The Fourth R - keeping religion in Queensland State schools within the Law

25JUN08 Sen. Lyn Allison:
Qld Schools Downgrade Women and Girls

Working with the churches, Scripture Union aims:

a. to make God’s Good News known to children, young people and families and

b. to encourage people of all ages to meet God daily through the Bible and prayer so that they may come to personal faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, grow in Christian maturity and become both committed church members and servants of a world in need.

Scripture Union pursues these aims through a variety of specialist ministries around the world in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ and in reliance on the Holy Spirit.

At the Scripture Union website 'about' page, there are but two aims stated—those above. Scripture Union exclusively supplies federally funded chaplains to Education Queensland. The SU chaplains must pledge the above to apply for the job. To suggest that SU chaplains will not 'evangelise' or 'proselytize' is tantamount to hiring an electrician while insisting he doesn't touch the wiring.

Could there be a less appropriate organisation to hold this exclusive Queensland State Government franchise?—to recruit pledged evangelists and place them into over 500 Queensland State schools?

Add to the mix Scripture Union's affiliation with the Pentecostal Assemblies of God/Hillsong Church conglomerate and leaden clouds of the perfect evangelical storm begin gathering above the Queensland State education system. According to Scripture Union, the 'downpour' they have 'prayed [and lobbied] for all these years' has already begun.

But it's a fact. State/Federally funded SU chaplains have now been slam-dunked into what appears to be the majority of Queensland state schools. Education Queensland from the Minister downwards apparently turns a blind eye as the evangelistic, Pentecostal Assemblies of God/Hillsong affiliated Scripture Union organisation—EQ's exclusive supplier of state school chaplains—publicly describes students as 'ambassadors for Jesus' and is not only installing 'Shine' and 'Strength' Hillsong church programmes into our public schools, but also allowing and assisting SU 'chaplain' evangelists in recruiting male and female state primary and high school students for Pentecostal/Hillsong Jesus boot camps. As we say, the perfect evangelism cycle: gain trust; groom; convert.

The existence of chaplains within Queensland State schools is illegal. 'Chaplain' or 'Chaplaincy' is unmentioned throughout Queensland Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 and accompanying Queensland Education (General Provisions) Regulation 2006. This legislation reflects what was endorsed in the religious instruction in school hours referendum of 1910 which certainly made no provision for in-house evangelists in State schools. All of the mumbo-jumbo 'guidelines' at the Education Queensland chaplaincy policy blog have simply been made-up—plucked from 'above'— by REAC and fundamental Christian zealots haunting the hallowed hallways of EQ HQ in Mary Street Brisbane.

John Howard, (then) Prime Minister of Australia, 29th October 2006

"I am calling them chaplains because that has a particular connotation in our language, and as you know, I am not ever overwhelmed by political correctness. To call a chaplain a counselor is to bow to political correctness. Chaplain has a particular connotation. People understand it, they know exactly what I am talking about. If a particular school with a non-Christian affiliation thinks the word chaplain is unsuitable and would like to call them, you know for want of a better expression ‘lay Rabbi' that's fine by me. But for generic purposes, it's a Chaplaincy Program".

Try getting that one past Scripture Union Queensland, Education Queensland's chosen supplier of chaplains to State schools. And how about Howard's 'dog whistle of the year' award-winning:

"they know exactly what I am talking about".

On 23rd April 2007 the Governor General of Australia Michael Jeffery officially 'launched' Goondiwindi State School chaplaincy programme. Present was Scripture Union CEO Tim Mander. A couple of excerpts from the GG's speech:

"But this spirit, like the flower seed, needs nurturing from childhood and this is where the school chaplain can play such an important role".

"I think it borders on the tragic, that young people might live their whole lives without an opportunity to participate in a faith that promises resurrection after death to a new and greater life with an eternal dimension. And that in part, is why the school chaplain is so important".

Constitution?—what Constitution! The entire speech is here

Much more information about this Human Rights time-bomb soon.

Meanwhile.. further reading here:

http://www.democrats.org.au/news/index.htm?press_id=6595

http://www.stopthenscp.org/index.html