Jesus Lunch, shaping young minds with sandwiches and chips.

The arguments are now bordering on lunacy. Suddenly, minors have all the sensibilities and wisdom of mature adults. And here I thought Republicans didn't think young people were smart enough to even vote. Even more amazing is the divisive and combative ugliness of self righteous Jesus freaks turning Middleton into a religious battleground for their own selfish reasons. Yea, real community minded.

Their names are missing on their website. If you really want to see where Melissa Helbach's family is coming from, check out hubby Casey Helbach's Facebook site. Islamophobia comes to mind.

So what is their Christian message? After all, people are under the impression it's all about the teachings of Jesus, no big deal. Perhaps organizer Melissa Helbach's own kid gave us the answer, via one concerned parent:

"My daughter has had classes with one of the Helbach (sp) kids. He has openly advocated for killing Muslims as the solution to global terrorism. He's spewed hateful rhetoric while touting himself as "self made". She's been upset and frustrated by his behavior."

Another parent chimed in...

Moreover after my son criticized those comments, both cars in front of our house were vandalized. By someone. Lots of Christian behavior here...

Nice group, prince of peace message, you know. 

Rules are posted and clear

These are minors under the supervision of the school district. They protect and educate our kids, like my two sons. Who are these strangers spreading the "Christian" message, which is whatever they think it is. Imagine other groups trying to influence and indoctrinate a whole school filled with curious minors. Their parents should still call the shots, not Jesus Lunch "moms."

The following video clip is a two parter. . Think they weren't looking for a fight? This video was featured at the Education Action Group Foundation, a supposed "non-partisan" right wing group making the rounds on the Fox News Channel, The Blaze, and the Fox Business Network.

The first half recorded by Melissa Helbach's husband shows the group being greeted by Middleton's Superintendent Don Johnson, who calmly shook hands with them and asked for a little conversation.  You'll hear "talk to our attorney" a number of times. The last half (3:57) features conservative radio's biggest BSer Vicki Mckenna, who fed into the religious rights manufactured hysteria with Jesus Lunch's attorney Phillip Stammen.

This poster was handed out at the last Jesus Lunch

McKenna: "They physically blocked them, is what you're saying. They actually physically tried to block them from accessing the park? 

Stammen: "Yes, yes, they put cones in the way, and then they confronted them when they walked up, and they wanted to repeatedly keep talking to them..."

Heaven forbid we keep talking...needless to say, the superintend did little to block their efforts.

Just a note, I'm a Lutheran. One of my sons has already been confirmed, and the other is currently taking classes. We're just like any other liberal progressive church going family. McKenna, like all Republicans, have to paint a different picture to make the following hate filled comment work:

McKenna: "What the left needs to do is make believers bigots. They need to turn Christians into monsters, and they need to kill off God."

If you were wondering where the Freedom from Religion Foundation has been, well, their waiting in the wings....here's the last part of their letter to the school district:

You can keep up to date on all this at the Facebook site, All Middleton Students Deserve Respect.

Sick Jesus Lunch Child Enticement continues...

Want to put a face to the pushy Jesus Lunch loons? Meet Melissa Helbach, one of five women who need to feel loved and accepted, and who thinks they could be my kids "mom" too. Does she believe in contraception? Is she part of the "pro-life" movement against abortion but won't lift a finger to make sure everyone has life saving health care? Does she believe Jesus is the answer and not science?

Why is Melissa Helbach motivated to spread the word to minors next to a public school? Why not camp out at one of the many private Christian schools using the public's money to conduct weeklong Sunday schools? What's her message? From the many comments I've read, no one is asking what it is they're talking about, their positions. People seem to think Christians have the same message as Jesus. Forget about the radical Christian right or past Christian messengers like David Koresh, all is well when it comes to influencing minors away from their parents:

Their website does not include their names. Brave Christian soldiers...?

Helbach didn't intend to cause a controversy, but hell, with the threat of suing the district, guess she's hit the media jackpot. District administrators sadly played right into their hands. WISC:



One parent in northern Wisconsin had this to say:

Middleton Schools just needs to institute or enforce with threat of expulsion as they do at my town's high school, that students don't leave the grounds during the school day.  For reasons of legal liability and foremost student safety. Access to student autos and parking lot thus controlled for the school day, also.  I guess no booze or pot behind that reasoning also.

No one has mentioned that policy yet on line or WPR.  Our rural high school Gibraltar township Door County, the school doors are locked during the day.  Admittance by office personnel only, immediately into the school office to sign in and get a guest pass.  Staffed until the buses leave the school grounds about 3:20 PM and after school activities commence.

Simple school policy issue not involving property rights or park permits. 1997 we students held a cafeteria boycott for better lunches, outside serving eventually shut down by county sanitarian, but we got real food in school after that.

Here's my own response in the comments section, where oddly no one could grasp the idea we were talking about kids under 18, being manipulated by adults. This is about parents raising their children, and not handing them over to right wing religious fanaticism:

   

Christian predators lure Middleton High School minors with food at bizarre "Jesus Lunch."

The following story isn't much different than letting strangers hang out at schools offering minor students candy.

Next year I'll have two sons at Middleton High School, and I don't appreciate uncooperative predator adults who refuse to work with administrators, foisting their agenda using food to lure students off school grounds to indoctrinate them with a message I don't have any control over. These are minors for Gods sake!

While the school's principal gave a number of policy reasons the "Jesus lunches" should stop, one big one was left off the list; the school is my surrogate during the day for my minor children. Filling these young influential minds with whatever fringe religious message they concoct is not happening if I can help it.

Officials are trying to work with these lawsuit seeking zealots to find some way to make the Jesus lunches function under the watchful eye of the school district, which is insane. Instead, Middleton should make the park off limits, and ban students from hanging out there. I don't know who these "moms" are and why they decided to target kids, but they did that, and it's creepy to say the least.

Here's WKOW's  coverage of these Jesus freaks:

Their attorney Phillip Stamman (said) “the question here is not us being in opposition to the school, but rather that we have a right to be in Fireman's Park. Fireman's Park - a public park owned by the City of Middleton - remains accessible to everyone in the public for the purposes of assembly and free speech.

The five mothers who started Jesus Lunch declined an interview with 27 News. They have obtained permits to use the park from the city of Middleton and have hired an attorney to represent them as they move forward with plans to host more events, saying it's well within their First Amendment rights.

Just what we need, a Jesus carnival sideshow next to the school.