I would like to see all outside influences eliminated except those contributing to the child's education. Chaplains who are pushing a particular religion have no place in the public schools. Recruiters for professional sports or the military also have no place.

My younger son was a talented athlete. He made the all-stars and then decided that he wasn't particularly interested in team sports. His coach kept calling me wanting me to push my son to get back on the team. I told him that Seth wasn't interested, and it was his decision. That didn't stop the man. He talked of Seth's potential as a professional athlete. It didn't matter that Seth wasn't interested. Seth is now a biochemist engaged in research, and his sport is for his pleasure.

Henson left it for the parents to get in touch. He put no pressure on anyone.

As far as I am concerned I prefer Henson to the military, sports establishment and the beasts of pray.

StG, I found it all rather dissapointed. Gibo missed out on flying saucers, asian invasions etc. Crap-Ploy's not managed to sneak Islam in yet and runners not managed to blame it all on evolution.

The title showed promise with the High Priest bit but then that was not followed through with.

Yes they are carrying on with the mission of making the christain faith look really bad but could do better.

Personally I'd rather have Bill Henson doing an escorted walk through a school than any of this crowd turning up unsupervised to conduct an RE class or run a christain kids club. I'd rather not have any of them using school grounds during school hours to do their thing but the poison so evident in this crowd of fundies is far worse than anything Henson can do.

R0bert

I was blessed to be amongst charismatics in my christian youth and they tought much about evil spirits and those who get manipulated by them.
I learned all about witchcraft and those who use chanting and clairvoyance to open doors to contact with spirits.
We learned about some of the artie craftie folk and their tastes.
Not just artie craftie folk but many others who serve darkness.

Some politicians, magistrates, even police have been known to be involved in witchcraft or to protect witches and warlocks.
Christian bookshops are full of stuff on witchcraft, as is the net.

What most people have yet to appreciate is that the fallen spirit realm is a very, very real world and it has been given power over those who go looking for New Age beliefs and eastern religions... those who bong on and those who get plastered with alcohol and porn.

All are door openners into the dark world of satan and his trash.

Quite so david f.

Kids are subjected to all sorts of rubbish from individuals and organisations who view schools as the perfect place to start building their little empires. Reading programmes sponsored by fast food outlets, odd groups promoting their religious views under the false pretence of social activities, weirdos with American accents preaching abstinence, government authorities promoting Simpson's donkey, recruiters for everything from tap dancing squads to the armed forces.

Schools are not so much educational institutions as resource pools for the weird, the needy and the greedy. Oh, and the perfect location for a good, old fashioned moral panic.

From Henson's speech: "Nothing kills the thing we love quite so perfectly as our assumption that we always know what's best, what is right for someone else, whether it's another person or another culture," Henson told an audience of about 500 people."

It is interesting that Henson makes ingenuous statements like this without any reference to the difference between children and adults. He probably does not see himself as an oracle polycarp but he certainly displays some artistic arrogance (in the idea that artistic freedom overrides all other freedoms and rights including those of children). There is a big difference in photographing adult Pacific Islanders in the nude with their permission than doing the same in regard to sexually explicit photos of underage children. He still doesn't really get it. He thinks he's got it but he hasn't.

Henson's mistake is his failure to address the real issue and by lumping all his detractors in the 'relgious nutter' category he obviously absolves himself of the need to.

In relation to the recent school visits, the Principal certainly failed in a duty of care by allowing Henson to scout for models in this way and without parental knowledge.

Henson, for all we know, may not have any intention to use these models inappropriately but given his history it does seem an odd decision and reeks a bit of artistic populism.

As with most Henson threads, this one will probably descend once again into insults and innuendos.

To add to earlier comments: I feel just as strongly about religious indoctrination in schools and visits by pastors/priests etc as echoed by Davidf above.