Quantcast
Channel: Rev Talk » New Zealand History
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 10

Bibles in Schools

0
0

PaiperaThe Bible is important to Aotearoa/New Zealand society, and RevHirini supports Bible in Schools. 

Like it or not, the Bible is the basis of much of Western culture and values.

Yes the Western world has had the Enlightenment, the rise of modernism and post-modernism and scientific revolutions, but the stories and messages of the Bible are still crucial to Western thought. Everything from the importance of ‘love’ through to caring for the marginalised are part of Scripture, and have been disseminated through education, through politics, even via our amazing social welfare system.

We now live in an increasingly individualised society as consumers of all sorts of products where ‘choice’ is the new religion. So the responses to Bible in Schools include “Religion is a personal choice – it has no place in state-funded schools.” This echoes Dick Cheney stating that “conservation is a personal virtue” and a neo-liberal environment that promotes everything as a personal choice, leading to a lack of shared values and community.

Yes somewhat unfortunately these Bible in Schools classes have often become the property of right-leaning, conservative fundamentalists. But that’s partly because ‘evangelicals’ have energy while liberals are too often happy to sit on their (our) moral thrones and critique what others are actually doing.

Yes the classes could be more inclusive, including all major world religions. In half an hour a week it would be a challenge but why not give it a go? And yes liberals such as myself could get more involved in the curriculum and delivery rather than leave it to others.

But to remove Bible in Schools not only denies a generation of children the exposure to an amazing story, but lessens their understanding of a dynamic that underpins much of their society. And really, what harm does it do? Is the worst possible thing in the world really little Timmy wanting to go to Church on Sunday? Oh no! When will the family have time to go to the mall?! As for suddenly believing in creationism instead of evolution: please give our tamariki a little more credit than that…

Our education system is already being reduced to a solely economic focus where learning about anything that won’t make you money is apparently a waste of time. Let’s not reduce it further, and let’s give Bible in Schools some room for our kids to make up their own minds.

_________________

Further Reading

The NZ Herald doing its usual sensationalism when anything possibly threatens middle-class consumerism:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10906245

 


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 10

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images