There was a move to 'do away' with all grades, back in the 1970's. It was laughed out of the faculty meeting. Grades matter. The world works by fractions and whole numbers and algorithms get grants. Kids need feedback - you can not mix ammonia with bleach unless you want to make mustard gas and if you do, you are in violation of the Geneva Convention. The idea of nixing grades was the advent of the "who's to say" movement that has fundamentally changed American life. When idiots are tolerated with courtesy and their point of view is considered, you are helping make mustard gas for mental defectives or amoral monsters. I began teaching in the late 1970's at Bishop McNamara High School in Kankakee, Illinois. There were grades and there were rules.
The rules tended to connect with the Latin plurale tatum ( noun that only appears in plural - e.g. scissors, trousers & etc.) - Mores. Mores are the accepted norms of a society. We no longer toss the chamber pot full of solid and liquid waste into the gutter, unless it happens to be a publicly funded art display.
When I was a baby teacher we a had zero tolerance for cigarette smoking in the school. One of the more onerous tasks incumbent upon a teacher was checking the stalls of the Men's room near one's classroom. I had the misfortune of catching one of my favorite students nailing a Marlboro, having been excuse for nature's call from study hall. I 'busted' the guy. It was his fifth smoking violation. He was expelled - no kidding. He finished his last two years at Kankakee Eastridge Campus, opened a bar, and is now a member of the Kankakee County Board. He understood the mores and now drafts the policies for the whole County.
School Dress was clearly defined. Violations of school dress could lead to a suspension. In the 1980's the biggest headache was getting guys to eschew wearing Urbane Cowboy Hats and wearing socks. Why anyone but an ambulance chaser would wear a cowboy hat plumb evades me.
Harvey Cox wrote a book at that was embraced by Vatican II charged clergy and some laymen, The Secular City was call for religion to become more secularized and urban - big city. The idea behind this daffy tome was that conservative Faiths - mainline Protestant and especially the Roman Catholic Church were harming human beings with attention to the rules.
Remember Birth Control? That is about as morally a hot-button-issue question today as would be 'You think men will fly?' No. Not on their own. Birth Control pills were the gateway drugs for abortion. Abortion and Euthanasia are the endgame of Planned Parenthood. Condoms, AIDS, HIV prevention all became hugely important when teenagers were encouraged in the classroom, on TV, in fashion and even in Church to explore their sexuality.
Tiny little girls were encouraged to dress provocatively and accept sexuality like it was a Happy Meal toy.
Now nearly forty-years after my initiation in the world of education things have . . . evaporated. Mores mean little, until they conflict with accepted agendas. Then as the New York Times argues in its lisping TV ads -'There's no debating it.'
Amoral does not mean immoral. An immoral act occurs when a person transgresses the laws, customs and norms. It might be considered immoral to engage in sexual relations with a raccoon, but who's to say? Capt. Ahab of Melville's Moby Dick was amoral - he cared not for God or Man. He hunted the White Whale. Matters not, because high school students no longer study, et alone read Moby Dick, Beowulf, Oliver Twist, Vanity Fair, Paradise Lost, Henry V, Richard III, Canterbury Tales, or Huckleberry Finn. No codes, norms or rules to study.
Amoral means the lacking of, or a total absence of any mores. An amoral person could care less. He/she is going to do exactly what he/she wants to do. He or She is going to do whatever feels or seems good to them and damn the costs - justify. Attribute opposition to later-day taboos - Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, or Stupidity. They are all such Rubes!
Bullying no longer means beating the living shit out of an underclassman. Bullying is code for homophobia. Bullying can be a T-shirt, a glance, a frown, an essay against Gay Marriage, a thought.
Marijuana is illegal in every country in the world - even Holland. It is tolerated. Tobacco is not.
Public lewdness is a matter for the ACLU. Lady Gaga has an HBO special.
Abortion is legal. Anti-abortion attitudes are not tolerated. Marriage between a man and woman is for the purpose of creating a family. . . for now. We are told that human kind has evolved away from marriage, but that Gay Marriage is crucial.
Perhaps we are headed for an Amoral Majority. When we must all agree that nothing really matters, we are going to experience the most intolerant and oppressive time in human history. Values, standards, grades, rules, norms and laws agreed upon are what keeps us human.
Who's to say has had its day . . .please, God.
Here's some examples - why should tax-payers be required to pay for abortion? Because it is legal?
