THE latest Christian prodnose to have martyrdom status bestowed upon her by the Christian Legal Centre, among others, had been warned to keep her religious beliefs to herself.
Olive Jones
We didn’t immediately blog the story of Weston-super-Mare part-time maths teacher Olive Jones when it broke a few days ago because it seemed that only one side of the case had initially been presented: that a good Christian soul had lost her job for offering to pray for a 14-year-old leukaemia sufferer.
But now the truth has emerged. The parents of the girl have now spoken out, claiming that Jones was, in effect, a Bible pest.
Said the girl’s mother, Stephanie Lynch:
Mrs Jones was employed to teach maths but used every opportunity to discuss religion, despite the fact I made it clear we were a non-religious family and didn’t want to talk about these issues in this way. On one occasion she asked my daughter to pray with her. My daughter was distressed by this behaviour.
On another, after the death of my daughter’s close friend, Mrs Jones told daughter that when young people die they go to heaven. These conversations upset my daughter deeply. The sessions with Mrs Jones became increasingly traumatic and we decided it was not appropriate for this woman to come to my home.
Mr Lynch, 45, added:
Mrs Jones’ actions caused our family much distress at what is a difficult time. We no longer wanted Mrs Jones to come to our home at any time in the future and we asked the tuition service to deal with the matter.
In 2005, Jones got a part-time job at the North Somerset Council-run Oak Hill Short Stay School and Tuition Service North, in Nailsea, which caters for children with illness or behavioural difficulties.
In September, Mrs Jones made six visits to the girl, whom she was mentoring in GCSE maths.
She says she discussed her faith with Mrs Lynch and told how she once experienced a “miracle from God” when surviving a tractor accident as a teenager. On a later visit she again discussed Christianity with the girl and Mrs Lynch, speaking of her belief in heaven.
Jones is quoted on the Christian Legal Centre website as saying:
I feel I am being persecuted for speaking about my faith in a country that is supposed to be Christian. I feel if I had spoken about almost any other topic I would have been fine but Christianity is seen as a no-go area. It felt as if I was being treated as a criminal. It is like a bad dream that had come true.
Zoe Briffitt, spokeswoman for North Somerset Council, said:
We feel we were right to investigate the concerns raised by a parent about Olive’s actions in relation to their poorly child. We have invited Olive to meet with us to discuss the incident and we very much hope that she will accept the opportunity to meet with us in the near future.
However, we are keenly aware of the importance of an individual’s spiritual belief, and we recognise Olive felt she was acting in the best interests of her students.
For some people of faith, prayer is seen as an integral part of providing support to an individual or family. But for teachers and tutors, whose main role is giving educational support, the views of the parents and students involved must be respected. It is acceptable to offer prayer but not to impose it against a family’s wishes.
Hat tip: Joe Fogey
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:46 am
The situation seem quite clear. I hope somebody has told Olive Jones that she is perfectly free to proclaim her faith in the “open market” to whoever is prepared to listen, but she is not entitled to the opportunistic use of her privileged position to indoctrinate a very vulnerable minor…
December 23rd, 2009 at 12:56 pm
“prodnose” – I love it! As good as PZ’s Dimbulb!
Thing is, these zombie praising airheads are so obsessed and wrapped up in their fairytales, that they can’t even see the genuine pain and hurt their brainless prattle causes.
I really feel for the poor family here – having a sick child is a terrible stress, and then to have an absolutely clueless bible pusher turn up and try to inseminate their vile nonsense about death into the vulnerable kid’s life is horrific.
Those Christian Legal Institute freaks should be royally sued for the emotional damage done to the family by making them – who are clearly the victims of the case – into the perpertrators. Bastards!
December 23rd, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Do use the link at the top of this article to go to the newspaper website and have a look at the message board. There aren’t half some arrogant crackpots out there who need bringing down a peg or seven!
December 23rd, 2009 at 1:13 pm
It seems she went into her disciplinary meeting ostentatiously clutching a bible. This after having a pray-in with supporters outside in the car park.
