Request to change Bible policy made
By LAURA THORNBURG
Staff
Tommy Hester addressed the Alleghany Board of Education at its March
5 meeting, expressing concern over the fact that Bibles that have
typically been given to fifth grade students in years past are no
longer distributed.
Hester was accompanied at the meeting by Graylen Blevins, pastor of
Pine Fork Baptist Church in Laurel Springs.
Hester told the board that students in fifth and eighth grades in the
local school system once had the option to accept a copy of the King
James Version of the Bible should they so choose, but because a
mother of a fifth grader complained, the option to choose was taken
from all fifth graders.
"In 1962, prayer was taken out of schools and in 1980, the 10
Commandments were taken out of the classrooms," Hester said.
"Recently, (they were) taken out of the courtrooms. Now, the Bible's
being taken from the fifth graders and nobody's taken a stand,
nobody's said anything; just let it go. We had one lady complain and
the Bibles were taken and out, here's 1,836 that wants them to go back."
After presenting the members of the board with the petition, Hester
read and commented on Bible verses including Proverbs 22:6, Romans
8:28, and Romans 1:16.
First, Hester fielded the Proverbs scripture, which states a child
who is trained in the way they should go will not depart from it when
they get older.
Hester commented, "If he doesn't have a chance to start out that
way, it will be departed from it from the beginning. I'm not really
concerned about your all's kids, kids who are brought up in Christian
background and Christian influence. It's these kids who don't get
that at home. It might be the only place that they get it. I know
that the Gideons have handed them out before. I'm not here for that.
If we're allowed to hand them out, I'm sure we can get any church in
the county to do it, or the Gideons would probably be glad to do it
again."
Making note of the aforementioned verses in Romans, Hester said, "At
the end of the book, God wins anyway, and his people do. We've got a
chance. He gives us freedom of choice to accept him or not."
Adding his personal experience, Hester commented, "I wasn't a saint
and anybody in here that knew me knows I wasn't. But I've changed for
the better and I want to see these kids get the same opportunity to
make a change and not have to go down the rough road I went down. I
don't have kids and a lot of people say, 'You don't really have a dog
in this fight.' Yeah, I do. I care about these kids whether they're
mine or not. They are our future. Somebody from Alleghany one day
might be sitting up there in the White House directing the country in
the way it should go and I'd like for them to have started with the
Bible. It's just a good idea. It's time to take a stand for what we
know is right and quit being afraid or ashamed."
As Hester closed, he stated, "I thought about bringing the middle
school up, but I won't bring it up. I couldn't hardly support another
building that God's not welcomed in, but I hope is and I hope he
continues to be. Whoever the parent is that complained and got the
Bibles taken out, what are we going to do when her kid gets to the
eighth grade? Are we going to take them out there too or are we going
to allow her to have her opinion? I don't think it's fair. I don't
hold anything her having her opinion, but I don't think she should
hurt everybody else this deeply because of her opinion. She may not
approve of mine, but that's fine. I don't mind that either. But I do
hope and pray that you'll reconsider putting Bibles back to the fifth
graders. At least give them a chance."
Chairman Clarence Crouse thanked Hester for expressing his thoughts
to the board and explained that it was protocol for the
superintendent to follow up with those who make comments during the
public comment portion of the meeting.
Superintendent Jeff Cox stated he had spoken to Blevins and Hester at
an earlier time.
"We've talked and we've gone through where we were on this and the
issues the board took up and what their stance has been," said Cox.
"We have gone through that. Obviously, the position from Mr. Hester
is he'd like us to go back to where we were."
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