Date: Sun, 03 Mar 1996 21:10:10 -0500
From: culliton@handel.jlc.net (Penny Culliton)
Subject: Action Alert: Michigan Teacher

>Date: Sun, 3 Mar 1996 21:09:40 -0500
>From:culliton@jlc.net (Penny Culliton)
>
>From  brad_bergman@studio.disney.com (Brad Bergman):
>
>Just when it looked like things were going to settle down in Byron Center,
>Michigan (where conservative public School Board members recently tried to
>fire gay music teacher Gerry Crane), the following letter was distributed
>on car windshields at local churches this past Sunday:
>
>-----begin attached letter-----
>
>Dear Pastor,
>
>I am sure by now that you are aware of the situation in Byron Center High
>School concerning Mr. Crane, the Sodomite Music teacher, and the School
>Board's decision to let him stay on as a teacher.  This decision by the
>board was a very bad one because although they say that they don't approve
>of his lifestyle, they send a message to everyone that they do, or they
>just don't care.  They open the door for more Sodomites to become teachers
>and to come out of the closet and be open about their moral perverseness.
>Now, I understand that there definitely would have been a legal battle if
>they fired him.  This Sodomite, and his lawyer would have gone to court
>and probably would have won on the grounds that his "civil" rights would
>have been violated, but that is no excuse for the board too wrong, and not
>even attempt to see his removal.
>
>Sir, God's word condemns homosexuality.  There is no ifs, ands, or buts
>about it.  In Gen. 13:10-13, the Lord tells Abraham of the great sin in
>Sodom and Gemorrah (sic).  In Chapter 19, we see that the cities are full
>of sexual perverts, so many of them in fact they come to Lot's house and
>surround the place and demand that Lot send the two Angels out so they
>could have sex with them.  God rained fire and brimstone upon those two
>cities and on everything around those two cities.  Most authorities regard
>the ruin of these cities, if there are any left, to be submerged under the
>waters of the Dead Sea.
>
>If you read in Gen. 13:10-13, the whole area was a well of watered plain
>comparable to the Garden of Eden.  That area to today does not even come
>close to fitting that description.  God's judgment on those cities was
>complete, and an excellent example of that God thinks of sin, and those
>who commit it.  Leviticus 18:22-29, 20:13, states very plainly that
>Homosexuality is a sin and is punished by death. Remember now, this is
>God's Law, the very same God you claim to serve, love, and obey.  The God
>that is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  God hasn't changed his
>attitude towards this sin, nor has he changed his mind about how to deal
>with it, but "christians" sure have.
>
>According to an article in the Grand Rapids Press, Saturday, Dec. 30, 1995
>by Charles Honey, Classis Grand Rapids East of the Christian Reformed
>Church in October approved guidelines for ministry to gays.  Well, if this
>ministry is not public execution according to the Laws of God, (the same
>one you supposedly serve), then it is a sin!  How far have we, as a
>Nation, fallen?   Oh yes, Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death, and
>that does mean all sin, but this verse speaks of the eternal consequence
>of sin.
>
>But according to the Law as found in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
>Deuteronomy, different sins had different punishments according to their
>severity.  It's all there, sit down and read those books of the Bible
>sometime.  The Law is there to show us what sin is.  Rom. 7:7-9.  In
>Galatians 3:24, it says that the law is our schoolmaster to bring us to
>Christ.  Psalms 19:7-11 says the Law is perfect, more to be desired than
>gold, sweeter than honey.  In Psalm 12:1-6, we are told to delight in the
>Law of the Lord.  The Law is not contrary to the will of God, the mind of
>God, the New Test. and our Christianity.  Romans 7:12 says that the Law is
>holy.  Deut. 11:16, 17, shows us that God will bless us if we obey and we
>will be cursed if we disobey, also in Deut. 11:16, 17, tells us of the
>penalty of turning our backs on God.
>
>In 1 John 3:4, sin is defined as transgressions of the law.  So you see
>that the law is still for us today along with its  penalties and
>punishments.
