Ilinois Student Gets Detention for Hugging

you have too much time on your hands, in my opinion.

 

What is an "extreme rule" or a "small hug"? And if you wouldn't enforce, what good does it do to have it? What happens when someone else hugs and they think its "small" and you don't? Do you still not enforce it? And what if someone thinks it is extreme that they can't text message during class? Or hold hands with their girlfriend or boyfriend across the aisle?

Don't you need some kind of thinking behind this?

I am just trying to find some sort of rationale behind what you are saying here.

The issue is PDA in school. What happened in this particular story may not have disrupted the learning environment. But ultimately you have to have rules, and if you have them, you have to enforce them or they become a joke.

All of us (probably) know the problems caused by inconsistent enforcement of a rules, or the problems caused by the kid who got preferential treatment in school.

 

I't so he can bone up on that "critical thinking" he is always talking about. :laugh:

 

I wish your opinion were true. But alas, it's not. But that still doesn't offer any substantive contribution.

 

But that's just it. It is during class, and I wonder the rationale for such selective rule making.

Why? What about a couple leaning up against the lockers in a fully frontal, sensual, body hug but isn't kissing. Is that okay? And what about a boy who has his hands up a girl's shirt in the hallway but is not kissing her? Is that okay?

My bet is that you have a problem with both, but your rule doesn't touch it (no pun intended). And that is why I ask again for a rationale for the selective rule making.

Perhaps we just have very different ideas about biblical morality and the function of an educational institution. Maybe it's that simple.

 

This is a very interesting discussion.

As Christians, we know what the Bible teaches us regarding affection. Some displays of affection are godly, some are not.

This is a man made rule, but like any man made rule or law, Christians are to honor what is is godly. We are to obey all man made rules and laws unless it conflicts with the Lord's instruction.

Even though homosexuality is legal, it doesn't mean we can allow it to be taught to our children, even if it is school policy.
A sidenote, a person cannot just become elected to the public school board. There are often many candidates. Whoever wins through the voting process, is who sits on the school board. Whoever made a comment regarding this subject earlier doesn't understand the election process.

Back to topic. We know the bible tells us to honor God first, in all things.

Let's see what the Bible tells us about hugging/affection in this capacity. Since this was appropriate hugging between friends, we will keep it in this context.

So we see that our Lord expects us to show affection to one another. We are also to show deep love for one another.
I know no other way to show deep love than a hug from one person to another. Especially when they are hurting.

Let's see what the Lord says about us as Parents, hindering our children, and aggravating them so they quit trying to live the life he wants.

In Matthew Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
15When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

Colossians 3:21
Fathers, don't aggravate your children. If you do, they will become discouraged and quit trying.



It is a grevous sin to punish our own children for obeying our Lord. We are not to conform to the world, and it's ways. The school was way out of line.

 

Now that is truly funny ... It is not often in this forum that we see a good parody, but Joe has succeeded.

 

Um...does this sound familiar Pastor Larry?

Or should I just suddenly get elected to the school board so I would have enough credibility for you to answer me politely?

 

Perhaps I am confused Joe. Was that not intended to be a parody?

 

Maybe you ought to re-read the post. It's #29, and not meant to be funny.

 

Are you coming back?
I didn't write a book

 

Okay, fair enough. In my naivete, I assumed no one would use Scripture is such a haphazard way and illegitimate way. I thought it was very funny as a parody. I had no idea that you were trying to be serious.

I do get back from time to time. I have a life outside the BB and don't come here very much these days.

Yes. the Lord said to submit yourself to authority. He never commanded to hug anyone.

I think you are referring to my comment. And what you just described here is getting elected. You go out and win through the voting process. That is, by definition, election. So I am not sure what you are confused about here. You "just become elected" to the school board by winning the most votes from among the many candidates.

In neither case is hugging mentioned, as you can tell from the lack of the word for embracing. In fact, there is a word for embracing in the Bible and it is not used here. So to use these verses as a justification for a middle schooler to hug someone is a misuse of Scripture.

Furthermore, those commands are to be carried out within the body of Christ, not the school.

