What I find a bit of an enigma is this: On one hand, religion is to be kept out of the classroom and yet, on the other, as some defenders of Corbett seem to be pointing out, it is impossible to cover European history without looking at the role of religion. How do your educators reconcile the two?

When it comes to the coverage of European history in your schools, does the role of the Reformers such as Luther and Tyndale in empowering the common people by translating the scriptures out of Latin and into their own languages ever get examined? Do your schools examine the huge roles of Calvin, Knox and Zwingli in liberating the people from the 16th century bondage of a corrupt Roman Catholic church?

Or does religious history only get examined when it’s appropriate to bash the church?

When Martin Luther King gets covered in the US syllabus, is his spiritual motivation as well as his social and political activism examined?

It seems like your system is quite similar to France’s where religion is to be kept at a long arm’s length. I once asked a French school teacher, “Why are you so afraid of religion in France?” He didn’t like this as the French, like most of us, are a rather proud people!

In Scotland, we actually have Religious Education (as distinct from religious “instruction”) in schools. Yes, it’s subject to abuses and I’m not happy about confusing kids with TMI too early, but it does bring a hugely relevant part of people’s lives into the school, rather than simply pretend religion doesn’t exist.

Our students are encouraged to pursue their own ‘Personal Search’ and the RE classroom is an environment where Christian students can, for example, say why they believe in Jesus Christ, and atheists can say why they do not. I’ve seen this happen from time to time in my own classes.

We also have Religious Observance where local miisters come into the school and regularly address the youngsters. If atheists do not wish their children to be exposed to this they have the protected right to withdraw them from such events.

In the UK, like everywhere, we have our problems, but I don’t see how, particularly in such a strongly Christian country as America, you can keep religion out of school and at the same time be fully preparing kids for life after school. Some say, if people want God let them send their kids to a private Christian school, but is that fair when your state school system which is so hugely funded by Christian taxes?

Please go to Jesus Glasses and Bloggers For Chad Farnan to join the discussion.

Benazir Bhutto
June 21, 1953 – December 27, 2007

Dec. 27: Pakistan former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto waves to her supporters during her last public rally in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. (AP)

CHURCH AND STATE

This from Associated Press:

GREEN BAY, Wis. — An organization of atheists and agnostics won’t drop its federal lawsuit against the city of Green Bay even though the nativity scene that sparked the suit was taken down from City Hall Wednesday morning.

The Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation will continue with its suit, which co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor expected would be officially filed Wednesday or Thursday.

Even if the city argues that the issue is moot since the display is gone, “we want a court ruling that they can’t do it again,” Gaylor said.

Their lawsuit claims the display depicting the birth of Jesus is an unconstitutional governmental endorsement of religion. Among other things, it asks a federal judge to declare the city’s actions a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

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Much like Rosa Parks, Chad Farnan sat in the back of the bus too many times. Only with Farnan, it’s not about a bus, such as the ones during Parks’ era in which blacks were told they could only sit in the back seats.

For Farnan, he sits in a high school history class where he is told by his teacher for more days than he cared to tolerate that Christians and Christians like himself were ignorant. Farnan doesn’t want to sit in a classroom anymore where he is required to listen to Christian bashing…so he and his parents are suing the Capistrano Valley Unified School District.

Farnan’s allegations are backed up by a tape he recorded of the teacher. In part of the tape the teacher says:

When you put on your Jesus glasses, you can’t see the truth.

The teacher, James Corbett, is popular enough that an estimated 200 people gathered one morning to show their support for him. Only a handful of Farnan supporters showed up that morning to partake in what some say was a vigil.

I find it interesting how strong Corbett and his supporters are in their conviction that the teacher was simply provoking thought. Funny how it’s nearly impossible to provoke thought about Jesus in a public classroom or in a public just-about-anything-else.

