Very Holy Siblings Demand School Risk Safety To See Their Faces, For Jesus

Notice that they are otherwise wearing clothes.

One of the most popular uses of religion since time immemorial has been to justify the worst acts of human beings — from the Crusades to the Spanish Inquisition to slavery to witch hunts to segregation to various acts of terrorism and pretty much all racism and sexism in general. Not to mention the time all those pagans on a random island off the coast of Scotland burned a dude alive in a giant wicker man so their gods would improve their whole crop situation.

So it is hardly shocking that many of the worst actors throughout the COVID-19 pandemic have used religion to justify their desire to do whatever they want without any regard for the safety of others.

For instance, California resident Gary Nelson believes his two precious children are being discriminated against for their religious beliefs ... because the school won't let them attend in-person classes without a mask. Yeah.

Via NBC:  

"They were sent home and told not to come back with or without a mask," said Gary Nelson, whose children, Drew, 17, and Victoria, 16, attend the Springs Charter Schools Temecula Student Center. "If they do, they would be charged with trespassing."

Nelson said Drew, a senior, and Victoria, a junior, were booted from the campus on Aug. 19 when they declined to wear masks because of their religious beliefs.

"The Bible says we're made in the image of God and Satan tries to cover that up. A mask is a sign of oppression," Nelson said Thursday. "If it was Muslim, Jewish or something of a more high-profile minority religion in this country, yes, they would have accommodated ... just to say they weren't discriminating based on that religion. But they feel safe because it's Christianity."

First of all, I would like to point out the very high likelihood that these children wear clothes to school and that their father wears clothes when he goes to work or otherwise leaves the house. Surely it is not only their faces that were "made in the image of God," and yet they have no issue covering up the rest of them.

Second, 65 percent of Americans identify as Christians. While that may not be as high a percentage as in previous decades, it is still the majority religion in this country. Not only are there many Christians out there wearing masks with no religious conflict, but there are very likely Christians involved in making this very decision. "Not wearing a mask during a fucking pandemic" is hardly a well-known precept of Christianity, nor any other religion known to man. In fact, while I think we all know by now I am not a Bible person, other people looked into it, and the Bible says to put a mask on your piehole.   For the lord. 

There are also no known instances of people belonging to any religion being given an "accommodation" that allowed them to put other people's lives at risk. Why? Because generally speaking, someone's right to practice their religion ends where another person's safety and wellbeing begin. If there were a religious community of children who felt they needed to sacrifice all of the adults in their town to He Who Walks Behind The Rows in order to ensure a quality corn harvest, they would not be allowed to do that, legally. They definitely would not be allowed to do it at school, at the very least. So it seems odd that these children think that they ought to be allowed to do anything that could potentially lead to someone's death by another means.

Third, why would anyone believe in a God who would rather people get sick and die than miss one moment of staring at the faces of these two particular teenagers? It's nice to have confidence, but to imagine oneself so incredibly attractive that a literal deity could not live without gazing upon your countenance between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily is a little much.

For its part, the school has patiently tried to explain to the Nelsons the myriad ways the teens had violated school policy with their behavior, in ways that had absolutely nothing to do with their religion.

[School Principal Rebecca] Fabozzi said in a letter to Nelson that his children were disruptive and that they were violating the mandate from the California Department of Public Health, or CDPH, that students wear masks in public schools. She also listed nine other ways the siblings had failed to follow school rules and policies.

"Each of your students refused to comply with the CDPH mask mandate for public schools. When asked by staff to wear a face covering, your students refused to comply," Fabozzi wrote. "When asked to leave the school premise and continue the day on home independent study, your student refused to leave the campus. Our resource officer arrived, and your student was directed to leave campus."

She ended the letter by saying that because of the disruption, Nelson's children would remain on independent study at home with full access to curriculums, resources and teachers.

Victoria Nelson sees herself as taking a valiant and courageous stand for the deeply held religious beliefs she didn't realize she had until the COVID-19 pandemic started.

"It's hard to stand up for what's right. We chose to not wear a mask because it's not just an excuse. It's truly what we believe in," she said. "For me, I was nervous. I am always respectful to every authority, especially teachers. I get along with all the staff, teachers and other students. It was hard to do."

Oh, the poor dear.

The fact is, the Nelsons are getting an accommodation. Rather than being kicked out entirely, they are allowed to continue their studies at home. That is the accommodation. That way, they don't have to wear a mask and other people don't have to worry about the risk they pose. It would not be fair to the other students to say, "Oh, these two precious angels can go without masks because God can't be deprived of seeing their lovely faces for a few hours, but everyone else has to." They are being allowed to practice their religion and the other students are allowed to continue having a safe and hygienic environment, and that's about the best compromise any school can be expected to do in the face of such ridiculousness.

[ NBC ]

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