Asked about the backlash, Pastor Paul Pitt of the Independant Baptist Church of the Rock said, "We've been having sunrise services for as long as I can remember, I have no idea what the fuss is all about."
At a recent rally spokesman for the AFT shouted the following from his megaphone Tuesday at the Capitol, "STUDENTS NEED SLEEP! NOT INDOCTRINATION!" Much similar chanting followed.
We caught up with the speaker (who asked to speak off the record, which we agreed to). "RW" argued that, "Come on, students don't need to be in Church anyway - I mean, it's all brainwashing. If their parents force them to attend Easter Sunrise Services, they have to get up early, drive to some cold building, sit and listen to someone speaking in the front of a room ...how valuable is THAT?
"The weekends are the only time they can sleep in and let their minds absorb all the knowledge WE give them during the week. Besides, they need to be in wide awake in the classroom so we can tell them what to think. With all theproblems in the world today like global warming and social inequality - kids need what we're force feeding them, even more."
For readers who are not familiar with the concept of "Easter" or "Sunrise Services" - it may surprise some to know it has lilttle to do with bunnies or eggs. Is an observance by those who believe such things, that Jesus Christ, God's only Son rose from the dead after three days in the tomb where he was buried after dying on the cross - for our sins. They celebrate his resurrection since, as they believe, it fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament and of Christ - proving that not only was he a good man and wise teacher - but also had the power over sin and death. Accepting Jesus as their savior is the only way to Heaven after death (John 3:16) and an Abundant Life (John 10:10) here on earth... so they say.
For readers unfamiliar with the teaching of the American Federation of Teachers, we suggest you read this nice write up on AlJazeera and The Occupy Wall Street websites.
