Indo punks targeted by religious police

From the ABC News Website

Punk's not dead, it's just gone to moral rehab

December 15, 2011

Photo: An Indonesian police woman cuts the hair of a

detained female punk. (AFP: Chaideer Mahyuddin )

Indonesian sharia police are "morally rehabilitating" more than 60 young punk rock fans in Aceh province on Sumatra island, saying the youths are tarnishing the province's image.

Since being arrested at a punk rock concert in the provincial capital Banda Aceh on Saturday night, 59 male and five female punk rock fans have been forced to have their hair cut, bathe in a lake, change clothes and pray.

"We feared that the Islamic sharia law implemented in this province will be tainted by their activities," Banda Aceh deputy mayor Illiza Sa'aduddin Djamal, who ordered the arrests, said.

"We hope that by sending them to rehabilitation they will eventually repent."

Hundreds of Indonesian punk fans came from around the country to attend the concert, organised to raise money for orphans.

Police stormed the venue and arrested fans sporting mohawks, tattoos, tight jeans and chains, who were on Tuesday taken to a nearby town to undergo a 10-day moral rehabilitation camp run by police.


Full Story:   http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-14/punk-rockers-rehabilitated-under-islamic-law/3731442

The right thing to do

From the ABC News website


Bishop overturns school snub of lesbian couple
By Natalie Whiting

Updated December 14, 2011 11:47:38


A bishop has intervened to overturn a Catholic primary school's decision to refuse to enrol a lesbian couple's daughter.

The couple, who do not want to be identified, had tried to enrol their child at Sacred Heart Primary School at Broken Hill in far western New South Wales.

They say the principal told them their relationship was the reason the application had been turned down.

The acting bishop for the Wilcannia-Forbes diocese, Kevin Manning, says he is appalled by that decision.

"There's no way in the world one can penalise a child for what his or her parents do," he said.

"To penalise a five year old child because her parents are living in a homosexual relationship is just quite wrong and I've been in touch with both the school principal and also the parish priests."


Full Story:   http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-14/bishop-overturns-school-snub-of-lesbian-couple/3730738


Unfortunately, the bishop responsible for the change isn't clearly identified in the story.


15% percent of the funding of a school doesn't "buy" you the right to inflict your own personal or religious bigotry onto others. And if you think that whole concept of "buying" an opportunity to discriminate is abhorrent in the first place, you're not alone.

Evolution of an intersection

Submitted by John

From the World Policy Blog

The Long and Winding Road to Secular Democracy

By Nick Danforth

December 9, 2011 - 11:15am 

Following the electoral success of Islamist parties in Tunisia and Egypt, a vexing question is once again in the news: how can Islam and democracy healthily coexist? Unfortunately, debates over the importance and difficulty of separating "mosque and state" often become confused by the obvious (if seldom stated) comparison: the evolution of secularism in Christian Europe.

After a decade's worth of arguing, everyone seems happy to stick to their rival assumptions about Christianity and Islam— Some people take it for granted that Christianity was always more secular, some find this idea too ridiculous to even discuss.

But assumptions have dangers. Those who only see the fundamental differences between Islam and Christianity too often conclude that if democracy cannot prevail in the Muslim Middle East, autocracy might be a safer choice. Those who follow their (usually reliable) instinct to focus on the similarities, however, often cannot explain the success of Islamist parties as anything other than a reaction to secular autocracy. Seeing the counter-intuitive chain of events that led to secular democracy in Europe will help both sides better appreciate the challenge facing the Middle East.

There really was an important historical difference between church-state relations in the Christian and Islamic worlds— but certainly not because Christianity itself was any more secular than Islam. Rather, the separation of church and state in Europe took shape from the unique institution of the Vatican, and its millennia-long fight against the separation of church and state. In fact, for years the only thing church leaders and their monarchical counterparts agreed on was that church and state should be united. They just disagreed over who should be holding the reins. And this fight for power kept church and state at odds.


Full article:   http://www.worldpolicy.org/blog/2011/12/09/long-and-winding-road-secular-democracy

One step forward

From the ABC News website

Queensland passes civil unions bill

Updated December 01, 2011 07:45

'Blow against prejudice' - Anna Bligh addresses a gay rights rally

before the vote (AAP: Toby Mann)

The Queensland Parliament has joined Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT in passing legislation recognising same-sex civil partnerships.

As expected, the Opposition voted against the bill as did most independent MPs.

Labor MPs were allowed a conscience vote and four voted against the legislation, but the final result was not as close as expected with a margin of 47 votes to 40.

Inside Parliament, Premier Anna Bligh reflected the views of a majority of her party.

