That's certainly an illuminating take on the situation, Brett_P.

>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.<<

This is the classic cry of the religionist.

"My religion is OK, but your's sucks/is the devil's work/endangers our country's future/should be banned/is blasphemy/is nothing more than brainwashing."

I hate to think how many people have died, in Northern Ireland as well as other parts of the globe, under the banner of such blind intolerance.

It has always fascinated me that there are so many shades of religion.

From sweet ol' ladies like my grandmother, who never said a bad word about anyone in her entire long and blameless life, to fanatics who would blow themselves up, so long as they could take a few non-believers with them.

Or even simply set themselves on fire, just to make a point.

http://www.gnn.tv/threads/4496/Thich_Quang_Duc_The_Burning_Monk

Interestingly, the world has yet to witness atheists fighting amongst themselves to determine whose atheism is best.

These ongoing strategies among different religions to obtain political favours are attempts to expand and defraud even more people - get 'em while they're young and vulnerable!

Those religions that defraud society attempt to validate themselves through their myths and superstitions where none of these myths and superstitions have any basis in fact.

If religious education is permitted in schools, why not education in clairvoyance, transcendal meditation or even the “scriptures” of Nostradamus? They have as much credibility.

My profoundly deaf and blind mother was an involuntary and reluctant psychic, much in demand though she never allowed a penny to cross her palm nor did she ever attempt to indoctrinate others.

Perhaps the religious in our society could learn a thing or two from my mother's "Christian" principles?

Wow! I'm 48 myself and I'm really impressed that Danny still looks forward to birthdays!
I don't know what I can add that hasn't been said already. The secularists have exhaustively and reasonably made their case. I'd like to hear from the other side now in the same register (feel free to throw in a bit of name calling). Can we have some reasoned counterargument please, as to why public schools shouldn't be purged of a well organised and extremist cohort of fruit bats?

Trav
You remarked "I wonder if Pelican would say the same if he (sic) lived in Afghanistan. No, he'd (sic) rail against the law."

That is my point. Afghanistan is not a secular state and you can be ostracised, stoned, jailed or at worst killed for a contrary religious view. Afghani law as with many other Islamic States, is as it is because it has been highly interfered with by the extremist end of Islam - usually old men with beards and a strong political/religious agenda.

I take your point about our system of law as influenced by a JudeoChristian past. I agree but this influence has changed and evolved over the years to what we experience today. Many years past one could have been persecuted, killed or jailed if not of the Christian faith.

Thankfully the JudeoChristian world has moved forward. We hope the same for the Islamic world where government is free from the same restraints. Eventually, democracy has to come to the Middle East - it seems inevitable with greater lines of communication and exposure to education and technology.

The difference between Counsellors and Chaplains is that support is provided free from religious motivations. The Chaplains, while many will be well intentioned, might find it difficult to separate religious mission work from impartial counselling and support.

As Leigh, commented it is true that no-one is without bias. We all have a particular worldview but those with a strong religious agenda tend to push those views with little thought to individual family's rights to raise children in their own way.

Chaplains are not 'Gods' they do not have the right to assume their choice should be, or would even work, for every other person on the planet.

Whilst reading the posts I came across one I agreed with.

Then I saw the name 'Pericles.'

Halleluiah, there is a God

Thanks Danny for a balanced article.

Some contributors seem to think that religion is a kind of ideology that cannot be questioned. I am studying a Masters of Theology at the United Faculty of Theology (Melbourne Uni), and I can assure you that any aspect of the tradition is up for discussion and debate. There is a great deal of sophisticated academic theology, and indeed it is a discipline taught in most major world universities. Most people (I think) find the idea of God highly interesting and important, at least as a debating topic. So why shouldn't suitably qualified teachers canvass these ideas in schools? As long as they allow free discussion and indeed dissent, surely there can be no objection.