Today, I got a message from Chrys of Atheist Nexus:
Penny Sharpe, Minister for Parliment in NSW, has tweeted that she has had her inbox inundated this morning with messages from Christians pleading with the government to axe the ethics classes in NSW schools so they won’t compete with scripture classes.
We need all hands on deck to email or tweet Penny to let her know there’s widespread support for these classes!
Important for Australian atheists/secularists – the Christian rent-a-crowd have been busy inundating NSW MLC Penny Sharpe’s inbox, pleading with the government to kill the NSW ethics classes so they won’t compete with scripture classes.
Let Penny know that there is widespread support for the ethics classes in NSW. Here’s the page to contact her by email: http://www.facebook.com/l/35231;pennysharpe.com/contact
Or you can tweet her at PennySharpemlc
Or send her a message on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pennysharpemlc
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Letter in support gladly submitted.
Dear Penny,
It is of the utmost importance that if NSW public schools must allow the teaching of religion in what is supposed to be a secular environment parents are given a choice about their children attending or not attending scripture classes.
Of even more importance is the provision of quality educational time and subject material for those parents whom choose not to have their children attend what is in most cases public funded compulsory Christian Church. The trial and hopefully permanent introduction of the Ethics classes is an excellent and admirable move by the State Government in this matter. Please acknowledge that you can count on the support of my and my extended family in support of this long overdue initiative.
I thought the whole point would be to compete with scripture class.
In my scripture class the books were cheaply printed so many of us spent time erasing choice words in order to make the books more entertaining for the next reader. Funny though it was the class in general was a real snore fest. I’m pretty sure I’d have rather done an ethics class.
I know Penny, and she is really great.
Also, if you live in NSW it would be strategically useful to contact your local member as well with the same message, and Education Minister Verity Firth and the Premier.
This mgk post went as an email to Penny Sharpe. Thanks for the heads-up.
Thanks everyone!
I think you can view it in several ways.
Because I still see it as a benefit, no matter what way you choose to take it.
Perhaps you view it as merely providing more options, fairly? Or allowing education to continue rather than have children be left out during school-times? Maybe it is indeed about not pushing religious values – maybe you hope that by allowing children the chance to choose, they will truly reflect what Dawkins talks about in terms of respecting their freedom?
Perhaps it still might make young people adopt a particular faith with confidence as a result of this – but with a greater understanding of ‘the other side’? Or maybe you’re just hoping that the inception will send a strong message that this is a secular country and will be the beginning of more incentives?
No matter how you view it, I think you should write in and say why.
Perhaps I am unwarranted in my optimism but I’m hoping the students who try this course simply gain a better grasp of ethical thinking. We’ve been at this exercise in the Unitarian Church for centuries and it has a corrosive effect on some of the more toxic doctrines (Salvation, Hellfire, Opposition to Homosexuality, faith, etc). I see it as good for religion even if it’s a bitter pill to swallow.
Of course this is from a church going Atheist so maybe I have a bias in this
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