Recently, a shocking assault on Christians – and their beliefs – was perpetrated by an elected Chilliwack School District #33 Trustee Teri Westerby, a biological female who identifies as transgender.
(Article by Jeff Gunnarson republished from CampaignLifeCoalition.com)
It's an ominous sign when school board trustees, who have a great deal of direct influence over the learning environment of impressionable school children, explicitly demonstrate contempt for, and hurl abuse at, Christians, many of whom are the very students under their influence.
Teri Westerby is the Director of an LGBT propaganda arm called the Chilliwack Pride Society, which means she is a radical sex-activist who also happens to be a school board trustee.
In late July, Westerby posted a meme on Facebook that depicted a steamroller about to mow down a group of terrorized Christians running for their lives.
Yes, this elected trustee, whose job includes representing Christian students and their families, promoted violence towards Christians.
Trustee Westerby evidently thought the image of crushing Christian people to death and eradicating their values was funny.
Can you imagine how unsafe this must make students in Trustee Westerby’s schools feel, if they identify as Christian?
Initially, the Chair of the Chilliwack School Division, Trustee Willow Reichelt, attempted to dismiss the concerns of Christians who expressed outrage at Westerby's meme, saying on social media that "it's understandable that seeing the image with no context could be hurtful", but also giving readers her personal assurance that Trustee Westerby "would never advocate violence or discrimination against anyone".
Maybe Trustee Reichelt should take another look at the steamroller meme?
Facing growing public backlash, Trustee Westerby herself posted a non-apology statement on August 5th in which she attempted to justify why she shared the anti-Christian meme. She, too, assured her readers that she "would not promote violence or hatred against anyone, for any reason, ever".
Her statement made no apology for posting the meme in the first place, nor did she admit that it constituted bigotry against Christian moral teaching and, by extension, Christians who adhere to those beliefs.
PATTERN OF HATE TOWARDS CHRISTIANS
But this isn't the first time Trustee Westerby has marginalized Christians.
Here is another of her Facebook posts from just a few days before the steamroller meme, in which she depicted a Catholic priest being “prayed” out of existence.
The message?
The clear, hateful, and some might argue, violent, message is that the presence of bible-believing Christians in the world is not welcome, and they should be made to disappear.
Poof!
NOT SIMPLY CHILDISH BEHAVIOUR
There is more going on here than mere childish behaviour.
Both memes paint a picture of an elected School Trustee with a pattern of hate speech and anti-Christian bigotry.
Teri Westerby's actions are clearly not the actions of a mature and responsible school board trustee. They only contribute to an environment of hostility toward Christians, and this opens the door to heightened rhetoric and, potentially, violent aggression.
TERI WESTERBY MUST RESIGN
In light of her reckless and demeaning behaviour toward Christians and Christianity, CLC has created a petition demanding that Teri Westerby resign immediately from her position as a trustee with the Chilliwack School District.
We're urging parents, grandparents, and concerned citizens throughout the province of British Columbia to sign our petition here.
LOBBY TRUSTEES TO CALL FOR WESTERBY’S RESIGNATION
If you live in the Chilliwack area, or have friends who do, you can also put pressure on the individual Chilliwack School Division trustees by emailing or phoning them, and asking them to call for Westerby's resignation over her anti-Christian hate mongering.
Here's a list of the trustees, with their available contact information:
Willow Reichelt
Chair
Carin Bondar
Vice Chair
Richard Procee
Margaret Reid
David Swankey
Heather Maahs
(604)798-2026
Since only Trustee Maahs has a direct phone number, we urge you to try leaving a message for each of the other trustees by calling SD33’s head office phone at 604-792-1321, and ask to be put through to the trustee’s voice mail. I presume that each trustee has a phone mailbox through the District office. By phoning AND emailing, you’ll double your impact.
PRAY FOR TERI WESTERBY
Even as we pursue justice in the sad and appalling case of Teri Westerby's attack on Christians, we must also remember a command given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ:
"Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who abuse you."
- Luke 6:27-28
Despite her appalling incitement of contempt for followers of Christ, Teri Westerby remains a child of God, and we must pray for her repentance and conversion, even as we work to redress the terrible wrong done to Christians.
For life, faith & family,
Jeff Gunnarson
National President
Campaign Life Coalition
P.S. Please sign our petition to call for the immediate resignation of school trustee Teri Westerby. Sign it by clicking here.
Read more at: CampaignLifeCoalition.com
Please contact us for more information.
