Farris notes that this notion that state educational dictates trump those of faith and family comes directly from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which mandates (Article 29) that their educational experience prepare children “for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin….”
It's ironic that he is complaining about being persecuted, when by his own words he wants to be free to persecuted those whose beliefs differ from his.
And what are those values? Farris lists just a handful of the most “dangerous” to an evolving society: the beliefs that “homosexuality is a sin,” that men “should be the leaders of their families,” that “Jesus is the only way to God,” and that “all other religions are false.”
I fear for our right to Freedom of Religion if Farris and his ilk ever gain control of our government.
How do you define "his ilk," from your phrase "Farris and his ilk?"
ReplyDeleteThose who think like him.
ReplyDeleteThose who think it OK to harass and discriminate against homosexuals.
Those that think women are second class citizens who should be subservient to their husbands.
Those who refuse to accept that other people have the right to worship the God of their choice in the way that they choose.
I ask only to understand. Where has Farris shown that it is okay to harass homosexuals? Where has he shown that women are second class citizens? Where has he shown that he does not accept that “people have the right to worship the God of their choice in the way that they choose?”
ReplyDeleteReligious Freedom and Michael Farris
ReplyDeletehttp://www.publiceye.org/ifas/fw/9308/farris.html
The COR Manifesto which Farris signed
http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/cor/general.htm
20. Social Evils to Oppose.
We affirm that all Bible-believing Christians must take a non-neutral stance in opposing, praying against, and speaking against social moral evils such as the following:
A. Abortion on demand, infanticide, and euthanasia
B. Adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bestiality and other forms of sexual perversion
C. Pornography, prostitution, sexual entertainment, rape, and other crimes of exploitation and physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
D. Drug abuse
E. Unjust treatment of the poor and disadvantaged
F. Criminal injustice
G. Racial discrimination
H. Theft, fraud, and violence not in self-defense
I. State usurpation of parental rights and God-given liberties
J. Statist-collectivist theft from citizens through devaluation of their money and redistribution of their wealth
K. Atheism, moral relativism, and evolutionism taught as a monopoly viewpoint in public schools
L. Communism/Marxism, fascism, Nazism and the one-world government of the New Age Movement
http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/cor/manifesto.html
According to the Manifesto that Farris signed
ReplyDeleteEVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW TO CHRIST NOW
10. We affirm (a) that now, even before Christ’s second coming, every knee in every nation on earth should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of this universe and rightful Ruler of all lives, and (b) that only those who, trusting in His grace alone for forgiveness of sins, repent of their sinful rebellion and submit to Christ as Lord are justified and stand accepted at the bar of God’s judgment.
We deny that anyone, Jew or Gentile, believer or unbeliever, private person or public official, is exempt from the moral and juridical obligation before God to submit to Christ’s lordship over every aspect of his life in thought, word, and deed.
Alasandra,
ReplyDeleteAs a former student and current employee of Mike Farris who has had opportunity to speak with him on this subject, I know that he is NOT in favor of America becoming a theocracy, and that he is passionate about protecting the religious liberty of ALL people, regardless of how strongly he disagrees with their religious or philosophical positions. He opposes the Convention on the Rights of the Child because (among many other dangers) it can be used as a weapon to bludgeon faith groups into silence in the name of promoting "tolerance."
Your post is not intellectually honest, because you take a kernel of truth (Mike Farris opposes the CRC) and then you pull one quote out of the treaty and claim that he opposes the treaty on the basis of that one quote, when in fact there is voluminous information available on the web regarding his opposition to the CRC, and it is clear that his opposition is primarily based on the principle of parental rights. The violations of parental rights come from other parts of the treaty and from the way that the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child interprets the treaty in their General Comments and Country Reports.
I encourage you to research the issue more fully and understand the arguments made by others, even those with whom you have strong disagreements. Caricaturing the positions of others does not lend you credibility.
Mike Farris and ParentalRights.org are not alone in opposing the treaty. In fact, a recent Zogby poll (August 2010) showed that 54.4% of likely American voters oppose the treaty's ability to override state laws on parents and children (with 11.6% in support and 34.1% undecided), and 78.3% of likely American voters opposed the treaty for its ability to "give government broad discretion to overrule parents and and decide what it thinks is best for a child" (with 6.4% in favor and 10.9% undecided). This is not a far right-wing, Christian position. This is the position that a significant majority of Americans hold.
Should you have questions about why so many people would oppose the treaty, feel free to contact me at jonathan@parentalrights.org.
Sincerely,
- Jonathan R. Horton
National Grassroots Director
~ParentalRights.org~
Jonathan Horton, Apparently you missed my numerous post on the Treaty.
ReplyDeleteMost people apparently do not understand that the treat DOES NOT and WILL NOT usurp the national sovereignty of this country. (Perhaps due to some of the misinformation various groups opposed to the treaty or spreading)
Also the treaty seems very supportive of parental rights. I went to read the treaty for myself instead of depending on the fear mongering the various bloggers were spreading
Article 9
1. States Parties shall ensure that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will, except when competent authorities subject to judicial review determine, in accordance with applicable law and procedures, that such separation is necessary for the best interests of the child. Such determination may be necessary in a particular case such as one involving abuse or neglect of the child by the parents, or one where the parents are living separately and a decision must be made as to the child's place of residence.
2. In any proceedings pursuant to paragraph 1 of the present article, all interested parties shall be given an opportunity to participate in the proceedings and make their views known.
3. States Parties shall respect the right of the child who is separated from one or both parents to maintain personal relations and direct contact with both parents on a regular basis, except if it is contrary to the child's best interests.
and
Article 14
1. States Parties shall respect the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
2. States Parties shall respect the rights and duties of the parents and, when applicable, legal guardians, to provide direction to the child in the exercise of his or her right in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child.
3. Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health or morals, or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.
Nice Article .
ReplyDeleteVisit my website too http://mzhuanda.blogspot.com
Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy your homeschooling blog and included a link to you on our Secular Home School Resources page on Had2Know.com.
ReplyDelete~Peace~