Heritage Christian School in Findlay Ohio

Uncle — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:40:31 +0000

Heritage Christian School in Findlay, Ohio made the news in a way Republicans have been making the news lately: negatively. Tyler Frost is a 17-year old student facing suspension March 11, 2009, just 13 days before his graduation. Thirteen days prior to getting his diploma Tyler will find all his school work marked incomplete.

Tyler Frost is guilty of going to his girlfriend’s prom at another high school. I mean, it was a Sodom and Gomorrah prom to be sure because they let students dance to rock and roll music and hold hands! The decision to prevent Tyler from graduating was made before he attended the event.

Tyler and his girlfriend did attend the prom Saturday night at Findlay High School and Tyler said, "It was great." He did dance and he did hold hands with his girlfriend in clear violation of the rules of the fundamentalist Baptist high school he attended. Actually, Tyler Frost has been a student at the fundamentalist school since kindergarten.

He knew the risk. Findlay High School required Tyler to get a letter signed by Heritage Principal Tim England before he would be allowed to attend. He knew he’d get a lecture about how to behave but never expected the threat of suspension. On Monday, March 11, Heritage Christian School explained their decision and the news media coverage:

"What the [media] article leaves out are the principles behind the rules. In the Old Testament, Joseph was in a place of temptation and he fled. Unlike this situation, he didn’t put himself in that place. Proverbs 4:23 says, ‘Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.’ II Timothy 2:22 says, ‘Flee also youthful lusts but follow after righteousness faith charity and peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.’ When the school committee, many years before I became the principal, set up the policy regarding dancing, I am confident that they had the principle of fleeing lustful situations in mind. The question as I see it is, should a Christian place themselves at an event where young ladies will have low cut dresses and be dancing in them? Isn’t it contrary to the example of Joseph and the verses that I stated?

"Second, at the beginning of the school year, every family must sign a statement of cooperation. Students in 7th through 12th grades must also sign it. It doesn’t say that you have to agree with them, but that we will all abide by them. What kind of a school would we be if we suspended a policy because it was convenient to do so? That would not be a Christ-like response. Jesus did not avoid trouble. He made statements such as, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me‘ (John 14:6). His statements didn’t make Him popular with the world. Can we expect anything else? The verses that I have thought of throughout this day are Matthew 5:11-12, ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ Wow! I can build up a whole lot of rewards in heaven today, and so can you.

"Third, when discussing this particular issue with folks in the community please remember that the servant of the Lord ‘must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness’ (2 Tim 2:24, 25).

"Esther received great counsel from her uncle Mordecai when he said, ‘And who knoweth whether thou art come into the kingdom for such a time as this.’ (Esther 4:14). This is a time for Heritage to shine as a light in this world. It isn’t easy, but it is right." (continued below)

What Would Jesus Do?

Truth be told I can’t tell you what Jesus would do anymore than I can tell you what the Republicans will do next. I can only read in the Bible and see what Jesus did do in a similar situation. Since Principal England quoted from the Gospel of John, Chapter 14, I’ll simply ask him to back up to Chapter 8 which reads in verses 1 – 11:

"Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

Uncle Brice's Blog » tyler frost

Heritage Christian School in Findlay Ohio

What Would Jesus Do?