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I have a few observations as a result of the firestorm around #ExposeChristianSchools and @globaldan asking for stories from young people tonite. First and foremost, don't belittle and dismiss the experiences of young people. Listen. Their experience does not negate yours.
Second, I am a Christian. I was raised Lutheran. I am not anti-Christian. I chose to send my kids to a Christian school without completely realizing that fundamentalist Christian thought has corrupted even some mainline denominations and schools.
Third, because fundamentalists have an "unwavering attachment to a set of irreducible beliefs," as succinctly put by Wikipedia, they are masters of black and white, with no area for robust discussion. And many more people today are fundamentalists than I ever thought.
Fourth, with their irreducible beliefs, fundamentalists can be religious bigots against other Christians. In an ecumenical school, my daughter was told her prayers didn't count because she wasn't Catholic or our Social Gospel focus was misguided because it is not sufficiently
conservative. Or that she wasn't a true believer because she wouldn't go on a class trip to the March for Life. I don't deny any of those students their beliefs. I just don't share them. But I do believe their behavior is harming others' faith.
And then all of the "othering" they did for years got worse because they started to deny her humanity. She was told that as an African American, she wasn't worthy to be American. That she never should have gotten her civil rights.
Then this talk turned to action, with swastikas drawn on her school artwork and personal property. And assaults from privileged white boys. Finally, seen as "too damaged" by the school administration, she was forced to graduate early, missing
all the senior year celebrations, including commencement. The white kids enjoyed their privilege as they walked graduation and danced at prom. So, yes the intense reading and critical thinking skills she gained were great.
But the heartache & pain that she endures a year later still don't seem worth it. I hope there are Christian schools out there that serve all God's children well. But our and others' experiences make me feel that a fundamentalist, "Curse of Ham" religion has a hold on the US.
...including the Christian schools. So for my kids and others who may be harmed, I will work to #ExposeChistianSchools that damage children like mine and encourage the other kids to move this country toward a fundamentalist theocracy.
