Our Lady of Sorrows indeed

Oh dear Lord.

Arizona's Our Lady of Sorrows Academy forfeited the state championship game because of a girl.  Not because one of their star pitchers was enamoured with the blonde in his history class, but because their opponent's team has a girl.

No need to check your calendars, it is still 2012.

The school has a strong religious belief that boys and girls are to be taught separately and that is their right.  Knock yourselves out.  But you're missing a big opportunity here to actually EDUCATE your students about life.

While you segregate your students due to your religious beliefs the rest of the world is moving on and your students, while adhering to your religious beliefs, are less prepared to enter it.

The other team has a girl?  Starting at second base?  Egads!  Next she'll want to vote!

The player in question, Paige Sultzbach, has sat out previous matches due to the Our Lady of Sorrows beliefs, but finally stood up for her own when it came to the big game.  Kudos, Paige.  She has already been impacted negatively by the narrow views of the other school, perhaps they could suck it up and show some respect and just let the kids play baseball?  But no, their views don't allow the possibility of physical contact between the students.  They demand others bend to their beliefs but refuse to do the same for others.

Seriously?  It's baseball, what's going to happen?  Someone tries to steal second, Paige tags them out, and they kiss?  Perhaps the teachings they've been presented are proven false?  Then they have to go home and explain how they lost to a girl?

Oh.

I think I understand now.

Parents of Our Lady of Sorrow Academy in Arizona: I respect your religious beliefs and would never question your right to raise your children as you see fit, but I truly hope you see how ill prepared they will be to enter a world where Paige can do anything they can, possibly better, despite all your attempts to teach them the opposite.

 

Let them play, they're kids.

 

Rock on, Paige.  My little girls saw your story tonight and smiled.

 

Comments

mr618 said…
Seems the "traditional" fire house sign is more applicable in Arizona -- "100 years of history unimpeded by progress." This is the same state where Joe Arpiao is being sued by the Feds for allowing his officers to profile folks based on skin pigmentation, and where the Arizona SS -- err, State Police -- are asking for "Papers, please, mein herr."
Too Old To Work said…
While it's silly to forfeit a game because a girl is on the other team, the people who study education report that kids of both sexes do better when they are taught separately. The older the kid, the more the disparity. Imagine that, teens with raging hormones can concentrate better when kids of the opposite sex aren't around.

Of course they haven't studied Gay or Lesbian students in that context yet.

The 21st century is damned complex, isn't it?

Back to the original post. Our Lady of Sorrows was pretty foolish to take this approach.