By BRENDA LEBSACK and REBECCA FRIEDRICHS
The “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,” according to Catholic Vote, is “a vile anti-Catholic organization.” Their motto is “Go and sin some more” and they use the cross for pole dances. The group satirizes Catholic beliefs for the sake of activism. They mock Easter Sunday with a Hunky Jesus/Foxy Mary contest. According to the Catholic League, they hold “Midnight Confessional Contests” awarding the “hottest confessions.”
So it makes sense that Dodgers fans came unglued when they heard their team would be rewarding the anti-Catholic, anti-Christian group. The Dodgers withdrew their award in response to customer outrage and disinvited the “Sisters.”
But the California Teachers Association stepped in and strong-armed the Dodgers into standing with perverts against the will of their paying customers.
California Teachers Association’s May 2023 New Business Item states, “CTA shall release a public statement condemning the Dodgers’ recent decision to rescind the Community Hero Award for the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.”
As veteran California teachers who’ve served within the unions and personally witnessed the radical agenda CTA imposes upon teachers, we find it suspicious that while the Dodgers are taking so much rightful heat for their June 16 celebration of the offensive “Sisters,” the teachers union is getting away scot-free. CTA’s offensive intrusion into America’s national pastime and its endorsement of drag queens mocking nuns is scandalous. That’s why discerning Americans have had enough and are rising up in protest against teachers unions.
“The statement of the CTA should alarm every Catholic parent who sends their children to California public schools. No school should be a place where children are sexualized or taught anti-Catholic prejudice,” said Father Sebastian Walshe of St. Michael’s Abbey in the Diocese of Orange.
The CTA rationalizes its stance with: “The Dodgers decision is rooted in the same bigotry that’s led to the LGBTQIA+ books being banned, drag shows being criminalized, and life-saving medical care being taken away from minors.” But this is a deceptive statement. Americans are pushing back on pornographic books, drag queen events, and sex transition surgeries on children because these things are destructive to children and an affront to families and American values.
Catholics are not the only Americans offended by the CTA’s endorsement. Jews, Muslims, Protestants and teachers like us are outraged as well.
Rabbi Dov Fischer, a senior congregational rabbi and law professor in California comments in his EdSource article, “The state’s school system, established to provide a safe learning climate for all students regardless of their ethnicity, race, language or religious affiliation, is now [thanks to unions] a social laboratory where students and families from devout faiths feel ostracized.”
Dr. Ahmed Soboh, the Chairman of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, an umbrella organization of 67 mosques throughout California, agreed with the rabbi: “Making fun of religious symbols or mocking religious figures should not be celebrated, especially by those who have the honorable job of educating our children.”
Most teachers would agree with the reasonable statements of Father Walshe, Rabbi Fischer, and Imam Soboh. However, the CTA does not represent the majority of teachers. CTA’s endorsement of the “Sisters” is offensive to most teachers, and it demonstrates the radical, out-of-touch views of CTA leadership.
Families of faith have good reason to be appalled since CTA – and its national arm NEA – misrepresent most teachers while controlling the trajectory of public education. Sahara Medrano, a dedicated veteran teacher and a minority representative of the California Teachers’ Union State Council, sees the red flags: “It’s becoming increasingly clear that a politically charged anti-Christian culture of religious intolerance is spreading throughout public school districts across our nation. If this trend continues, our public school system will break confidence with the religious community they are entrusted to serve. Students of faith are starting to boldly speak out saying they don’t feel safe in public schools.”
Teachers don’t feel safe either. And we have to ask, what does forcing the Dodgers into submission to a political agenda that harms children have to do with representing us as educators?
As public school teachers who’ve also served in Christian ministry for years, we commend Muslims, Jews, Catholics, and Protestants for collectively taking a stand for true religious tolerance, by standing against the religious intolerance of CTA. And we’re calling on teachers to join in protest too.
Let’s follow the lead of fed-up Americans who are using their enormous power of the purse to deliver a financial sting to the Dodgers and companies like Bud Light and Target who cave to pressure from special interest groups instead of serving their customers.
