Experts feel Every Australian school should have an Islamic prescence

[Br.IanVonTurpie]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/tory-shepherd-our-inschool-counselling-should-be-from-counsellors-not-chaplains/story-e6frea6u-1226965531385


EVERY school should have an Islamic presence, clerics say. 
 
"I'm not saying we have to have an imam in every school ... but a presence," Abdul Sayed said.

"We actually have protocols and policies for religious activities in Government schools ... is that not giving us permission to be there?

"We wouldn't have those things in place if they were saying we don't want you there. They might want to kind of control us because they're a little bit scared about what's happening and what our motives are ..."

You can only imagine the jittery outrage if that were true. And it would be outrageous. But not because it's Islam, because it's religion.

Of course, it's actually Christians saying that Jesus should be in every classroom — the South Australian executive director of the Schools Ministry Group Angela Jolly says Christians "must" be involved in schools.

And they are, of course. The Federal Government's chaplaincy program — conceived under former Liberal prime minister John Howard and beefed up under the former Labor government — is delivering God to kids.

The funding model itself has hit some bumps after a Federal High Court finding that  the Government should not be shelling out $245 million for chaplains in schools,  but the Government seems intent on finding another way to ensure that it continues — which will probably mean funding chaplains through the states.

Not only did the Government boost the funding to ensure 3000 chaplains can work around the country, they ruled out having secular counsellors — which is how the program used to work.

So thousands of chaplains in schools. They're not meant to convert kids. But they have to be religious. You follow?

The Government should be crucified for that. The idea that chaplains — who clearly are there to turn people to Jesus even though they're not meant to proselytise — should be in charge of children's well-being is laughable.

Well, it would be laughable if it wasn't so serious. Like a bogus cancer cure, not only are they peddling crap, they're stopping people getting the help they really need.

There is plenty of evidence that they're there to convert kids. Take Ms Jolly's comments, for example, that Jesus must be in schools. And once they're in, it's not all generic Jesus talk about turning the other cheek or being excellent to each other.

It's also dangerous intolerance.

Gay and lesbian students say chaplains have told them to "pray the gay away". Outgoing Labor Senator Louise Pratt told Parliament last week that a survey of children found they'd been told homosexuality was a "degrading sin", and that they should sleep with someone of the opposite sex to "correct" themselves.

Most of the chaplains are probably lovely, genuine, caring people. And their faith is entirely genuine. Which means they believe, deeply, that children should be brought to Christ.

Whether they know they're selling snake oil or not, the end result is the same.

Everything they say is influenced by their belief in an omnipotent man in the sky, in the Bible, and in some cases by humbuggery like Creationism and virgin births.

The people who run the chaplaincy programs would argue that they don't convert. They're just there to provide counselling. Chaplains say they can help students deal with depression, suicide, drug abuse.

You know who else can provide counselling? Trained counsellors. Counsellors with no hidden agendas.

It's true that there are probably cases where having someone — anyone — to talk to might help a kid at risk. But that's no replacement for having someone specifically trained to deal with mental health issues.

It's like prescribing homoeopathy for cancer. It might feel good, but not only is it bunkum, it's bunkum that might stop someone getting what they need to save their lives.

[Rev.Cambeul]

Australians are so screwed up by lunatic religions, and the promotion of anti-White doctrines combined with the supremacy of the non-Whites, every Australian school needs a Creator presence to straighten out the White kids' thinking!

@Cailen.

[Br.IanVonTurpie]

Be awesome if they can do that. A lot of people claimed "jedi knight" on the census for religion. Perhaps they should get a few jedis going around the school using jedi mind tricks on the teachers so kids can get good grades?