Ontario school hosts school-wide GSA assembly, gay speaker re-interprets Bible, Catholicism

DUNDAS, Ontario, February 17, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A Hamilton-area public school is drawing fire from parents after holding a school-wide gay-straight alliance assembly in November with a guest speaker who tried to convince the audience that biblical teaching on homosexuality is obsolete, archaic and “wrong.”

Parkside High School in Dundas held the assembly Nov. 23, inviting the entire student body of approximately 480 students, in addition to faculty.

The speaker identified herself as a lesbian “youth worship leader” from a synagogue and held herself out to be an authority on Old Testament Scripture, a concerned parent informed LifeSiteNews. The information has been confirmed by at least two other families.

When informed of parents’ concerns, Parkside’s principal Paul Barwinski did not deny the information. “If there are any students or parents that have concerns please have them contact me directly,” he said.

LSN’s source reported that the speaker also sought to discredit the Catholic faith by suggesting that since “the eating of fish on Fridays by Catholics” is no longer adhered to, neither should its beliefs on homosexuality.

In response, Suresh Dominic of Campaign Life Catholics is calling on the McGuinty government to investigate the incident for violations of the Education Act.

The controversy arrives fresh after criticism over Premier Dalton McGuinty’s new anti-bullying legislation, Bill 13, which has been accused of concealing a radical agenda that tramples religious freedom and parental rights. A key element of McGuinty’s bill involves forcing all school boards to permit openly homosexual, student-run GSAs.

“Here’s proof that Bill 13 is not about bullying. Instead, it’s about indoctrinating kids to reject their parents’ beliefs,” said Dominic. “This systemic attack on the Bible will spread throughout Ontario’s secular and Catholic schools unless parents convince MPPs to vote down McGuinty’s so-called ‘anti-bullying bill’.”

The concerned parent, who wishes to remain anonymous, told LSN that she found the incident to be “pure brainwashing. This wasn’t about safety or bullying. This was about discrediting Judeo-Christian beliefs [and] a complete bastardization of Scripture.”

A second parent with children who attended the GSA assembly said that her children reported that “some kids went home crying.” A third source reported that several students who attended the GSA rally “were not happy about what happened.”

Dominic, who will be writing to Education Minister Laurel Broten and the Opposition’s Education Critic to demand an official government inquiry, argues that the GSA presentation contravened three different sections of the Education Act.

He pointed to Section 264.1(c) of the code, which requires teachers “to inculcate by precept and example respect for religion and the principles of Judaeo-Christian morality.”

Dominic also said the Parkside GSA assembly violated Regulation 298, sect 29.1 of the Education Act, which states: “Subject to subsections (2) and (3), a board shall not permit any person to conduct religious exercises or to provide instruction that includes indoctrination in a particular religion or religious belief in a school.”

Finally, said Dominic, “The GSA assembly contravened section 51.1 and 51.2 of the Education Act (R.S.O. 1990), on Religious Education, because a public school is not permitted to present religious education that would reasonably be expected to violate the desires of parents.”

“The GSA assembly presenter was clearly attempting to indoctrinate the students in a particular and peculiar interpretation of Bible passages, and to encourage them to reject a contrary interpretation taught by the Catholic Church,” Dominic told LifeSiteNews.

“In fact, the presenter inculcated disrespect and some might say, hatred, towards the Catholic faith and the Bible. Premier McGuinty and his Education Minister cannot ignore this. Individuals must get fired,” he added.

1. Education Minister Laurel Broten (Liberal) Email: lbroten.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org Phone: 416-259-2249 Constituency office: 100-701 Evans Ave., Etobicoke, M9C 1A3

2. Education Critic Elizabeth Witmer (Progressive Conservative) Email: elizabeth.witmerco@pc.ola.org Phone: 519-725-3477 Constituency office: 375 University Ave E., Waterloo, N2K 3M7

3. Premier Dalton McGuinty Email:dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org Phone: 613-736-9573 Constituency office: 1795 Kilborn Ave, Ottawa, K1H 6N1

4. Tim Hudak, Leader of the Opposition Email:tim.hudakco@pc.ola.org Phone: 905-563-1755 Constituency office: M1-4961 King St E., Bearnsville, L0R 1B0

Anti-Christian bias has been in all US schools since 1930’s with the socialist Dewey. I don’t know about Canada. This is trying to return to the Temples of Baal-—pagan worship where kids participated in orgies in Ancient Rome and Greece. Homosexuality was widespread and Man/boy “lust” was the chief recreation—women were slaves or second class citizens and were treated like cattle—as they are in all homosexual communities.

