If you like the way Mack Ford treated and taught the children at New Bethany Home for Boys and Girls in Arcadia, you’ll love the education reforms being put in place for Louisiana by Gov. Bobby Jindal, Superintendent of Education John White and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) President Chas Roemer.
Though many of the students at New Bethany never received their high school diplomas as promised, Ford employed the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) curriculum for whatever teaching that occurred at the facility.
And though the home closed more than a decade ago, students’ claims of beatings and rapes at New Bethany recently resurfaced when it was learned that two former board members—Ford’s son-in-law and grandson, Timothy Johnson and Jonathan Johnson, respectively— were working in the campaign of 5th District congressional candidate State Sen. Neil Riser, the candidate who is Jindal’s personal choice.
On Tuesday, Jonathan Johnson, Ford’s grandson who has worked for retiring 5th District Congressman Rodney Alexander since 2003 and who now works for Riser as an unpaid volunteer, was asked about the propriety of Riser’s allowing two men tainted by the reports of beatings and rapes at New Bethany. “This doesn’t involve him (Riser),” he said.
Jonathan Johnson never denied the beatings and rapes occurred. Instead, he said, “I was twelve when that happened.” He also denied that he ever served on the New Bethany board. But minutes of a board meeting on June 30, 2001, obtained by LouisianaVoice indicate otherwise.
Called for the purpose of “disposing of properties owned and operated by New Bethany Home for Girls, Inc.,” the minutes identify board members “acting on behalf of New Bethany Home for Girls, Inc.” They include Timothy Johnson (Jonathan Johnson’s father and Mack Ford’s son-in-law), Jonathan Johnson, Maxine Ford, Douglas Gilmore and Thelma Ford (Mack Ford’s wife and the board’s vice president and secretary).
As for the manner in which the property of New Bethany Home for Girls, Inc., was disposed of, records on file in the Bienville Parish Courthouse indicate little, if anything was actually liquidated. Instead, records show the home’s property was simply transferred to New Bethany Baptist Church—a paper transaction that kept control of the property in Ford’s name.
New Bethany Baptist Church is in the New Bethany Home for Girls compound, situated inside a chain link fence topped with barbed wire. Former residents of New Bethany said only residents and staff members—no outsiders—ever attended New Bethany Baptist Church.
And while the home officially closed its doors in 1998 (though some claim that a few girls remained there until 2004), LouisianaVoice found several Independent Fundamental Baptist churches across the country (including at least one in Louisiana) that continued providing financial support for Ford’s “ministries” long after the home closed and services at New Bethany Baptist Church were no more.
Among those churches which continued sending financial assistance to Ford:
- Calvary Baptist Church, Sulphur, Louisiana, W.T. Darnell, pastor;
- New Testament Baptist Church, Centralia, Illinois, Don Smith, pastor;
- Faith Baptist Church, Spokane, Missouri, James Mohler, pastor;
- Berean Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Ronnie Baity, pastor;
- Gloryland Baptist Church, Lincolnton, North Carolina, Macon Ballard, pastor.
Baity, asked why his church continues to send money to a “mission” that no longer exists, said, “How this church spends its money is none of your business since you don’t help pay the bills.”
And though this is by no means an indictment of all church-affiliated schools, three traits prominent among many—far too many—fundamental Christian schools, including New Bethany, are child abuse, sexual abuse and fundamental Christian textbooks like the ACE curriculum, A Beka Book, and Bob Jones University (BJU) Press that teach such interesting things as:
- Solar fusion is a myth;
- A Japanese whaling boat found a live dinosaur;
- Humans and dinosaurs co-existed;
- The earth is only 10,000 years old;
- The Ku Klux Klan tried to be a means of reform in some areas of the country;
- God used the “Trail of Tears” as a means to bring many American Indians to Christ;
- It cannot be shown scientifically that man-made pollutants will one day reduce the depth of the atmosphere’s ozone layer;
- God has provided certain checks and balances in creation to prevent many of the global upsets predicted by environmentalists;
- The Great Depression was exaggerated by propagandists, including John Steinbeck, to promote a socialist agenda;
- Only 10 percent of Africans can read or write because Christian mission schools have been shut down by communists;
- Unions have always been plagued by socialists and anarchists who use laborers to destroy the free-enterprise system that hardworking Americans have created.
