Ira Thomas, a Christian conservative teacher from South Carolina,
on Monday told Linda Harvey that gay-inclusive curriculum violates
his Christian faith.
Harvey, the founder of the Columbus, Ohio-based Mission America
and a frequent contributor to the conservative website WND.com, spoke
with Thomas during her radio show.
Thomas discussed his experience attending the National Education
Association's (NEA) convention in Atlanta, according to Right
Wing Watch, a project of People for the American Way.
“There was another item about showing a video and I can't
remember what video but it was something dealing with the gay and
lesbian [sic]. But after sitting through several of those I decided
it was time to let my voice be heard instead of sitting by and saying
nothing,” Thomas said.
“So what did you eventually say?” Harvey asked.
“In short, I told them as a person I do not have a right to
discriminate, but by the same token they do not have a right to
disseminate what I consider to be harmful material to children. I do
not have a right to tell them what to choose but they also do not
have a right to choose a curriculum for me that I feel is biblically
wrong. It's like with prayer. It's not right for me to put my
Christian beliefs on anybody, it is right for me to share the Gospel,
but even Christ gave us the choice. If we're going to go there then
the next thing we know we're going to have everybody forcing things
on us in school that we don't believe in from witchcraft to even the
molestation of children.”