"The bill that is before the Parliament is a bill that seeks to strike a blow against prejudice and strike a blow against discrimination," she said.

Health Minister Geoff Wilson, who initially said he would support the bill, was one of the Labor MPs who voted against the bill.

"The more I have thought about it, about what I personally believe according to my faith, unfortunately I can't support the bill," he said.

Another Labor MP, Michael Choi, was the first to tell Parliament he would not support the legislation.

"This is by far the hardest legislation for the last 10 years I've had to work on," he said.

"I struggled and have argued with myself over and over, but at the end I could not support this bill.

"My conscience does not allow me to go further. I wanted to but I could not."

Mr Choi also thanked Ms Bligh for allowing MPs to make up their own minds.


Full Story:   http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-01/queensland-parliament-passes-same-sex-bill/3705444


Congratulations, QLD ! The spotlight on bigotry just got considerably brighter. Well done.

Perhaps Health Minister Geoff Wilson and those other community representatives that voted similarly, need to consider that their government positions aren't pulpits, and the work they do in those positions is not an acceptable opportunity for them to legislate their personal beliefs onto others. Politicians need to represent all of their constituents, not just the majority of them, and so should act accordingly.

How NOT to do it, Lesson 2

From Slate.com

Rule of Lord
The Republican plan to nullify the courts and establish Christian theocracy.

By William Saletan
Posted Monday, Nov. 21, 2011

Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and Michele Bachmann.

Photograph by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images.

Is the United States sliding toward theocracy? That’s what Republican presidential candidates have told us for more than a year. Radical Islam, they’ve argued, is on the verge of taking over our country through Sharia law. But this weekend, at an Iowa forum sparsely covered by the press, the candidates made clear that they don’t mind theocracy—in fact, they’d like to impose it—as long as it’s Christian.

You can find video of Saturday’s “Thanksgiving Family Forum” on the Web sites of two organizations that sponsored it: CitizenLink and the Family Leader. Here are highlights of the candidates’ remarks.
 

1. Religious Americans must fight back against nonbelievers. To quote Herman Cain:

"What we are seeing is a wider gap between people of faith and people of nonfaith. … Those of us that are people of faith and strong faith have allowed the nonfaith element to intimidate us into not fighting back. I believe we’ve been too passive. We have maybe pushed back, but as people of faith, we have not fought back."

2. The religious values we must fight for are Judeo-Christian. Rick Perry warned:

"Somebody’s values are going to decide what the Congress votes on or what the president of the United States is going to deal with. And the question is: Whose values? And let me tell you, it needs to be our values—values and virtues that this country was based upon in Judeo-Christian founding fathers."

3. Our laws and our national identity are Judeo-Christian. Michele Bachmann explained:

"American exceptionalism is grounded on the Judeo-Christian ethic, which is really based upon the 10 Commandments. The 10 Commandments were the foundation for our law. That’s what Blackstone said—the English jurist—and our founders looked to Blackstone for the foundation of our law. That’s our law."

4. No religion but Christianity will suffice. Perry declared,

“In every person’s heart, in every person’s soul, there is a hole that can only be filled by the Lord Jesus Christ.”

5. God created our government. Bachmann told the audience:

"I have a biblical worldview. And I think, going back to the Declaration of Independence, the fact that it’s God who created us—if He created us, He created government. And the government is on His shoulders, as the book of Isaiah says."

I won't include the full text of the rest, but I'll list the remaining talking points to entice you to look at the full article - if you thought the first 5 were cause for concern, wait 'til you read the rest !

6. U.S. law should follow God’s law.

7. Anything that’s immoral by religious standards should be outlawed.

8. The federal government should impose this morality on the states.

9. Congress should erase the judiciary’s power to review moral laws.

10. Courts that get in the way should be abolished.

11. The purge of judges should be based on public opinion.

12. Freedom means obeying morality. 

Read what these leaders had to say on these topics by clicking on the "Full Article" link below. The video of the event is also available. 


Full article:   http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/human_nature/2011/11/christian_theocracy_how_newt_gingrich_and_the_gop_would_abolish_courts_and_legislate_morality_.html

Understanding the common human drive

From The Sydney Morning Herald

Religion, ethics may be in new curriculum

By Barney Zwartz
November 21, 2011

Calling the shots ... Professor Barry McGaw. Photo: Eddie Jim

RELIGION and ethics taught from a secular perspective might be included in the new national curriculum, says Barry McGaw, the head of the board responsible for the curriculum.

Professor McGaw, the chairman of the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, said religion and ethics would be included in a discussion paper early next year for the civics and citizenship course.