The list of schools participating in the 2013-2014 Louisiana Scholarship Programs is peppered with church-affiliated schools, some two dozen of which employ one or more of the three curriculums cited earlier. Each was state approved by BESE, White and by virtue of his support of White and Roemer, Jindal.
- Delhi Charter School: Until public opinion (and a threat of a lawsuit by the ACLU), Delhi Charter instituted a policy of forcing a female student to take pregnancy tests if the school suspected she might be pregnant. The policy was adopted after a 17-year-old student became pregnant by a school football player and was asked to leave the school. The boy was subjected to no disciplinary action.
- Claiborne Christian School, West Monroe: Scientists are “sinful men” who exclude God in explaining the world. “Any stories that go against a biblical view of live in this series of books are skipped and are not read in the class.”
- Faith Academy, Gonzales: Employs ACE textbooks. Students “defend creationism through evidence presented by the Bible verses (sic) traditional scientific theory.”
- Northeast Baptist School, West Monroe: Uses A Beka and BJU science textbooks.
- Union Christian Academy, Farmerville: Relies “heavily” on the BJU curriculum, as well as “selected materials that have been approved by the administration.”
- Victory Christian Academy, Metairie: Uses A Beka and BJU curricula.
- Northlake Christian Elementary School, Covington: Teaches from A Beka materials.
- Northlake Christian High School, Covington: Student handbook includes policy against admitting prospective students and staff who do not meet “Biblical standards.”
- Gethsemane Christian Academy, Lafayette: Uses ACE, A Beka and BJU curriculum.
- Jehovah-Jireh Christian Academy, Baton Rouge: Uses A Beka curriculum.
- Greater Mt. Olive Christian Academy, Baton Rouge: Uses A Beka curriculum.
- Faith Christian Academy, Marrero: Uses A Beka curriculum.
- Lafayette Christian Academy, Lafayette: Uses BJU and A Beka curricula.
- Cenla Christian Academy, Pineville: Uses BJU and A Beka curricula.
- Family Worship Christian Academy, Opelousas: employs A Beka curriculum.
- Trinity Christian Academy, Zachary: uses A Beka for high school science.
- Old Bethel Christian Academy, Clark: Uses A Beka curriculum.
- Eternity Christian Academy, Westlake: uses ACE curriculum.
So while Jindal bemoans “government control” of Louisiana’s education system, he apparently has no problem with fundamental church schools gaining control of students’ minds through curricula that conflict with scientific knowledge—and doing it with state funding.
Anyone who has the ability to see through Jindal’s “reform” package has to be asking whatever happened to the doctrine of separation of church and state.
And that doctrine appears to be the only real difference between the Mack Fords and Lester Roloffs of the world, who steadfastly refused state funding to avoid the necessity of state licensing (and state supervision) and those Christian schools who crowd their way to the public trough for a share of state funding to support their curricula that border on mind control.
Can anyone say “Stepford students?”
All this fake education and church schools look very much like what many Muslim schools and even some Jewish ones do, indoctrination. Just what no nation needs, a generation of idiots who buy into myths and have zero knowledge that is at all useful in the real world. Thanks loads for this Booby.
I do not agree that all Christian schools are alike, nor secular schools. My children (now adults) have experienced several of both types. Each one was different from the other. Newman is not anything like Benjamin Franklin, though they are both secular and they are both excellent. There are some lousy secular schools too, some private, some public and some charter. Loyola was the best Christian school either of my children attended. Oberlin was the worst. Bobby Jindal went to Baton Rouge High and Brown. How did he come to the conclusion that Paul Valas is an educator? Did he get his wisdom from the high ranked secular schools? Kate
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Nor do I. In fact, if you re-read the piece, you will see that I said my story “is not an indictment of all church-affiliated schools.” Clearly, there are many quality church schools. The post is primarily about fundamental schools that teach a curriculum that is a literal interpretation of the Bible to the exclusion of all else.
