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Day of Silence

In doing research on the Day of Silence, this is what Wikipedia said about the event (paraphrased):

On April 17, 2009, the Day of Silence will take place in many schools across the United States. For those who are unfamiliar with the DOS, it is an annual day put together by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) that protests the bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students (LGBT) and their supporters. 

During this time, participants (students and teachers) take a day-long vow of silence to symbolically represent the silencing of LGBT students and those who support them. The event mainly takes place in middle schools, high schools, and college campuses, but it has also started to sneak its way into elementary schools as well.

Some students choose to be silent for the entire day, while others choose to select a portion of the day. Many students also hand out cards that explain why they are being silent.

How Should Christians Respond

One of the biggest debates concerning the Day of Silence is how a Christian should respond . Many conservative organizations, such as the American Family Association, formed a coalition in 2008 and urged parents to keep their students home from school on the DOS if the school was observing it.

The Alliance Defense Fund countered this idea and began promoting the Day of Truth. This is a day that comes several days after the DOS and offers an alternative to being absent. The Day of Truth encourages students to lovingly share God’s view of homosexuality with students. 

So how should a Christian respond? While there may be no clear-cut answer, I would like to offer several words of advice for dealing with this day.

1. Get educated about what is happening. In this situation, ignorance is NOT bliss. Not every participant uses this as a day to spread or promote the message of homosexuality. Most participants say this use this as a day to make people aware of the abuse (verbal, physical, and emotional) that is taking place with many homosexuals.

2. Realize we DO agree on some issues. While I strongly believe homosexuality is a sin, I also believe it is a sin to abuse or harass homosexuals, or anyone for that matter. In no way does this show the love of Christ. Yes, the cause they are supporting goes against our beliefs, but no one deserves to be abused or attacked. 

3. Use the day as a chance to engage in conversation. Students can use this day as a chance to explain what they believe. If a participant has vowed to remain silent, he or she cannot talk back, but only listen. This provides a great opportunity for a Christian to lovingly explain why he or she thinks homosexuality is wrong, and to share the love of Christ. Let them know even though you don’t agree with their lifestyle, they are made in the image of God and you love them.

Small Things That Will Make a Difference

Sometimes, as Christians, we make small mistakes that have devastating consequences. There are a few things to remember when approaching the Day of Silence.

1. Don’t attack. 

2. Avoid derogatory terms. For many students, the Day of Silence will bring a myriad of opportunities to throw around slang words like gay, queer, fag, and homo. Even when these words are used out of context, they are still attacks. For example, have you ever said, “That’s so gay!” or “You’re so gay!”? You might not have meant it in a homosexual context, but is what you said going to draw people closer to Christ? 

The choice you make on the Day of Silence is up to you. Maybe parents will choose to keep their children home; maybe they’ll send them to school and everything will go by as routine. Maybe you’ll take the opportunity to engage those who are participating and spread the message of Christ.

Whatever you choose, please think about this, talk about this, and do something about this. Inaction can be dangerous.

For more information about this topic, visit Jonathan Yandell’s blog by clicking here: www.JonathanYandell.com

For Randall House’s followup to “Breaking the Silence” please visit Danny Conn’s blog by clicking here: www.Outpostx.net