Here’s yet another scare tactic used to convert people to Christianity, this time in the schools.
Photo: The Gainesville Sun
I don’t take a lot of comfort in the direction we are heading when I read that a 10-year-old wore a shirt to a Florida school proclaiming, “Islam is of the Devil.”
She isn’t the only one. Seems children who attend the Dove World Outreach Center are showing up at school in these kind and loving t-shirts (view the Dove Center’s explanation here).
They are being sent home by school officials when they refuse to change or cover up their apparel.
Free speech comes up against freedom of religion, although district attorneys have said the school is more than likely safe “from a First Amendment standpoint.” The US Supreme Court has ruled several times in favor of schools not allowing speech that may be disruptive to students.
My larger concern is the hate message being espoused to those of other religions by a church “based on the Bible, the Word of God…bring(ing) Godly changes to our entire society.” Especially when the news article notes:
Dove Senior Pastor Terry Jones said no local company “had the guts” to print the shirts.
Guts or anger? One of the member’s daughters, who also wore a shirt to school, said the “statement was aimed at the religion’s beliefs, not its members.” Ah, yes, of course.
I know this is nothing new, with the “shock” religious advertising that seems to have become a daily occurrence, but I have to say I always hope the next generation will be a bit more tolerant. But how can they possibly have tolerance when their parents are instilling these “we’re-just-trying-to-save-the-nonbelievers-from-going-to-hell” messages?
What do you think of this anti-Islam t-shirt? Share your thoughts below.
About the Author
More By This Author
- The Butterfly Effect of Women's Plight (1 comments)
- Thanks for a Great First Year (15 comments)
- The Internet Brain: Our Most Hopeful Approach to Cultural Harmony? (3 comments)
Related Posts
22 Comments... join the discussion!
-
-
i think this is typical of people who fear their own shadows.
My indignation has all but dried up; they are predictable ( they being fundamentalists on all sides of the spectrum ) they are scared and all together boring.Fire and brim stone is soooo 17th century!
↵ -
“Fire and brim stone is soooo 17th century!”
Tell that to them! No, seriously. Or maybe I’ll put that on my own t-shirt.
↵ -
I’d so buy that shirt. (Um, the fire and brim stone one.)
Marissa, I attended a strict Catholic school through sixth grade and I don’t understand religion as a whole either. Josh is right, it’s just fear. And we all know what Yoda says about fear.
↵ -
This just pisses me off. How about a different shirt: “Indoctrinating kids is of the devil”? I would buy it.
I agree with Marissa, and I’m also glad that the school sent the kids home – the parents need to learn that not everybody thinks hateful t-shirts on little kids are normal or OK.
↵ -
My favorite T-shirt has a simple message: ‘God is too big to fit into one religion’
↵ -
What a bunch of naive, arrogant redneck hicks! Do you have to have an IQ less than 60 to get one of them?
I wonder how successful their campaign has been at converting people to Christianity? Do you think if I wore a shirt that said “Christianity is of the Devil” they would convert to Islam? I think not…. so why would it work the other way?
↵ -
No comment.
↵ -
Here in Canada a young girl was recently removed from her parents and taken into custody by Children’s Aid after she was repeatedly sent to school wearing a swastika on her arm. The argument was that it’s child abuse to teach young children to hate. It’s still in the courts – makes for an interesting case. But somehow I can’t see Florida going to bat for Islam in the same way…
↵ -
Yeah, that is Canada. Keep your crazy up there. Not that I am defending this crap. Just saying that Canada is Social hell. We here in the USA don’t want some govt. saying we have to all teach our kids the same way.
Oh, how is that “free speech” up in Canada? Can’t you get in trouble for “hate speech”? Like saying you think being gay is wrong? I personally support gay rights. I just don’t want my govt. saying I have to.
↵ -
Free speech is just fine up here, friend. You’re free to spew as much ignorant hatred as you like, and I’m free to judge you for it. You’ve made a good start already with your entirely uninformed rant about Canada.
↵ -
Social hell! Wow. I had no idea. Now I’m never moving back to Canada.
↵ -
we must appreciate diversities among us.
