Someone can be naively religious when young, and then, quite rightly, as part of the process of growing up, the naive basis for their religiosity, will be ripped away if they are at all intelligent, or have not had their inherent curiosity, and latent intelligence, crushed by their "education" whether so called religious, or secular.

Because it was all based on the essentially childish mythological assumptions of those "adults" who taught the young person the religious ideas and stories.

These myths are kinds of nursery-room stories, given by adults to children who were incapable of inspecting the veracity of these naive myths. Children are of course incapable of profoundly considering anything.

These childish stories are like the stories about Santa Claus, the Easter Rabbit and the Tooth Fairy. Like the nursery rhymes and mind-cartoons that are told to children, or to immature minds, and that are unconsciously absorbed as part of the the unconscious process of one lives and grows (as a child).

Perhaps it makes some kind of sense in childhood, but when the child becomes an adult, he or she must put these childish things away and discover what is REALLY happening here. A truly mature adult cannot depend of these myths. They provide no real basis for a truly mature adult life.

At some point, a mature adult person MUST accept that there is no Santa Claus, or Jesus, or the parental mommy-daddy "Creator"-God.

The "God" of childhood is not real. To discover the Truth about God and Reality altogether requires much much more than what the ding-bat proponents of this ding-bat SRI program advocate.

What a funny article;

Atheists are "forcing" Christianity out of schools by stop the practice of FORCING students to actually attend it, and giving them a choice (which no less, requires parents to actually endorse this choice, suggesting that the parents are not Christian either).

As for "our heritage", lets see;
English language, British tradition, most of the inventions we use, tea, Athenian democracy, Roman Senates, most of our legal and cultural practices, Yuletide, Plato, Julius Caesar, Archimedes, most of our architectural forms, fashion styles, hierarchical arrangements, most of our stories and legends, etc
ALL derive from NON-CHRISTIAN- mostly PAGAN cultures (Norse, Roman, Greek and Celtic cultures within Europe, and outside cultures from India and China, and a small extent, Egypt).
In fact, many of these cultural norms were invented before the world allegedly began according to the Bible- and virtually all of them DID exist long before Christianity did.

And that only applies to people of British descent;
French, German, Slavic, Italian, Scandinavian, Russian are similar stories of their own- and that's not even including people from presently non-Christian societies.

Nick the view the absence of a a relgious chaplain (Christian or Muslim) would lead to "a school that avoids value and worldview discussions altogether" is the fallacy of excluded middle - a type of false dichotomy.

Values are not specific to religions and, considering the denial of many truths and avoidance of inclusive values by many proponents of religion, are more likely outside them.

Your first post sets up a strawman red herring in talking about "denying all Chrisitans as unthinking". that is not the point - the point of the main article and argument is Access Ministries approach to SRI, criticism of it, SRI, and spurious claims about western literature.

Complaining about the tone of arguemtn or criticism is also a red herring.

Nobody has dened teaching general religious education in the curriculum.

runner - you keep conflating evolution with gw. I presume "the fruits of godless education and immorality" exclude apples.

BPT, Wednesday, 4 May 2011 10:13:11 AM -
whether atheist regimes existed, or killed more of their citizens than all the religions combined, is a moot point as the world has moved on considerably in the last 60 years. We are unlikely to see the likes of those experiments again and, if the revolutions continue in the Middle East and North Africa, we are unlikely to see theocracies again, either.

If religious civil entities can allow true inclusive secularity for all beliefs, as the Queen pointed out to the Anglican Synod last year*, then we will see the militancy on All sides diminish.

* "It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue and that the wellbeing and prosperity of the nation depend on the contribution of individuals and groups of all faiths and none."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/nov/23/queen-synod-virtue?INTCMP=SRCH
.

Once again of course in my usual pedantic fashion: the truth about applied christian-ISM 101 via:

http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/cruelty.html

Christian-ISM because it is set of ideas about Reality created by people who were mostly quite mediocre. The purposes of whom were invariably about consolidating and justify THEIR worldly power.

And like all ideas or isms the ideas of Christian-ISM are about power and control - not love.

The contents of the above website provide irrefutable evidence of this power and control motive or drive. Which of course is still happening. General Boykin and his: my "god" (penis) is bigger than your "god" (penis).

Plus why not check out the work of Tony Bushby, especially his most recent book re the origins of Christian doctrine and dogma: The Crucifixion of Truth

We need more discussions on the big questions on life if we are to culturally grow. Free will implies at least reviewing the issues rather than intolerantly ignoring issues such as the following:

Why are we here?

What is our purpose in life?

Why is there male and female?

Why do we wear clothes?

Why do people like the Salvation Army set up benevolent assistance to their fellow humans while others only talk about it?

Why are children sometimes a 'miracle' and sometimes 'naughty'.

Culture is more than enjoying the benefits and freedoms inherited from the past.

It is understanding and thinking not just criticising our cultural origins. Anyone can attempt to ignore the benefits of our Judeo Christian heritage but to deny it allows us to repeats some of the world's cultural mistakes of the past.

Comparatively there is a reasons we do not have a good life in Australia eg a caste system and human life is so protected by our laws and the health system. My many travels have exposed me to the alternatives so I am appreciative of our heritage and do not wish the young to be ignorant of it.

SRI helps develop theological awareness so bring it on. We should educate our children not deny them a broadened education. Let them make informed choices.

Muse2,
"SRI helps develop theological awareness so bring it on. We should educate our children not deny them a broadened education. Let them make informed choices."
Educating children in SRI tends to narrow a child's education.
They are too young to make an informed decision at this age SRI is nothing but brain washing.
If parents want their children brainwashed they can send them to sunday school.
SRI in school tends to assist Headmasters in their own agenda. Children opting out of SRI are usually ostracised.
Ethics classes can teach your broader education without reference to stone age myths and books.