Follow-up stories
On Wednesday, April 17, members of Holy Ground Church, located on U.S. Highway 27 south of Rome, changed lettering on their church sign to read, “Darlington Harbors Satanism,” prompting Darlington School President David Hicks to write a letter to the church.
His letter reads as follows:
April 19, 2002
The Pastor or Elders of Holy Ground Church
U. S. Highway 27 South
Rome, GA 30161
Dear Sir:
I am the President of Darlington School. I am writing you about the message board displayed in front of your church property on U. S. Highway 27 South which now reads “Darlington Harbors Satanism.”
As you may know, Darlington was established here in Rome in 1905. From that time until now, the School has always stressed the development of the spiritual life of its students based on the Christian faith. The great majority of students at Darlington are from Christian homes, but we also welcome students from a number of different religious backgrounds and are certainly respectful of their faiths as well.
As I understand it, the term “Satanism” refers to an obsession with evil, cruelty, or viciousness, and involves the worship of Satan as the lord of evil. To my knowledge, there is no one connected with this School as faculty, staff, or student who fits this description, and I am not sure why you would display this message, especially in light of Darlington's background and heritage. This is a matter of serious concern to me as President, and I would like to ask that you provide me with any information you may have that supports your statement that the School harbors Satanism.
This is also important to me, since I hold a personal faith in Jesus Christ. If there are Satanists here or if they are being assisted in some way by Darlington, I would like to know. If you do not have any such information, I would ask that you remove this from your sign.
You may contact me by mail or telephone as indicated on the letterhead. Thank you for your cooperation, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
David V. Hicks
President
“I am saddened and disappointed to see this behavior on the part of our neighbors. We don’t know what has prompted it or what the basis for their accusation is, but I have written the leaders of the church asking for an explanation,” Hicks said.
“The School as an institution will not respond in kind, nor do we want anyone to do so on our behalf. Students, who will no doubt be hurt, angered, or mystified by the sign should stay away from the church and do their best to ignore the entire incident. One ugly and irresponsible act does not justify another,” he urged.
Hicks referred to the following quote from the notes of Marcus Aurelius in explaining his response:
XI.9: “If those who stand in your way cannot turn you from the path of reason and stop you from doing what is right, why should they be able to prevent you from treating them kindly? Stand guard in both respects: be tough-minded in thought and action while being gentle to those who oppose or annoy you. It is as much a weakness to become harsh as it is to shrink from action and relent out of fear. Both alike abandon their posts: the one who panics, the other who is estranged from a natural brother and a friend.”
