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| OSA Storms the Gates of Hell at Cabarrus County High School |
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Thursday December 18, 2003
OSA Storms the Gates of Hell at Cabarrus County High School
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Two newspapers in Charlotte covered this event yesterday as Christians proclaimed the Gospel of Christ at the high school. Since these two accounts today present such a contrast, we present both articles for you here to read. One, the Independent Tribune covered it with the rules of journalism. The Charlotte Observer covered it with another agenda completely. It is exciting to see such a contrast revealing the blatant media bias by certain newspapers and reporters that hate the Lord Jesus and Christians. See for yourself and then read our brief response below the two articles!
Suspension spurs protest By Charity Cline Mangan A Christian-activist group brought the gospel to Concord High School Wednesday in response to the suspension of a counselor for quoting scripture to a student. The Rev. Flip Benham, director of Concord-based Operation Save America, and about 20 other members of Truth Temple in Kannapolis stood at the school entrances to protest the suspension of counselor Beth Pinto. Pinto was suspended Dec. 5 for quoting scripture to a student who asked about homosexuality, which Benham said was the real issue. “Homosexuality is a gospel issue,” he said. “In that school and in that school system, homosexuality has almost become OK. It's accepted. We are here to bring the gospel of Christ to the gates of Hell.” Benham said he met with Concord High School Principal Bill Kinsey to discuss whether there were any homosexuals on the staff at the school. “I want to know if the whole issue of homosexuality is at the root of what we are dealing with here,” Benham said. The Rev. Fred Merry, a parent of two students at Concord High, said Pinto probably wouldn't have been suspended if she hadn't given guidance about sexual orientation. “It boils down to what's happening in the country and locally with McGill Baptist Church ,” he said. “This is an issue that people don't want to hear about anymore at this point.” The group was handing out brochures that read, “Jesus is the Standard: Cabarrus County Schools Expel God.” The group also set up a 5-foot display of the Ten Commandments. The brochure says Concord must deal with the truth, even if it's painful, and bring God back into the hearts and minds of students across the nation. “This system displays an antipathy toward, and an almost zero tolerance for, Christian teachers and students who believe that God, most specifically revealed in the person of Jesus, is vital to the building of character and knowledge in the hearts and minds of students. “Yet, this same school system has made strange bedfellows with issues like condom handouts, abortion, homosexuality and Islam.” Referring to the material handed out at the school Wednesday, Superintendent Harold Winkler said he felt it was offensive. He also said he thought it was wrong for protesters to demonstrate at school on a day when students were taking end-of-course exams. “The material handed out would deny many children and families the right of freedom of religion,” Winkler said in a press release. “Because of people like Operation Save America, the Supreme Court has said we have to protect children, whether they are Christian, Jewish or Muslim. It is this lack of tolerance that our Constitution speaks to.” Winkler, who did not comment on homosexuality, said he knew of at least one Jewish student who went home and did not take the EOC test because of the controversy. Winkler urged parents to visit www.operationsaveamerica.org to find out about the protesters. Benham said Operation Save America will take up the issue again March 1-5, when, as part of a national effort called “God is Going Back to School,” Benham and his group will be at a local high school proclaiming the word of God. Teachers will also be asked to bring their Bibles to school, open the class with prayer and post the Ten Commandments. “The revolution is coming,” Benham said. “The battle is just beginning.” • Contact Charity Cline Mangan at ccline@independenttribune.com or at 704-789-9151. This story can be found at: http://www.independenttribune.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CIT%2FMGArticle%2FCIT_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031772685919&path=!frontpage |
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Protesters rankle Concord parents, students Group used speakers, horn to voice support for suspended counselor GAIL SMITH-ARRANTS Staff Writer CONCORD - County school officials said they had complaints from students and parents after an organization called Operation Save America demonstrated outside Concord High School on Wednesday morning, the first day of final exams. One Jewish student left school and didn't take his finals because he felt uncomfortable with the demonstration, Cabarrus Schools Superintendent Harold "Butch" Winkler said. Two dozen members of Operation Save America stood in the rain with signs, 6-foot-tall tablets of the Ten Commandments and posters that said, "Jesus is the Standard." Because of the complaints, Winkler released a statement late Wednesday to explain what happened. The group had a parade permit from the Concord Police Department and not from the school system, he said. "We had at least one Jewish student who went home in fear of what was happening in that high school today because of the presence of these people," Winkler said. The demonstrators were at Concord High to support a counselor who was suspended with pay for a week. Beth Pinto, 38, was suspended during an investigation into her counseling of a student. She returned to school Friday and has declined comment. Earlier this week Winkler said counselors have to be careful in counseling a student, even if the student asks for religious information. "When you start quoting your feelings about a dilemma and your feelings about the Bible, it's pretty hard to do that without going into your own personal beliefs," he said. Winkler said his concern was that the school system had overstepped the boundary on separation of church and state. Tabetha Cutshaw, 17, a Concord High senior who walked by the demonstrators, said she didn't understand why the counselor was investigated for talking about religion. "I just think that's what she's paid for, to give guidance to students," she said. On Wednesday morning, Flip Benham, director of Operation Save America, stood along the road at the entrance to the student drop-off driveway, shouting over speakers that could be heard across the campus. Later, supporter Curtis Fenison bellowed on a ram's horn. "Jesus has been expelled from school," Benham shouted to passing cars and students. "Jesus will set you free." Other supporters handed out brochures to parents or students who stopped. Benham said he hoped the students would take the brochures into the school. "You can learn about lots of different religions in this school, but will they teach you about Jesus in this school?" Benham said over the loudspeaker. He said he was "bringing the Gospel to the gates of Hell." Winkler said he was offended by the brochures because they didn't recognize the rights of other faiths such as Islam or Judaism. It was rude, he said, for the group to demonstrate on the day of final exams that determine how well the school does statewide. He encouraged parents to visit the Web site of Operation Save America ( www.operationsaveamerica.org), which details the group's activities. "This is not the influence I want to make on our students," Winkler said. This story can be found at: |
After reading both of these articles, we ask this: Were both of these news reporters at the same event? Did they not both see with the same eyes? Of course they didn't!
The truth could not be more obvious. The Charlotte Observer sent their reporter, Gail Smith out with marching orders to totally ignore anything real that happened but to invent a propaganda piece that would put Christians daring to practice their faith in a bad light. Apparently Christians are not supposed to talk to people further than 10 feet away or it suddenly becomes "shouting" in the Observer's dictionary of newspeak. Flip and other Christians were able to communicate the Gospel of Christ across a span wider than a football field in the pouring rain. This type of free speech qualies as shouting at people? What a strange world this reporter lives in!
MS Smith didn't even quote anything Flip Benham said from interviewing him on Wednesday but dredged up a few words from other events in months past. Contrast this with the Independent Tribune article by Charity Cline Mangan that simply reported the news and what happened. Last July we witnessed this same loud contrast between true journalism and the biased newspeak when both papers covered our national event July 15-21. One can visibly see the spiritual war that rages in all of the gates in our nation and communities. We give thanks to God that there are still a few newspapers like the Independent Tribune that are still able to report the news truthfully and without it being tainted by their personal agenda.
Keep storming the gates with King Jesus!
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