<\/p>\nCOLORADO SPRINGS \u2014 Representatives of a local Christian church tried to lure a seventh-grader at Russell Middle School into a church van last week, school district officials said.<\/p>\n
As a result, the principal sent students home with a letter to parents asking that they instruct their children not to talk to strangers, and the district has beefed up security around the property at 3825 E. Montebello Drive.<\/p>\n
The letter to parents did not identify the church, and the district \u2014 acting on the advice of its attorney \u2014 has declined to name it. But sources told The Gazette that it was Cornerstone Baptist Church, which is about 2.5 miles from the school and has gotten into trouble in the past for baptizing children without parents’ permission.<\/p>\n
Students at nearby Keller and Fremont elementary schools also have been approached by church members, and church proselytizing has been escalating in recent weeks at Russell. Still, officials were unprepared for what happened Thursday, district spokeswoman Elaine Naleski said Friday.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Y’know, people that try to lure kids into vans to take them away, even out of “love,” are generally considered pretty darned dangerous. Police usually get called.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n\nA few weeks ago, officials at the school met with the church’s leader to complain about members coming on school property to preach the Bible, Naleski said. But rather than stop, church members started proselytizing from public sidewalks outside the school.<\/p>\n
The school will seek a no-trespassing order if church members resume harassing children on school property, Naleski said. But it will be up to parents to take legal action against the church if their children are approached in public areas outside the school.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
A few law suits definitely sound like what is needed.<\/p>\n
<\/span> <\/p>\n\nAssistant pastor Ford Glover said Friday that Cornerstone would have no comment.<\/p>\n
The church website’s “doctrinal statement” that “we believe the church is a local, separated body of believers who are sent forth into the world to get people saved, baptized, and added to the church.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
I understand (though disagree with) the church’s concern over folks not being baptized. In the tradition of Jonathan Edwards and all that, some people believe that immortal souls are at stake. To call this sort of activity, though, highly inappropriate, not to mention harmful to the public image of Christianity (and of dubious utility to boot) would be to understate the case.<\/p>\n
The Mormons may “baptize” people in absentia<\/em>, but at least it’s all just on paper. I don’t think God cares what magical list I’m on without my knowing about it (or consenting to it). <\/p>\n Or let me put it this way. I consider myself Christian, I am a regular church-goers and my daughter was baptized as a child. Approach my kid to proselytize your particular faith, and I will more than just raise my voice. And try to lure her into your church to be baptized, and it’s not holy water that’s going to get spilled.<\/p>\n
Disgusting.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
(via Margie) <\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bizarro story from Colorado Springs: Springs church, school clash over proselytizing – The Denver Post COLORADO SPRINGS \u2014 Representatives of a local Christian church tried to lure a seventh-grader at Russell Middle School into a church van last week, school district officials said. As a result, the principal sent students home with a letter to … Continue reading “At least the Mormons just do it on paper”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-religion"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12391,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2008\/05\/15\/colorado_springs_episcopa.html","url_meta":{"origin":14690,"position":0},"title":"Colorado Springs Episcopal Brouhaha Update","author":"***Dave","date":"Thu 15-May-08 10:18am","format":false,"excerpt":"Some news, finally, from the big Grace & St Stephens \/ Rev Don Armstrong \/ Episcopal Church property\u00a0donnybrook. 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