I’d like Corbett and his fans to get “provoked” on this one (inside parenthesis mine):

The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness (or Jesus glasses) to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense (the truth). This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It’s written, I’ll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I’ll expose so-called experts as crackpots. So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn’t God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world (and some teachers) considered dumb - preaching, of all things! - to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation. — 1 Corinthians 1:18-21, from The Message translation of the Bible

A local pastor has taken this opportunity to ask other Christians to rally in support of Farnan. The pastor’s “fundamentalist” ways are in question…so, I will not name him…but I am going to quote him. Although a lawsuit may not have been so “Christian”, it has drawn national attention…and for that, I am grateful.

Pastor’s quote:

“We as Christian students and parents have been told to go to the back of the bus for the last time.”

If you are a blogger that wants to show your support for Chad Farnan (not necessarily the lawsuit) and voice your opposition to the acceptance of Christian bashing in public schools, please leave a comment here and feel free to post a link to your blog.

Stay tuned!

UPDATE: Chad had put up his own website with useful contact information and his story at ChadFarnan.com.

LOCAL

Bloggers and readers locally are invited to join a vigil at the next Capistrano Valley Unified School Board Meeting, January 14. Vigil to start at 6 p.m.

Meanwhile, if you would like to leave a polite email to principal Tom Ressler, his email address is tressler@capousd.org. If you would like more contact information, go to Capistrano Valley Unified School District.

JESUS GLASSES

Putting on “Jesus glasses” is an ideal we can only aspire to with great humility and joy, knowing that it is the truth we seek and can find in Him.

- Alexander, The Scrooge Report

Photo by Rose Palmisano, The Orange County Register

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VIDEO: Bill O’Reilly says “irresponsible teachers” now in the crosshairs for 2008

RELATED: Protestors Rally to Support Christian, Conservative Basher

OTHER BLOGS:
StoptheACLU.com: Unhinged Teacher Bashing Christianity
FaithandFreedom.us: High School Teacher Attacks Christianity
Townhall.com: Offensive Statement Regarding Christianity in the Classroom!
Bookwork Room: More on the teacher accused of insulting religion in his class
ParentDish: Teacher pushes religious views; student sues
Berlin Wall Between Church and State: H.S. Teacher Giving Lesson in Hostility Towards Christians
Church and State: Unhinged Teacher Bashing Christianity
WOMANTalk: High Schooler Sues History Teacher
Thinking Christian: James Corbett “Taught Us How To Think”
WhenEvilProspers: Mission Viejo Teacher Being Sued…Dec. 18
Pray Connecticut: Do you have your “Jesus glasses” on?

ADD:

Leslie Carbone: Jesus Glasses

Bloggers for Chad Farnan Continued

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This from Advocates For Faith and Freedom:

Farnan vs. Capistrano Unified School District, et al.
Location: Santa Ana, California
Status: Lawsuit Pending

A sophomore honors student at Capistrano Valley High School, Chad Farnan, is a student in Dr. Corbett’s Advanced Placement European History class. While teaching the class, Dr. Corbett spends an extended period of time at the beginning of each class discussing topics that are not only irrelevant to history, but also inflammatory and often altogether inappropriate for high school students. Dr. Corbett causes students who hold religious beliefs to feel like second-class citizens because of their protected religious expression, beliefs, and conduct. He has gone as far as stating, “When you put on your Jesus glasses, you can’t see the truth.” In addition to expressing his viewpoint regarding the Christian faith, Dr. Corbett has made derogatory remarks about Christian viewpoints regarding homosexuality, Viagra, birth control, and sexual activities of teenagers. As a result of Dr. Corbett’s hostility toward Christianity, Advocates has filed this federal lawsuit for a violation of Chad’s First Amendment rights.

The Scrooge Report is ending 2007 with its first annual Top 10 Scrooge Moments of the Year. Week after week, ever since the blog’s kick off in April, This Week’s Top Scrooge has been a regular feature. These top moments come from the weekly feature.

They are placed in no particular ranking…simply a list of dishonors given to some low moments in the year. Please enjoy!

Oh, and BTW…May you have a Merry Christmas! Season’s Greetings and a Happy New Year! ….Sincerely, The Scrooge Report.

1. The Teacher and Muhammad Bear
Sudan: Officials seize a British teacher’s approval of students ‘Muhammad’ teddy bear to play the culture card

I rarely pick international Scrooges and I suppose there are worse atrocities in the world, but this case could not be left alone.

