Bible Thumpers
Recently, I used my cell phone to access the latest headlines so I could keep semi-abreast of what's going on in the world. The nature of my job makes it so that if its not related to potty-training, biting, and temper tantrums I'm not likely to know much about it. Anyway, I scrolled through the usual stuff about war, economy, and man's inhumanity to man (gas prices) and happened upon a 'news of the weird' article on a prison guard arrested for assaulting an inmate with (of all things) a Bible. Apparently, he thumped the inmate upside the head for sassing him, or something like that, and used the good book to inflict a sizeable knot upon the inmate's head.First and foremost in my mind was the question, "The man's in prison. What is he expecting to get beaten with--pillows?" The next was, "Was it a Scofield King James or one of those awful NIV translations?" Because everyone knows a King James bible carries more weight and is a much more efficient weapon when combating the devil, his minions, or sassy prisoners.
I'm not saying the prison guard was correcting in beating the man with a Bible. I mean, come on. Do you really think you can pummel a man into the Kingdom of Heaven? But let's get real, people. This is prison. Personally, I think if you've committed a crime grevious enough to warrant incarceration you deserve pretty much what you get and be grateful you aren't busting rocks in the hot sun. And whatever happened to sentencing prisoners to hard labor? Our nation's roadways could benefit from orange jumpsuited road crews cleaning up and repairing potholes and stuff. It's a much better way of repaying one's debt to society than sitting in a cubicle, chain smoking and watching cable TV while fashioning a weapon from a bar of soap.
But this post is not really about our current legal system and its inability to rehabilitate wrong-doers. It's not really about using the Bible to mete out corporal punishment. It's about a question my husband asked me the other day.
"Honey," he said (he usually begins every question this way which makes it hard for me to determine if he's going to ask me something serious or just question me about where he left his slippers), "Stephan is taking his Bible to school every day. Do you think this will cause some kind of problem?"
I had to sit and think about this for a minute. Our stepson, like most teens, is searching for meaning and his place in the world and, having been raised semi-right, wants to search the Bible for answers. So, he's taking his Bible to school to read. How could that possibly cause problems? I mean, when I was growing up and to a certain extent yet today you are expected to belong to some kind of Christian organization, be it a church group, a Bible study group, or an after-school off-campus club. Most kids have more than one Bible and have one in their possession at any given moment, school or otherwise. Heck, most classrooms had them on the shelf in case anyone wanted to look something up during English class. How could bringing a Bible to school cause problems?
Then I remembered. I'm in Yankeeland. Where people are inordinately concerned about rules, regulations, and making sure no one else is doing anything they shouldn't be. And with all the rigamarole about prayer in school being unfair to those who choose not to believe and the all-out push to eliminate anything remotely Christian from our textbooks, classrooms, and public buildings, well, bringing a Bible to school could be almost as bad as bringing a bomb. What happens if it goes off and truth flies everywhere, hitting impressionable kids at random? I mean, heaven forbid they decide to join a Bible study group instead of meeting their friends to drink and smoke weed. That just wouldn't be right.
I assured my husband that it's okay for a student to have a Bible in his possession, and to even read it and talk about it, as long as the teachers don't act or say they agree or condone it in any way. Our son would not get in trouble for having his Bible at school, although he could get his name on a list of potential troublemakers. That would mean the hall Nazi's would have to watch him extra hard as they patrol the perimter of the cafeteria. And I wondered, at the same time, if more kids brought Bibles to school if less kids would feel they needed to bring guns to school? And at the risk of alienating all the fundamentalists who are reading this and shouting, "Amen", I personally don't care if someone wants to bring the Talmud, the Koran, or any other holy book to school with them. If they are on a quest for truth, if they are searching for something outside of themselves, something that gives them meaning, hope, and encouragement, then they aren't sitting at home planning to blow up their classmates or kill their teachers. Maybe they would respect authority a bit more. Maybe they would treat each other with a bit more kindness and consideration.
And then, imagine this, teachers actually encouraged all these students to get together and talk about their beliefs and their Bibles and their gods. In place of secular humanism, we had a free marketplace of ideas, where each person could decide for themselves what they wanted to accept as truth and each person felt they could open up to the ideas of others and understand why there are so many different religions and points of view. Even those who do not believe in anything would be welcome to explain why.
I wonder if such a thing is really possible, or has the Thought Police become too feared for us to attempt such a change? For only in an atmosphere of true freedom can truth be measured and found to be valid. But who am I kidding? It's not going to happen.
I told my husband not to worry about my son taking his Bible to school. If all else fails, he can use it to beat off attackers and keep smart-alecks in line.
posted by Zoe Richardson @ 1:56 PM
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