Most Evangelicals hold to the literal, historical, grammatical interpretation of the Bible. Many, if not most, Christian Evangelical schools also interpret the Bible as though they actually believe what God says in it. Like secular schools, some Evangelical Christian schools are academically excellent. Some are not. Usually, academics are taught in classes at separate times from Bible classes.
To me, it’s not so much what is taught in some of these so called Christian schools, but it’s the fact that I don’t want my tax dollars paying for it. If one wants to send a child to a private school whether it be religious or not, I do not want my tax dollars to be used when we can improve education by putting more money into public schools, teachers, books, computers, etc., where a great education could be provided to all children, not just those in the private schools.
Absolutely spot on! I’m old enough to have attended public schools when you could get an excellent education at either a public or a private school—if you were white. Private schools had the edge in some things, public schools in others. Our parents got their money’s worth either way. Now, we seem hell bent on putting the last nail in public education’s coffin and substituting schools not demonstrably better for anybody except the organizations running them. We have always paid for public education whether we used it or not. There are still some excellent public schools whose practices could be emulated by others. Aren’t we willing to protect our investment by investing a little more in public education rather than abandoning it?
I just don’t think Jindal is all that religious. What’s in it for him? Why does he want this?
“The Republican Party is …now a fanatical group run out of right-wing states by a cadre of nihilists, Know-nothings, and a handful of billionaires.” Robert Reich, September 22, 2013
And Governor Jindal wants to be the leader of the pack.
My youngest daughter graduated from a large public school in Lake Charles. She was and still is a very good student and received a well-rounded education from Barbe. During her senior year, unfortunately some of the teachers left due to the negative and unnecessary changes forced upon an already overworked teaching and administrative staff. The school had gotten so crowded that one year there weren’t enough desks for a math class and my daughter sat on the floor. As a taxpayer in that school district, I was very upset to hear funding was going to any voucher programs or private schools. If any parent wishes a child to attend a private school (usually the better ones) have some scholarships available but reserved for hardworking students who will utilize the scholarship as a means to a better education. All public schools deserve to be well funded which offers real choices for parents. Minority students who live in a district where the parent has deemed it an undesirable school for the child can have the child, (term most often used, bussed) to a, “better” public school like Barbe. Jindal wanted House Speaker Kleckley to use state money to expand/update Barbe’s stadium when they don’t even have adequate teaching staff for the number of students or enough desks to accommodate an acceptable learning environment. I am grateful to the school and how hard everyone works to educate students, many of whom go on to successfully complete college. My daughter qualified for a scholarship—and not just TOPS—because the school had the good teachers and curriculum which prepared her to have numerous options to colleges outside Louisiana. That’s called Choice! Our tax dollars do not, nor should they, ever go to voucher schools. If you as a parent are unhappy with a child’s school, attend a PTA meeting. Ask how funding cuts are affecting your child from learning and then ask yourself why should tax dollars go to any schools other than the one the taxpayers children reside in. Jindal is investing in himself. He got his education. Will he send his children to a voucher school in Baton Rouge? If he can’t afford to pay, not a problem, we have it covered for him. His ads on television are propaganda attempting to sell his voucher program but instead of using real facts, he relies on twisted data. Unfortunately, laws and our state constitution don’t apply to him so we keep on taking it again and again. For lack of a better word his public policy Stinks!!! Unless perhaps you’re on the receiving end of free taxpayer money.
Right on!
We need to push the truth in the public sector on items 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 of the above fundamental Christian school agendas. Although you stated that it is not an indictment of all church-affiliated schools, the unsupported vector is a bit left.
Not quite sure what you’re trying to say here. Are you saying you support the curriculum being taught? And what “unsupported vector” are you talking about?