Sure, the Sudanese government’s imprisonment of a kindly-looking teacher for the “hate crime” of allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad may not seem like a big deal to some.

After all, her sentence was only 15 days (she was later pardoned after serving 10 days) and the maximum 6-month sentence and 40 lashes were not dished out by the Sudanese judge. I guess to prison veterans (and Muslim jailers), this is just a walk in the park. But for a teacher?

In finding that British primary school teacher, Gillian Gibbons, was guilty of insulting Islam by allowing her seven-year-old pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad, Sudanese officials deliberately assaulted reason.

The Sudanese leaders attempted to use Gibbons and Teddy ‘Muhammad’ Bear to call the rest of the non-Muslim world ignorant for not bowing to them. They are saying that all of us must walk on egg shells, careful to not accidently be offensive or we will be lashed, imprisoned, or killed….

Read Full Feature

2. The Politician and the Firestorm
While fires were still scorching vast amounts of land and lives were still in the balace in Southern California, the state’s Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi had time to politicize the relief effort and throw darts at President George Bush.

Lt. Governor Garamendi also had time to appear on several news shows earlier in the week to erroneously say that the war in Iraq was to blame for a limited amount of National Guard troops able to fight the fires in California.

Without missing a beat, he also said the president’s visit to the disaster scene Thursday was a distraction. In one interview the Democrat said, “OK, President Bush comes out, we’ll be polite. But frankly, that’s not the solution. How about sending our National Guard back from Iraq so that we have those people available here to help us?”

Savvy reporters were able to dispute Garamendi in a heartbeat with several facts from the Pentagon, including that some 1,500 Army National Guard and Air National Guardsmen were helping firefighters, not on the fire lines, but doing other tasks to free up the firefighters….

Read Full Feature

3. Beyond Shocking and Britney
DJ Big Boy and WKQI-FM Darken Radio with Britney Suicide Watch Contest

Poking fun at people can be fun. How many of us have wisecracked about Britney Spears? Maybe you were not the originator of a Britney “observation”, but you’re certainly up on her recent trials and join the finger pointing with seemingly the entire nation about her weak parenting skills.

How can we not help but shake our head as we are deluged every day with her tabloid headline making actions?

That said, DJ Big Boy and radio station WKQI-FM, better known as Channel 95.5 in Detroit displayed gross insensitivity when they announced a “Britney Suicide Watch” contest….

Read Full Feature

4. Leona and Her Rich Dog
Leona Helmsley Earns Top Scrooge Posthumously

Even if pastors miffed, many church sermons should have included the story of Leona Helmsley and her dog, Trouble, the Sunday after this news broke, i.e., “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?’”

In case you missed it, Trouble…her pet…inherited $12 million. And for good measure, Trouble’s “fortunes” won’t be over even after her life ends. “I direct that when my dog, Trouble, dies, her remains shall be buried next to my remains in the Helmsley mausoleum,” she ordered. And she left another $3 million to ensure that final resting place is well maintained, including money for a yearly wash or steam-cleaning.

Twelve million dollars. That’s two more million dollars than two of her grandchildren are getting combined ($5 million each) and $12 million more than her other two grandchildren are getting…because they are getting zippo as in nada, nothing, and zilch….

Read Full Feature

5. Cheating Fool and 1-800-FLOWERS
Lawsuit: Texas Man’s Dirty Laundry Aired in Public…World!

Commit adultery? Don’t expect to shoot the messenger!

Apparently, Leroy Greer may have not wanted to kill anyone from 1-800-Flowers, but he sued the florist company for $1 million for revealing that he was cheating on his wife.

Greer said in a lawsuit filed in a federal court in Texas that he bought flowers for his girlfriend through 1-800-Flowers. He asked to keep his purchase private. Greer said he was referred to the company’s privacy policy, which states that customers can ask 1-800-Flowers not to share personal information with “third parties.”

But, the lawsuit says, 1-800-Flowers sent a thank-you note to his house and his wife saw it. When she called the company, 1-800-Flowers faxed her a copy of the receipt from Greer’s secret purchase.

