A school in Florida has been turned over to an organization representing some strange hybrid of the Nation of Islam and the Church of Scientology. At least that’s the way the story below reads to me.
(DailyKos) — At a Christmas party for students held in a Scientology church, “children were fed candy and pizza, given Scientology books and DVDs, and shown a performance of a play written by Scientology’s late founder, L. Ron Hubbard.” Islam, whose supposed academic credentials come from a school known as a diploma mill and an “institute” that the Tampa Bay Times couldn’t confirm exists, appointed a Nation of Islam student minister as chairman of the school’s board and had the Rev. Alfreddie Johnson, who “was called ‘the liaison between the Church of Scientology and the Nation of Islam’ last October by the Nation’s official newspaper, The Final Call,” give a speech at a school fundraiser.
I’m surprised the Christian right hasn’t gotten wind of this. They can usually be counted on to go apeshit whenever other religions, especially Islam (Let alone Scientology) get their hooks into state or quasi-state tax payer gravy or anywhere near kids. Won’t someone please think of the children? In this case, if the info above is accurate, I wouldn’t mind if they did step in and shut it down. More on this strange story at the Tampa Bay Times.
Being extremely cynical here…I could see the xtian right ignoring the issue since the school predominately serves minorities. My understanding of the history of the xtian right is that it started predominantly with Falwell as a response to desegregation and still maintains those prejudices.
What will the religious think of next…anyway, I agree with OP, I can’t believe the Christian Right doesn’t have its hands all over this yet. I hope they do get involved, the statements of hypocrisy will be well worth it. One question though, is anyone working to prevent more of this behavior in a public school?
Speaking from experience, having lived in the Tampa Bay area for several years, Scientology has a significant presence down there (based out of St Petersburg if memory serves). There are also several large Nation of Islam congregations in the area- if the two groups got together, they’d easily have enough throw weight to compete for attention. They’d still be in the minority compared to any of the Xian sects, but taking over a single school? Hardly out of reach, especially if they were as sneaky about it as they seem to have been.
What’s really strange is seeing any other religious group on Earth cooperating with Scientologists to do anything.
They both have components of pseudoscience claims based in their respective scriptures. Solidarinösc, brothar.
Weirdest religious mix ever? Talk about two groups that don’t sound like they go together! Surprised they don’t end upat each others throats. Guess indoctrinating the kiddies must come first for both of them.