Nova Scotia student suspended over "Life is wasted without Jesus" t-shirt

[MarchHare]

http://www.globalnews.ca/opinions+di...876/story.html

HALIFAX - Buzz continues to grow over the suspension of a Nova Scotia high school student, sent home for a week after refusing to change out of a T-shirt bearing a religious message.

Nineteen-year-old William Swinimer says he's willing to take whatever consequences come his way in order to stand up for his religious beliefs, including the right to wear a shirt that reads "Life is wasted without Jesus."

[...]

In a press release Wednesday afternoon, SSRB stated:

• SSRSB students may choose to wear clothing that embraces their beliefs. However, it is expected that students will not wear clothing with messages that may offend others' beliefs, race, religion, culture or lifestyle.

• If a message can be reasonably interpreted by a person as negative towards another person's beliefs, race, religion, culture or lifestyle, and if it has offended other students and/or staff, the SSRSB feels that such instances are unacceptable and would ask that the message in question be replaced by a message that clearly communicates the student’s beliefs without disrespecting the beliefs or violating the rights of others.

I've been thinking about this story for the last 30 minutes, and I still can't decide which side I'm on. I certainly support everyone's right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression, but at the same time, schools have to maintain an environment that isn't considered hostile to anyone's beliefs (or lack thereof). If the student was wearing a shirt that said "God loves me" or "Jesus is my saviour", I don't think a suspension would be warranted.

Likewise, nobody would be questioning the suspension if his t-shirt was emblazoned with a swastika or a slogan that said "God hates fags". We acknowledge there are reasonable limits on what students are free to express in the interest of maintaining an open and inclusive public education system.

So can the expression "Life is wasted without Jesus" be reasonably interpreted as being hostile towards other students? I'm honestly not sure. I personally wouldn't be upset by it, but I very well might have been when I was in high school and struggling with my religious beliefs. What if the situation was reversed and an atheist student worse a t-shirt that said "Christians are wasting their lives"? Would that be reasonably interpreted as being hostile towards Christian students and worthy of suspension?

[Lt.Spears]

Meh, Jesus will make it better for him i bet.

LOL

[troutman]

This does not bother me. As long as the school is not endorsing the student's personal message.

What if a student wore a Darwin t-shirt? Would that student be suspended?

[Lobotroth]

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Yeah this one is tough. I agree with your point that shirts with a positive message definitely wouldn't be worthy of a suspension.

Life is Wasted Without Jesus isn't overly offensive though. And once again I agree, would a Christians are Wasting Their Lives shirt be banned?

Honestly for me it would depend on the student's attitude. Is he some sort of god hates fags fundamentalist who is telling every person he sees that they are going to hell? Or is he just a devout christian with a weird shirt?

[undercoverbrother]

when did the world become full of pu$$ies.

if you don't like the shirt and it does not actively advocate hatred who cares.

[Table 5]

There is way too much fighting about religion these days. Sometimes you just need to let people think and say what they want, and don't let it bother you so much.

[Table 5]

I hope he comes back tomorrow with this shirt:

[Jacks]

As a non religious person I think this is silly and he shouldn't be suspended. It's not like his shirt said "If you believe in Budda you are going to hell" or something inflammatory.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Seeing as Jesus can turn water into wine, I'm guessing Life With Jesus would be pretty wasted.

[HPLovecraft]

If I were a Muslim or a Jew, I might find the t-shirt mildly offensive. It is basically proclaiming your belief system a waste of time. I'm neither of those, though, so I just think it's dumb.

Suspend that mofo.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by troutman

This does not bother me. As long as the school is not endorsing the student's personal message.

What if a student wore a Darwin t-shirt?

But his shirt didn't get banned for having Jesus on it, or religion or even a religious slogan. His shirt got banned because it disses other people's religions.

[Joborule]

I can see why the message could be considered offensive and why a suspension could be justified.

But a week seems a bit excessive.

[Jacks]

What's next, if someone wears a "Justin Beiber sucks" shirt will they get suspended for offending 12 year old girls?

[mikey_the_redneck]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

http://www.globalnews.ca/opinions+di...876/story.html



I've been thinking about this story for the last 30 minutes, and I still can't decide which side I'm on. I certainly support everyone's right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression, but at the same time, schools have to maintain an environment that isn't considered hostile to anyone's beliefs (or lack thereof). If the student was wearing a shirt that said "God loves me" or "Jesus is my saviour", I don't think a suspension would be warranted.

Likewise, nobody would be questioning the suspension if his t-shirt was emblazoned with a swastika or a slogan that said "God hates fags". We acknowledge there are reasonable limits on what students are free to express in the interest of maintaining an open and inclusive public education system.

So can the expression "Life is wasted without Jesus" be reasonably interpreted as being hostile towards other students? I'm honestly not sure. I personally wouldn't be upset by it, but I very well might have been when I was in high school and struggling with my religious beliefs. What if the situation was reversed and an atheist student worse a t-shirt that said "Christians are wasting their lives"? Would that be reasonably interpreted as being hostile towards Christian students and worthy of suspension?

Only a liberal ninny would be upset by someone else's t-shirt, especially something as innocuous as "Life is wasted without Jesus".

It seems to me that Christians are being bullied more and more these days....

Something tells me that if a student was wearing a shirt with a pro-gay slogan on it, it would be celebrated as brave and courageous.

[Komskies]

19 years old and still in high school. Gooooo Nova Scotia!

[Lobotroth]

Originally Posted by Joborule

I can see why the message could be considered offensive and why a suspension could be justified.

But a week seems a bit excessive.

Life is wasted without Jesus, better give him as much time as possible to hang with the big J.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Jacks

What's next, if someone wears a "Justin Beiber sucks" shirt will they get suspended for offending 12 year old girls?

No.

As per the OP:

If a message can be reasonably interpreted by a person as negative towards another person's beliefs, race, religion, culture or lifestyle,

Culture and lifestyle wouldn't include musical preferences I don't think.

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

Only a liberal ninny would be upset by someone else's t-shirt, especially something as innocuous as "Life is wasted without Jesus".

It seems to me that Christians are being bullied more and more these days....

Something tells me that if a student was wearing a shirt with a pro-gay slogan on it, it would be celebrated as brave and courageous.

You mean there's a correlation between a slogan speaking of tolerance and acceptance and one proclaiming everyone else's life is a waste if they don't believe in the God they believe in?

Tell me more.

[Canada 02]

if you believe the comment section, the student wore the same shirt for two weeks straight, wrote in the soccer field "Jesus loves you", and has "verbally attacked other students about their religion".

there might be more to the story than just wearing the shirt as a one off thing