A Macquarie University PhD student, Cathy Byrne, told a forum hosted by the curriculum board in Sydney last week that the approach to religion and ethics in Australian schools was decades behind other leading developed nations.


She told the Herald that Sweden began compulsory core social science teaching on religion and ethics in 1962, while England began in 1988.

Canada introduced it in 2007 with no opt-out provision, a measure upheld by Canada's highest court, she said. When Ireland introduced planned changes next year, it would leave ''only Australia and New Zealand doing 19th-century religious education'', Ms Byrne said.


She said such courses taught the top five or six religions, humanism, nature, religion and indigenous spiritualities, and secular ideologies such as atheism.

 They were particularly valuable in helping children understand their pluralistic world, social inclusion, cohesion, stability and security. They helped children develop critical thinking and understand the search for purpose and meaning, as a common human - not just religious - drive.

Source:   http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/religion-ethics-may-be-in-new-curriculum-20111120-1npdz.html

Just change the name... she'll be right, mate !

Submitted by Ralph

From the  Secular Public Education Lobby

Why Julia Gillard's born-again NSCP is a shameful sham


Saturday, 19th November, 2011

Video narrated by Ron Williams

When you're NOT in the majority..

From the ABC News website

23 killed in bloody Cairo protests
 
By Middle East correspondent Ben Knight in Cairo, wires

October 10, 2011 20:11:32 

Egyption Coptic Christians carry the coffin of a victim of deadly clashes, during a

 funeral at Abbassaiya Cathedral in Cairo on October 10, 2011, a day after 24 people,

mostly Christians, died in clashes with Egyptian security forces.

At least 23 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded in Cairo as security forces fought angry Christian protesters demonstrating against the burning of a church in the south of the country.

Christians threw rocks and petrol bombs and set cars on fire in some of the most violent scenes since an uprising ousted ex-president Hosni Mubarak in February.

Hundreds from both sides fought with sticks on a Cairo bridge. Protesters carrying crosses and pictures of Jesus later spread to the central Tahrir Square, the focal point of the February uprising.

There were scenes of mayhem at a hospital where many of the dead and injured were taken, and soldiers later enforced a curfew in large areas of central Cairo.

The ruling military council has promised to protect all Egyptians while the country deals with a transition between a revolution and elections, but Egypt's minority Christians say the council is doing nothing to stop attacks on their churches and people by radical Islamists.

Full Story, plus video:   http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-10/protesters-killed-in-cairo-clashes/3457784 

ABC Radio:   http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-10/cairo-clashes-claim-more-victims/3459396
  
For those in Australia that subscribe to a religious faith that enjoys the privileges and benefits of being in the majority, you might like to think, just for a moment, about what it's like for those with religious beliefs that are not in the majority. Whilst the recent unrest in Egypt is undeniable, as it's people struggle to enact positive change, this story somewhat highlights the aforementioned situation, and helps to demonstrate why church-state separation is so important for equality and freedom of belief.

Doing it right

From The Wall Street Journal's Blog, "Metropolis"

Bloomberg: Sunday’s 9/11 Ceremony a Civil, Not Religious Occasion

By Michael Howard Saul
September 9, 2011, 10:39 AM

NYC Mayor, Michael Bloomberg.

Photo: Associated Press 

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is defending his decision to exclude religious leaders from New York City’s ceremony commemorating the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“It’s a civil ceremony. There are plenty of opportunities for people to have their religious ceremonies,” Bloomberg said on his weekly radio show. “Some people don’t want to go to a religious ceremony with another religion. And the number of different religions in this city are really quite amazing.”

Mayoral aides have previously defended Bloomberg’s decision by saying it would be complicated and controversial to choose which religious leaders would speak at the ceremony. But on Friday, the mayor said that isn’t the issue.

“It isn’t that you can’t pick and choose, you shouldn’t pick and choose,” Bloomberg said. “If you want to have a service for your religion, you can have it in your church or in a field, or whatever.”

At one point, the mayor suggested that allowing clergy to speak at 9/11 ceremony would be, in effect, thrusting religion upon the thousands of attendees and the millions more watching, some of whom might object.

Full Article:   http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/09/09/bloomberg-sundays-911-ceremony-a-civil-not-religious-occasion/

Check out some of the comments on this story. I like this one:

1:05 pm September 11, 2011
Mike wrote: 

I think it’s wrong for any elected official to prohibit the free exercise of ANY faith. To tell those who lost loved ones on 9/11 that they can’t express their heartfelt beliefs is insensitive and callous! I’m glad that President Obama and George Bush ignored this arrogant, godless man’s attempt to “prohibit the free exercise” of our right to proclaim our religious beliefs, something that Congress is not even allowed to do! 

