Can you stand up for your Christian values at a time when they're increasingly being threatened by the forces of the left? A private Christian school in Wisconsin is doing just that.
The St. John's Lutheran School, Pre-K through 8th grade church-affiliated learning institution in Baraboo, Wisconsin chose to assert its duty to mould students based on Christian values, although it faces the risk of losing funding from the federal U.S. government.
The school, which currently has 147 students and 10 teachers, maintained that while its doors are open to homosexual or transgender individuals, it still has the right to discipline the young minds it is moulding if they commit sinful behavior that violates the teachings in the Holy Bible.
The educational institution, which gets federal funding to provide subsidised school lunches and bus services, formalised this policy in its parent handbook earlier this year.
"No matter where we are, our students will want to reflect Christian conduct," the school said in the document, as quoted by CBN News.
The school administrators also specified standards of immoral behavior, which included "scandalous conduct on or off campus which is a serious violation of Christian behavior (including premarital sex, homosexuality, use of illegal substances)."
The school's principal, Craig Breitkreutz, also wrote a letter to parents recognising that the educational institution protects students against discrimination. He however maintained that the school's primary responsibility to uphold Bible teachings.
"If we cannot legally refuse students who are struggling with homosexuality or gender identification, we must maintain our right to hold to the truths of God's Word," he said.
Breitkreutz further explained that the school can accomplish this goal in two ways.
"First, we have revamped our admissions policy to include the handbook agreement as well as religious orientation for all new students," the school principal said.
"Second, we have revised our discipline policy to more specifically state which behaviors are not acceptable and can lead to dismissal," he added.
However, not everyone was pleased with the school's decision to stand up to God's Word. The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, for instance, filed a discrimination complaint against the school.
"The letter informed parents about issues related to gender identity and sexual orientation and said that the school was requesting birth certificates for students to enrol. It makes clear that the school does not intend to allow [homosexual] students to attend," the group said in its complaint.
