On Thursday, (21 April) we asked Gary Bouma, “Where you misquoted”?  His answer, after he finished laughing, was “People who know me don’t need to ask if I was misquoted”.   Contrary to what Eternity claims, Gary Bouma said exactly what he meant.

This fight is as much a fight for Christianity’s soul as it is for our schools.  God either needs Martin Dixon’s policy to protect his ministry or he doesn’t.  We know for sure however that Evonne Paddison does.  Without Martin Dixon, she is out of a job – and won’t have a place to conduct her “ministry”.  How unfair!

Does anyone think that if the AGE had misquoted a Gary Bouma that they would not print a retraction?  Eternity may have one set of standards but the AGE clearly runs on the standards of professional Journalism.

If you don’t take Gary Bouma’s word for it, go ask the kids, they’ll tell you:  This is “Crap” or as Eternity says ” …”

The defenders of the “status quo” in SRI are not “religious people”, they are religious people who insist on the Government giving them aid – that is why religious leaders like Bouma who aren’t afraid to say what they believe scare the crap out of ACCESS and rattle Eternity.

Many, if not most Christians understand that keeping the religious instruction separate from the school classroom … is good for school and it is good for religion.  There is no better case study in crappy religion than what ACCESS Ministry is doing – the only people who benefit from the system are:  ACCESS Ministry.  The majority of parents, tell us … they want religious education about all religions and they want it taught by teachers who have the same standards of training that we expect of all subjects.  They do not want religious instruction taught by volunteers selected for their religious passion and not their abilities as teachers.

 

Here is a link to the story quoted below in “Eternity” Published by Australian Christian Pty Ltd, a company owned by John Sandeman. Eternity is not affiliated with any church or other organisation.

Scripture providers defend content


1:45pm Thursday, 21st April 2011   ShareThis

School Scripture providers have defended their course materials after Professor Gary Bouma of Monash University (and an Anglican Priest) was quoted in the Age describing the Scripture Curriculum as “appalling”.

”Now, unfortunately, most of the Christians out there trying to train the next generation are putting them off with the kind of …. they serve,” he told The Age.

Evonne Paddison of Access Ministries, which dominates the School Scripture scene in Victoria, said that Bouma had told her he did not refer to Acess Ministries materials specifically.

Bouma told Eternity that what he found appalling is that there is insufficient teaching of religions in schools, to give children an understanding of different religions; and that finds it “undemocratic” that parents have to ”opt-out” of Christian Religious Education (CRE) in Victoria.

He claims to have been misquoted by The Age.

“CRE classes are for Christian faith groups to talk freely about their faith – and that’s what the Access-based curriculum does,” says Paddison.

She says that Australia is well-served with good Christian material for use in schools’ Scripture. “However, there is a need to make them accessible to children in contemporary formats – digital formats, for instance – and that’s a money issue”.

Peter Robinson, CEO of youth-oriented GenR8 Ministries says that many high school SRE teachers in NSW already use digital media. “Once you start looking you’ll find that there are many resource and kid-friendly websites out there, increasingly so when you start tapping in to the wider English speaking world.”–