Headline of the Week Weak
Filed under: Headline of the Week
"Minnesota Church Files Restraining Order Against Autistic Parishioner"
He's not allowed to come to mass…because he's got autism and acts up! CLICK HERE to read the article accompanying this headline.
Church Files Restraining Order Against Autistic Parishioner
A Minnesota church is coming under fire for the way it's treating one of its parishioners.
Adam Race, 13, and his family did not go to mass at Bertha's Church of St. Joseph Sunday morning like they usually do.
The Todd County Sheriff told Adam's mom if she did take him to St. Joseph's, she would be arrested.
St. Joseph's has filed a temporary restraining order against Adam. In a statement, Father Dan Walz said he filed the petition as a last resort out of "a growing concern for the safety of parishioners".
Adam is severely autistic. He is home-schooled, and has attended St. Joseph's his whole life. He is also more than six feet tall and weighs more than 235 pounds.
In court documents, Father Walz said Adam's growing size makes it harder for his parents to manage his behavior during mass. Father Walz said Adam struck a child, bolts unexpectedly from church nearly knocking people down, including elderly people.
He said Adam also spits and urinates during church.
Carol Races said those allegations are either exaggerated or false. She said Adam is not angry or violent, he has never spit in church, and that on rare occasions, he has been incontinent.
Carol blames Adam's worst behavior, revving a church member's running car after mass, on a lack of accommodation from the church.
"They don't understand how the mechanisms of autism are working at the moment of these disruptions and so forth," Carol Race said. "And I want to point out that in the last couple of months Adam has been perfectly well-behaved. So that's what's shocking to me."
Carol said sometimes Adam is noisy and must be restrained during mass, but she said her family always sits in back and leaves church a few minutes early.
A hearing has been set on May 19th in Todd County Court.
i think thats bullshit! the kid's autistic, big deal..you dont ban the poor guy, you work with him.. im sorry, but thats a really effed up church!
I agree that he shouldn't be in the church. It makes it harder on everyone else and it is unsanitary. Why doesn’t the mother have him in a diaper?? Does she clean the pew or floor?
The majority shouldn’t have to continue to suffer for one. This world caters too much to the disabled. We put too many resources into educating and looking after them instead of devoting that time and money to the gifted students that contribute to society.
Re: MNmother –
Such an ignorant comment by an uneducated and stupid person. Go back to school and get your GED. Then go fuck yourself! Who fucking says autism gives them special rights? Is treating the kid and family like outcasts and lepers the right thing to do? The church had a obligation to do more here. This is exactly the kind of publicity the church needs nowadays.
saw this on tv……people that went to the church said he was running down little kids and old people…….he looks like he's 13 going on 30
I live 10 minutes from this church, although i have never attended. I agree with the Priest, because these are true statements he is making. I don't think the behavior is excusable just because the boy has a disability, aren't people out there everyday wanting equal rights for everybody? Pushing that people with disabilities should be treated the same as those without? Well what if i was spitting and urinating in church? Wouldn't i get kicked out? just some food for thought people before you fly off the handle……………….
Google the full story - The church offered the family many options, which they refused. This kid is over 6 ft tall and has grabbed little girls in church, in addition to yelling out, knocking people over, and jumping in their cars. The other members of the church have rights too.
Wow, on so many levels. This needs to be worked out, we had an autistic young lady in our church, she was able to attend special servies just for her and also designated professionals were on hand to help her cope with her outbursts. She does very well.
If they were any kind of CHRISTIAN church they would find ways to help him attend services not single out and cast him off.
Catholics.
This is horrendous. I can understand not wanting him present if he is putting others in danger, but not everyone seems to agree that he is. And what kind of church treats its members so coldly. If those running the church really believed his behavior, eventhoough he couldnt control it, was that big of a problem, why not talk to the family first? Who would go to the police and get him banned before even speaking to the family about their concerns, that just says to me that they are exagerating his behavior so that they dont have to be inconvenienced. What a shame! In case they have forgotten, GOD made this young man this way, and GOD doesnt make mistakes. So while they are so concerned that there will be a disruption or two during service they should be looking at why GOD chose to put this boy in their lives, and their church. Maybe so they could learn a little tolerance and compassion, too bad they dont seem to be getting the message!
Re: nope –
words to live by nope…for all thoes out there saying let him go - what if he struck your child out of anger…at 6ft 235, he could injure anyone. the church is for the community, and as such the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. the family should take service in a private worship room, and leave after 'distractions' to this autistic teen are minimized. unfortunately he is on his way to a care facility most likely anyway - 13yrs old and 6+ft, 235lb? what happens when he is 19?
SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU LOUSY WHINING PARENTS!!! Your child autistic or not, does NOT have MORE rights than everyone else!!! The fact that you have trouble grasping this speaks of how degenerate society has become. When your child is a threat to others YOU HAVE NO RIGHTS. But guess what, other people have the right to sue you for negligence so DEAL WITH IT!!! Maybe you should have looked into raising your child better. Because if your child is indeed OUT OF CONTROL, it nobodies fault but your own!! HOW DARE YOU try to blacken the name of every autistic child in this world by acting like they are incapable following rules that are laid out for them. YOU ARE LOUSY PARENTS IF YOU CAN NOT CONTROL YOUR CHILD, SO STOP BLAMING THEIR AUTISM FOR YOUR LACK OF SKILLS.
I think you should get both sides of the story before you post it. This story was on KQ and it pretty much sounded like the mother has a stick up her ass. The church tried many things but she refused. They tried having them worship in a different room with a TV they tried having him come different times. She wouldn't budge. If a child handicap or not is hurting people parents should do the right thing about it and she chose not to. PERIOD.
