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The Forum > Article Comments > What’s going on at VCAT? > Comments

What’s going on at VCAT? : Comments

By Meredith Doig, published 8/3/2012

Special Religious Instruction offers parents a Sophie's choice.

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runner, Friday, 9 March 2012 9:10:41 AM

You keep making category errors -

the BIG BANG hypothesis is about cosmology;

Evolution is about biology, and is verified by the way DNA works, and the manifestations of that.
Posted by McReal, Friday, 9 March 2012 9:55:07 AM
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Saltpetre, "Ethics should include coverage of the nature of the world's religions". Why?

There is no fixed link between ethics and religions.

And the problem remains the same, whose 'ethics' are you going to have taught?

The 'ethics' of our economic system? The ethics on display in parliament? Sport ethics? TV ethics, film ethics? World Bank ethics? UN ethics? Russian ethics? USA ethics?

If ethical behaviour is to be taught in schools, then it might be a good idea to redesign our schools so there were encased within an ethical framework, something seriously lacking at the moment, unless coercion and bullying are seen to be ethical elements in our society, which seems to be the case now.

If the state is to impose codes of behaviour, that is the same as ACCESS now.

The state has a responsibility to protect children, for sure, but that does not extend to imposing possibly questionable 'ethics' in place of the current unethical promotion of a single religion by the state.
Posted by The Blue Cross, Friday, 9 March 2012 10:43:50 AM
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The Blue Cross,

What/who's ethics? Universal ethics, ethical behaviour, responsibility, accountability, integrity, tolerance, empathy, compassion, respect for human (and all) life and property, dignity, rationality, right and wrong, human rights, psychology, morality, strength and weakness, wisdom and superstition, corruption and virtue, personal development, impartiality and prejudice, reasoning and irrationality, peace and war, the seven deadly sins, crime and law.

Why an introduction to the world's religions? This is the real world and all people have to come to terms with that. Know your world so that you can better relate to it, better operate within it, and be successful as a responsible human being. To know something of the bases, the beliefs and the rituals involved in the world's main (if not all) religions, offers understanding, tolerance and a capacity to construct a reasoned world view.

Religious and cultural differences are a reality. Though we need to respect that, and to make allowance (where appropriate), we also have a responsibility to respect and to develop understanding of our Australian culture, ethics and law, particularly in regard to the treatment of women, the rights of children, the division of church and state, and the exercise of personal responsibility.

We are not born perfect or knowledgeable, and parental example is not always a reliable guide to responsible citizenship - we need our education system to impart and induce wisdom as well as knowledge, for all our sakes, and for the future of humanity.

Religious instruction is one way to explain and to instill ethical conduct, but it is not the only way, nor necessarily the best way. However, a void, a head in the sand approach, is to abrogate our responsibility to ensure that our education system is comprehensive, constructive and reliable in fostering a responsible and successful citizenry and society.
Posted by Saltpetre, Friday, 9 March 2012 12:54:30 PM
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Let's get something very clear here, religious instruction is not about teaching anything useful at all and is not the same as an attempt at education about religions, which is nothing at all to do with ethics.

Your list of 'ethics' is like an omnibus compendium of claptrap, with a few sound offerings there too.
Posted by The Blue Cross, Friday, 9 March 2012 1:05:28 PM
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McReal,

If you can't see that biology points to design you are either blind or deceitful.
Posted by runner, Friday, 9 March 2012 5:21:54 PM
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runner,

"If you can't see that biology points to design you are either blind or deceitful."

Why would McReal's failure to perceive design in biology be construed as deceitful?
Or could it be that once more you are indulging in your usual habit of denigrating those that dissent from your views?

Christianity doesn't seem to have impacted your ethics in a positive sense.
Posted by Poirot, Friday, 9 March 2012 5:42:36 PM
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