ACCESS Ministry and the Victoria Department of Education are running one of the most embarrassing kinds of religious teaching in the Western World.  At a time when most civilizations are divesting themselves from explicit denominational religious instruction in favor of comparative religion, Australia is building up the capacity of “ParaChurches”, like ACCESS to keep cartoon religion taught by well meaning volunteers, many of them with impairments of one kind or another, but all selected for their “devotion to faith” rather than their qualifications as teachers.

Officially, both the department and the Ministry claim that “Special Religious Instruction” is about “values”, and they advertise what they are doing with phrases like:

“Explore personal values and choices”, “Discuss Christian beliefs and faith”, “Learn to value and respect all cultures and beliefs”, “Discuss life experiences and key events”, “Understand everyday biblical references”.

This is a letter highlighting what goes on in a CRE class in Victoria, by a volunteer – remember, this is in a public school, it is sanctioned by the Government, but here is how the Ministry talks about it when they aren’t trying to conceal their real motives:

Got that?  Missionary Work.  They know it, the schools know it, everyone knows it. You’d have to be blind and foolish to not see what is really going on and why.   So why is it still happening?

 

Well this is one reason:  ACCESS is a political lobby who have lobbied to put religion in the schools by statute and regulation.

No one can really believe this is happening.  It is happening and we’re beyond the moment where anyone denies it and into the phase where everyone hopes the issue just goes away.