Posted on 06/20/2002 11:08:28 AM PDT by southern rock
(Uniondale, Long Island-AP, June 19, 2002) — An honors student at Kellenberg Memorial High School has been told not to come back for her senior year because she has refused to sing a medley of songs from the play Jesus Christ Superstar.
Megan Gaffey says she and her family consider the songs blasphemous.
As part of the spring concert, the school's chorus sang several selections from rock opera. But Gaffey, a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Franklin Square, said the medley was offensive. Gaffey says she asked to be excused during that medley or not to participate in the concert. Instead, she was removed from the chorus. James Gaffey says his daughter should have been excused from the concert for exercising a matter of conscience, or penalized in some other way for not participating.
Brother Kenneth Hoagland, principal of the Uniondale school, says the challenge to the songs only brought to a head almost three years of conflict with the family who "did not accept the school's notion of Christianity."
Hoagland says the parents showed they "had no confidence in the school's administration." He advised them to "seek a school more in line with their philosophy."
The Kellenberg School was founded by the Marist Brothers. It's 98 percent Catholic and all students must be Christian.
Gaffey wants to see his daughter graduate from Kellenberg next year. Otherwise, he said, she most likely will attend Amityville High School in the fall. She ranks among the top 15 in a class of approximately 340 students.
Gaffey attended a Christian day school from kindergarten through second grade and then was home schooled until she started as a freshman at Kellenberg.
Jesus Christ Superstar? Is that the school's notion of Christianity? Some Catholic school that is.
The Vatican endorses Jesus Christ Superstar, so the medley was perfectly appropriate for a Catholic school.
Whether I disagree with their views or not, they were totally within their rights to ask the girl to leave. Sounds like the family were the type who always were complaining about something.
Parents should keep their eyes on Brother Kenneth their boys as far away from this creep as possible.
You're right. While I agree with them on the musical being blasphemous, it does sound as if they have a history of complaining.
I do have to wonder if it is homosexual priests putting on the musical.
No wonder my church is in such a mess!
Agreed. That's not even in question here.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, not a rock star. It is disrespectful.
The Amityville...as in the movie?
Yes. We all agree that this is a private school and they have the right to expel anyone they want, for whatever they want. That being said now, hopefully once and for all, do you consider this to be a sound Christian school? I think not. The girl is 100% right as a matter of conscience.
He wasn't a superstar. He was God.
What's the problem with it? It's irreverent.
I have no problem with her exercising her rights, but she doesn't have the additional right to tell them what they can/cannot do within those bounds.
Her dad wants to see her graduate from there? He should have thought about that before he decided to try to impose his religion on the Catholic school.
I don't think Superstar is any more anyone's idea of Christianity than Godspell is. Unless you are looking directly at the Bible, you are likely to have some issues with the theology of the book, play, painting, whatever.
IMHO there is nothing blasphemous in Superstar although there are some ideas that I disagree with. I find it an excellent vehicle, however, for sparking thought and some enjoyable 60s rock & roll.
Shalom.
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