Re: “Fungible funds and Planned Parenthood,” April 29 letter to the editor.This letter was published in the May 4 edition Denver Post.
I submit that in order to address the issue of fungibility in tax funding for Planned Parenthood, an entirely different tack be taken.
For those who object to their tax dollars potentially funding abortion either directly or obliquely, let’s create a waiver, analogous to conscientious objector status. This waiver would give them an exemption for their portion of tax monies that would go to family planning programs. To keep people from using this loophole just for a tax break, the family planning conscientious objectors would be audited regularly (similar to the audits proposed for Medicaid recipients to ensure that no federal funding is being used for abortions). They would be required to make pertinent medical records available to the IRS on a regular basis. They would have to obtain their own reproductive health care and screenings from private providers that do not receive federal funding.
If they or anyone in their household seeks an abortion, their conscientious-objector status would be revoked and their back tax breaks would have to be repaid to the IRS. That should square things up.
Jean Wall, Denver
Here's a most Orwellian prontend of things to come and already here:
Army: court-martial Chaplains for "religious, conscience" objection to homosexuality.
3/24/2011 9:00:00 AM
By chaps@prayinJesusname.org -PrayinJesusName.org
The U.S. Army has officially threatened military chaplains they must either embrace the new openly homosexual military, resign from service, or face court-martial for their "religious, conscience" objections. The Pray In Jesus Name Project has obtained leaked copies (unintended for media disclosure) of a private briefing given to chaplains, threatening them with court-martial unless they compromise their Christian message.
Christian Chaplains who speak out against homosexual sin can be accused of "harassment" by homosexuals and face disciplinary action simply for voicing their religious views outside the "context" of their religious ministry.
[Chaps' interpretation: The phrase "vocational reflection" is not-so-subtle code language meaning "reconcile with homosexuality or find another line of work." The phrase "do NOT tolerate harassment" is code language for "don't speak against sin, for ANY reason, or you the Chaplain will be disciplined for quoting the Bible, and the homosexual protected."] More fine print from the text from the Army's presentation is directly quoted as follows:
ARMY: "You may hear the language, 'Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual', or 'GLB' at certain times in reference to homosexual Soldiers. As of today the Army has not directed the use of the any specific reference term but has accepted the usage of these terms."
ARMY: "You may, in appropriate circumstances and within the limitations of law and policy, express your moral or religious beliefs regarding sexual orientation. However, you may NOT make statements detrimental to good order and discipline and must obey lawful orders. You do NOT have the right to refuse duty or duty assignments based on a moral objection to another's sexual orientation."
[Chaps' Interpretation: the phrase 'appropriate circumstances' will soon mean ONLY in the context of Sunday chapel, thus Chaplains can be punished for private counseling, or speech outside of chapel, or speech inside chapel on Monday through Saturday, just as I was punished in writing 3 times for quoting the Bible in optional Saturday chapel services.]
ARMY: "You remain obligated to follow orders that involve interaction with others who are homosexual even if an unwillingness to do so is based on strong, sincerely held moral or religious beliefs. As expressed in the Manual for Courts-Martial regarding a Soldier's obligation to obey orders: 'the dictates of a person's conscience, religion, or personal philosophy cannot justify or excuse the disobedience of an otherwise lawful order.'"
[Chaps' Interpretation: the phrase 'lawful order' will mean ANYTHING ANTI-CHRISTIAN COMMANDERS WISH and judges will back up the Commander, not the Chaplain. I know from personal experience, when a Navy Judge said my Navy Commander could punish me, a chaplain, for disobeying "lawful orders" because I was quote "worshiping in public."]
Bottom Line: Army Chaplains will now be punished at court-martial for "disobedience" of "lawful orders" if they dare to express their religious views about homsexual sin outside of Sunday chapel.
MILITARY CHAPLAINS FACE CHARGES OF "HATE SPEECH"
The Pray In Jesus Name Project was featured in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last week, with YOUR fax petition campaign to Congress getting noticed. Reporter Ann Rogers interviewed military chaplains who fear persecution by the Obama Administration, especially now that open homosexual service is being fast-tracked in violation of the rights of many Christian troops.
"The majority of 3,000 chaplains are theologically conservative Christians, many of whom worry that they will be accused of hate speech if they preach that same-sex relationships are sinful," the paper reports.
"The Pray in Jesus Name Project, which supports conservative chaplains, has called the Pentagon guidelines the 'plan to purge Christians' from chaplaincy.