The receipt revealed that Greer had sent another woman a dozen long-stemmed red roses, along with a note that read, “Just wanted to say that I love you and you mean the world to me!” according to court documents….

Read Full Feature

6. QB Into the Pit (Bulls)
Atlanta’s Michael Vick was charged with running a dog-fighting ring while a brutal “sport” comes to light right here in America

When Nike’s long-running ad campaign was conceived, I don’t believe the company’s creative types had dog fighting in mind when they came up with “Just Do It!”

Apparently, Michael Vick didn’t get the memo.

What was he thinking? Not much apparently, as he was found guilty after the Atlanta Falcons quarterback and three others were indicted by a federal grand jury. The four were charged with competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting and conducting the enterprise across state lines….

Read Full Feature

7. The Pope’s Blunder
By approving a document saying non-Catholic Christian communities are either defective or not true churches, and the Roman Catholic Church provides the only true path to salvation, Pope Benedict leaves someone behind - Jesus!

The only statement that I would be thrilled to hear coming out of the Pope’s mouth is that Jesus is the way to salvation…not Catholicism, not 40 Hail Mary’s, not participation in a soup kitchen, not a Sunday service…and while I am on a roll…not ANY “religion”.

All that said, the Pope’s statment is really old news. The Catholic faith has been misleading people for a long time. Not to say that some Catholics are not saved, but they are a “works” based religion…guiding people to jump through hoops to get to heaven.

Sorry, it’s all about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Unless a church is preaching that, it’s barking up the wrong tree….

Read Full Feature

8. Hospital Horror
Emergency at Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital Takes a Back Seat

No one should be ignored in a hospital emergency room lobby. But right here in America, in Los Angeles, California, inside the Martin Luther King-Harbor Hospital emergency room lobby, on May 9, 2007, someone was ignored and died as a result.

Edith Isabel Rodriguez, 43, died in the King-Harbor emergency room after writhing in pain on the floor for 45 minutes. The world knows about it because the incident was captured on security cameras and two witnesses called 911 requesting help and they are rebuffed.

As the Los Angeles Times reported, the event might have gone down as the death of a “quasi-transient” woman with a history of abusing drugs. That’s how the death of Rodriguez was initially reported to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office….

Read Full Feature

9. Blind Ambitions and Proven Miracles
Freedom From Religion Foundation files lawsuit against Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch

The associations of freethinkers, atheists, agnostics and skeptics of any pedigree, such as the Freedom From Religion group describes itself, can play the lawsuit games they play all day long without bothering me.

However, when it comes to messing with successful youth programs, especially successful foster care programs, I draw the line. It’s time for Americans to take a look at a group like the Freedom From Religion Foundation, see that they are trying to knock down institutions that are the best this country has to offer and say “enough!”

The most recent foray of yet another misguided group is Freedom of Religion’s attempt at stopping government funds to a 55-years-old North Dakota foster care ranch and its program.

The atheist group asked a judge to declare a violation of separation of church and state in regards to public money going to the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. The group sought to stop the government from sending children or money to the ranch. Freedom From Religion claims the money is being used to religiously indoctrinate young people….

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10. A Woman’s Home Up For Grabs
Online Hoax Strips Home of Everything

I reckon because of its perverted creativity and the threat that this could probably happen to just about anyone, ths Scrooge moment is provided by the instigator of an online hoax in which a women’s home became up for grabs.

A fake ad on craigslist offered everything in Laurie Raye’s house for free. By the time she realized what was going on, the house had been stripped of its light fixtures, hot water heater — even the kitchen sink.

Even the front door and a vinyl window were pilfered, Raye said in an AP story.

Read Full Feature

Bill O’Reilly says “irresponsible teachers” now in the crosshairs for 2008

FOXNews commentary show host, Bill O’Reilly, runs hard with a Capistrano Valley High School student’s audio tape of a teacher bashing Christians and conservatives…vows to make the outing of “irresponsible teachers” his cause for 2008.

The student has already been on O’Reilly’s show. The teacher has yet to coment publicly.

This from O’Reilly’s Talking Points:

The bad teaching stops here. That is the subject of this evening’s “Talking Points Memo.”

