Thursday, September 25, 2008

Off Topic Thursday: Why burning an Effigy of Senator Obama on a Christian Campus Really Mean

NEWBERG, Ore. - Students and school leaders at Georgia Fox University, a small Christian university outside Portland expressed outrage Wednesday at the discovery of a life-size cardboard effigy of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama hanging from a tree on campus...Taped to the cardboard cutout of Obama was a sign that read "Act Six reject." Act Six is a scholarship program geared toward increasing the number of minority and low-income students at several Christian colleges, mostly in the Northwest. Source: Associated Press

I expected to hear similar stories like these as we draw closer to the U.S. Presidential elections. As a Christian, however, I am livid that this debasement would come from one of our universities. But as an alumnae of a Presbyterian private college I remember clearly the racism I experienced in the dorm room and in the class room. But that was thirteen years ago. I'm livid, y'all.

I have a daughter, who is African-American, Latina and Christian. And I must admit if my child was at that college I might bust Hell wide open. Because that's some bad home training going on over there. There's some parents my age and a little older who needs a purging.

This racism in religious institutions, residing in our bodies is a demon. It makes no sense why a child of the Most High would even conceive of creating a picture of a person, cutting it out, then hanging it from a tree--a historical sting, a reminder of American lynchings, a state of accepting murder as something Okay--accept they are possessed with a spirit that is deceiving their souls.

Or... they are dead.

"Their throats are an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of the asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness...There is no fear of God before their eyes. " (James 1:13-18.)

Let's pray for our children and little sisters and brothers. Because Christ came down here so that we may live. These children ain't living if their mind is set on this kind of work.

Or do you beg to differ?




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8 comments:

BK said...

It is ignorant, horrible, racists and immature and that is whether it's Obama, McCain, Palin, Biden, anyone.

It's sad that whomever thought that was a good idea didn't take time to consider how such an atrocious act fuels the fire of those who think we're all a bunch of hatemongers and most of all it's sad that they didn't even first consider how God would view such a horrid display.

I hope that whoever was involved accepts conviction (because I know the Lord is convicting them) and comes forward to apologize to everyone and takes the punishment the university deems worthy.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. No news coverage? Or am I tuned into the wrong stations?

How outrageous! and courageous of you to speak bluntly about the lack and insanity.

Speaks to a qualitative difference between empty religious rhetoric and true spiritual living. These hate spreading folks give decent religious and spiritual people a bad name and no doubt is in part why many people don't bother with churches.

You are so right about this behavior going back to a matter of home training. Every parent should be responding with outrage.

I will find the story and share it with my children - along with our outrage... and we will pray for forgiveness, as usual.

Thank You for shedding the light.

Unknown said...

Keisha, you are so right. How does God view such a horrid display? How does God feel when his children devise plans to harm their sisters and brothers?

I only have one child, but I am a Girl Scout Leader. And it is hard and sad and disappointing to the point of tears when your kids do something to debase and hurt someone to their soul. Children don't know what they do, but adults...God bless us.

Thanks for commenting at Christian Fiction. And thanks for following me on Twitter. :)

Unknown said...

Thanks, Julette for stopping by. I have your pastor's book still in my queue.

I only saw this news briefly on CNN this morning. It happened on Tuesday, so...you know how that goes.

Yea, I can't fault entirely the college for the student's misbehavior. However, attending a small college I know that administration hears and sees the trouble coming. Why they didn't act sooner I don't know, and that's between them and God on that one.

But we, parents...especially us Christian parents better be careful. We have to answer about the way we raise our children. And if those children were brought to believe that all people are created equal this wouldn't have happened. Not just Christian children, American children.

Thanks for stopping by.

heidi @ ggip said...

I hadn't heard this and it certainly is disheartening. I hope it was just one or two students acting out to get attention.

Anonymous said...

This is not how a christian organization should be acting. As a solidly christian man myself, I find it offensive when people compare me to these sorts of people. Christianity is supposed to be about spreading peace in the world, and how can we be spreading peace if we're preoccupied with hate?

Unknown said...

heidi i'm not sure how many were involved. it's still said if it's one person.

wes, i agree. this is one reason why blogging matters. with all that's going on there was little coverage on this event on the news.

Anonymous said...

That is sad, but not "outrageous". It's not as if you're killing the actual person, you're just destroying a cardboard cutout of him.

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