"'Now the Obama Administration is officially on record pressuring chaplains to quit the service if they cannot 'reconcile' with homosexual sin that violates their Christian conscience,' said a petition on its website.
"The 'purge' is a clause that says chaplains have an option to leave the military that isn't open to others who object to serving with gay troops. They can ask their faith group to withdraw its endorsement, which would trigger a discharge.
"Retired Brig. Gen. Douglas E. Lee, a former Army chaplain who endorses for six conservative Presbyterian bodies, is less alarmist, but shares the concern that protection of religious freedom may erode.
"The fundamental issue for us is morality, but the debate is being purposely framed as a civil rights or a discrimination issue," he said.
"Homosexuality is 'just another sin that affects soldiers, airmen, guardians and Marines. However no other category that we would declare as sin is ... claiming civil rights to be a serial adulterer.'
"Any charges of hate speech will 'depend on how the chaplains handle themselves,' said the Rev. John Gundlach, a retired Navy chaplain and endorser for the United Church of Christ, which affirms gay sexuality."
Charges of hate speech against military chaplains? Even the pro-homosexual liberals admit the charges are coming. The full article may be read here. But suffice it to say we need to petition Congress to protect our Christian troops and Chaplains right to open religious expression, the same way the Obama Administration is now flaunting open homosexual expression.
The Obama Administration has now begun writing policies that will result in discharge of Christian Chaplains and troops who cannot "reconcile" with homosexual sin. Below are four shocking proof examples revealing how the purge has already begun, and why we must fight back NOW by demanding Congress investigate and pass strong laws defending our troops right to religious freedom starting with H.R. 268 which has not yet passed in 6 years, clearly defending military chaplains' right to pray publicly "in Jesus name."
1. Report: Chaplains who can't "reconcile" with homosexual sin will be separated.
The newly released Pentagon plan to purge Christians entitled "DADT Report: Support Plan for Implementation" specifically requires Christian chaplains to "reconcile" with homosexual sin or face administrative discharge. It repeats twice on pages 30 and 57: "If a chaplain is unable to reconcile serving with or caring for gay and lesbian Service members with his or her faith, the chaplain may request that the relevant endorsing agency withdraw its ecclesiastical endorsement for him or her. This would trigger an administrative separation under DoDI 1304.28." Wow. Now the Obama Administration is officially on record pressuring Chaplains to quit the service if they cannot "reconcile" with homosexual sin that violates their Christian conscience. This "plan" alone should alarm the new conservative Congress to the need for bold protection of Chaplains' rights. Let's help...
2. Chaplains will have religious "freedom" only in context of Sunday chapel.
The Pentagon report dubiously promises to protect Chaplains' freedoms, "in the context of their religious ministry," claiming they won't need to change their sermons, counseling, prayers, or worship. But speaking from personal experience as a former Navy chaplain, I can decode the secret word "context" to mean chaplains clearly WON'T have religious freedom outside of that "context." As proof, in my case the Navy twice declared the only safe religious "context" was ONLY inside a Sunday chapel. As a chaplain I was punished in writing three times for quoting the Bible EVEN inside chapel, but since the optionally-attended worship service was held on a Saturday, not a Sunday, Navy investigators sided with the Commander who punished my sermons. Later a Navy judge ruled that my Thursday prayers outside the White House were "not public worship" which was only safe in the context of Sunday chapel, instead finding me guilty of the misdemeanor crime of "worshipping in public" in uniform which he said was NOT protected by federal law, so my commander could order me to stop "worshipping in public" in uniform. Say what? Because my prayers in Jesus name were not said in the proper "context," they were properly punished, the Navy judge ruled to punish the chaplain.
3. Battalion Commander relieved of duty for refusing to "endorse" open sin.
One Senior Officer in the Army National Guard has already been relieved of his battalion-level commanding officer job after stating his conscience would not allow him to participate in "re-education" training that will soon force young Christians to learn how to respect homosexual sin. "Today is my last day in command," the career Army officer told WND.com, anonymously for fear of losing his retirement. "From now on I'll be a staff officer without a bunch of people working under me, so I won't have the moral conflict with having to enforce this new policy on them...When I retire I will speak on the record. I don't know how much I can do before that. Sooner or later I'm going to get told to shut up. If I continue to make statements, it might become a witch hunt. I don't want to lose my retirement unless it comes to the point they tell me I have to attend the [pro-'gay'] training."
