With the "National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools" we just see the principles in this document are recommended guidelines for providing improved values education in schools ........ mostly integrated into subject planning and lesson development. Hardly anything extraordinary here. Of importance though, is an environment which protects the emotional, psychological and physical well-being of students because education is about developmental learning, thinking, exploring. Note that values education is not about being told morally irresponsible lies where all these religious infected types love the idea of 'miracles' and are very credulous about supernaturalist stories along with evangelical myth-making. It's a chilling fact that 99% of all private schools are religious based and as such highly value sheer superstition. ......... which renders their following easy prey for the cash-extracting stage.

On a positive note, I suspect that we humans share many unconscious yearnings and that the freedom to follow our intellectual curiosities is one of the greatest. My thoughts are that a unique spirit develops and grows as an integral aspect of each living being, is a physical process, not a miracle nor some break in the fabric of causation. This spirit implies intelligence, consciousness and sentience. There needs to be a correctness. If we consider that we live in co-evolution with what our brains produce then our greatest potential lies in better learning how to learn where the true diversity is diversity of thought, of perspective and of creativity. Rather than assuming that our minds are like savings banks that we or someone else, just make bland deposits to, we need to actively find true diversity which includes an ability to adopt a framework of perspectives that can be inquiring, analytical, critical and evaluative.

Whilst we may be able to describe values we should speak of roles rather than goals.

RHIAN

Not published evidence my friend, but you can choose to believe what I say or not - I have heard it preached from pulpits across this country - I was a travelling ministry and have both spoken in and visited hundreds of churches many many times. Also comes up in private conversation and in Bible colleges, where I have also been both a student and a teacher.

Wait, the most recent time I heard it was a couple of weeks ago on Rhema - Derek Prince lecture. I further back up my statements with the heavy control mechanisms in most pente churches and, as I said previously, just try questioning a senior minister on ethical or theological issues - you will find out pretty quickly! Try talking about helping the poor, or bringing ex-convicts and prostitutes in to their churches. That's what my wife and I did for 15 years - these folk are not welcome in too many pente churches mate - heard too many Snr Pastors talk about the need to evangelise more middle class and rich people - for their tithes and offerings to help build the church.

Nowhere did Jesus say we were to do this - he said He would build His Church! Too many times for me mate, sorry to say. It's not what their website and Statement of Doctrine says - what they preach and more especially, how they practise their reeligion shouts so loud you cannot hear what they say! Pharisees my friend - there are as many today as in Jesus time - percentage wise!

Flezzey, so sorry to hear the kind of response you got from pente "ministers". I honestly believe God will judge ministers who do the job for the sake of the job, wanting to line their pockets with cash without seeing God changes their lives and hearts. (You know how in 1 Corinthians, it talks about Christian's works being tested "with fire". Symbolically, some will have all their works burnt up. I think that includes those who spent their ministry ministering to themselves rather than to God's heart).

I assume these ministers have not read the bit in the NT where it says not to give preferential treatment to a person on the basis of their money. Or the section of Matthew, that says if you haven't fed the hungry, clothed the poor, visited the sick/in prison, you have not known Jesus. Or the bits where Jesus called people white-washed tombs for being religious and accepting man's praise on the outside, but not allowing God's laws to be written on their hearts (mercy and compassion, without leaving the other stuff undone).

Sometimes I think the biggest threat to the church is the church. But Jesus said He would build His church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Let's face it, the church (collective noun for Christians around the world) is comprised of a bunch of people claiming to be disciplined followers of Christ. We're human and we stuff up. It's a wonder we do anything for God's glory considering our own human limitations sometimes. But I do think there is hope for the church . Probably the more the church is persecuted, the more it will grow to be like Christ. That's what happened in Acts anyway.

No problems JohnJ. I myself am in this generation (I'm 19) so I can't really compare my experiences to the first-hand experience of any previous generation in Australia.
I went overseas for three months last year doing some humanitarian work and it totally changed my life. My desire to do it was born through compassion and faith, but now the personal experience has made my desire to see humanitarian change so much more important. I'm looking forward to pursuing a medical career that will take me with many NGOs into third world nations.
Considering the kind of effect it has had on me, I would welcome this kind of trip with almost anyone. It could be based on humanity or the environment- either way, its that experience of getting out of your comfort zone to care about someone else/something else above yourself for a while.

I am rather puzzled about how to respond to this article. As a recently qualified teacher who is also an evangelical Christian, it seems to lack relevance or any measure of positivity. I know nothing of this author, so I went to his homepage and read some of his other articles. Is he being paid to produce this negative garbage? Has he a real relationship with Jesus Christ, or is he just a religious relic of Godless clericalism? To make issues of such trivia as what people name their babies. The almost incoherent story of the 'Manley' ferry experience, and then the scathing attempt at devaluing our Australia day honors awards. No wonder many are turned away from Christianity with such whinging Pharisees around!

Now for the debate on Values education. As a new teacher, I have been impressed by the attitude of my colleagues in this area. I know they are striving hard to make a difference in a decaying society. Sellick's crass belittling of those who endeavour to make a difference in the lives of Australia's teenagers is unwarranted. Christian and non-Christian teachers stand hand-to-hand on this and if he wants evidence, I could fill this forum with respondents. Waving the much-touted 'Judeo-Christian tradition' flag will not help. The best way that we can make a difference is to model and teach the values themselves. Isn't it better to express our Christianity by our practice - rather than preaching and proclaiming?

A good example of how values education works is the visit to Australian schools by Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, victim of the Columbine massacre. Visitors to this forum may wish to check out the website: http://www.rachelscott.com. Darrell didn't go on about Judeo-Christian tradition, or even about accepting Jesus Christ, he just left a message about a chain reaction of forgiveness that impacted the students' lives in a way that I have never seen before. I have been severe in this criticism and I expect to receive censure, but I am not an armchair Christian, I am out there where the rubber meets the road.

graceal0ne

Thank you for your heart felt post.

Most of the Christian posters to OLO are very judgemental, having been so judged by these people, I found your remarks very refreshing and agree with all your sentiments.

Clearly religious and non-religious should work together for all our children.

Regards

PS I hope you continue to post here at OLO