Schools in California are under threat of ‘homosexual education’ as a controversial bill, which may provide more rooms for homosexuality to be openly promoted and discussed, was given a green light.
The bill, SB 1437, passed a state Senate committee April 4 by a vote of 3-1. It prohibits instructional materials that reflect adversely upon persons because of their race or ethnicity, gender, disability, nationality, sexual orientation, or religion for use in public school.
Specifically, any negative messages about homosexuality or same-sex marriage will have to be taken out from the curriculum. The bill also requires schools to teach about the historical contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons.
Under the guise of "tolerance," Christians are concerned that the bill would mean silencing the Christian voice against the immorality of homosexuals. To a certain extent, it may even change the way schools teach about the traditional family formed by one man and one woman.
In a statement from the California Family Council, it is stated that SB 1437 may "advance a blatant one-sided message about homosexuality in schools" and "end any open discussion about the issue of homosexuality in public classrooms."
"Homosexuality would be presented as a positive, accepted norm without any of the moral or health concerns expressed by many parents and faith groups," it warned. "Stereotypical gender and traditional family roles would no longer be discussed in public schools, and everything - except the Christian viewpoint - would be protected under the guise of tolerance."
The issue has also drawn the attention from the Christian Educators Association International (CEAI), which released a statement Monday in response to the bill.
"We agree that districts should do all they can do to stop harassment of students based on sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation, but forcing the promotion of homosexuality is not the way. Schools need to enforce anti-harassment policies already in place," said Finn Laursen, Executive Director of CEAI.
CEAI mentioned of the Assembly Bill 606 that is also on its way through the state legislature. AB 606 threatens school districts with loss of state funding unless schools adopt gay-friendly policies, update their publications to reflect the same, and provide information on training, curricula and other resources specific to sexual orientation and gender identity.
Laursen described that as "state mandated gay agenda" and it is "outrageous". "They [the bills] will require educators to proclaim a favorable view of sexual behavior that violates the religious and moral standards of many families and promotes high risk sexual behavior that has been reported to shorten the life span of its participants by as much as 20 years,” said Laursen.
Even though Christian families will have no choice and turn away from public schools under such agenda, Laursen pointed out that these Christian parents do have "a right to expect their traditional religious family values to be honored and respected."
CEAI recently endorsed a document called Public Schools and Sexual Orientation, published by the First Amendment Center. CEAI endorsed this document because it encourages school districts not to merely endorse any one group’s agenda, but to listen to all viewpoints in the community before implementing any programming on this controversial topic. The document has been backed by many ministries so far.
Chinese Christian community in California has begun to realize the impact of homosexual agenda on the second generation. During a seminar about homosexual movement sponsored by Traditional Family Coalition (TFC) for Bay Area church leaders and ministries last month, Dr. Bill Tam sharply pointed out that the next generation is the prey of homosexual movement. Chinese churches, as the conscience of the society, must stand up and "say no" to homosexual movement, Tam exhorted.
Tam was a spokesman for the Chinese community in protest against Project 10, a curriculum of gay sex education in schools in California since 1990.
Since SB 1437 has passed the Senate Judiciary Committee, it can be heard any day beginning this week on the Senate floor. California Family Council encourages Christians to contact the senator and urge him or her not to support pro-homosexual indoctrination disguised as tolerance.