Imagine if a public high school teacher came into class everyday and insisted the students believe in God. Insisted. Well, that teacher would be sanctioned right after the media and the ACLU crucified him or her, pardon the Christian pun.

In fact in Bismarck, North Dakota, a middle school teacher, Michael Nider, has been suspended without pay for showing a pro-Christian video to his students. Yet teachers that push atheism, anti-American hatred, and other ideological positions are running wild throughout the USA without consequences.

Dr. James Corbett has been filling his history classroom at Capistrano Valley High in California with far-left propaganda for 19 years. As we told you last night, Corbett is now being sued for religious intolerance for saying stuff like this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. JAMES CORBETT: How do you get the peasants to oppose something that is in their best interest? Religion. You have to have something that is irrational to counter that rational approach. When you put on your Jesus glasses, you can’t see the truth.

Conservatives don’t want women to avoid pregnancies. That’s interfering with God’s work. You’ve got to stay pregnant, barefoot and in the kitchen and have babies until your body collapses.

And that’s the news. That’s not O’Reilly and Hannity. Those people are just liars.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Very nice. Corbett doesn’t deny he denigrates religion, conservatives and traditional thought. He’s proud of it. Apparently the principal of the school, Tom Ressler, is fine with Corbett’s indoctrination, because lawyers have warned Ressler more than once that something has to be done.

Now all over America this kind of garbage is going on, teachers pushing propaganda instead of facts, intimidating students into believing what they believe. Well, enough’s enough. “The Factor’s” campaign in 2008 is to expose this kind of bully pulpit and hold the schools accountable.

Now last night, 16-year-old Chad Farnan was brave enough to come on “The Factor” and expose his teacher, Corbett. Chad and his family are suing the school district for promoting religious intolerance, which is against the Constitution.

I told Chad that had I known him six months ago, he would have been on the cover of my book, “Kids Are Americans, Too.” Ironically, the very issue I stress in the book, that religious and traditional kids are now being bullied like crazy, is what Chad experienced in Corbett’s classroom.

This country cannot allow employees of the state, like teachers, people with power, to impose religion or anti-religion on school kids, period. Students and their parents do have rights, too.

So if you know of indoctrination in public schools, please let us know. No longer are loony teachers going to get a pass. They’ll be dealt with here if they violate the rights of students. We hope 2008 will be a good year for most Americans, but it will not be a good year for irresponsible teachers, trust me.

And that’s “The Memo.”

Related: Protestors Rally to Support Christian, Conservative Basher

SCROOGE ALERT LEVEL HIGH

It can’t be made anymore clearer than in his own comments. Capistrano Valley High School history teacher James Corbett hates all things conservative and Christian.

Please stay tuned. This is a BREAKING SCROOGE ALERT - LEVEL HIGH.

Teacher’s comments recorded by student:

How do you get the peasants to oppose something that is in their best interest? Religion. You have to have something that is irrational to counter that rational approach. When you put on your Jesus glasses, you can’t see the truth.

Conservatives don’t want women to avoid pregnancies. That’s interfering with God’s work. You’ve got to stay pregnant, barefoot and in the kitchen and have babies until your body collapses.

And that’s the news. That’s not O’Reilly and Hannity. Those people are just liars.

This from the OC Register:

MISSION VIEJO – To an almost continuous stream of blaring car horns and cheering, more than 200 Capistrano Valley High School students and alumni rallied outside their school this morning to show support for embattled history teacher James Corbett, who is being sued by one of his students for making remarks about Christianity and traditional Christian viewpoints in class.

Under the early-morning drizzle, the protesters lined both sides of Via Escolar outside the Mission Viejo high school, holding up handmade posters with messages that read “Honk 4 Corbett,” “Keep Corbett” and “Alums for Corbett.”

Corbett was the target of a lawsuit filed last week by sophomore Chad Farnan, who alleged that the 19-year Capistrano Valley High history teacher made anti-religion remarks in his advanced placement European history class this semester…

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RELATED: O’Reilly Draws a Line in the Sand with Capo Teacher

PLEASE JOIN: Bloggers For Chad Farnan