Open Letter to Bedford NH School Committee

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The news last night reported that a book, “Nickeled and Dimed”  is being used in the Bedford NH school system as a text for a finance class. The book has been protested by at least one family in the community for a number of reasons, in particular for refering to Jesus as “a wine-guzzling vagrant and precocious socialist.” In addition, the book uses obsenities and explains how the author was able to cheat on a drug test.

I have penned the following letter to the Bedford school committee and ask anyone who reads this blog to do the same.  Feel free to copy and paste my letter or write one of your own. I am going to both email mine and send it snail mail. Also, lets make this thing go viral by sending this email to everyone on your email list as well. Perhaps, if their email accounts and local post office are buried in responses the school committee there and others will come to realize that we Christians will not sit by silently while our God is being insulted.  We will defend the Name of the Lord. Lets get active and have this book removed from curriculum in Bedford.

Send your letters to:

Bedford School Board  or

Bedford School District, SAU #25
103 County Road

Bedford, NH 03110



Dear Committee Members,
 

As an ordained Catholic Deacon I was both saddened and appalled to hear that your school system is using a book that describes Jesus as “a wine-guzzling vagrant and precocious socialist.”

Certainly, some among you must have known that this would be offensive to Christians who consider Jesus to be the Son of God. In fact, we believe that Jesus is in fact God.

Would you have been so cavalier in your response to this issue if the offense had been directed at Allah? Would you have allowed a book denying the Jewish Holocaust to be beneficial for educational purposes just because it had some “educational merit” I think not. Nor would Buddha, or those things sacred to Native Americans, or Hindu’s, or any number of faiths been disrespected in this way. Indeed in today’s society it seems that only the name of Christ can be insulted with impunity and Christian beliefs not tolerated.

Hearing those words about my Lord is like getting sucker punched. It takes my breath away. If I had been assaulted on the street by an anti-Christian thug using that language they’d be charged with a hate crime. That is exactly how I view the language regarding Jesus used in that book – hateful and insulting.

In your response to the press it was stated that “the committee ruled that the book's educational merit outweighed its shortcomings.” Really? What educational merit is there in this particular book that outweighs the hate-speech and obscenities that “Nickeled and Dimed” contains? Sure, it has some legitimate points to make regarding social and economic justice but without a doubt there are materials that make the same arguments without being obscene, hateful and insulting to a large segment of the voting population who call themselves Christian.

I am not calling for any book to be banned or burned. If people want to read it, let them go out and buy it. Free speech is free speech no matter how irresponsible it is. However, school committees across the globe use prudence and discernment all the time in choosing materials that are used to educate children. Given the multitude of materials available and reviewed by school boards the vast majority are rejected for one reason or another. What is so special about this book, which insults the name of Jesus, teaches children how to cheat on drug tests, and uses obscenities. What makes “Nickel and Dimed” more appropriate than some other non-offensive book?

I implore you to remove this insult from your schools.

I am sure, no doubt, that a majority of citizens in your community belong to one Christian denomination or another, or that they consider themselves Christian. Have no doubt, you have offended them. I’m sure there are other non-Christian people in your town who are also alarmed at your tolerance of religious hate-speech. It affects them too. Perhaps they will speak out in the voting booths in the next election.

After reading a number of news articles in the past weeks insulting to Catholics and Christians of all faiths, I can no longer remain silent. My intention is to post this letter on my blog, send it out in emails and ask people to forward it to those on their mailing lists. It will include both the committees email address, mailing address and web page. Perhaps when you find your email clogged and your post office buried in responses you may find it more prudent to remove the book from your classrooms. Hopefully we will not have to organize a peaceful protest march with thousands of Christians from around the country descending on your little hamlet to have this book removed from your schools.

I pray that you remain in the peace of Christ. Merry Christmas

Sincerely,

Deacon Joseph E. MacDonald