One person who, in 1987, chose NOT to enroll her children at Ontario Christian
Found this at redstate.org:
Ontario UN-Christian School -- they haven't changed
By: Darleen · Section: Diaries
I actually read the story of the 14 y/o girl expelled from a private Christian school because her parents are lesbians a couple of days ago. I hesitated to write about it, but after reading Beth's excellent piece on the subject, Giving Christians a bad name, I realized I needed to add my voice rather than recuse myself from the subject. First I need tell you of my bias.
About 1987 I looked to enroll my daughters at Ontario Christian and it was I who rejected the place....
I lived in Ontario, CA, between 1983 and 1999. I was married, a full-time homemaker with very young children (daughters born '79, '81, '83, '87). Jennifer (eldest) was already reading at age four but because she was a winter baby she would not have been able to start public school until she was close to six years old. That was when I found a loving, family-oriented private school only a few blocks from my home, Bethel Christian. Jenn started there the fall before she turned five and thrived. However, the school closed at the end of her third grade term (Erin was in kindergarten, Heather in preschool) and I had to start looking at other schools in the area and Ontario Christian School had a local reputation for excellent academics.
They have two campuses, k-8 on Euclid Ave., the high school is on Philadelphia. I called, then stopped by the Euclid campus, chatted with the office people and took home a huge packet of paperwork which I immediately started reading.
And something just didn't sit right with me.
Certainly, my girls ... er, my family ... met the initial criteria. We were members of a local Catholic church and attended regularly, I knew my girls would meet their academic standards, but I was bothered by the whole issue dealing with family "immorality." The section had an almost scolding quality. Add to that the fact that the FAMILY was to be interviewed and "passed" by the Board of Trustees before admission was granted. Was this a prep school or a Christian school?
This wasn't the loving embrace of the girls' old school. This wasn't Welcome the stranger, the Christian call to offer hospitality. This wasn't the humbleness of accepting people as they are and being witness through one's own good works.
Ontario Christian School was operating from exclusivity and a parsimonious spirit.
I tossed the application in the trash....
[I]n the ensuing years I am no longer an active member of a church. But I feel I must still speak out against OCS, even though they have every right, legally, to be as "exclusive" as any prep school that interviews "the family" before admission....
Beth (see above, and below) made the following comment:
I kinda have to wonder if my daughter would be allowed at that "Christian" school, seeing as how I'm a twice-divorced single mother and don't go to church. How depressing!
For what it's worth, I AGREE that since it's a private school they CAN do whatever they want.
That said, just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right....
Take a look at the left-winger blogs; they're bashing all Christians and Christianity itself right now. Thanks, OCS, now we're all "American Taliban" again.
Incidentally, here's what Beth said (in part) in HER blog:
This crap is just ammunition for liberals and moonbats who look for any way to attack Christianity! Well, I am beating all of you lefty’s to the punch and saying this is completely unacceptable. This is why so many people see Christians as judgemental and as bigots....
Thank God that He does not judge me on what my parents have done or not done. I have enough faults and sins on my own without worrying about my family’s! This is absolutely insane!
When did parents’ sexuality become criteria on who can be a part of a Christian school or not?
Just a quick Sunday School lesson for this “Christian” school: If you kick the people who may need Christ most in their lives out of the church, then you might not be the most effective witness. How about judging the 14-year old girl on her own merits and not on who her parents are? How about showing some love and compassion instead of bigotry and hate? How about showing a little common sense and a little bit of Christianity?...
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