DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - The Cross has been banned in school, a sign of the times?

**DF9sLGSU** · 10-15-2006, 11:45 PM

I wonder if you think that the education system will be next to seek to remove all Christian content outside of RE lessons?

I mean especially if it will become difficult for Further and Higher Education faculty to be Christians in the public space?

As ever

Peter

Dear Peter,
A most interesting question. I should like to know what our Moderator's experience is in a University that has always been a centre of Christian study?

My impression is that in schools Christianity gets taught as one of many world religions, where it gets taught at all, and that undue weight is given to the secularist view of it as the source of many of the world's wars; but I should like it if those with more direct experience of this aspect commented further on this.

The ignorance of English students about the religion that has helped shape their own country is limitless. I have been asked by history students with high A level grades and a good education whether 'Anglicanism' was similar to the 'Church of England', and whether the Catholics were Christians, and, if they were, what that made the 'Protestors'? It makes it harder than it used to be to teach medieval and early modern history in particular, and students studying the 19th century seem to think that his religion is not that relevant in understanding Mr. Gladstone.

If we seem, at times, to be in a post-Christian country, part of the cause is not far to seek. Muslims have set a much better example than Christians in this area; they keep their faith schools for teaching the faith; we in the Church of England let them teach the watered-down, doctrineless amalgam which passes for Christianity in this country.

As for Christians being open about their religious belief, I have certainly heard adverse comments about people who have crucifixes on their office walls, but, as yet, no one from 'Human Resources' has declared that they must be removed. But it would, I suspect, take only a single complaint for that to happen.

Is it, I wonder, different if one lectures in Patristics?

On the other hand, there is no shortage of students interested in Christianity. One of my sons who went to university in Wales regularly attended a Church on Sunday with a congregation that was numbered in the hundreds, most of them young people. As you commented elsewhere, Peter, there is a hunger for God - and that is why we must do our best to feed it.

In Christ,

John

10-15-2006, 11:45 PM	#44
DF9sLGSU Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 438 Senior Member	I wonder if you think that the education system will be next to seek to remove all Christian content outside of RE lessons? I mean especially if it will become difficult for Further and Higher Education faculty to be Christians in the public space? As ever Peter Dear Peter, A most interesting question. I should like to know what our Moderator's experience is in a University that has always been a centre of Christian study? My impression is that in schools Christianity gets taught as one of many world religions, where it gets taught at all, and that undue weight is given to the secularist view of it as the source of many of the world's wars; but I should like it if those with more direct experience of this aspect commented further on this. The ignorance of English students about the religion that has helped shape their own country is limitless. I have been asked by history students with high A level grades and a good education whether 'Anglicanism' was similar to the 'Church of England', and whether the Catholics were Christians, and, if they were, what that made the 'Protestors'? It makes it harder than it used to be to teach medieval and early modern history in particular, and students studying the 19th century seem to think that his religion is not that relevant in understanding Mr. Gladstone. If we seem, at times, to be in a post-Christian country, part of the cause is not far to seek. Muslims have set a much better example than Christians in this area; they keep their faith schools for teaching the faith; we in the Church of England let them teach the watered-down, doctrineless amalgam which passes for Christianity in this country. As for Christians being open about their religious belief, I have certainly heard adverse comments about people who have crucifixes on their office walls, but, as yet, no one from 'Human Resources' has declared that they must be removed. But it would, I suspect, take only a single complaint for that to happen. Is it, I wonder, different if one lectures in Patristics? On the other hand, there is no shortage of students interested in Christianity. One of my sons who went to university in Wales regularly attended a Church on Sunday with a congregation that was numbered in the hundreds, most of them young people. As you commented elsewhere, Peter, there is a hunger for God - and that is why we must do our best to feed it. In Christ, John
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