4. Left demands punishment of Christian Colonel who is taking a stand.
Atheist bloggers and anti-Christian complainers are demanding punishment for one heroic career Army officer, Lt. Col. Stacy L. Maxey, who said he will exercise his legal right to take a stand for Jesus against homosexual sin by publicly expressing his Christian beliefs.
In a letter to Stars and Stripes entitled "Won't Choose To Deal With It," Lt. Col. Maxey took a stand, and wrote:
"So let me see if I understand this: The Defense Department is proposing to let people who choose to live a homosexual lifestyle serve 'openly' in the armed forces, but won't allow Christians such as myself the freedom to 'openly' share the good news of Christ with our co-workers - as the faith we've chosen requires?
"DOD officials plan to tell servicemembers who have a problem with those living a homosexual lifestyle to 'learn to deal with it,' but they are prepared to counsel and/or slap Christians with paperwork if someone feels "offended" by our witness? Wearing sexual lifestyle choices on your sleeve is OK, but not your faith?
"Military chaplains who teach that homosexuality is antithetical to and incompatible with Christianity (which it is) can either muzzle their objections or 'leave,' but gays will be permitted to parade their lifestyle choices in front of all?
"Bottom line: So I'm free to express myself if I'm a homosexual, but not if I'm a Christian? What disgraceful hypocrisy.
"Here's the truth: I will continue to witness to who I want, when I want and where I want. My commitment to my God supersedes my commitment to the DOD and, if officials are upset about that, then I guess they can 'learn to deal with it.'
"Department of Defense? More like the Department of Double Standards."
Priests in Catholic High Schools are trageted by Gay Fascists.
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, March 29, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Catholic priest has come under fire from homosexual activists for “anti-gay indoctrination” after he taught his students what the Catholic Church teaches about homosexuality in his high school course on gay “marriage.”
Equality Matters, a media and communications group for homosexual rights, on their website accused the chaplain of Indianapolis’ Cardinal Ritter High School of “spouting a stream of homophobic and offensive falsehoods about same-sex marriage and gay people in general to a classroom full of students.”
Fr. John Hollowell, chaplain and teacher at the private Catholic high school, had posted the videos of the lectures on YouTube and his personal blog last week.
In the lectures he explains Catholic teaching on homosexuality. However, his presentation was denounced as “anti-gay lecturing” by the media watchdog group, who said that the priest “calls homosexual acts ‘an abomination’, advocates for ex-gay therapy, and rails against same-sex adoption and marriage by comparing homosexuality to alcoholism and prostitution.”
The priest is currently in Rome and says he won’t be able to respond to the accusations until his return.
In the videos, however, Fr. Hollowell is seen challenging his students to think about and discuss the “difficult” issues of homosexuality and homosexual “marriage.”
He points out that the Bible, in Leviticus 20:13 and other places in the New Testament, calls “homosexual acts” an “abomination.” “You have two options,” he says, “God is cool with homosexuality, homosexual acts, I should say … or what the Bible and the Church say about it is correct … There’s no middle ground on that issue.”
The priest refers to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the official book of the teachings of the Church, which states that homosexuals “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity,” and condemns any form of “unjust discrimination” against them.
However, the Catechism also states that homosexual inclinations are “objectively disordered” and homosexual acts are “acts of grave depravity.” “Under no circumstances can they be approved,” it says, explaining that people with the homosexual inclination are called to chastity.
Fr. Hollowell points out that human beings are able to choose either to act or not to act on given inclinations. Those who experience homosexual attraction, he said, are called upon to refrain from acting on their inclination. Just because someone has an “inclination to something” (for example, drinking alcohol, homosexual acts, etc.) does not make them “less culpable for acting on it,” he said.
Equality Matters claims that 70 percent of Catholics and the majority of Americans now believe that messages such as Fr. Hollowell’s lead to higher rates of homosexual teen suicide.
Hollowell, however, argues that the position he advocates is one of compassion. “If you’re struggling with homosexual attraction, the Church’s first message is compassion,” he told his students, “helping them overcome it is not the first inclination.”
Programs such as Courage are in place to help people “who want it,” he said, “we’re not out there telling people they need to change.”
Fr. Hollowell also described the “key Catholic social teaching” on homosexuality and its relation to the “common good.” By common good is meant “what every human person does affects me and affects everyone else,” said Fr. Hollowell, explaining why students should be concerned about homosexual “marriage” legislation in other states. “The Church sees society as one body, therefore all are affected,” whether we realize it or not.
Food for thought . . . more probably fuel for the fires?
