Australian High Court rules against public school chaplains

[Justtristo]

[Minimalist]

I wish our supreme court had the same amount of balls.

[KichigaiNeko]

That decision was that the Chaplain programme was unconstitutional Trist...not that they would be banned, but a question about whether they should be funded by the federal government was the issue.

All in all a win for secularism

[Justtristo]

That decision was that the Chaplain programme was unconstitutional Trist...not that they would be banned, but a question about whether they should be funded by the federal government was the issue.

All in all a win for secularism

True, there is little doubt that the federal government will just draw up legislation to make the funding of school chaplains constitutional.

As I see I cant see both the school chaplain program and scripture classes (done by evangelistic organisations such as Access Ministries and the Scripture Union) in state schools any-time soon. Because of the apathy of a lot of the voting public. Also not to mention the fact of the "Christian" vote often deciding how gets to govern or not.

Because unlike the secularists whose support is disproportionally in safe Labor or Coalition inner city seats, the "Christian" vote is often strongest in the swing outer suburban and provincial city electorates which decide elections. With the Greens being a challenge for Labor in it's safe inner city seats, that will likely make the Labor party be more likely to do the bidding of organisations such as Access Ministries and Scripture Union not less so.

[Polaris]

How is that a victory for democracy exactly?

[Justtristo]

How is that a victory for democracy exactly?

Good question, however I believe padraic below has answered it very well.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

[Justtristo]

but a question about whether they should be funded by the federal government was the issue

THAT is unconstitutional. However, S116 of our constitution does NOT apply to the states.

I think the funding of school chaplains wad unconstitutional, because of the religious tests which were imposed as part of the position descriptions for the school chaplains. That clearly violated the fourth limb s.116 of the Australian Constitution. However everything else about the school chaplaincy program is technically constitutional given that outcome of Attorney-General (Vict.); Ex Rel. Black v. The Commonwealth (1981) 146 CLR 559 (aka the DOGS Case).

This country needs a bill of rights like that of the United States with same strict separation between church and state clause.

Are you being deliberately dense?


Democracy protects the rights of minorities,

IF there is to be a chaplains programme, ALL religions at a school must be represented. No child must be disadvantaged in any way.

Here in Australia there is growing insistence by non believing parents that ethics be taught to their children instead of religion.

The Greek ethicists predate Christianity by about 600 years. In my opinion,doing what one thinks of as right for its own sake is far more moral than doing so for the reward of heaven or fear of hell.

Given we are a multi-cultural, multi-faith society I would make the case for truly objective comprehensive education on religion as opposed to 'scripture classes', along with ethics classes as well. The current situation of allowing of organisations like Access Ministries and Scripture Union into state school classrooms and evangelising education (which they don't deny doing) is a scandal.

However this change can only come by the non-religious (who are between 30 to 50% of the nation's population) mobilising, so they can pressure the governments, education departments and school councils to rectify this shameful state of affairs.

[Polaris]

Democracy protecting the rights of the minorities as a defining feature? LOL no. Democracy is all about majority rule....Democratic Socialism (almost said socialism, but that would bring up the Fascists as well) protects the minorities.

[KnockEmOuttt]

I wish our supreme court had the same amount of balls.

Mind you we're far too puritanical of a nation to completely do away with religious influence in public schools. It's a wonder that they even banned the leading of prayers (although in my school it still happened, albeit not compulsory). But you know, as they say, "one nation under god."