Recently, Will Jones posted a comment to the effect that the real black stain on America, slavery, was opposed by religion. That’s bullshit. Actually, the abolition of slavery and freedom of religion were Freemason concepts.

Well we got past the slavery and the religious persecution, bless our hearts, now we have to get past religious ignorance. And as society plods slowly toward the light, the religious right wants to drag us back into the Crusades, to keep us ignorant, to preserve their power and influence. What blows my mind is that these yuppies are paying crippling prices to have their children mentally neutered in a religious school.

NeoWolfe

Jim Murphy Plays The Religion Card To Win Votes

http://news.scotsman.com/news/.....6094584.jp

Comments were highlighted on the blog today, including one by Terry Sanderson:

http://thescotsman.scotsman.co.....6097922.jp

I believe barriejohn has a point about those who will be the most likely to be engaging with schools to set the agenda. While I was at school it was fortunately through apathy that the PTA was largely formed from relatively liberal parents who wanted more robust sex education and less time wasted on masses and prayers, but this simply allowed the senior teachers at the school to exercise their political muscles as they talked out of both sides of their mouth. Ultimately their aim was for the status quo in order to enhance their own careers – my former principle is now the head of the Catholic Education Commission in Scotland, basically our equivalent of England’s Catholic Education Service. You don’t get to that job by promoting frank and honest debate.

Anyway, we cannot hope that the next generation’s apathy toward religion will eventually swamp the efforts of the zealots. Those whose parents who force them to go to a religious school have the right to a comprehensive education whether or not they stand a chance of being fooled by the faith’s nonsense. We cannot have teenagers wandering around not knowing properly how to protect themselves and each other, whether or not they buy the bullshit that condoms send you to hell.

Congress participants argued that demonology lessons should be treated more seriously in seminaries and that ordinary people, too, would benefit from knowing more about exorcisms. During the congress, the priests discussed the main causes of possession by demons such as occult, esoteric beliefs like magic, eastern meditation and homeopathy.

In the 1990s, there were three exorcists practicing in Poland. Today, their number has exceeded one hundred. Each is appointed by a local bishop. The congresses are held twice a year. (kk/mmj)

http://www.thenews.pl/national/artykul125510.html

http://www.islamist-watch.org/.....n-to-force

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/.....ace-row.do

BBC NEWS

Commons backs sex education move

MPs have backed a government move to allow sex education to be taught in England in a way that “reflects” a school’s “religious character”.

The amendment to the Children, Schools and Families Bill was passed by a majority of 345 in the Commons.

Opponents had said ministers showed “cowardice” by making the amendment in the face of religious groups’ lobbying.

The government insisted there had been no “watering down” of plans to make all schools teach the biology of sex.

The “religious character” amendment to the bill was passed without debate due to a lack of parliamentary time.

‘Major step forward’

The change follows what the Catholic Education Service claimed had been a period of “extensive lobbying”.

Opponents of the amendment have argued it could allow faith schools to teach sex and relationships educations in ways that are homophobic, gender discriminatory and in violation of principles of human rights.

Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society, said the government had “once more bowed to pressure from the Catholic Church, betraying the children in faith schools who have a right to objective and balanced sex education”.

“This cowardice will blight many lives,” he added.