Furore over school Scripture book ban

#1075 for broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 17 May 2015

There’s been a strong reaction to moves by the NSW Department of Education to ban three books by prominent Sydney Anglicans used in Special Religious Education (SRE).

The proposed ban was prompted by a lobby group, Fairness in Religion in Schools, which appears to want SRE classes discontinued for fear that religious indoctrination might lead teens to abstain from casual sex or take the teachings of Jesus seriously.

One of the books’ authors, the Reverend Dr Michael Jensen, said it was

Interesting that ‘proselytising’ is the particular concern of the FIRIS group. I would assume, that, as defined by them, ordinary teachers in secular classrooms proselytise all the time. They speak persuasively, and they urge students to choose right from wrong. I would assume that Muslim SRE teachers and Catholic SRE teachers want their students to be better Muslims and Catholics… or if they aren’t Muslims and Catholics, to find Islam and Catholicism persuasive and attractive.

I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.