>
>Incidentally, The Bible was the source of laws for 150 years before the
>Constitution or Bill of Rights was (sic) written.  The Pilgrims, Puritans,
>and Reformers considered the Bible to be a standard of conduct for
>American citizens.  And, its Laws, statutes, and judgments were legal Laws
>governing this nation.  The only part of the law that was done away with
>at the cross was there Ceremonial laws, see Col. 2:14 and Eph. 2:15.  Now,
>if you have taken the time to read this letter, sir, and have looked up
>the scripture verses that are referred to, (and there are many more).  I
>am sure that you know the Bible much better than I do, seeing as how you
>are a Pastor of a church and I am just a Garbage man, I am sure that none
>of these references came as a suprise (sic) to you.  So the way I see it,
>if the word of God demands the execution of these people, is it too much
>to demand that this man gets fired from his job as a teacher at Byron
>Center High School?  I think not!
>
>My question to you sir, in light of God's Word, is, what are YOU going to
>do about it?  Maybe you have done something.  Maybe your church sent a
>petition to the School Board with the signatures of all your church
>members on it demanding that this "man" be fired.  This is an excellent
>thing to do, but let's face the facts, it didn't work.  What we need to do
>is get back to the Word of God and this is why I have written to you.
>
>You sir, as the pastor of your church, need to preach the Bible, as it
>stands, unaltered by "political correctness", or the shifting morals of
>mankind.  2 Tim. 4:2 says "Preach the word, be instant in season, out of
>season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine".
>There needs to be repentance from sin.  It is time for people to get off
>the fence either choose God, or choose the World.  You cannot have it both
>ways and get away with it.  James 4:4 says that friendship with the world
>is to be the enemy of God.  Rev. 3:14-17 also describes these people as
>neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm, and for that reason God says "I will
>spue (sic) you out of my mouth".
>
>In other words, "you make me sick".  You need to send these people packing
>their bags out of your church.  To be honest with you, if you preached
>God's Word, as it is supposed to be preached, all these people would leave
>your congregation anyway.  Maybe you would lose your job, that is a
>possibility, but then I have to ask you, is it better to please God, or
>man?  certainly there have been millions of Christians that have suffered
>a far worse fate than getting fired from their job as pastor of a church.
>Refer to 2 Cor. 11:23-28, Acts 4,7,12 also Foxes book of martyrs, Martyrs
>Mirror, and others.
>
>Byron Center and surrounding communities need pastors to stand up and take
>charge in fighting against the enemies of God like Mr. Crane, and the
>School Board that allowed him to retain his job.  You do that by preaching
>the Word of God, and not by handling it deceitfully.  Judging by the
>articles and letters I have read in the paper, people are not getting the
>Bible preached correctly to them.  They talk too much about God's love,
>and nothing about his justice, and holiness.  They say that God "loves the
>sinner, but hates the sin".  God's word doesn't say that.  God punishes
>the sinner.  He sends the sinner to hell, not the sin.  The two are
>inseparable.
>
>Sir, don't be like the preacher in Charles Honey's article in which he
>said" If we start drawing lines, I wouldn't have a very large membership".
>We obviously know where this pastor is coming from, he wants a large
>membership and unity at the expense of Biblical teachings.  So, how about
>it?  I know that I have just begun this fight, and I will do all that I
>can to see that Mr. Crane loses his job.  What about you sir?  Will you
>stand up and be counted in the Lord's Army?
>
>Love in Christ
>Randy Schmitt
>P.S.  2 Chron. 7:14
>
>----- end of attached letter-----
>
>
>A note is attached on the bottom of the letter saying, "**This letter was
>sent to your Pastor.  Unfortunately, we received no answer."
>
>As if this note was not cause for concern, further developments have
>unfolded.  Earlier this week every parent with a child enrolled in the
>Byron Center school district received a hand-addressed package in the mail
>(without any return address, incidentally).  Inside the packet was a copy
>of the anti-gay video "Gay Rights, Special Rights?  Inside the Homosexual
>Agenda," a 100+ page book titled "Setting the Record Straight" (which uses
>shock techniques and clinical descriptions of gay sex in an effort to get
>their anti-gay point across), and another letter calling for the
>community's support in getting Gerry fired from his position at Byron
>Center High School.
>
>The letter is signed by more than 25 community members/leaders.