Then you need to learn some more. There are many way to show love without a hug. Being truthful is one of them. As is giving sacrificially. A listening ear is a good way to show love; biblicla counsel and confrontation is a good way to show love. In fact, God loved the world, and never once has he hugged us. So your method of interpreting Scripture is faulty.

You have not established that he wants middle schoolers hugging each other.

The Lord commands us to be in subjection to authority. It was wrong for this child to disobey God by disobeying the legitimate authority that God had placed over her life.

Exactly, which is why we need to understand that biblical love has very little to do with physical affection.

How so? You have not provided one legitimate argument for that here.

I apologize for thinking you were writing parody. Hopefully this will encourage you to study Scripture more seriously. The Word of God is a very serious matter and must not be treated as a tool to justify our own ideas. We can only legitimately say from Scripture what God says from it.

 

I agree with Pastor Larry on this thread completely. Since when are we to teach are children to purposely break rules? How is that proper instructions of our youth? Then even worse when they do break the rules, proceed to belittle the rules and the authority that instituted them. That sure it wonderful examples of a Christian attitude to not only our children but to the world also. Some things Christian must stand and fight for, this is not one of them.

Also those so quick to complain, do you really know all the reasons that went into the thinking behind the rule? Does that even matter or is it just a "how dare anyone tell my child what to do attitude?" I know I saw in the news that one school district had a rule like this in place because the kids were lingering and hugging so much that it was creating traffic jams in the halls and others were constantly made to be late for classes. It obviously had become an "it" thing to do, kind of a status thing within peer groups. If that is the case I see nothing wrong with the school nipping it in the bud. Let alone the obvious problems that might come from having teens in close physical contact on a regular bases. Where do you draw the line? Do you have a problem then if two boys want to openly embrace in school for all to the kids to be a witness to? I would think most Christians would respect the rule and tell their children to obey.

 

Public Displays of Affection Rule vs the Lord's instruction

Romans 12:10
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another

Pretty cut and dry.

Btw, Steven, what is wrong with two males hugging one another?

 

Nothing I hug plenty of my dearest friends, and I guess I didn't make my point very clear, sorry. What if they are hugging in a more then normal friendly manner? Do you see the slippery slope that could occur? I just saw on the news this week, that a high school voted two lesbians as the cutest couple for the year. The school tried to stop it, but failed becaue they allow it for other couples. The way our society is going, I am just pointing out one more advantage to this hugging rule being applied across the board.

Just to make it clear while I think the rule is a good one that has its benefits. I am not that dogmatic about it and don't have a big problem if a school doesn't have that rule. But I do think it is important to teach our children to obey the rules, and not thumb our noses at them.

As far as Romans 12:10 I believe that is instructions for our brethren in Christ, not for children in public schools. See verse five.

Rom 12:5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

 

I believe the verse applies to everyone, but I will spend time to read it thoroughly. I can't imagine showing affection to a Christian over a non-christian. And that is a really good point. It might be a rule because of the homosexual agenda taking over the schools. I changed my mind, I am for this rule now. Thanks

 

"Kindly affectioned" is the word philostorgos. It does not have "hugging" as a meaning. And that's a major problem I see.

I have no problem with people embracing. I embrace my wife quite often. I embrace other men in the church. I embrace family members both male and female. On a very rare occasion I will embrace another female and my wife will embrace another male as a greeting, just as I would another man in the church. They are very brief "lean in" type embraces. (But those are very rare. I can't remember the last one.)

The point is that the Bible says nothing about hugging. You would have a better case if you had gone to the "greet one another with a holy kiss."

Furthermore, if a girl wants to embrace a girl in a time of great grief, or a young man wants to embrace another young mman in a time of grief or even greeting I have no problem with that. But that is not biblically commanded. It is a cultural greeting.

But the school made a rule as an authority and we are bound to obey that rule unless it requires us to disobey God. Since God does not require middle school students to embrace each other in school or at school functions, there is no disobedience to God involved here.

There are many other appropriate ways to show brotherly love and those should be frequently used.