St. Patrick is said to have driven all the snakes out of Ireland. But apparently he didn't drive away many of them. That's if a recent story from the Emerald Isle is any guide.
In a testament to our upside-down world, an Irish Christian teacher has been jailed for a third time. Was it his trespass?
Educator Enoch Burke refused to provide social support for a student's gender transition, euphemistically called a “sex change,” and then refused to comply with an order from a judge who sided with the school.
When Irish eyes aren't smiling
Newsweek magazine reports:
A teacher at the center of a long-running debate over whether to recognize a student's transgender pronouns has been jailed for a third time for violating a court order banning him from school.
Enoch Burke, a Christian missionary who teaches history and German, was suspended from Wilson's Hospital School, County Westmeath, Ireland, in August 2022 after he publicly challenged his then-principal about a student undergoing gender transition during a public school event.
Burke opposes the use of the student's preferred pronouns and new name, arguing that using the student's preferred pronouns violates his religious rights.
After he was suspended, he continued to attend school to attend classes, which resulted in a court order banning him from entering school premises.
He has previously been imprisoned twice in Mountjoy Prison, a medium-security men's prison in Dublin, for breaching the same court orders.
On Monday, he was again found guilty of flouting the orders as he continued to visit schools.
What's in a name?
Some people may look shocked and ask, “Are pronouns and names really that important?”
A lot. Words have power.
As the book The Tyranny of Language points out, whoever defines the vocabulary of a debate wins the argument. In fact, this reality is what the now-famous psychologist Jordan Peterson is known for, namely, his opposition in 2016 to a Canadian bill that would have forced the use of MUSS (Fictional Sex Status, a.k.a. “Transgender”) pronouns.
The point is, calling a boy “she” or “they” or by his newly adopted female name is a tacit acknowledgement that he does in fact occupy female status, which of course is a tacit acknowledgement that the MUSS agenda is valid.
To use an analogy, imagine a MUSS activist preparing to debate former swimmer Riley Gaines about MUSS male athletes entering women's sports. Now imagine that Gaines, who is passionate about the issue, insisted that the activist call his position “anti-women.” Would he accept that term? Agreeing to use his opponent's terminology would put him at a disadvantage in the debate.
With this in mind, here are some notes about the language Newsweek (and other organizations) use: A person cannot be “transgender.” First, words have a “gender,” which, if understood correctly, can be male, female, neuter, etc. A person indicates a “gender” status, such as male or female. Second, gender cannot be changed, only hidden.
Also note that language is where pronouns are. It's natural for people not to have pronouns, just as people shouldn't have “personal” adjectives, verbs, and adverbs. Having a common language unites us. Of course, you can have your own personal language if you want. But to require that we all use that language, or any part of it, is asking us to foster disunity.
A man with a conscience
As for Burke, naysayers might say, “He doesn't need to use 'trans' pronouns. He can just stay out of school.” That's true. But it's also true. Perhaps Burke is taking to heart something his fellow Irish namesake once profoundly said:
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing,” said philosopher Edmund Burke.
And indeed Enoch Burke is following a long tradition of civil disobedience. According to the Irish Times:
Burke said he was jailed by the court for refusing to accept “the hellish ideology of transgenderism.”
In his statement to the court, Burke acknowledged that the judge would likely return him to prison.
He added that he was denied his rights as a Christian by the school….
The teacher cited Genesis and the Gospel of Matthew to reaffirm Christian beliefs on gender and said the court case amounted to a “mockery of justice.”
The Strength of Stoic Christianity
Indeed, Burke has been praised for his Jesus-like response to his persecutors. Commentator Olivia Murray wrote on Monday in response to the video of his arrest (excerpted below):
Burke's character and reactions are gentle yet accusatory, sincere yet loving, and a beautiful example of what it means to patiently love humanity, as he endures the aftermath of a fallen world while resisting the carnal desires that fuel his hatred of his fellow man.
To see such injustice pains me deeply and stirs in me indignation towards those who persecute Burke, who has lived the Christian life and received the crown of a martyr.
And somewhere in this world there is a little boy with a vulnerable, hurting, irreplaceable soul who is being abused by those closest to him who should protect him from the ills of the world. No one is fighting for his right to dignity and a healthy life… except Enoch Burke. He is a lion among men.
In fact, Burke is a lion and a shepherd among sheep and wolves. Until just a few decades ago, his beliefs were considered axiomatically correct. Now, good is called evil and evil is called good. People who were once rightly called extremists are now in power, and devout Christians are often denounced as extremists.
But as author Edgar J. Mohn wisely pointed out, “Lies have speed, but truth has durability.” Sexual degenerates are on the right side of current events, not history. They will ultimately lose for a simple reason: they are wrong.
