Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

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1. 

   As someone who produced dozens of nativity plays as a teacher and a Sunday School leader, that title ‘A Gay…

2. 

   The defence of a Christian view never seems to be settled by debate: exchange of facts, reference to historical events.…

3. 

   But …… Rwanda is a safe place: Parliament says so.https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/8/contentsSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 S 2 Safety…

4. 

   Religion can survive only on the most unquestionable assumptions. The statements made on Sundays on the BBC as if they…

5. 

   Yes, if I’ve got anything remotely like a phobia, as an ex-fundy, its bibles, churches, tracts etc. I like to…

FOLLOWING the release of a promotional video in which Church of England “mission enabler” Alastair Etheridge, above, explains that the indoctrination scheme is designed to attract more children to Christianity, the NSS described the initiative as “cynical” and “sinister”.

In a Diocese of Guildford Facebook post Etheridge says:

It is our hope that through our new programme, Youth Catalyst, we can strengthen, build, and support churches across the diocese to reach young people and disciple them so they can know Jesus for themselves and share the good news with their friends.

The diocese has been awarded £3.2 million by the C of E to put youth ministers in local schools.

Three of the schools—Christ’s College Guildford, The Priory and Esher High School—have a Church of England ethos. But one, Jubilee High School in Addlestone, has no religious character.

The project will see youth ministers placed in the four state funded secondary schools to create a “bridge between church and school”.

Etheridge says the church:

Has an ambition to see the number of young disciples doubled by the year 2030.

The project echoes plans unveiled by the Church in July to increase conversion of children by “creating and embedding strategic partnerships between churches and schools”.

The Church, which has recently attracted widespread criticism regarding its safeguarding scandals, homophobia and sexism, has seen a dramatic decrease in membership, particularly among young people.

The 2019 British Social Attitudes survey found just one percent of 18-24 year olds in Britain belong to the CofE. Overall, fewer than 1 percent of adults in England regularly attend C of E services.

In 2021 figures revealed the Church of England received more than £750 million in public money in the form of grants and tax rebates over the past five years. It continues to call for even greater government financial support for repairs across its 16,000 parish churches.

NSS head of campaigns Megan Manson said:

This is a cynical and opportunistic move by the Church to supplement its ailing membership figures by using our state funded schools as mission fields.

The Church of England is prioritising its own agenda over the needs of children, families and communities. Targeting children within their schools with the aim of converting them isn’t merely sinister—it is incompatible with the right of children and their families to their own freedom of religion, belief and conscience.

She added:

All the while, as the Church pumps millions into child evangelism, it continues to rely on the state to fund repairs to its buildings.

The Church’s behaviour is unfair, unscrupulous and unacceptable. We must stop our education system being exploited by an increasingly unpopular and irrelevant minority religion. Our schools are for teaching, not preaching.

Hat tip: Stephen Harvie

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