Teacher's Monthly » religious freedom http://www.teachersmonthly.com Education News, Articles, Reviews & Resources Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:50:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Threat to religious freedom in schools http://www.teachersmonthly.com/index.php/2010/02/threat-to-religious-freedom-in-schools/ http://www.teachersmonthly.com/index.php/2010/02/threat-to-religious-freedom-in-schools/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:01:15 +0000 Adrian Marnewick http://www.teachersmonthly.com/?p=137 Late last year Prof. George Claassen, the Chairman of Sceptics South Africa, issued ‘an ultimatum’ for schools in South Africa to stop teaching religion in the classroom. Claassen warned that Sceptics South Africa is ‘monitoring’ schools to ensure that there is no Bible reading or prayer. Claassen maintains that it is ‘unacceptable’ that some schools describe themselves as having ‘Christian character’ or teach ‘Christian morals’.

In an article published in Rapport, some of the schools identified by Claassen were contacted for a reaction. They pointed out that government policy leaves room for religion in schools and that participation in religious activities are voluntary. Nevertheless Claassen has threatened that this organisation intends taking legal steps to ensure that religion is eradicated from public schools.

Anyone who believes that education can be neutral is mistaken. Ideas have consequences and actions flow from thought patterns. Secular humanism is a religion and if Christian values are eradicated from the classroom then the vacuum will be filled with secular humanism with its evolutionism, situation ethics and atheism.

Throughout all of history Christianity has been the greatest force for education. Most of the world’s languages were first set to writing by Christian missionaries. Christianity has been the greatest force for promoting literacy worldwide throughout history. Christianity revolutionised education by making it available to all classes and to both genders.

Children do not belong to the state; they are made in the image of God and are entrusted by Him to parents to “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” Eph 6:4. Please pray for George Claassen, the team at Sceptics SA and for all teachers in our country.

Joy! Magazine, Jan 2010, Pg. 15

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