School says 8 year old student not feminine

[thedutchiedutch]

The family of a little girl in western Virginia have removed her from her school

after administrators said she did not appear feminine enough.

Sunnie Kahle, 8, likes autographed baseballs and hunting knives alongside stuffed animals and jewelry, "It's fun," Sunnie said.

Sometimes her schoolmates asked if she was a boy or girl, Sunnie told CBS affiliate WDBJ.

Her grandmother, who is her legal guardian, said she has just always been like that.

"Sunnie realizes she's a female but she wants to do boy things," Doris Thompson told WDBJ.

But administrators at Timberlake Christian School in Timberlake, Va., did not appear to agree.

They sent Sunnie's grandparents a letter reminding them of school policy.

"You're probably aware that Timberlake Christian School is a religious, Bible believing institution providing education in a distinctly Christian environment," Doris Thompson, Sunnie's grandmother, "We believe that unless Sunnie as well as her family clearly understand that God has made her female and her dress and behavior need to follow suit with her God-ordained indentity, that TCS is not the best place for her future education."

Link to full article : http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/weird/2014/03/26/girl-not-feminine-virginia-school/6903345/

[Aus Der Box Skeptisch]

I don't think anyone would even want an education like that.

[Imaginarynumber1]

God ordained identity? How utterly pathetic.

[seaturtlehorsesnake]

well, it sounds like she has some loving and caring family, at least. that counts for a lot.

[DecoNoir]

Well its Virginia, there's your first problem! Second, don't send your kid to a Christian school if there's even the slightest hint they won't be a perfect cookie-cutter kid straight out of the "Brady Bunch".

Glad the family has some self respect and intelligence.

[lisaloveslilia]

This is just another example of how convoluted Christianity is, IMO. THIS story and many others like this concerning one Christian organization or another's justification for intolerance is sickening.

[aquatus1]

Welp, the school fired back a press release about how they are heart-broken they are that Sunnie's grandparents chose to withdraw her from the school and that there is so much more to this story than her being a tomboy and how they never implied little 8-year old Sunny was sexually immoral and could not return to the school.

Which, I suppose, is technically true.

• Sunnie's grandparents did choose to withdraw her during Spring Break, two weeks after receiving the letter, rather than send Sunnie back the next semester.
  
• Certainly the hair and tomboy issue is of little significance to them, as it is to pretty much anyone, considering the remarks regarding sexual immorality.
  
• Granted, they never really implied anything like Sunnie being sexually immoral. They did mention, though, that "On those occasions in which the atmosphere or conduct within a particular home is counter to or in opposition to the biblical lifestyle that the school teachers, the school reserves the right, within its sole discretion, to refuse admission of an applicant or to discontinue enrollment of a student." So, basically, it was the entire family they were implying to be immoral, not Sunnie.
  
• Except for their comment of "This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, living in, condoning or supporting sexual immorality; practicing homosexual lifestyle or alternate gender identity; promoting such practices; or otherwise having the inability to support the moral principles of the school." So, yeah, I guess they did include the little 8-year old girl who is, apparently, practicing alternate gender identities.
  
• At least they never said she couldn't return to the school. What they said was "For this reason, we must ask that you not re-enroll Sunnie here at TCS unless you are open to following the biblical standards set forth above." So at least they are being reasonable.
  

All Sunnie has to do is follow the stated biblical standards of Leviticus 20:13a,

¹³ “‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

Romans 1:21-27,

²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

²⁴ Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. ²⁵ They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

²⁶ Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. ²⁷ In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Matthew 19:4-6

⁴ “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’^[a]5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’^[b]? ⁶ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

and, of course, I Corinthians 6:9-20,

⁹ Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men^[a]10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Sexual Immorality

¹² “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. ¹³ You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴ By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. ¹⁵ Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶ Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”^[b]17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.^[c]

¹⁸ Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. ¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

So, as long as little 8-year old Sunnie can refrain from being a man and having sex with another man, remaining a girl but choosing to have sex with other girls while ignoring God, doesn't get divorced, and avoids prostitutes, she should be okay.

Sounds reasonable.

[psyche101]

I think Sunnie might look back at this as a blessing in later life. I agree with ADBS, that is not the sort of teacher's I would want my kids around. Does not seem like education to me.

[BiffSplitkins]

What's the big deal?

[Jilliman]

My mom went to a Catholic school and it was pure hell. She had a much better time upon transferring to public. I was brought up on public school as well. I think that will be a better education for her. I'm glad her family is supportive. It's crucial for child development to embrace individuality.

[:PsYKoTiC:BeHAvIoR:]

The Bible also teaches tolerance and all judgement is reserved for God to decide. Way to go Timberlake Christian School. You failed to practice what you preached.

[Crabby Kitten]

If that wasn't the only school available in the whole town, choose another school maybe or home education.

[Leonardo]

For some odd reason "The Stepford Wives" sprang into mind when I read the OP.

[JustTerri]

She's a tomboy....she's a child....8 years old at that.

[coldethyl]

Sickening.

[libstaK]

Ridiculous and sad - she is an 8 year old girl and the judgment about why she behaves as a tom boy is completely on the adults and their perverted little minds, they look at an 8 year and decide her sexuality for her before she even has a clue what such a thing can mean in her own mind or even likely make a conscious choice about it for herself.

The parents did the best thing, both by changing schools and highlighting the schools stupidity to the public, she deserves to have a choice about how she wants to live her life on this earth, others shouldn't be railroading her and modelling her into their preferred vision of who she can or should be and what she wears or takes an interest in shouldn't be the litmus test of her femininity.

Edited April 5, 2014 by libstaK