Christian Students Suspended for Krispy Kreme Doughnuts with Bible Verses

LifeSiteNews.com ^ | September 17, 2010

[topher]

Friday September 17, 2010

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Christian Students Suspended for Krispy Kreme Doughnuts with Bible Verses

ROSWELL, New Mexico, September 17, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A New Mexico School principal has penalized three Christian students with suspensions for giving fresh Krispy Kreme Doughnuts with Bible verses to each of their teachers, according to the public advocacy group Liberty Counsel.

This school is already named in a pending lawsuit filed by Liberty Counsel on behalf of families and students who were bullied, and one suspended, for exercising their freedom of religion by distributing abstinence wristbands and plastic models of babies at 12 weeks gestation to bring attention to the life of unborn children in the womb.

According to Liberty Counsel, about 25 Christian students in the group, Relentless in Roswell, decided to express appreciation for their teachers by giving them doughnuts. Since the closest Krispy Kreme shop was in Texas, some of them drove almost six hours round trip, stayed overnight, got up at 3:00 a.m. filled their car’s back seat with fresh doughnuts, and got back to school on time to deliver the doughnuts.

But when the doughnuts were passed out, they included a scripture verse as well. For that, one student was immediately sent home, and two others were forced to spend a Saturday morning sitting alone in the classroom for four hours as a punishment.

"Our motives were not rebellious,” Pastor Troy Smothermon said of the Christian youth group, with which his church is affiliated. “If they were, we would have just bought a box of doughnuts down the street. The whole purpose was to encourage those in the school.”

He added, “We are challenging the constitutionality, but our motive here was to love. Faith without works is dead. We want them to know that we love them and that Christ loves them."

The Christian group has also handed out sandwiches, hot chocolate, and candy canes in the past to the student body and faculty. Some also distributed rocks with affirming words like "U are wonderful' painted on one side and "Psalm 139" on the other, as part of their ministry.

However, Liberty Counsel says that things came to a head when Relentless in Roswell decided to hand out plastic models of unborn babies. The incident, they said, ended up saving the life of a student who said she had planned to commit suicide because of the guilt she felt over her abortion. Liberty Counsel says that when she received a model baby with the scripture "you are fearfully and wonderfully made" she cried and prayed with the students.

However students were afterwards pulled out of class and instructed by Principal Ruben Bolaños to cease their "Christian" acts because they had made their point. He is alleged to have said, "I don’t like Christians. All they do is smile at you and then stab you in the back."

Mathew Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, commented that given conditions in schools today, to suspend the Christian students is an absurdity.

"Some teachers are worried about their students giving them bullets, and this school suspends students over a Bible verse! These students are living their Christian beliefs by showing kindness,” said Staver. “It is outrageous that the Roswell school officials are mean to these students solely because they are hostile to their Christian faith."

URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/sep/10091712.html

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[presently no screen name]

I would have been reading my Bible for the four hours.

Then I’d thank them for the 4 hours of quiet time that I spent with Jesus.

[topher]

This school is already in hot water:

From the article:

This school is already named in a pending lawsuit filed by Liberty Counsel on behalf of families and students who were bullied, and one suspended, for exercising their freedom of religion by distributing abstinence wristbands and plastic models of babies at 12 weeks gestation to bring attention to the life of unborn children in the womb.

I can see a second Christian type Legal Defense organization getting involved at this point...

[topher]

I was going to post something like that. But this goofy school might have seized the Bible and added additional punishment for reading the Bible...

This school is so messed up that seizing Bibles from students would be okay for this incompetent principal to do to students...

[Liberty1970]

The administrators felt backstabbed because they were given donuts? What, were they on a diet or something? This is really rather ridiculous. What it boils down to is they expect a level of cultural conformity to secular humanist, anti-Christian norms. Slight deviations are tolerated, but a serious, or (in this case) sustained challenge to the de facto state religion is not.

[topher]

There is already pending legal action against this school on a prior action by the school.

Liberty Counsel is involved in that lawsuit against the school.

Now they have grounds for a second lawsuit...

[Raycpa]

We are called to be obedient to authority, even when they are wrong.

[Revel]

“I don’t like Christians. All they do is smile at you and then stab you in the back.”

Sadly, That may be true much of the time, but not always. And this is wrong. I hope the school gets slapped big time.

[doc1019]

WHAT! You blaspheme sir. To suggest that Krispy Kreme is less than God inspired. ;-)

[topher]

ping... Prayers for the students in schools such as this...

[Grunthor]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/09/17/mass-middle-school-mosque-trip-sparks-controversy-video-shows-students-bowing/

[RC2]

We need to find another McCarthy. I’d be the governor of New Jersey would have something to say about this if it happened in his state. But New Mexico is a liberal state anyway.

[ilovesarah2012]

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO AMERICA??????

[TaxPayer2000]

The Christian group has also handed out sandwiches, hot chocolate, and candy canes in the past to the student body and faculty. Some also distributed rocks with affirming words like "U are wonderful' painted on one side and "Psalm 139" on the other, as part of their ministry.

Psalms 139

1 ¶ To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. 7 ¶ Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. 17 ¶ How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. 19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. 20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. 21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? 22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

[svcw]

We are not called to be idiots. We can resist authority when it is violation of God's Word. Telling these kids they can not witness is against God's Word that commands us to spread the Good News. There is nothing in God's Word that tells Christians to be/act/behave like marshmallows.

[VaFarmer]

I cannot let the Krispy Kreme insult pass. There is no finer donut than a fresh Krispy Kreme from one of the original locations in Winston Salem, NC. I lived there for many years and I speak from deep experience. The only question is whether the Old Salem store or the Stratford Road store was better.

When you meet St. Peter, you had better be prepared for the Krispy Kreme sign over the pearly gates.

When it comes to persecuting Christians, remember that our Lord said that this would be the lot of those who gave their lives to Him. These students can stand it and their faith will be stronger.

[PoloSec]

What ya gonna do when they come for you...bad boys...bad boys.

I am always disgusted when some cannot recognize obvious sarcasm. I am very often sarcastic in my comments and there is always at least one who just doesn’t get it. Be that as it may I still never use (/sarc) on my comments. I’ve learned to find it entertaining.

[flowerplough]

I never liked school much, and still don’t like censors. If this had worked back in my day, I’d have been on the no-school-for-me verse-a-week club...

[CedarDave]

Thanks for doing the PING! I was listening to Sarah and Christine this evening. Two wonderful speeches today, exciting, upbeat, occasionally pointed remarks to the elites, and with lots of smiles by them.

[BenKenobi]

I was on the other side. I like remind atheists that when they show this attitude, they drive people to become Christians in the first place.

I understand that Christians hurt the principal at some point. But you are hurting those who did good to you!

Anyways, blessings to the kids!

[JLS]

Exactly, I could understand the principal stopping them from giving verses to other students who are compelled by law to be in school. No penalty would be appropriate but I could understand if the principal chose to stop them.

Teachers are adults, they are pretty much fair game for anything you want to talk to them about. They are not compelled by the state to be there. They freely took their job.