December 23rd, 2009 at 6:48 pm
I think we all knew when this story broke that there was more to it, by the way the story was “reported” by the right wing press. Scratch the surface of a christian and there is always a deceitful and delusional idiot underneath. Anyone notice that christians – especially the female ones – all have a similar look about them?
December 23rd, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Yes I have noticed Angela. Something about the eyes?
December 23rd, 2009 at 8:06 pm
The lights on, no one at home look.
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Imagine if the family had been Christians and the teacher were an atheist or Satanist. Would the Christians be screaming that the teacher had “religious freedom” to preach her beliefs anywhere and everywhere she felt, and that she was being persecuted because the family asked her to STFU about her religion?
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:39 pm
I too, am “keenly aware of the importance of an individual’s spiritual belief” as well as an individual’s anal sex beliefs, said importance to me being zero, so I don’t want to hear about either one.
December 24th, 2009 at 12:43 am
I feel I am being persecuted for speaking about my faith in a country that is supposed to be Christian. I feel if I had spoken about almost any other topic I would have been fine but Christianity is seen as a no-go area. It felt as if I was being treated as a criminal. It is like a bad dream that had come true.
It’s all about her isn’t it? No one else, just her. Just HER faith, and HER rights, and HER ‘spiritual convictions’. It doesn’t matter about the family or the girl, oh, no, no, no, this is all about Jones and HER persecution.
The utter and complete selfishness of religious people never ceases to astound me. Not a stick of compassion for the people she distressed, just as long as SHE has her rights to speak about HER faith and to firmly shove it down everyone’s throat is held above and beyond anyone else’s rights, then that’s just tickety-boo. Just as long as christians get their own way in EVERYTHING, as long as THEIR needs trump everyone else’s, then that’s fine. Well, it ain’t fine with me. If this had happened to me, I’d make sure she got a taste of my atheism right back down her selfish whiny xian yap.
December 24th, 2009 at 7:21 am
@Angela K. It’s not only the eyes but also the quasi mono-brow and the terrible hair. Oh, and the smug, self-satisfied look of one who is ‘saved’. We had a few of these idiots at the last place I worked. They were all teachers too.
December 24th, 2009 at 8:59 am
There’s a whole-page spread in the Mail today by none other than Jonathan Aitken, lauding the need for “spirituality” at this time of year! Some of these people have no shame!!
December 24th, 2009 at 11:12 am
It seems to me that the Christian Legal Centre have a strategy in terms of the people they select to set up as martyrs. There seems to be a spate of these fanatics in the west country – Olive Jones is a friend of and lives in the same town as Caroline Petrie, and Jennie Cain also lives in the South West. Their other main field of activity seems to be around black churches.
The Jennie Cain story seems to have gone quiet – the CLC are supporting in her at an employment tribunal, and are presumably going for constructive dismissal since there hasn’t been any indication that she has been sacked http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/.....ticle.html. (Constructive dismissal is where the employer’s behaviour is so serious that the employee has no option but to resign).
The CLC haven’t been particularly successful at industrial tribunals, but of course these are time-consuming and costly for local authorities. It seems they are encouraging this sort of behaviour in order to make employers frightened of taking action against people who behave unprofessionally by proselytising to their patients and pupils.
December 24th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Nothing worse than smiling-eyed dupes who insist on sharing their delusions with the sane. Crucify the bitch!
December 24th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Can you imagine what it would be like if you had a sick relative, and one of every kind of religious nut came into your home to try to convince you of their faith and pray with you?
Aarrgh.
Reminds me of when I had a boyfriend with cancer and every damn New Ager would tell him how his cancer would be healed if he had the “right attitude”. I just wanted to smack them all upside the head.
December 29th, 2009 at 3:27 am
“Scratch the surface of a christian and there is always a deceitful and delusional idiot underneath.” — Angela K
Did you make this up, or did someone famous say it? I think it’s great, and I’m gonna make a note of it!