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The Forum > Article Comments > The open secret of religious instruction in state schools > Comments

The open secret of religious instruction in state schools : Comments

By Hugh Harris, published 19/10/2016

It's long been an open secret that educators and politicians turn a blind eye to proselytising in faith classes.

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That probably should be

The Oxford online dictionary defines evangelise as: "convert *or* seek to convert someone to Christianity" ...
Posted by McReal, Wednesday, 19 October 2016 8:59:08 AM
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If the NSW government spent $300,000 of other peoples' money on a report, it should be released to those people who's money was used to obtain it, the people of NSW.

However, this piece is merely another anti-Christian smear from another denier who will not accept that Christianity is the base of things in the democratic West. You do not have to be a Christian yourself to accept that fact.

As facts are facts, there is every need to have them presented as part of basic education in this country. The author would be much better employed worrying about totally alien Islam being taught in Muslim schools, also funded by with public funds. Christianity is pertinent to our democratic, free society. Islam is definitely not.
Posted by ttbn, Wednesday, 19 October 2016 10:08:37 AM
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I'm confused by all the angst over this issue. Parents have to sign a consent form before their child can attend these classes. Any parent with an ounce of common sense would realise their child will be exposed to promotion of Christianity. If they arent happy with that concept then they just don't sign the form.
Posted by Big Nana, Wednesday, 19 October 2016 10:16:59 AM
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Nice article highlighting the issues caused by separating the church and state. Perhaps, a way to solve these issues so that our best thinking can go into more interesting things, is to combine church and state within the parliamentary process and the constitution while continuing to offer safe refuge for those of no faith or alternative faiths.
Posted by progressive pat, Wednesday, 19 October 2016 10:48:13 AM
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Big Nana, a key issue is when a scripture/SRE session is on, the kids are not allowed to do anything else. So many non-Christian or nominally-Christian kids end up do SRE by default. The nominally-Christian kids, or even the Christian kids, often end up doing a form of Christianity that is not their own, as many of the SRE providers are zealous fundamentalists. there are other problems with the system (eg. opt-out v opt-in).

Yes, tbbn, the report should be released.

tbbn, your reference to Christianity as "the base of things" in the West is merely a genetic fallacy (ie. appeal to origins).

Your reference to Islam is a red-herring.

Moreover, a truly free society would not manipulate its citizens into this sort of indoctrination process.
Posted by McReal, Wednesday, 19 October 2016 11:09:14 AM
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We are a Christian country and well known by all those lining up to migrate here! And compatible with almost all essentially peaceful traditions including Buddhism, Hinduism several Muslim traditions and secular atheism!

As for preaching? Pray tell, what could possibly be wrong with the Good Samaritan proverb or life lived by the golden, do unto others, rule? That said, an unexamined life is not worth living! And an unexamined belief system cannot be trotted out as if it had a basis in evidential fact!

I mean, in order to BELIEVE that a man called Jesus died on a Roman cross a tad over 2,000 years ago, it's necessary to hold open in your mind the possibility of the opposite being true! But particularly in the absence of verifiable eyewitness accounts? Just he said she said hearsay!

And given such accounts as are held as true, this never married? Kind gentle 30 year old Galilean, with his promulgated preference for the company of men, could have been Gay? There being no compelling evidence to the contrary? Probably true?

[And no, I'm not saying he had an active sex life, even if numerous pious proselytizing priests did and often?]

Moreover, religious instruction must never ever precede evidence based critical thinking, but rather, follow it! [Brainwashed fanatics serve nobody, least of all their maker!]

At which time those with a story, ought to be free to tell it, even if fact free work of entirely unexamined fiction, penned entirely by men and men alone, with no basis or access whatsoever in/to confirmed evidence based fact! i.e., a flat 6,000 year old world smack dab in the exact centre of the universe?

Why, even the emerging archaeological evidence seems to disprove/call into question, an exodus from Egypt and all that relies on it, including a tablet of rules carved in stone for folks, who couldn't read?

A very large library of books written or religiously copied/edited/revised time and again, chapter and verse, proves nothing more; than not all those in ancient civilizations, were hopelessly illiterate!
Alan B.
Posted by Alan B., Wednesday, 19 October 2016 11:26:06 AM
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