I will do a strange thing just to prove I am not a politician and answer your first question with a direct “no”. You appeared to be using items 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 as examples of incorrect teachings by those schools. What sources were you using to say they were in error. Although I do not disagree with 6 of the items, the other 5 are on the agenda of a group known as the left. The “scientific” evidence depends upon which scientists’ one is listening; example ozone depletion and man made global warming, Lots of noise and repetition but no concrete proof. Repeat it loud enough and frequently enough—— .
I love what you are doing and appreciate the hard and intense research you are doing. Be careful not to alienate some of your Bible thumping readers. The English reader doesn’t have a chance understanding it to the degree necessary to understand that Science and the Bible teachings agree; the confusion lies in the translators. I-D- ten-Ts abound in some of our religious institutions but some are pretty sharp.
If those five are on the “left,” as you say, someone better inform Gov. Bobby Jindal, BESE President Chas Roemer and State Education Superintendent John White because they support the courses through the approval of the schools but they are so far to the right as to be considered on the lunatic fringe.
Given that literally thousands of independent scientists and their measurement instruments have now raised to a 95% confidence level the probability that man is the overwhelming reason for the indisputable global warming condition, I’d call that more than repetitious noise without “scientific” evidence. And even if man’s actions are not totally to blame for the condition, isn’t it worth taking corrective action now while there is still a functioning ozone layer rather than later saying “Oops, guess we were wrong to ignore the evidence” and subject our ever shrinking progeny to a miserable existence under a glass domed biosphere?
An ounce of prevention is worth a TON of cure–if a cure is even possible.
Must have confused you; sorry about that. The 5 items referred to are in the cross hairs of the left; to destroy those teachings, ie Humans and dinosaurs co-existed was at least insinuated to be categorically untrue. The Ku Klux Klan tried to be a means of reform in some areas of the country is a true statement however very politically incorrect; Don’t know the leaning of the politicians referred to but lets all try to stay vertical. The airplanes I fly have an attitude indicator on them and if the bank is too far left or right the eventual result is disastrous.
Again,” literally thousands of independent scientists” and 95% needs support. One could say literally thousands of independent scientists say no. Give us those names please and articles to support the statement; I will fire back with those that say no. I am much more afraid of existence under repressive government regulations than a domed biosphere. Me thinks there are agendas at work to lead us from the truth of the matter. R-12 works much better in my AC than R-134 and it will be banned next. Conspiracy theory is not a synonym for lie where as evolution is a theory based upon lies. Corrective action that infringes upon our freedoms in favor of safety is especially dangerous especially unproven cooked book scientific data. Too safe can make us all sorry.
I, on the other hand, am much more fearful of a world where industrial, corporate, political and Wall Street greed are allowed to flourish unchecked by regulation.
http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus
http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence
Don’t you dare attempt to minimize the effects of the Great Depression. My grandparents lived through that era and it was damned real to them.
And were it not for the efforts of union organizers, we would, as the Republican like to say, still have American jobs that were shipped overseas because of high labor costs. Those jobs, however, would in all likelihood, be similar to the sweat shops of Bangladesh, Indonesia, India and the Philippines. My grandchildren would be without access to an education and would be working for 50 cents per day.
As for your feeble attempt to justify the KKK as a benevolent organization in ANY respect, I choose not to even dignify that with a comment except to say that two KKK members in Ruston once threatened to kill me when I was on leave from the Air Force merely because I insulted the KKK and rejected their attempts to enlist me to recruit members of the military to their “benevolent” organization—and I took that threat very seriously. I can identify them for you privately (they are both deceased now) but not on this blog.
They are a threat for sure. My research indicates that the regulations are being put in place by the foxes in the hen house. Us sheeple are playing into their hands out of fear due to lack of knowledge and understanding.
http://www.inquisitr.com/970055/global-warming-hoax-claimed-by-climate-change-critics-after-un-ipcc-report/
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2013/09/17/global_warming_scientists_we_were_wrong
Before evolution is debated we need to define the term so that we understand it. If the term is that orange butterflys turn into green ones over time, we have no debate but if one is saying that a butterfly turns into an elephant over some period of time, we have a problem.
