In January, American author Katherine Stewart released an exposé of the well-funded, highly coordinated effort by Christian Nationalists in the USA to use public schools to advance a fundamentalist agenda., titled the “Good News Club”.  The book deals with “child evangelism” in schools.  Sound familiar?

Today she summarized the same kind of thing that is going on here in Australia for the Guardian in London, the article talks about the basic “blurring” of church and state in Australian Law.

Here is a link to the article that deals mainly with the “School Chaplaincy” … which is the main source of ParaChurch funding in OZ and the main way that Government can pay for the Parachurch infrastructure:

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/29/australia-blurred-separation-church-state

Historically, Australia has gotten on just fine with this “blurred” concept, but this depended on basic decency and honesty by its churches.

This kind of honesty does not figure into the current political or parachurch landscape … and Australia has gotten into the business of funding church run ministry in its schools.

Worth a read if you are following this issue.

More on Kath Stewart here:

http://www.thegoodnewsclub.com/book