He struck a child…that is a little more than "acting up".
I have a child with Autism, this is the most disudting thing I have ever heard. Shame one this Parish
Re: Lisa – Ride on Lisa…ride on…
I'm shocked by this. I go to a church that has a special program for children with disabilities … giving the parents the option to go to church and accommodate the special needs of their children. Among the kids I work with are two severly autistic teenage boys. They have episodes of violence, but with proper training, can be subdued. Often, non verbal autistic children react the way they do out of frustration… they can't TELL us how they feel. Try to imagine your life like that… not being able to express anything. Next try being a parent of a child with a disability like sever autism. If church can't be your sanctuary, where can you go? If the child was causing that many problems, they should have done something to try to accommodate.
i cant beliebe dat they wont let him in-ALL HE WANTS IS to leanr about god-THATS BOGIS god doesnt like that
I am Catholic and understand the frustrations that people have about this situation. However, accomadations were made and the mother refused. She turned down the crying room, the private mass, the tv in another room, and other options given to her. This was not a quick decision made by the church. The priest had to have enough evidence of his actions in order to even file for a restraining order. It's sad that this mother is exploiting her child and not realizing the danger she is putting him in along with everyone else. He got into another person's vehicle!!! What would you do if your sister or your daughter was grabbed and put on his lap??? What would you do if you got hit by this massive kid??? We can all sit here and judge this from miles away, but I can guarentee you that you don't know the half of it. It's not about him being autistic, it's about the mother allowing him to behave in inappropriate ways. What can you say about a mother that instead of working things out privately would exploit her ill son in the media for attention. She's the one I worry about. Not her son. Her behavior is worse than his
Believe me I have five kids and the church is VERY mindful of children and the handicapped. As a parent if one of my children acts out I would remove them from the situation.It is just rude.I know we are all Gods people, but the building itself is not how we worship,
Jesus is in the BLessed Sacrament. Also, you can have a priest or lay person bring the Blessed Sacrament to your home. My husband brings it to the elderly that can not receive at church. I wish we heard about the millions of good things the church does for society instead of a lady trying to stir up trouble. At some churches they seperate children from the adults. Hopefully he can receive the Blessed Sacrament one way or another. Love you Perez!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have you read this???
I've gone to plenty of churches that have a kids room in the back with a window to watch the service and speakers to hear the service. Everyone should be able to go to church no matter what. He should not be discriminized for something that is not his fault. Is he not one of gods child was he not created by god. Ignorant rude people is who should be kicked out of church.
Ew. The people who are dissing the church are the ones that are disgusting me. Yeah, it sucks that this kid is autistic and I feel bad for him, but fuck, do you think that gives him the right to disrupt others? Especially if they could get hurt? I think not. The rest of the congregation have just as much of a right to go to church as he does. P.S as someone mentioned earlier…ummm ever hear of seperation of church and state? The church can do whatever the hell they want. Obviously the people who are saying that this isn't fair…haven't read the whole article. Read it again before you comment. The family was given the opportunity to attend a private mass…therefore giving him the right to still attend. This family is just crying out for attention. Also, I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate sitting next to someone in church peeing all over the place. Yeah, he can't help it, but why the fuck should someone sitting next to him have to suffer.
and one more thing…NOT shame on the parish…SHAME ON THE DAMN PARENTS for knowing their son does this kind of thing yet they still bring him to church and he's still disrupting other families.
P.S I LOVE YOU PEREZ!!!!
Re: Calichick –
Words can't actually describe how incredibley arrogant and self rightoeus you are. LIVE IN MY WORLD FOR 5 MINUTES then commemt again
Re: Kiki –
Have you read the world statistics on ASD, its a world epidemic. And Canada is suffering to. So br PROUD but thats not an excuse for STUPIDITY
WHO THE FUCK DO THEY THINK THEY ARE?
Im not even religious, and even i know that his situation is WRONG. I thought all were equill in gods eyes, no materr of colour, sex gender persuasion or illness, inteligence or nature? By doing this, isnt the church just CONTRADICTING WHAT THE BIBLE STATES?
Iunderstand the preist was simply thinking about the afty of others, but surley thay could just ask eople to leave a spare seat either side of the kid? or ask him and his family if they wouldnt mind sitting on a pew to themseles or something? That way the whole congragation - the autistic child included - can enjoy god in an equal, orderly fasion.
Re: TotalmenteBoludo –
Oy, dick head, a few points:
he is NOT a monster he just has autism
Autism cannot be helped, he isnt ding it on purpose and he doesnt understand that what he is doing is wrong.
He has the right to worship god just as much as every one else does and there is not a person on this planet, not even that damned priest, who has the right to stop him
And finally, by calling that innocent young man a monster, you have just proven to millions of people worldwide that you are an uneducated,cold hearted, prejudised fuckface.
shut your mouth and quit spreading evil!
its funny that a lot of the comments say he shouldnt be allowed because he wets his pants and knocks oer people but you didnt read the article to well because the FATHER said that those are lies so great job you idiots for finishing the article before commenting
i thought GOD loves everybody equally; but becuz of this; it only shows that servants of GOD love only "normal" and "regular" people. pathetic.
Re: jacqui –
I don't know you and I honestly don't give a crap about you or your world. You're taking things way to personal, the issue isn't about you and your world. It's about the kid in the article and his circumstances. Yeah its unfortunate that he has to deal with it but like I said, just because the kid is autistic doesn't mean that he has more rights than everyone else.
This is sad. It's grounds for discussing with the family that they would feel safer if maybe he didn't attend. Immediately slapping someone with a mental disability with a restraining order is like saying that he chooses to act that way. it's stupid.