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Published Date: 06 April 2008
CONTRARY to the report 'Wee Frees call on Salmond to set up religious schools' (March 30), the Free Church has not called for Alex Salmond to set up Free Church schools "espousing strict biblical principles", nor based on "hard-line Presbyterian principles". And for the record, we are not a "conservative" denomination – we are actually a radical biblical church.
What I was calling for in my letter was that our schools should return to their Christian roots and resist the infiltration of one minority secularist perspective. If that is not to be the case then those of us who believe in the basic principles
of a Christian education (tolerance, respect, knowledge, inquiry and love based upon truth) should be allowed to have our children educated according to that philosophy – as much as the secularists want their children to be educated according to their philosophy.

The difference between what we are requesting and the secularists is that we want freedom of choice, whilst they want everyone to be educated according to their philosophy, at taxpayers' expense.

David A Robertson, editor, The Monthly Record, Dundee

SOME statistics may reveal an ulterior motive for more sectarian schools. Christian Research's Religious Trends Bulletin (No 5) reveals that from 2000 to 2003, the Free Church has shed 1,500 members, and by 2020 membership is projected to be half its current level. Similar spectacular decline is reported for all other Christian denominations. The Reverend David Robertson might therefore care to reflect on the value of any religious belief that needs to be force-fed into the minds of innocent children in order for it to survive.

Alistair McBay, National Secular Society, Edinburgh





The full article contains 283 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 05 April 2008 8:47 PM
  • Source: Scotland On Sunday
  • Location: Scotland
 
1

Upbeat,

06/04/2008 09:32:36
Mr McBay appears to understand the world from a very peculiar perspective.

He may care to consider which of our modern values would not need to be "force-fed" into children for them to survive ? : reading ? writing ? adding up ? understanding of the law ? the offering of respect and the receiving of it ?

Surely, to wish to legislate so as to deny children the opportunity to study fully certain aspects of modern life,things that somesections of the nation may disagree with , because these ideas may conflict with other "faiths" ...surely this is the first foot on a path through revisionism to totalitarianism.
2

GMCD,

dundee 06/04/2008 09:45:56
Once again, a religious "leader" has to write another letter explaining his first....
3

A McBay,

Edinburgh 06/04/2008 11:04:35
Upbeat 1#

I want our schools to teach the same things that Robertson does (respect, knowledge, inquiry and love ) but where we differ is on the last part, what he calls “ love based upon truth”

The reverend wants children to be segregated along religious lines and taught Catholic “love based on truth” in Catholic schools, Islamic “truth” in Muslim schools, Wee Free “truth” in Wee Free schools and so on.

I disagree that this is good for producing tolerant, integrated adult communities. It is not the function of the State to allow children to be forcefed one version of so-called “truth” according to whichever competing religious sect their parents belong.

When the NUT suggested enforced religious instruction in schools at its recent conference, many church leaders argued that schools should teach about religion, but that “instruction” was a matter for parents in the home or the religions themselves at their places of worship. I agree with them

I want Scotland's schools for teaching. Robertson wants Scotland's schools for preaching.
4

Upbeat,

06/04/2008 11:47:26
3 A McBay

Thank you for coming here to enlarge on your viewpoint.

From my perspective the idea of education for all is for schools to bring to the attention of those in the classroom the whole range of factors that will impact on those children throughout their adult lives.

No school should deny access to any specific part of life " science" ( to use modern speak ! ) To claim that a Protestant , Catholic or Moslem school might deny children access to other aspects of faith is one viewpoint to hold. But to then turn and say that all religious teaching should be separated from school education, because of a disagreement about the "content", is a step towards allowing the state to define the things that it is politically correct for school curriculum. This will bring about a generation that has been educated to the exclusion of those things that offend the sensibilities of some minority in society. .

There should be no such barrier in a free country. Schools and parents should be free to exercise their choices for their children fully and totally without fear of censure always provided the intention is free and peaceful.

I fear that your apparent advocation of faith free zones in society is big a step back towards the dark ages, of bigotry and prejudice. This regardless of your personal judgement and opinion of the Rev Robertson's agenda.

5

Colin Wilson,

Aberdeen 06/04/2008 14:37:17
If religion is to be taught in schools, then it should NOT be taught at public expense. Funding for religious education should come from e.g. religious organisations and from families.
6

Branko,

Alloa 06/04/2008 17:26:23
#3
I'm no supporter of David Robertson but I heard him being interviewed on Radio Scotland the other morning. He was asked about Muslim schools and he said he would have a problem with that. He is still labouring under the delusion that this is a xian country, poor man, and that only xian schools should be allowed.
7

Upbeat,

06/04/2008 18:24:34
5 Colin.

If religion is not taught in schools then the taxpayer will pick up the " tab" anyway . This will happen whenever one section of society clashes with another over some aspect of the other's faith which is not clearly understood.

Far better for Schools to be funded properly and fully to teach 'in the round'and with correct balance all aspects that will impact on the adult lives of every child ,this includes the wide spectrum of various religions.

Why ever exclude certain topics out of some fear about " going there " ?
8

Hugh V McLachlan,

Elderslie 06/04/2008 22:13:25
# 5 Colin Wilson

I agree entirely with you. So-called 'faith-schools' should not be illegal but they should not be provided free at the expense of tax-payers. State-financed schools should be non-denominational and non-religious. They might, to a limited extent give some factual education about what the different religions teach but they should not promote or, in any other sense, teach religion.
9

Freethinker,

Penicuik 27/04/2008 15:46:56
I texted Robertson on Sally Magnuson's programme this morning. I asked him to justify snakes talking, sea's parting, the dead rising, worldwide flood (which, incidentally, if true would make God a mass murderer) - you get my drift. His answer was that old - no evidence required - fallback, miracles.

The man has no credibility whatsoever and is only getting the publicity he doesn't deserve because he's a wee free-er whose name is not McLeod or McDonald and he's under age 75. His arrogance and ego - based on superstition and brain-washing - and his complete and utter rejection of logic, rationality and science make him an irrelevance as we consider the big isues that face this plant.
10

Freethinker,

Edinburgh 27/04/2008 16:04:14
* planet (Scotland on Sunday - please allow us to edit our posts!)

 

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