To teach homosexual worldview, you have to corrupt the children while they are susceptible-—while they are young to destroy their sexual identity formation which needs innocence of sex acts. Teach young children about sex acts and it removes morality (since they are emotionally immature) and makes them focus too much on sex organs during latency period (6-12) when normal kids are never obsessed with sexual organs unless they are abused sexually.

Homosexuals were abused when young and have no belief in God. Homosexuality is against Natural Law—the fundamental principles the US adopted—it says homosexuality is sick, vile, demeaning acts (nihilism) —disease causing and debases man to animal....what pagans want-—this worship of mother earth with sex orgies like they had in pagan societies where they bashed the first born son’s brains in to their gods.

They are mentally ill-—like the worldview of Afghani boys who are sodomized and can’t wait to have their own harem of pretty boys.

Sex should NEVEr be taught inside of schools except in Biology class—and then they need to dump teaching abnormal sex acts to quit corrupting the minds of the young. I asked a man who was 68 when he first thought about homosexual acts——NEVER until he was 18 and exposed to the concept by kids that were no good-—had no self discipline. Normal people think homosexual acts are filthy—fecal matter always is.

Acting out sexually is all about having no control over urges-—really an immature thing. Homosexuality is both immature—fixated in the latency period by child abuse—and evil. Sodomy is evil period. Can’t have “gay” pride day-—it is taking ‘pride” in evil acts. Teaching children evil is good.

What is so great about Christianity? It gave dignity and worth to all people and condemned degrading behaviors and destroyed slavery, homosexuality and pederasty—all common in the world until Christianity. Made those things evil as the orthodox Jews did.

These insane people want to return us to a world where Right and Wrong is arbitrary-—the rules get to be made up by anyone—even barney frank now.
Disgusting that people are allowing their children to be corrupted. Get them OUT of government schools.

"the speaker also sought to discredit the Catholic faith by suggesting that since “the eating of fish on Fridays by Catholics” is no longer adhered to, neither should its beliefs on homosexuality."

Well, she may be Jewish, but you can tell she ain't no rabbi. Simply applying their own logic in this case refutes her point:

"Jewish Law states that in the normal course of things we may not permit what Judaism has forbidden, nor may we repeal or abolish what is obligatory. We may often forbid what is permitted, but not always. There are restrictions on doing that as well. And when we may add a restriction, it must always clearly be a Rabbinical restriction, and never treated as a Biblical restriction."

from May Judaism be Changed?

Not eating fish on Fridays was not a Biblical restriction, derp derp derp.

There is OBVIOUSLY much confusion about doctrine versus practice. Eating meat on Fridays wasn't DOCTRINE, merely practice, and NOT for poor countries.
DOCTRINE is unchangeable. Of course, LSN doesn't understand that because their "faith" is MEMEMEMEMEME, that is, relative morality, based on the 60's credo "If it feels good, do it"

Satan is hard at work here.

I read some of the May Judaism Be Changed and saw that sacrifices may not be offered outside the Temple of Jerusalem.
I often wondered why the Jews didn't rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. They own Israel now and can do what they choose. I thought that until I went to the Holy Land last year and saw the situation in Jerusalem.

The mosque, Golden Dome, sits right there atop the site where the Jewish Temple sat for so long. What MUST annoy the holy pie outta the practicing Jews is to pray at the Western Wall and look up to see that Islam mosque, like a slap in the face. The mosque is visible from everywhere in the city, just like the Temple was so long ago.

I understand that to take down that mosque WOULD engender a war that no one wants. I remember the uproar when one of the Israeli Prime Ministers marched into the mosque one Friday. What an uproar. Also, there are as many Arabs (mostly Muslim) as there are Jews, all Israelis. Our taxi driver showed us the "public housing" that the Israelis provide for their poor: Muslims who are on the dole, getting more money with each baby. It seems to be a race of the cradle.

It's a no-win for everyone. I hadn't seen so many soldiers and guns since I visited Syria back in the 80's. What a way to live (NOT).

One thing that I wonder about, is whether Jews really question why God allows this situation to exist. Do they simply accept it as the will of God and think that His reasons are ineffable? Or, do they have a scriptural interpretation that accounts for it, and if so, what is it?

I know the general Christian understandings of these things, but I would love to hear what the perspective of Jews is on the matter, since they are the ones most affected by the situation.

http://www.kesser.org/moshiach/rambam.html

...[Footnote]5.

...”Nevertheless, the intent of the Creator of the world is not within the power of man to comprehend, for [to paraphrase Yeshayahu 55:8] His ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts. [Ultimately,] all the deeds of Jesus of Nazareth and that Ishmaelite [i.e. Mohammed] who arose after him will only serve to pave the way for the coming of Moshiach and for the improvement of the entire world, [motivating the nations] to serve G-d together, as it is written [Zephaniah 3:9], “I will make the peoples pure of speech so that they will all call upon the Name of G-d and serve Him with one purpose.”

