Questions for Cardinal George Pell and Robert Haddad.
In the following article entitled ‘Secular ‘ethics’ drive belittles religious faith‘ Cardinal Pell seems to have missed the point yet again.
He uses the word secular. Do you not understand the term?
It is not religious. It is not anti-religion. It is just ‘without’ religion. It has nothing to do with religion in any way.
There is no hostility in secularism. As there is no hostility, hostility cannot be reflected in anything. You state that there is a majority of christians in Australia, which I doubt, but I’ll let you have that for the sake of the discussion. What has that to do with anything? Are you of the opinion that a religious majority have the right to enforce their religion on the secular minority? All anyone is asking for here is the right to teach our children ethics outside of a religious framework because we are not religious.
You say
“So you have a few people who suggest that religious considerations are inappropriate in public life.“
Whether or not we consider it inappropriate or not has nothing to do with the ethics debate currently underway. That is not what is being said at all. What is being said, and I am getting rather tired of having to repeat myself here, ‘All anyone is asking for is the right to teach our children ethics outside of a religious framework because we are not religious.‘ Please try to understand George, this has nothing to do with you or your SRE classes. This is about parents who wish to have their children taught ethics. What has that to do with you? Is it just that a few parents have taken their children out of the SRE classes? They probably would not have put them there in the first place if secular ethics classes were available. Which just means that you and yours have had a free ride with those children up till now. You shouldn’t be complaining about that.
From your friend Robert Haddad:
It’s not for our sakes, but so our baptised children can hear and know about Christ, wherever they may be.
Now that’s telling isn’t it. It’s for his baptised children. He wants to do the best for ‘their’ children. Good luck to you mate. Well, we also want to do the best for our children. Why are you trying to stop us? Do you have some special mandate that means only you are allowed to do good for your children and that says we can’t?
and
“In the end, the volunteer providers of secular ethics will be no more interesting or inspiring than our catechists, nor will they have the staying power of our catechists, many of whom have devoted decades to joyfully bringing Christ to our children, despite the many difficulties they encounter.”
Not only are you religious, you now profess to be a fortune teller? You can see the future? Oh, what a wise and holy man thou art! Your comments about others being ignorant and prejudiced just go to show your own failings as a christian and solidify our problems with having people such as yourself teaching anything, especially ethics, to our children. Take your hostility to your church and teach it to your children, not ours. He goes on…
Sorry, I would much prefer to continue my cooperation with Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish, Islamic and Buddhist SRE providers to have this Ethics course diverted to another dedicated time slot or removed altogether.
All this shows is that you are trying to remove it altogether. You know full well that if it went to another time slot that the children would have to forgo some other part of their education and that will not be allowed. All you want is to stop non religious people being taught ethics in a secular manner.
If Christianity were being practised in this country in the way that is being made out by the vocal proponents of Christianity in this debate, there wouldn’t be such a problem. But the words being used and the tone of the arguments coming from those in positions of leadership within the christian community are one of the biggest signs that religion is past it’s use by date. When they push a fear campaign to get their way it just goes to show that they have a weak position and they know it.
Why is it that you’re all fine to allow other religions to teach their special brand of ethics, even if it is one you don’t prescribe to, but we aren’t allowed? Why do you fear us so much? We are just ordinary people trying to get along in the world and do the best for our families just like anyone else. If it is just because we don’t believe in your god, then it makes even less sense. How many other religions don’t believe in your god but you’re fine with them teaching their followers children in that same time slot? Buddhists don’t even believe in a god but you’re fine with them, so what is your problem with us?