With roots in the historic Biblical concepts of Apocalypse and evil, a highly charged controversy has broken out in the Jefferson County School District, a predominantly middle class county on the western edge of Denver.
This controversy has its roots in fear, a fear that if not met with honesty and truth, will convulse our state.
Following their election as conservative co-candidates ten months ago, three new members joined two sitting mainline members on the School Board in the second largest district in Colorado. Their campaign claim that the district needed to pay attention to student achievement sounded innocent enough. However, from the outset, vexing issues like teacher pay, charter schools, union-district relations, and job security have rumbled. Now, their true agenda is “coming out.” The mission is to reform the way American history is taught by changing its content so as to ignore the bad and the ugly. The DENVER POST sums it up in graphic terms.
In a move two weeks ago that has galvanized teachers, students, the College Board, and parents alike, Julie Williams, one of the new conservative board members, introduced a resolution that would revolutionize the way history is taught in the District. William’s proposal calls for presenting only “positive aspects” of U.S. heritage that “promote citizenship, patriotism, benefits of the free enterprise system, respect for authority and respect for individual rights, and don’t “encourage or condone civil disorder, social strike or disregard of the law.”
Williams recently criticized how history is currently taught, saying, “It has an emphasis on race, gender, class, ethnicity, grievance and American-bashing while simultaneously omitting the most basic structural and philosophical elements considered essential to the understanding of American History for generations.”
At the heart of the current dispute is the question of whether all of the nation’s history, good and bad, should be taught. Given the proposed resolution, a whole series of instructive negative events would be avoided. There is the story of how the government totally disenfranchised the Indians of their lands and rights. There is the story of racism that led to the Civil War and continues today. There is the story of how President Reagan gutted funds for poverty and social programs while dramatically increasing support for the questionable military action in Iraq. There is the story of the huge Bush era tax cuts for the rich. There is the current story of the dramatically increasing number of children living in poverty.
Perhaps the worst story for twenty first century America is the Radical Right’s absolute commitment to unfettered capitalism and absolute free enterprise, under which the rich get the power while the poor learn the true meaning of suffering.
Jesus was confronted by this kind of self-justifying motivation wherever he went. The Book of Mark recalls an exchange between Jesus and a Rich Young Ruler. “As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to him and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments, ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to Jesus, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” 21 Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property. And Jesus, looking around, said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”
Why does the Radical Right want to eliminate these stories of conflict in American history? Its proponents want to restore the myth that America is the most upright, peace-loving nation on earth. They would like to avoid having to face homophobia, racism, economic disparity, and poverty. They would like to posture themselves as “God’s Chosen People.”
People often think they’re Christian because they use the Bible to value their lives and judge others. But in Matthew, Jesus says to his disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” Jesus’ call to follow him is more than an invitation to pray a prayer. .It is a summons to lose your life finding new life for people in all walks of life.
Where does this irrational desire for emphasizing only the positive come from? Religiously and spiritually it comes from fear, fear of death, fear of eternal condemnation, fear of loss of lifestyle, fear of the challenges of tomorrow, and ultimately fear of God’s judgment. These fears add up to an hysteria about the end of time, called the Apocalypse, when God will save the good people and destroy the wicked. The Radical Right is currently engaged in posturing itself as the beloved community and condemning those who don’t look or think like they do.
By blaming a society’s victims for causing their own plight and suffering, those in power believe they’ll enjoy eternal life. Thus, the school board is pushing for telling only a positive story about our American heritage. Unfortunately, it’s generally a story about white male power. They don’t want anyone to think critically or to take action against their apocalypse-driven agenda.
This “coming out” of the Jefferson County School Board is not something that’s being taken lightly. Teachers are calling in sick, thus forcing the closing of schools. Yesterday, it was announced that these teachers are being threatened with loss of pay. Students by the thousands are demonstrating throughout the county, and are being highly criticized by the conservative press. This controversy is not going to subside easily or quickly. Vincent Carroll, DENVER POST Editor has a very clear perspective on the ideological conflict.
The theological question of evil arises here. Are these school board members evil? Absolutely not! They aren’t even bad people. But when a national movement, of which they are a part, seeks to deny a human history that includes evil treatment of the disenfranchised by the powerful, evil is at work extending the myth that God loves only certain people. Evil is at work dividing people who should be about the business of caring for the whole human community.
The resolution of this crisis will come only when its victims, students, teachers, parents and the critical-thinking larger community both challenge and embrace the fear-driven school board and its supporters. The mission here is for everyone to acknowledge that life is filled with ambiguities and suffering, and then to create social structures that work for everyone.
RELIGION OUTSIDE THE BOX 