>Interestingly enough, none of the School Board members are on the list,
>though I would assume that someone inside the school system has to be
>assisting their efforts if the packages went only to people with kids in
>the school system.
>
>The weight that this new development has had upon Gerry and Randy has been
>tremendous.  When I spoke with Randy last night he was quite distressed.
>Gerry has had parent-teacher conferences this week and that,  in and of
>itself, has been stressful.  In addition (as if it could get worse), Gerry
>is in the middle of a tiring appeal process, which is now before the
>Michigan Board of Education, for how he was treated back in December.  The
>Michigan Board of Education is behind Gerry, but the Byron Center School
>Board is not cooperating and dragging their heels.  While the School Board
>can't fire him, they're making it very uncomfortable and very difficult
>for Gerry to perform his daily job efficiently.  And the thinly veiled
>references to violence toward homosexuals is a new concern that they have
>not had to deal with in the past.
>
>Due to the sensitive nature of Gerry's position, he cannot directly speak
>out against the School Board or against his treatment at the hands of the
>community members (such as Mr. Schmitt) who take action against him.  Such
>action by Gerry would be all they need to fire him.  Lambda Legal Defense
>and Education Fund (New York), which is helping in Gerry's case, and the
>Washington D.C. Human Rights Campaign, however, have decided to move
>forward on Gerry's behalf.
>
>Until now the groups have wanted to keep as much of this out of the media
>in an effort to try and keep local attitudes toward Gerry civil.  (And
>news of the latest assault will be delayed in order for them to devise a
>formal, united front.)  But the direct attack against Gerry, including
>references to how the Bible supports executing gays, has prompted them to
>go on the offensive.  As Randy said, they're "taking this global."
>
>I asked Randy what he wanted from the on-line community.  His response: an
>all-out letter writing campaign directed toward the Byron Center High
>School's Board of Education.
>
>You may write to the Byron Center School Board at:
>Byron Center High School
>Board of Education
>2475 8th St. SW
>Byron Center, MI  49315
>
>The school's main office phone number is (616) 878-1584.  Call and ask to
>talk to one of the Principals' offices.  They won't take a list of names
>but they will listen to your complaints.  You can also call the
>Administration offices at (616) 878-1541 and talk to the Superintendent.
>Call and engage them in a discussion.  Tie up their phone lines and tell
>them that what they're doing to Gerry is wrong.
>
>If you do write to the school, it is very important that you send a copy
>of your letter to Gerry himself.  His lawyers are trying to document all
>the 4,000+ letters that have already been sent to the School Board, but
>they believe that the board has destroyed most of the letters in support
>of Gerry.
>
>If you send a copy to Gerry, they can be sure to have an accurate count of
>the supportive correspondence. Send the copy of your letter, clearly
>indicating somewhere in the letter that it was also sent to the Board of
>Education, directly to Gerry and Randy at:
>
>Gerry Crane and Randy Block
>634 Ethel SE
>Grand Rapids, MI  49506.
>
>Randy stressed the importance of keeping the letters as polite and
>intelligent as possible.  These people really believe that what they're
>doing is right.  While they're working with a mis-conception of what the
>homosexual community is about, we need to work at breaking the
>stereotypes.  Briefly highlight your own high school experience as a gay
>or lesbian student (closeted or otherwise).  Let them know that what
>they're doing is hurting, not helping, their students as well as their
>community.  Let them know that we're real people with real feelings who
>don't deserve the type of treatment they're directing at Gerry.
>
>Your help is needed NOW.  I normally channel letters for Gerry and Randy,
>but the urgency of this latest situation prompted Randy to allow me to
>give out his address.  The delay in passing things on could be enough to
>tip the scales if this blows up within the next week.
>
>Pass this letter on to friends.  Copy it to anyone and everyone you can
>think of.  Post it on message boards in the on-line gay community forums.
>Get the word out.
>
>Silence = Death
>
>Brad Bergman
>
>
>
>
>Transmitted: 3/2/96 1:21 PM

Penny Culliton
culliton@jlc.net
Wilton, NH

"You've gotta live, live, live. Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are
starving!!" - Auntie Mame