Yahoo news just posted a very interesting article about one of the latest and greatest debates on the separation of church and state / the involvement on religion in a school system setting. However, it might surprise you to know that this is not about a student's right to worship or say or not say certain words during school, but rather whether or not school counselors should be openly Christian.
The student argues that she does not believe in homosexuality and that is against biblical teachings, which she has quoted and used in numerous papers in her graduate school study. This, however, has lead to the school giving her the ultimatum of "follow an action plan to help you change your beliefs and understand diversity and sensitivity towards diversity, or you'll be excused from the program." This, ultimately, has lead the student to sue Augusta State University for, what she considers, is a strict violation of her 1st amendment right to freedom of speech, religion, etc.
Now, I'm not here to say one way of thinking or another is correct or incorrect. However, I will say that it would supremely concern me if my school's counselor openly admitted to feeling homosexuality was against God and wrong. Why would I trust her as a counselor to my students or children? What, then are her other views? Isn't a counselor supposed to be open minded and impartial so as to help guide the students through their issues? Now, again, granted, I have my own set of beliefs on what is right and wrong, but I don't go around preaching them to other people or telling them their wrong for believing or not believing in God, morality, or being homosexual, bisexual, transgender, etc. To me they're all lifestyle choices and you are free to live in a way that is best suited for you pending you don't harm or push your beliefs on me. So, if I can separate myself enough to listen and try to work through issues with people, what is to say that this student couldn't as well? But, I would further argue that if she is already so openly public and adamant about her beliefs in the Bible and in God and His word, then how could she keep herself impartial? She's obviously making a stance in class as it is, what is to say she wouldn't do that in the workplace? If a student thought he might be Gay or be having problems with drugs or parents even, how would he (as a student) believe that he could get impartial information from his counselor to help him through his issues?
Questions, questions. Another debate one heads to the courts.
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