Posted on 05/17/2002 3:36:51 AM PDT by L.N. Smithee
Friday, May 17, 2002
Stripper mom: I'm following the Bible
Mother says high-paying job gives her time to teach daughter values
The mother of a 5-year-old California girl facing expulsion from the Christian school she attends acknowledges her job as a stripper is not one to be proud of, but says her work allows her time to follow the Bible by being a "hands-on" parent.
As WorldNetDaily reported yesterday, the mother, Christina Silvas, was called into a conference at Capital Christian School in Sacramento after school officials became aware that she works as a part-time strip-tease dancer at a local club.
Rick Cole, senior pastor of Capital Christian Church, which sponsors the school, and other staff members met with Silvas to discuss their contention that her occupation is in violation of an agreement with and commitment to the school philosophy that parents must sign before the children are admitted as students. Her daughter would have to be removed, she was told, if Silvas did not quit her job.
The officials offered to cover the girl's last month's tuition of $400 if Silvas would change jobs. They also offered to support Silvas both financially and spiritually, and to help her find a different job that was in keeping with the school's values. Silvas declined the offer.
As a requirement for admission, parents of prospective students must sign a "commitment" to support the philosophy of the school. That philosophy, in part, reads: "Emphasis is placed on learning about God and the truths of God's Word in relationship to man and his world; recognizing that the way to God comes through personal faith in Jesus Christ; and Christian maturity comes by application of the truths of the Bible in all areas of life." In signing the document, parents agree to maintain a "partnership" with the school "regarding the standards and criteria of a Christian learning structure that involves the entire family."
According to reporter George Franco of KOVR-TV, Silvas has retained legal counsel and is considering filing a motion for an immediate injunction to have the child remain in school while the mother continues to work as a stripper.
Last night, Cole and Silvas discussed the matter with Bill O'Reilly, host of "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News Channel.
"We have appealed to her to change her occupation," Cole told O'Reilly, adding that "God would bless" such a decision.
While Silvas said she agrees with the school's philosophy, she sidestepped the question of whether she considered her occupation a "sinful lifestyle."
"I am just doing it for a season," Silvas reasoned, adding, "I'm not proud of what I'm doing."
Silvas argued that since her job takes her away for only three days a week – the days her daughter, Abby, is with her father – she is therefore available to be "the one to teach [Abby] the Bible at home," thus upholding her commitment to partner with the school in her daughter's education.
"The Bible calls on parents to be hands-on," Silvas told O'Reilly. She sees her situation as better than that of a single mother who puts her child in daycare for several hours a day.
When asked if it was fair that the school's actions were, in effect, punishing the daughter, Cole put the responsibility for the expulsion on the mother.
"My concern is, who is the cause of this consequence?" he asked. "The consequence of [Silvas'] choice is affecting her daughter adversely."
None of the participants in the televised segment talked about the possibility of litigation. Silvas did mention, however, that she hoped to find a new job soon and that people outside Capital Christian Church had offered to help her find work.
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Kindergartener's stripper-mom in church-school flap
From what I saw on this on TV yesterday in a live interveiw with the mother and a school official, it is the mother that is going pubic. SHE is the one that brought up the issue of not wearing underwear to school, SHE is the one that refuses to quit a job for which she claims shame and accecpt help from the school.
the school seems to have tried to discuss this with her privately, but when she decides to get a lawyer and go public, she is the one who is handling this poorly.
That was an unfortunate choice of words by the stripper mom.
PROSTITUTION - The giving or receiving of the body for sexual activity for hire but excludes sexual activity between spouses. (Fla. Statutes '94)Performing for hire, or offering or agreeing to perform for hire where there is an exchange of value, any of the following acts: Sexual intercourse; sodomy, or; manual or other bodily contact stimulation of the genitals of any person with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desires of the offender or another.(Kansas Statutes '95)
Dancing nude in front of other adults is not prostitution.
That is certainly the perspective of "man's law."
SD
IMO, we're getting to splitting hairs over semantics in describing what this woman does. There is no indication that she performs any direct sexual acts on customers, yet she still does what she can to arouse and stimulate her customers for monetary rewards. Legal distinction perhaps, but not a moral one.
True. I think the people saying that her dancing is "prostitution" were not judging based upon man's law definitions.
SD
Try as they might, this particular school resides in America, not heaven and therefore should be subject to local laws governing any other school.
Is there a law that says that this woman has a right to have her kids enrolled in this school no matter what she does? Is there any law that says that this school has to accept and keep anyone no matter what they do?
You seem to invision a world where there is not such thing as a private school. Or if there is, they are all blandly identical, being under federal mandate to provide the same pablum in a non-discriminatory manner.
SD
There are men who are aroused by women wearing high heels, are then women who wear high heels unintentional prostitutes?
Nicole Kiddman had a very erotic opening scene in Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut", I was turned on...is she a prostitute?
Some men are highly aroused at the sight of women in cheerleading outfits, are the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders to be considered prostitutes?
No flames here, just my perspective. From a christian point of view (i.e. trying your best to be like Christ even though we know we will never be close), the goal is to have such a pure heart and mind that you do not look at any other woman besides your wife and think about her sexually. I take this the same way as the "if you break one commandment you've broken them all". The point is to keep us from rationalizing and minimizing our sins ("I only took some copier paper from the office, it's not like I killed someone"). My 2 cents.
p.s. I think this is why stripping is considered sinful, it causes man to have a sinful heart. Just like women walking down the street half naked which is why Islamic tradition includes rules about women's clothing. Burkas (sp?) are worn in the most extreme cultures because it is felt that even the eyes can be seductive and cause sinful thought.
Perhaps! ;>
See what we have to do to split hairs and stretch a point? Now instead of comparing strippers in a club to hookers, we are comparing them to dancers at an athletic event. Next step would seem to be that since naked dancers might be prostitutes, and then professional football players might also be prostitutes, then our daughters cheering for the local high school might also be considered the same. I'm not willing to say that.
When you consider that a stripper intentionally exposes herself and strives to manipulate individual men into sexual arousal for the reward of money, I think we can draw a distinction.
Perhaps you are right, that the term 'prosititute' is not technically correct enough, but in straining at this gnat, are you prepared to swallow the camel?
Well then...who's stretching?
Oh, you just might be on to something. I won't bore you with a whole lot of Bible- here's a little from the Old and New Testaments:
Jer 31:31-33
31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Rom 2:11-16
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Don't confuse religion and church with Christianity.
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