Wonderful article Danny and you have really covered it all eloquently and succinctly.

Secularism may not be perfect but it is the only obvious path forward in modern socieites because it is:

1. That condition that allows people to believe in what they will without fear of persecution/prosecution as long as those beliefs don't contravene the law.
2. The freedom for democratic government to develop policy without the shackles of religious dogma.
3. The freedom for our children not to be indoctrinated at a tender age by another's agenda/dogma.

I agree with Danny,

Chaplains should not have access to the children without the express written permission of the parents.

I would prefer priests and other kiddie fiddlers were kept away completely from all schools.

Danny says he has a 'chaplain' at his daughters school. I wonder how honest the school was in introducing the so-called 'chaplain' to the school community?

All too frequently the school principal and a bunch of desperately scared parents set the tone and ram through, against the DEEWR rules, and without any broad consultation with students and parents, their own idea of what a 'chaplain' should be. Most parents are unaware that they can have control over the job description and set the parameters before the SU employee gets selected.

I like the tone of this article, although I think Danny is far too generous with Mander and the SU.

And the reason I say that is because Danny and others will never get the chance to enter an EQ school as an 'alternative' chaplain. SU has stiched up a backroom deal with Bligh and previous ALP governments and has, apart from a lone-wolf Buddhist chaplain, got a monopoly on this tax funded scam.

I see down at Pelican Waters Mander is in trouble with a errant 'chaplain', according to the local newspaper anyway:
http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2009/jul/28/chaplain-suggestive-msn-chats/

The response from Ed Qld is absolutely shocking, totally devoid of any notion of what they have let loose in our state schools.

Why don't the Manders of this world go and place their employees in private schools?

Is it because private schools know better than to trust evangelical extremists?

The issue I have with secularism and education is that it often shows an unthinking quality when it comes to religion.
While religion is (and ought to remain) an aspect of our individual choice, all religions are not equal. Some religious beliefs are highly commendable, and others are rightly reproachable. Yet discernment when it comes to religion is often something put in the too hard basket in our society.

I am certainly not without bias, I teach Religious Education in a public primary school, but I do not want to take this as an opportunity to 'indoctrinate', but to educate.
Religions are complex and are often poorly taught be people who do not practice them. I want my students to grasp the idea that it is worth thinking about God. While they often come up with different answers to my own, my aim is to encourage them to evaluate evidence and consider some of the options available.
I would hope that our schools are places where all questions are welcome and that we see the value in having more than mere councilors available to help children answer them.
While we cannot present every option and opinion to have some of the more 'tried and true' responses on offer ought not to be considered a threat to parents but a key part of understanding our heritage and our world.
parents are right to be concerned about religious indoctrination but to then ensure that most of our children are ignorant in this area would surely be to leave them more open to indoctrination.
Religious organisations that have a commitment to the community are a valuable part of our society and can make an important contribution within the education system.

The heading says it all ('Secularism is good for you'). Unfortunatley multitudes of parents don't agree with you Danny. Even many pagans have abandoned State run zoos based on secular idealism. Your ignorance of religions really does show up. You think equal weight should be given to to Islam (the religion of peace) along with Christ. Unfortunately secularism has much in common with the death cult of Islam. Suddenly you put yourself as god and tell us what is good for us.

What can a chaplain do that a counsellor can't won't do. A Chaplain can teach a few basic morals. A Chaplain can give a plausible account for origins. A Chaplain ca advise a teenager not to murder the baby she has as a result of secular values.

We really don't need you preaching your secular dogma Danny as to what is good for us. Anyone with a conscience and half a brain can see the fruit of your belief system.

Secularism seems to be the result of our postmodern past. It simply has no objective footing whatsoever, which in my mind, gives it major pitfalls. Take for example, Pelicans statement about why secularism is "the way forward": It is "That condition that allows people to believe in what they will without fear of persecution/prosecution as long as those beliefs don't contravene the law.". But, where did we get the laws in the first place? From our Judeo Christian past. So, we should respect a worldview which allows people to believe what they want, as long as those views don't contradict the law?

I wonder if Pelican would say the same if he lived in Afghanistan. No, he'd rail against the law.

So really secularism is just a worldview which says everything and nothing at the same time. It doesn't really stand for much at all