Must be very poor at communication but don’t remember disputing the effects of the great depression. Where did that come from? Like you, I lived with my grandparents and am not sure they ever got over it. My wife accuses me of holding on to things I should get rid of as a result of those indirect teachings.
No doubt unions were a necessary part of developing this country’s economy and a fair wage standard for our people. Once you get the government regulations in place, the you have a double strangle hold on employers. I am in favor of getting one or the other out of the picture. The unions can do just fine without government assistance. The obvious communist influence needs to be weeded out too. If you are looking for an argument to justify Democratic actions by what Republicans have done, you will have to go argue with someone else. The Republicans are at least as corrupt but working for the same World Government goons the Democrats are in bed with.
Please explain how I tried to justify the KKK as a benevolent organization???. They were involved in community police work and were very effective in keeping some of the renegades and outlaws at bay in many of the southern towns. They weren’t always pushing racial agendas but they were definitely right wing. Unfortunately they morphed into the opposite side of the political agenda mirrored by Al Sharpton. To say they were totally always bad is to ignore or reinvent history.
1. What are the credentials of the Inquisitor? I have certainly never heard of such an organization, but I have heard of NASA.
2. When you are forced to cite Rush “Praise the Lord and pass the Oxycontin” Limburger as your source, you are already teetering on the precipice of zero credibility. I trust that buffoon no more than I trust Al Sharpton or Dick Cheney—maybe even less. He’s nothing more than an offensive shill for the Republican Party and ALEC.
Watts, please take a look at this: http://www.ipcc.ch/ for information you ask for regarding evidence of climate change. It astounds me that anyone would continue to deny it unless the only evidence they read is offered by the discredited Heartland Institute and/or statements from scientists paid for by the fossil fuel industry. This whole argument reminds me of the way the tobacco industry put forth “scientists” to dispute the harm cigarettes caused. The strategy behind both is to repeatedly say there is no consensus on the science in order to create doubt and confusion when, in fact, there is overwhelming consensus. If you can’t accept a 95% level of confidence by scientists from all over the world, then I can’t help you. If you were given the choice of a medical procedure in which one was successful 95% of the time and the other was successful only 5% of the time, which would you choose?
Excellent response, Judith. Among the most frustrating things about dealing with many of the people who ignore the reality of global warming is their insistence it is some kind of hoax invented to convince us that pollution is bad. Hello. Poisoning our air, water, and soil is bad, per se, and would be even if it had zero effect on warming. This is just plain common sense and requires no scientific knowledge. I’ve heard people, including Rush Limbaugh, make the argument pollution isn’t bad because the Earth can renew and cleanse itself . That is true, but the most efficient and logical step the Earth could take in this regard would be elimination of its major pathogen, humanity.
Reality? major pathogen, humanity? Do you work for the government?
Judith, Anyone would be classified as an I-D-ten-T who didn’t go along with your reference, if one believed the source. If we can’t trust the governments’ then who can we trust? Al Gore is a scientist ——-? Oh, then we must trust the ones lobbying for more pollution. I fell off the turnip truck for sure, but not this morning. I didn’t see you on the truck so maybe you are much smarter than me Witness a volcanic eruption and then tell me man has a significant effect on global warming. I did say significant didn’t I? The comparison of a flea on an elephant comes to mind; and I know that I am soooooo politically incorrect and definitely on the wrong side of this blog. Good luck girl, but look before you follow.
Heavy sigh…really? There are so many days when I feel that there is something inherently wrong with the “every man’s vote is equal” part of the constitution.
[…] Status: Longstreet and Walterboro closed 1981 and 1984 respectively. Arcadia reopened in 1998; some claim girls still attended until […]
The education may be fake, but an institution’s refusal to obey mandatory reporting laws isn’t fake. The NEW York Times is sniffing it out right now!