Mike's entire objection is based on fallacy. Mayor Bloomberg wasn't stopping anyone from freely exercising their religion - he did, in this instance, however, adhere to the best intention of the US Constitution, and simply not allow his government to favour any one, or group of religions, over any others, or over those with no religion. That's how you correctly include everyone. Mike clearly doesn't "get it".

For his troubles, Mr Bloomberg is labelled a communist, a dictator, un-American, insensitive and callous, a muslim sympathiser, arrogant, godless, and a Marxist tyrant. It's also specifically noted, for some reason, that "he's a Jew".

Shame. 

Levelling the playing field

From The Vancouver Sun

Multi-faith groups want religion out of public schools

By Linda Nguyen, Postmedia News
September 12, 2011

Valley Park Middle School in eastern Toronto, where each Friday, students can attend afternoon

Islamic prayer in the cafeteria. Some feel relgion has no place in public schools.
Photograph by: Tyler Anderson, National Post

TORONTO — With the Ontario election less than a month away, a number of multi-faith groups are calling on the provincial party leaders to take a public stance on religious teachings in secular schools.

"Everyone knows that it is a violation of the Education Act, which bars any religion in public schools," said Muslim Canadian Congress (MCC) founder Tarek Fatah on Monday. "But none of them (party leaders) has the courage to say that. They're sitting like cowards trying to please a fictitious block vote."

So far, Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty, Progressive Conservative Tim Hudak and NDP leader Andrea Horwath have stayed mum on whether they support public tax dollars funding religious studies in the public school system. Earlier this year, Premier McGuinty said that the issue of religious accommodation is up to the school board to decide, and should align with the Ontario Human Rights Code which promotes freedom to practise religion.

But Fatah says the politicians are passing the buck, afraid that they will lose the Muslim vote if they speak out against the prayer service at Valley Park Middle School in east Toronto. The public school has been permitting an afternoon Islamic prayer service in its cafeteria for its students for the past year.

Full Story:   http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Multi+faith+groups+want+religion+public+schools/5390381/story.html 

Is it really all about the money ?

From The Gold Coast Courier Mail

 Chaplaincy still kicking goals

 By Colin Gilmore
 29th September 2011 

CHAPLAIN SUPPORT: Nate Barnes’s chaplaincy role is unlikely to be affected by

the High Court case, as the service is totally funded by local

church and community groups.

ELANORA State High School's community has little reason to fear a pending High Court case, which could affect national school chaplaincy services.

Judgment on a challenge to the Federal Government's ability to fund chaplaincy services directly, rather than through the States, has been reserved.

Scripture Union Queensland CEO Tim Mander said if the plaintiff won, the case's effects could be felt far beyond chaplaincy.

But Elanora chaplain and Tweed Heads Seagulls winger Nate Barnes said his school was fortunate to be "totally funded by local church and community groups".

"Their contributions allow the chaplaincy service to operate," Mr Barnes said.

 "If the government funding was to be cut, it wouldn't initially affect us directly, but it would affect chaplaincy services that do rely heavily on the government funding."

 Full Story:   http://www.goldcoastmail.com.au/story/2011/09/29/chaplaincy-still-kicking-goals/

Education Minister - Media Release

Media Release
From The Hon Peter Garrett MP
Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth
7 September, 2011


Schools given greater choice under expanded chaplains program

Schools will be able to choose the type of support that best meets the needs of their students under changes to the Government’s National School Chaplaincy Program outlined today.

School Education Minister Peter Garrett said from next year, school communities will be able to choose to employ either a chaplain or a secular student welfare worker. The scheme will also be strengthened with the introduction of minimum qualifications, benchmark standards for service providers, and improvements to the complaints management system.

 “The Gillard Government is committed to extending this successful scheme to up to an extra 1000 schools from 2012, with priority given to schools serving disadvantaged areas or in regional or remote locations and an extra $222 million in funding,” Mr Garrett said.

 “We know chaplains are already doing great work in our school communities and I expect that many more schools will apply for funding to employ a chaplain when applications for the new round open later this year.

 “But we also want to give schools greater choice. This means schools won’t miss out on applying for the program if the school community would prefer to have a secular welfare worker instead of a chaplain.

“The chaplaincy program has proven very popular and we want to make sure schools and students are getting the full benefit, which is why we held a consultation earlier this year asking what was working and what could be improved,” Mr Garrett said.

 “We had strong feedback for the program to be extended to qualified secular welfare workers, which will empower principals and school communities to choose the right person for the needs and circumstances of their school. This will also provide even more help and support to kids across the country.

