Jackson OH Jesus location in High School building
The other day I posted an update to the Jackson, Ohio school district Jesus painting court case. Someone on twitter sent me a strong reaction tweet about it and the ensuing conversation shows that some theists don’t want religious freedom for others – just themselves.
Here is the original tweet:
Ohio School District Will Remove Jesus Painting And Pay $90,000 http://jo.my/chd8j9 #p2 #tcot
Then I get a tweet back from a random person:
@secularleft how dumb do you have to be? Remove His image all you like you’ll still have to face Him one day.
Which led me to respond:
.@Mompreneurmogul that’s fine but just not in a public school leave religion up to the parents
Totally missing the point she responds:
@secularleft religious children have rights too . That separation was meant to keep gov out of religion Not the other way around.
I restate the point a little more clearly:
@Mompreneurmogul sorry but religious children don’t have right to force their religion on other children leave it to parents
That drew a two parter:
@secularleft And honestly it’s beyond sad that a photo of Jesus flips your side out so bad- What will you do when you meet HIM? #sadday
@secularleft SORRY but last time I checked a painting cannot speak – leave policing to the Nazi’s
So we get the weak argument: “it’s only a painting it isn’t hurting anything…” and then she invokes Godwin’s Law.
So I had to ask:
@Mompreneurmogul And I am sure you won’t mind if there is a picture of Muhammad up in a public school right?
And she responds:
@secularleft No I would not mind at all – He has zero power and is not God 🙂 So it wouldn’t phase me in the least.
and the classic
@secularleft If we allowed the principals of religion – respect, don’t hurt, don’t kill – maybe schools would be safer for ALL children.
How a Jesus painting would do all that she didn’t explain but those items she mentioned “respect, don’t hurt, and don’t kill” are common human ideals and religion isn’t required for all us to have them.
A painting of Jesus doesn’t bother me in general except when the painting is in a public school. Then I have a problem with it and why we must have separation of church and state.
Religious education should be the responsibility of the parents and take place at home or a house of worship and not in a public school.
@Mompreneurmogul responses are typical of the Christian privilege we see all the time. They want freedom of religion for themselves and not for others. It’s arrogant for them to make decisions for other people’s children.
🙂 I think I’d run the ‘Commandments’ by her. I wonder how she would take an admonishment “Thou Shalt worship no Graven Images”. Then tell her idolatry is not allowed in public buildings..
I thought about doing that but the person would just rationalize that idolatry was for other non-Jesus images. But you make a good point.
You may have missed mine. The Society of Friends ( Quakers ) would be only one Christian ( religious ) sect to take that point seriously. Ditto Puritans. Jews have their groups which would agree. If it is claimed the state has no right to be free of religious images ( propaganda ) it disregards the rights of other religious to forbid the use of portrayals and icons in shared community. Whether you or they take that position is irrelevant : it is a religious Gospel based objection. That seemed the only argument which they would deign to recognize.
I had a multi-denominational upbringing and am quite sure my Baptist relatives would condemn without hesitation posting images purported to be Jesus casually in public.
For that matter, my grandmother would be rolling in her grave that such would be tolerated.
Yes I know that most religions have rules against favoring any other religion. That’s the problem with church and state – which religion does a state favor. According to the Constitution it is all of them or none.
Also I would be careful about the Romans created Jesus article. Richard Carrier gives his view of that nonsense http://freethoughtblogs.com/carrier/archives/4664