Teachers can stop the power of the intolerant CTA by refusing to pay union dues, but we need your help educating teachers that they no longer have to pay unions as a condition of employment. If we help teachers empty the purses of union overlords, Americans can restore childhood innocence and freedom of speech and religion, and get back to enjoying baseball.
Brenda Lebsack is a veteran teacher, former school board member, and founder of Interfaith Statewide Coalition.
Rebecca Friedrichs is founder of For Kids and Country, author of “Standing Up to Goliath: Battling State and National Teachers’ Unions for the Heart and Soul of our Kids and Country,” and a 28-year public school teacher who was lead plaintiff in Friedrichs v. CTA. This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.
I do not believe the Dodgers give two sh,ts about an Alaskan boycott of their product.
Maybe you should read it again. It was written by a former California teacher and the speakers quoted in it were speaking to California congregations. It was shared on this site as information on what is happening in California. Maybe you don’t care how they do things Outside, but our Assembly is doing its best to make Anchorage California. We should care.
oh “frank”…
and such a potty mouth.
I’m with you, Frank. “Sting the L.A. Dodgers!” Damn, don’t that just resonate with the holier-than-thou-crowd here in the North. Hell, now if the two lady “opiners,” Brenda and Rebecca (I presume they are ladies.) could just get them Jesuits to take their eyes off of the altar boys–and, yes, that “society” has vile history in Alaska–they’d definitely be doing good work!
“Sting” ’em, eh? Well, sweeties, do as you please, but don’t give them perverts in the churches the blind eye!
Edit: “that ‘society’ has a vile history in Alaska….”
public education is child abuse.
Thank you for standing up for the minority of teachers who have Christian beliefs. I retired as a Special Needs teacher 5 years ago and have not stepped back into the public school classroom since. I substitute at a Christian school during the week. It makes me furious when I see what is happening in public schools today. Schools need to teach reading, writing and math. I will continue to pray for the schools and the teachers who want to teach the ABC’s and provide a safe and warm environment for all children.
What if it’s a muslim taught school or any one of the other more than 2,000 religions.
They need reading writing and math like any other kid you fool.
Ah yes. Thoughts and prayers. It works great for school shootings so it should do wonders for the public school system.
The events mentioned in this opinion piece happened well over a YEAR ago! This feels like rabble-rousing just for the fun of it.
But also, public school teachers are agents of the state, ie part of the government. They cannot favor one set of religious values over others. It’s literally in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.
Scrappy. WE are the government. The people carrying out our mission, schools, police,fire , (Politicians) are our employees. They work for you and I. Supposedly.
Oxford English Dictionary: “Religion – a system of beliefs about God.” Those who profess that there is no God are expressing belief in a religion – a system of beliefs that there is no God. Those who mock a religion are also expressing their religion. The previous commenters – and I’m sure more will follow – are expressing their opinions about the article, but more so their religious point of view. I refuse here to judge the merits of any of those comments. The “Sisters” in the article have 1st Amendment rights – so do we all, or NONE of us do. Baseball’s fans may protest, and even boycott – because that is the only way our voices may be heard when one group insists on exercising their rights in ways that offend and at the expense of others’ rights. I don’t watch sports to be indoctrinated with politics or religion – and when they try that, I simply stop paying attention… Turn off the tv and get a life! The teachers’ unions, on the other hand, are forcing their religion on the schools in violation of the Establishment Clause. So it’s past time to boycott any school who contracts with unions who try to force their religio-political view on the rest of us. Get your kids out of public school NOW.
Atheism is merely the statement that something isn’t true. It isn’t a belief system or a religion in itself as you claim. I wish you’d get this bit right. I’m sure you don’t have a term for your non-belief in tooth fairies or in Santa Clause (assuming you don’t believe they exist).
That is easily the most delusional post you’ve ever made. Easily.
I’m sorry that definitions and reading comprehension escape you. If you think atheism is a religion, then I can’t help you. Have a nice day.
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