The tyranny of faith schools
I am astounded and a little fearful that religious leaders still hold so much sway over central government. Have we learned nothing from the centuries of our bloody religious wars?
Rabbi James Kennard is so indignant at the possibility of having non-Jewish children in his school that he is emigrating to Australia.A Roman Catholic Archbishop finds the Education Secretary's proposal for 25 per cent non-faith admissions policy for faith schools "unacceptable".
Some fundamentalist Muslims want to treat women as though they should be in permanent purdah.
Visiting Jehovah's Witnesses tell me I am doomed! The Mormons inform me that I should get registered in the Temple in Salt Lake City to go to heaven - and there are limited places! Many Hindus tell me that I may well return after death as a dog - or even a spider! The Buddhists believe the way to happiness is to deny all worldly desires and that will lead to blissful oblivion!
To take religion seriously is, therefore, somewhat confusing as well as preposterous. France, the USA and other countries forbid the state to support and foster any particular religion because of the well-known divisive effects it has on - paradoxically - social cohesion. This is based on the evidence of centuries gathered by observing how religions actually practise - despite their teachings of non-violence - many kinds of intolerance, persecution and bloodshed.
In the UK, state schools are supposed to teach about religions as belief systems in an historical context - not to force feed pupils with any particular view.
However, the present government has gone into reverse and moved in the opposite direction, establishing more and more faith schools which seek to indoctrinate their pupils into particular ways of thinking and exclusive beliefs.
I am astounded and a little fearful that religious leaders still hold so much sway over central government. Have we learned nothing from the centuries of our bloody religious wars? I strongly object to paying one half of one iota of a penny to any of these faith schools.
We pay far too much attention to the sensibilities of the believers in the faiths, while they think nothing of insulting and discriminating against women, gays and non-believers such as atheists, agnostics and free-thinkers.
Gordon Hensman, Parkway Road, Dudley.
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