Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

Pointing and laughing at religious lunacy for more than half-a-century

UK Supreme Court ruling on collective worship and religious education in Northern Ireland infuriates Christians

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THE National Secular Society welcomed this week’s ruling that found collective worship and religious education in Northern Ireland breach human rights. But Jim Allister, above, leader of Traditional Unionist Voice party, said he was “deeply disturbed” by the decision, and called on the Education Minister to safeguard “Christian values in our schools.”

He declared:

I reject entirely the suggestion that Christian teaching in our schools amounts to indoctrination. That word has been weaponised to belittle the sincere Christian ethos that shaped our society, our laws and our moral compass. It is an insult to the thousands of teachers who faithfully and honourably deliver RE.

The Supreme Court unanimously allowed the appeal of a father and daughter from Belfast who argued Christian-based religious education (RE) and collective worship in Northern Ireland’s schools are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The NSS called the judgement a “powerful affirmation that children’s and parents’ rights matter”.

NSS Chief Executive Stephen Evans said:

We warmly welcome this landmark ruling. The Supreme Court has made it crystal clear that religious education in schools must be objective, critical, and pluralistic — anything less crosses the line into indoctrination. This judgment is a powerful affirmation that children’s and parents’ rights matter, and it should mark the beginning of the end for outdated laws on religious observance and compulsory collective worship across the UK.

He added:

It’s time for a secular and inclusive approach to education that finally ends the use of publicly funded schools as a vehicle for imposing religious doctrine or teachings.

Meanwhile, according to the Belfast Telegraph, Northern Ireland Humanists Coordinator Boyd Sleator said:

This judgment is a historic win for the rights of children in Northern Ireland. [It] should also prompt the governments in England, Scotland, and Wales to revisit the requirement for mandatory collective worship. We hope it is now repealed.

But the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster said they were “dismayed” by the ruling. The General Presbytery claimed that is another case of the ECHR’s reach going “far beyond” its original purpose, blathering:

The teaching of Christian morality is at the very heart of our civilisation. The principles of the word of God have been the basis of the functioning of society.

More good news

A secular school in Bristol has been refused permission to be taken over by a Church of England school.

The Department for Education (DfE) declined an application to amalgamate Hotwells Primary School with Cathedral Primary School, according to a communication sent to parents by the schools’ academy trust.

The plans would have resulted in one school spread over the sites of both schools which would take on the name and Church of England ethos of Cathedral Primary School.

Image via National Secular Society

The plans sparked protests from parents of children at both schools. Locals objecting to the merger included TV presenter David Dimbleby, who supported parents by helping to distribute leaflets.

Parents were also supported by the National Secular Society, which responded to Cathedral School Trust’s (CST) consultation on the plans and wrote to the DfE Regional Director for the South West.

Hat tip: Barriejohn (Supreme Court ruling report.)

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Barry Duke

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One response to “UK Supreme Court ruling on collective worship and religious education in Northern Ireland infuriates Christians”

  1. Broga Avatar
    Broga

    The values that Christians say will be lost require very careful selection. The bible is strewn with statements which are always avoided because they are impossible to enforce in modern life. And what about “man is made in the image of God” which is still referred to without challenge about what it means.

    The effect of religious teaching in schools, especially by dogmatic christian teachers inevitably warp the thinking of the children.

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