 “The scheme will be re-named the National School Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Program to reflect its broader scope.”


Full article:   http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Garrett/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_110907_102159.aspx

Further Information:   http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/NSCSWP/Pages/NSCSWP.aspx

Australians all, let us divide...

Submitted by Graham

From The West Australian  

Schools change national anthem

By Bethany Hiatt - Education Editor
September 23, 2011, 2:40 am

Some private Christian schools are singing an alternative version of the national anthem which promotes religious values and talks of Christ.

Instead of the official second verse of Advance Australia Fair, which starts "Beneath our radiant Southern Cross", the alternative verse says "With Christ our head and cornerstone, we'll build our nation's might".

The version of the anthem is sung every fortnight at Thornlie Christian College and Christian Schools Australia WA executive officer Ray Dallin confirmed that it was regularly sung at other school assemblies and churches.

He believed the verse was in the original anthem by Peter Dodds McCormick but had been omitted from the official version.

"It's probably normal for the Christian schools to do that because it's the Christian element of that song which is often left out," he said.

But others say the existence of a missing Christian verse is a myth started by Awakening, a Christian movement, and it was never part of the composer's original work.

Original verses from 1879 in the National Library of Australia music collection do not include the Christian verse.

Full Story:   http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/10321316/schools-change-national-anthem/


So glad that the reporter checked with the PM's office. Yes, changing the anthem is contrary to national protocol. What does this school want to do next... add an icon from one particular religion to our national flag ? Oh, wait...

===================================================================

Also covered, with public comments, over on the ABC News website

Full story:   http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-23/christian-schools-changing-the-national-anthem/2939594

Here comes the flood

From The Australian

School hate mail as prayer dropped 

By Nicolas Perpitch
September 23, 2011

Under the act, public schools must not promote one set of

religious beliefs ahead of another. Source: Supplied

HATE mail sent to a Perth primary school after it decided to stop reciting the Lord's Prayer at assemblies has been condemned as cowardly and "un-Christian". 

Edgewater Primary School, in Perth's northern suburbs, dropped its 25-year old tradition of reading the Lord's Prayer at its fortnightly assemblies following concerns from some parents that it breached the Education Act.

Under the act, public schools must not promote one set of religious beliefs ahead of another.

As required by the Department of Education and Training's religious education policy, the school held several school council meetings to consult with the parents and the local community before making its decision.

It has been receiving abusive emails, letters and phone calls from around Australia since it sent a letter to parents on Monday informing them the prayer would no longer be read out.

Premier Colin Barnett said yesterday the hate mail was unacceptable.

"While I think most people would believe the Lord's Prayer is appropriate in a government school . . . there is no justification at all for hate mail to be sent to that primary school," Mr Barnett said.

Asked if it was un-Christian, Mr Barnett agreed.

Full Story:   http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/school-hate-mail-as-prayer-dropped/story-e6frgczx-1226144044387

Mixed messages

From the Perth Now website

Lord's Prayer rejected by Edgewater Primary School

September 20, 2011 3:34PM

OPPOSING VIEWS: Edgewater Primary School, where a decision to no longer recite the Lord's Prayer has caused controversy. Picture: Alf Sorbello Source: PerthNow

A WEST Australian government school has banned students from reciting the Lord's Prayer before assembly in response to complaints from parents.

Edgewater Primary School, in Perth's north, ended the 25-year practice after some parents said it contravened the WA Education Act, which stipulates schools cannot favour one religion over another.

Edgewater principal Julie Tombs sent a letter to parents yesterday saying the prayer would no longer be recited before each fortnightly assembly.

She said although most students' parents favoured the tradition, only 36 per cent responded to a survey asking for their views.

``We acknowledge that of the parents who did respond to the survey, many wanted to retain the Lord's Prayer and it is right that we continue to recite it at culturally appropriate times such as Christmas and Easter, as part of our educational program,'' Ms Tombs said in a statement.

Full story:   http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/lords-prayer-rejected-by-primary-school/story-e6frg15c-1226141916195


It's curious that this school headmistress decides to remove the prayer from school assembly, and yet, by her own admission, the school's "creed" contains a reference to a supernatural god. Perhaps it doesn't discern which supernatural god, but it still shows favouritism towards most religions, at the exclusion of those religions that do not have gods, or those who follow no religion at all.

There's nothing wrong with children who wish to indulge in religious practice at a public school in their own time, so long as their activity affects no-one else. It's just that the school should show or support no preference - it shouldn't be a school led activity.

One of reasons for having a separation of church and state is so that majority groups don't trample all over the rights of minorities. We can look forward to the day when the majority of Australians understand that.