Letter: Retain Christian education
The Courier & Advertiser 6 Feb 2016
Dear Editor,
John Munro (Feb 2nd) asks what I mean by Christian beliefs. Its not difficult – I mean those beliefs shared by all Christians as expressed in the Apostles Creed – held in common by Catholics, Presbyterians, Anglicans and others. It is also a bit of a cheap jibe for Mr Munro to say that my beliefs seem identical with Sarah Palin’s – I suspect she doesn’t even know what the Apostle Creed is! But sadly this kind of superior “I know better than you do about your own beliefs’ is all too typical of the atheistic secularist approach. Mr Munro says he knows of no person who wants schools to promote atheism, I know many. And yet he then goes on to say that schools and parents should not promote religious ideas. I do agree with him that pupils should learn to think for themselves, but in the one size fits all education system of the atheistic secularists that is going to be increasingly difficult.
I agree with Mr Munro that schools should promote values such as honesty, reliability, responsibility, empathy and compassion. The question is not only what is the basis for these values, but how should they be promoted. Christianity has an excellent track record on promoting such values – atheism has so far not shown those fruits.
Finally for once I agree with Alistair McBay of the National Secular Society when he says that it is not the governments job to fund sectarian indoctrination via schools. That surely equally applies to secularist schools which only teach secular humanist values. Would it not be better to stick with Scotlands tradition of broadly Christian education, rather than replace it with the narrow social engineering of the atheistic secularists?
Yours etc
David A Robertson
You can follow the earlier letters here
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Yes, there is no point in explaining what is meant in situations like this.
At such times, even the best reasoned explanation doesn’t result in another’s understanding. Someone else showing disapproval in this kind of occurrence is an indication that you are doing something right.
I think it’s good to have a public voice for Christianity being expressed. At the same time I wonder to what extent it is profitable to engage in such discussions in the press.
Surely having the best education is about having a combination of the secular and religious, so that pupils/students are free to make age appropriate choices for themselves.
I doubt if any secular activists are interested in the religious having any part in public life. Given that their “religion” (to use the term as defined in the Equality Act 2010) is, in effect about the “good news” of being “religion free” and being “evangelistic” about that then I doubt if there will be active promotion for the freedom of faith in any secular activist organisations any time soon.
So yes, deconstructing arguments and satirising pretentiousness is about the limit to what can be achieved in the press with this. In that sense, if that is irritating to any form or bigotry, and fosters confidence in those who’s interests are for the best for the education system then something good is being achieved.
Ironic how the institution that has slaughtered millions, tortured millions, enslaved millions & still oppresses millions cries out for sympathy because their feelings are hurt or they are offended.
You can believe what you like & claim what you like but when it comes to the crunch the claimant must proved all evidence as 100% of the burden of proof lows with you.
Since when did your right to be offended or freedom to express trump others right to be left alone?
What is your goal with all this ?
Would you like every human on the planet to join you side?
No more need for government, social care, police, ambulances, courts…a utopia yeah?
I doubt anyone of your team have thought about it because all you want is to get to planet heaven anyway.
Oh dear – another Google atheist who knows little history. The Church has not slaughtered millions, nor tortured millions, nor enslaved millions…but hey don’t let facts get in the way of your prejudice! I would strongly recommend thinking…and reading….and opening your eyes!