Anglican Mainstream

It’s that time of year again. Kids, their parents, teachers and administrations are gearing up for the coming school year with anticipation, excitement, worry, fear, relief or a cocktail of the above.

For some, the coming school year looks grim indeed. One of the concerns of AM is the marked and significant loss of liberty – religious and civil – as the Establishment’s illiberal PC Liberalism comes into play. No real diversity is allowed, contra all the airtime promoting the glories of ‘diversity’. ‘All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others’ (Orwell). Though the following two articles pertain to the educational realm, it is only a matter of time before the tenacles of this ideological imperialism slither through the church doors and engulf the sanctuary itself. Unless we act now it is a fait accompli. Can anyone honestly think otherwise?

Two groups in North America are presently experiencing what the Brave New World is coming to look like for their kids, their families and their schools. For those who live under more benign regimes at present, I am sure they would appreciate prayer, perhaps even a bit of support. Also, a check on what exactly is being taught to one’s children would not be amiss. Things have gotten to this sorry state in part because many parents have abandoned such realms – the formation and education of their children! – to the ‘experts’ who produce this ideologically-laden ‘progressive’ curriculum, which then becomes institutionalized with the full backing of the law.

Forced Education in Homosexuality and Evolution Leads to Exodus of Mennonites from Quebec

By John-Henry Westen and Elizabeth O’Brien
MONTREAL, August 16, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A community of a dozen Mennonite families in Quebec is ready to leave the province rather than succumb to provincial government demands that would require their children to be taught evolution and homosexuality. While the government sees its actions as nothing more than enforcing technical regulations, many view the case as intolerance of Christian faith.

The community runs a small Mennonite school out of a church in Roxton Falls where eleven children in elementary grades were expected to commence studies this Fall. Subjects include reading, writing, math, science, geography, social sciences, music and French. However, they are not schooled in evolution and homosexuality (sex education) as demanded by the official provincial curriculum.

Quebec Education Ministry Spokesman Francois Lefebvre told LifeSiteNews.com that the province has two requirements for approval of private schools. “That the teachers are certified and that the provincial curriculum which is mandatory in all Quebec schools is followed,” he said.

Ronald Goossen, a spokesman for the families, told LifeSiteNews.com the community rejects both demands. With regard to certified teachers, he said, “we have pulled our students out of public schools and by asking us to have certified teachers they are asking us to send our teachers to public school. So basically they’re asking something of us that we don’t feel we can do.”

Regarding the curriculum, Goosen said, “Some of the things – the theory of evolution would be a problem, the attitudes portrayed, the lifestyles we don’t ascribe to, making it look that single motherhood is fine, that alternate lifestyles are fine – gay ‘marriage’, we’d be very much against that.”

After visiting the Mennonites in November, the Ministry of Education told the school that their teaching was not up to standard and threatened them with legal action. Parents were informed that their children must be enrolled in government-approved schools by the fall.

Given other incidents in the province, Goossen was concerned that if they don’t comply, children might be taken from their families by social workers. In 2002, social workers in Aylmer removed seven children from a Mennonite family because the family used spanking as a form of discipline.

This move is an enactment of the Ministry of Education’s decision last year to shut down schools that don’t teach the full government-approved curriculum. The Ministry threatened to shut down private Evangelical schools that didn’t want to teach evolution and sex-education (See http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/oct/06102404.html ).

The Mayor of Roxton Falls, Jean-Marie Laplante, said that the majority of non-Mennonites in his town support the school. Laplante has complained to the education department and Education Minister Michelle Courchesne to save the school from being shut down.

“We want to keep these people here – they’re part of our community,” the Mayor told the National Post. “They’re good neighbours. They integrated into the community, they work hard, they have farms, they work in businesses in the region.”

The prospect of losing the families, said the Mayor, “hurts economically, but it also hurts because everybody loves these people and we’re saying, ‘Why? Why is this happening?’ ” (Contact the Mayor here: roxton@cooptel.qc.ca )

Goosen told LifeSiteNews.com that the families are serious about moving and will be gone in a couple of weeks when school commences. He noted that most have already rented housing in Ontario. Should the government reconsider and allow them the freedom to educate their children within the boundaries of their faith, the community would gladly stay he said.