“How will this come about? The entire world has already become filled with talk of [the supposed] Messiah, as well as of the Torah and the mitzvos. These matters have been spread among many spiritually insensitive nations, who discuss these matters as well as the mitzvos of the Torah. Some of them [i.e. the Christians] say: “These commandments were true, but are not in force in the present age; they are not applicable for all time.” Others [i.e. the Moslems] say: “Implied in the commandments are hidden concepts that cannot be understood simply; the Messiah has already come and revealed them.”

“When the true Messiah king will arise and prove successful, his [position becoming] exalted and uplifted, they will all return and realize that their ancestors endowed them with a false heritage; their prophets and ancestors cause them to err.”...

Thanks for that. While it’s not addressed to my specific question, I guess it does give some answers.

What is funny, is that the second part of the quote, talking about how Christianity and Islam have turned the thoughts of the Gentiles towards the Torah and the God of the Torah, is very similar to an argument I recently heard from, of all places, a representative of Jews for Jesus! He was in a debate with an Israeli rabbi about Jesus, so he probably was in fact appealing to this very teaching in order to support his point.

Yes, basically I was wondering specifically about the Temple situation and how they view it in terms of their relationship with God. I understand that they believe that since they can’t fulfill some of their obligations without the Temple, they believe that isn’t held against them, since they would fulfill them if they could. I was just wondering how they interpret the Scriptures as to WHY that situation exists, or if they just take it as unknowable at this point.

I’ve actually been reading a site today, http://www.beingjewish.com/unchanged/rebuild.html, that outlines some of the problems of what needs to happen before they could rebuild the Temple. Seems that it boils down to, they can’t even take all the necessary steps to rebuild it, even if the Temple Mount was empty and there was nobody stopping them from building. They are waiting for a prophet (Elijah perhaps) to come and help with the preparations, and a Messiah to come and clear the way for them.

From a Christian perspective, this does dovetail with New Testament prophecies in some interesting ways.

Well there’s Hosea Chapter 3.

And there are many repeated explanations of how Christians misunderstand atonement and the Temple.

http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/136,2270802/Without-sacrifices-how-do-we-atone-for-our-sins.html

Without sacrifices how do we atone for our sins?

There is a widespread misconception that merely offering a sacrifices attained atonement for sin. As will become evident, this is not the true Jewish Torah-view.

The primary aspect of atonement was, and still is, Teshuvah: regretting and correcting (to the extent possible) the actual wrongdoing.

No matter the punishment or sacrifice, the sin is not atoned until the person first does Teshuvah: regreting his action, resolving never to repeat it, and confessing (i.e. asking forgiveness for) his sin before G-d. Only after these conditions are met, is the sacrifice accepted as an offering on the altar in the Temple, bringing an additional level of atonement.

That is why one who sins is commanded to repent and to confess his sin. Those who are required to bring a sacrifice for their sin, must also confess their sin at that time. The requirement of repentance and confession also applied to anyone who received punishment from a Jewish court of law (such as corporeal or capital punishment), as well as to any interpersonal sin, i.e. one committed by man against man (e.g. damaging a person or his property).

Thus even when there is no Temple - may it be rebuilt speedily in our days - there still is Teshuvah, repentance. Teshuvah atones for all sins no matter how grave they may be. Even one who sinned his entire life and repented at the last moment is forgiven and his sins are not mentioned during the Day of Judgment.

As far as attaining the added level of atonement attained through a sacrifice, see Is there any substitue for the animal offerings which brought atonement?

http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/250,2270866/Is-there-any-substitute-for-the-animal-sacrifices-which-brought-atonement.html

Yes, it seems like the Jews of today are in something of an impossible situation, but with God, nothing is impossible, and I think that when He reveals His solution to this problem, it will likely be miraculous.
One thing that I wonder about, is whether Jews really question why God allows this situation to exist. Do they simply accept it as the will of God and think that His reasons are ineffable? Or, do they have a scriptural interpretation that accounts for it, and if so, what is it?
I know the general Christian understandings of these things, but I would love to hear what the perspective of Jews is on the matter, since they are the ones most affected by the situation.

It's my guess that there are as many opinions as there are Jews...and Gentiles. I think also that LIVING in Jerusalem, Israel, the West Back, etc., changes people's opinions. SEEING Bethlehem surrounded ENTIRELY by 40-foot concrete walls, with ONE entrance/exit guarded by soldiers puts a very different light on Jesus' birthplace.
I won't ever be so-so or lukewarm with my opinions about the Holy Land.

I think you've hit the nail on the head: God will take care of Israel; it's in His hands. I let it go at that.

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