There really is no “love” that is on par with Fundamentalist Christian “Love”, it is quite unique.
Our tale today concerns a private Christian school named Bible Baptist Academy down in DeQuincy, Louisiana. This is where five year old Zoey once almost attended. The words “Private Christian” are a tad ominous because that’s generally a free license for them to discriminate in whatever manner they wish without being legally challenged.
Life for five year old Zoey has been utterly tragic. She has been orphaned, her dad was killed in an industrial accident a couple of years ago and so was left almost all alone. Luckily her Aunt, Jenny Parker, gave her a loving home and fully embraced her.
Zoey had already been attending pre Kindergarten classes at Bible Baptist Academy so for the sake of continuity, Jenny and her partner Emily signed her up, attended the open house, got her the uniform, and as far as they were concerned they were all set.
When the penny dropped with Bible Baptist Academy that Zoey’s foster parents were a same sex couple, they reached out and said that Zoey would not be permitted to attend.
The Facebook posting that broke the story to the Public
On the 7th August Emily posted all the details to Facebook …
The news quite rightly went viral.
Jenny was interviewed by KPLC, a local news station and so they ran the story.
Why did they send Zoey to this school?
The answer is that Zoey loved it. She believed that God was taking care of her Daddy, so she had a connection to her dad via this school.
A Few Thoughts
What a philosophy. Basically punish the child to get at the parents.
Bible Baptist Academy, when asked to comment to the local news station, issued this statement …
“At BBA, we are committed to instructing and living in accordance with the teachings of Scripture. We believe that the Bible teaches that every life has value and that there is dignity in all of us because we have been created in the image of God. The Bible also teaches us to love everyone with the love of God despite their personal choices. We strive to teach this to the students who attend. We encourage them to show love and compassion to everyone. As a Baptist academy, we are also committed to provide an environment that is consistent with the beliefs that we hold. We want our students to not only know our beliefs, but we want them to see them as well. Regarding personal relationships, we hold that those relationships, whether in dating or in marriage, should be between a man and a woman.
“We live in wonderful country! We have been granted the freedom to worship as we see fit. And as a Christian institution, we are protected by federal laws that give us the opportunity to teach and practice our beliefs. We feel deeply that our first obligation is to God and being faithful to Him. There are times where our commitment to upholding our Christian values will not line up with the values of other people. This should not be interpreted that we have any hatred or malice toward them. We are just as committed to loving all people as we are to holding to Bible principles that people may not agree with or may not understand.
Er … hey no. I call bullshit on this.
Why?
Show me the list of kids whose parents did non-Christian things such as smoking, drinking, adultery, popping over to Vegas, etc… and I guarantee you that not one single one of those kids has been booted from the school.
Having gay parents is their one and only exception that merits shunning, ostracisation, and exclusion. In that context I call their “loving” stance to be grade I gold plated olympic class BS.
Zoey is actually very lucky, and has had a very narrow escape. She has a loving couple deeply devoted to her.
Because she will not be attending BBA, she will not be learning to hate and deploy cruelty against Jenny and Emily, and that is quite frankly a huge win.
What Happens Now?
Jenny and Emily are not isolated, but instead are part of a thriving support community. Here is the official picture of Zoey’s formal adoption on Aug 3rd …
Another Christian school, Hamilton Christian Academy, got wind of what had happened, so they reached out and said that they would love to have her attend, so that’s what happened …
Emily also summed up their thoughts …
…News, writers, talk shows have all reached out to share our piece. We shared and allowed others to share. Our story is nation wide and even in the UK. The school has been tainted by its own doing and choices. I am not here to harass this school into closure. If parents want this school to teach their children that is their choice. A choice that was taken away from us….
… I do want to thank my friends, family, and all the countless enraged strangers. They did not stand behind us, they stood in front of us. They fought with and for our little girl. They are the real MVP. Our community did not let this injustice slide by. I am humbled. They called out these suppressors and shouted Gods love for ALL. We are loved beyond measure. My little girl will never find herself alone or with out love. She is loved farther than comprehension could explain. One day she will know this story but that day is not today. I will continue to protect my daughter from the hate as long as I can. I know this world can be an ugly place but for her it is still unicorns and rainbows. Her ears know nothing but love and acceptance….
…
This school was so accepting, they are non denominational, and have many cultures, races, and religions roaming their halls! How amazing!
She will have music and craft classes, along with sports, dance, and bilingual opportunities. They also mentioned piano teachers that teach after school to help her learn her passion for music! I am so excited for her new journey…
It is indeed tempting to say a bit more about Bible Baptist Academy, but no, I’ll let that slide.
I much prefer to focus on Emily’s thoughts above because that truly is an excellent note to finish on.