Lefebvre told LifeSiteNews.com that the school had not yet applied for permission to run privately. However, Goosen responded that the ministry of education had all the required information and his application was not ‘officially’ submitted only due to a technicality related to the online submission process.

Moreover, said Goosen, “we have been informed that our application would be rejected since they require certified teachers and adherence to the curriculum.”

Lefebvre at first seemed conciliatory. He claimed that the regulations “do not exclude giving other courses or teachings related to their religious convictions, but at this moment it is outside of the official program of education.”

LifeSiteNews.com asked whether a compromise could be reached, whether it would be possible to eliminate from the school’s curriculum the offensive parts which deal with evolution and homosexuality. Lefebvre replied, “It’s difficult to say because the educational program insists that students acquire competence in the whole program therefore how could you eliminate one part of the program and still have a general competence?” He referred to religious schools in Quebec, emphasizing that they also have to “respect the program of education (curriculum) of Quebec.”

Goosen told LifeSiteNews.com that the Mennonite community has its own curriculum which is accepted in seven other Canadian provinces. “Our own curriculum system has served us well and produced good results,” he said.

The option of home schooling is permitted, Lefebvre stated in answer to another question, as long as the progress of the children is reported as satisfactory to the local education ministry. He told LifeSiteNews.com that homeschoolers in the province must be receiving an equivalent education as those in public schools, which means the provincial curriculum must be followed. That curriculum, with its pro-gay sex education and its teaching of evolution, remains unacceptable to many.

To politely express concerns to the Ministry of Education in Quebec:

Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport
Édifice Marie-Guyart
1035, rue De La Chevrotière
16e étage
Québec (Québec)
G1R5A5
Phone : 418 644-0664
Fax : 418 646-7551
ministre@mels.gouv.qc.ca

The Opposition Party ADQ may also be contacted here:

http://adq.qc.ca/contacts

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Maryland Schools to Teach that Sexual Deviance is Normal this Fall
By Elizabeth O’Brien

ROCKVILLE, MD, August 16, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Barring a court overruling within the next few weeks, the Montgomery County School Board is scheduled to go ahead this fall and teach middle and high school students that various forms of sexual deviance are normal, the New York Times Reports.

Parents & Friends of Gays & Ex-Gays (PFOX), Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum (CRC) and other pro-family groups have been battling the highly controversial material for years. Parents won a victory in 2004 when the courts granted a delay on the issue. After the Maryland State Board of Education (MSBE) approved the curriculum this July, the Michigan-based Thomas More Law Center also agreed to support the efforts of families in a last-moment effort to halt the curriculum from entering schools.

Nevertheless, the curriculum is set to go ahead. Unless the Montgomery County Circuit Court overturns the MSBE ruling or unless the case is brought before the Maryland State Court of Appeals, students will be learning this fall that homosexuality is “innate” and that anal sex is a legitimate and healthy sexual option.

According to the CRC website, the curriculum also supports transsexuals having sex change operations. It states, “While cross-dressers change their clothes, transsexuals sometimes change their body by means of hormone therapy or sexual reassignment surgery to match how they feel.” A video also instructs eight graders how to use a condom.

In addition, students must read the testimonies of individual homosexuals.
(To read some of the testimonies in the new curriculum: http://www.mcpscurriculum.com/pdf/10gradestories5.pdf).

The curriculum encourages students to announce their sexual orientation, saying, “People can identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or transgender at any point in their lives.” CRC, however, notes that such labelling during adolescence has been shown to increase suicide rates among young people.

The lessons also crack down on children who oppose homosexuality for religious reasons as “homophobic.” Among a plethora of other dangerous inaccuracies, the curriculum fails to properly inform students about chastity and marriage. The word “marriage” is not even mentioned in the 8th and the 10th grade material.

Read previous LifeSiteNews coverage:

Has Maryland School Board Found “Gay Gene”?

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jun/07061309.html

Maryland Faces Lawsuit as it Approves Schools Teaching Anal Sex, Transgenderism, as Normal

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/aug/07080107.html

Montgomery County School Board Votes to Revise Disturbing Sex-ed Program

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/may/05052702.html

Montgomery County Parents Ready to Take on Homosexual Middle School Curriculum

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jan/07010506.html

Montgomery County public school teacher’s emails against the ex-gay community:

http://pfox.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=193#193

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