↵ -
I’m a Christian and I DO NOT think this is the way the bible should be interpreted. Christianity is about love not devision! This is absolutely closed-mind to promote this kind of message. I’m so ashame of them.
What kind of teaching are they trying to do for all these young generation if they promote this kind of message? And to see the Pastor came out and said think like that.. Arggg.. We need love, acceptance and understanding instead of pushing your own belief or bashing others beliefs.
↵ -
I don’t know why they think this is going to convert anyone.
↵ -
Well, where were the people when a man was killed because he drew a stupid cartoon of mahmood? Seriously, there is no know drawing or painting of how mahmood looked. So why would people get all kill-kill-kill over it?
I do agree that this “church” is stupid. Any Christian church that says they teach the WHOLE Bile are liars. Read the Old Testament. Prostitutes should be stoned/killed and women who menstruate should be put out of the house for 7 days! How many Churches teach that? Heck, read most of the Old Testament laws. They don’t apply to Gentiles, but Jews. Even modern Jews do not follow all the laws of the Torah. When was the last time you heard of a Jewish friend making a sacrifice?
↵ -
“My god is tougher than your god. He also makes more money and his jokes are funnier.”
I tried to have that put on a t-shirt. But, like the pastor in the article, nobody in town had the guts to be that tasteless. If only people were more tolerant!
↵ -
LEST WE FORGET…
September 1st is the fifth anniversary of the almost forgotten Beslan atrocity. The full story was never published at the time.
In particular, the Islamic involvement was censored. The MSM never reported the child-rapes or other typically Islamic aspects, even though the children were being knifed to shouts of ‘Allah Akhbar’.
The full uncensored story can be found in the links under ‘BESLAN – Child rape, torture and ritual murder’ at The Religion of Peace™ Subject Index
Yes, Islam is of the Devil. The Beslan massacre shows the truly Satanic vileness of this predatory murder-cult.
↵ -
Yes, everyone please circle September 1st for “Demonize the Muslims Day”.
If we have enough party hats and streamers left over, we can save them for November 18th, the 31st anniversary of the Jonestown Massacre. How lest we forget THAT one – when Jim Jones led over 900 people to their deaths. He wasn’t Muslim, as I recall…
I agree with you, Moss. Let’s not forget what kind of lunacy comes from inciting fear and ignorance. Go peddle your illness someplace else. Nobody here is interested in wearing the little t-shirts or drinking the Kool-Aid.
↵ -
hello all, i am a muslim living in Indonesia, the biggest moslem country yet we implement the democratic system. isnt that what you want really?
seriously dude, i am personally tired with this hatred towards islam, or any religion. i am tired of being on the same conversation over and over again, justifying which is right and which one isnt.
we are fellow travelers. we respect diversities. we judge something after long researchs and asking around, not by some gossips. so maybe you can be like one, and so do i.
peace with respect to each one of you
↵ -
As a follower of Jesus Christ and a former agnostic of 18 years, I am saddened to see this display of the lack of love. Jesus did not minister to people this way. He met them where they were at, met their needs physically, and then spiritually bridged the gap between man and God. He fulfilled where the “Laws” of the Old Testament could not.
Yes, the Crusades were wrong. Yes, the Inquisition was wrong. Yes, saying the world was flat was wrong. The only pitiful excuse I can say is that these actions and statements were based on HUMAN actions and not of God. These horrific acts by these people used “Christianity” as a guise to justify their actions and truly did not have the Spirit of God residing in them. Please don’t disregard God’s great act of love of sacrificing His Son because of the bad apples. For all that, I am genuinely and fervently sorry.
↵ -
It’s good to see replies like those from Jonathan and Fajar – people of dissimilar faiths who are big enough not to condemn those they don’t agree with.
It’s appalling to me when people claim to believe in a god of love, yet do ghastly things in their god’s name. Those t-shirts have nothing to do with “turn the other cheek”. It’s the same anywhere: keep shoving someone, they’ll eventually shove back.
Representing the atheist camp, it gives me hope when folks stand up to fundamentalist attitudes and keep the dialogue alive. All the best to you, guys – wish there were more like you.
↵
