IT is surely stretching the imagination to accept that the unnamed spokesman for the Catholic Church who replied to Professor A C Grayling's criticism of the concept of faith schools does not understand that a secular state school system – as in France and the United States – does not breach the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ( "Argument against faith schools can be summed up in two words – Northern Ireland.
Or perhaps one word – Glasgow'", The Herald, April 17).
Is he incapable of imagining an integrated mature education system which would allow multiple faiths rather than a one-size-fits-all model?
Would it not be more honest to admit that the church leaders do not have faith in the ability of their church to survive in Scotland without control of education for five-year old children, and then go on to convince the doubters of Bishop Joseph Devine's contention that separate schools are a price worth paying?
Furthermore, would someone please explain to me how Richard Dawkins's atheism is fiercely public or that his secularism is aggressive in a way that the same descriptors are not used to describe the views of churchmen?
David Mcilwaine,
Ormond Court,
Larbert, Stirlingshire.
THE argument against AC Grayling's two-word attack on faith-based schools can also be summarised in two words: ignorance and hypocrisy.
Prof Grayling is ignorant of the situation in Scotland when he claims that the churches collectively are 3% of the population. The Church of Scotland has a membership of 400,000, the Catholic Church 600,000. Other churches have at least another 250,000. Scotland's population is five million. The membership of the National Secular Society is the same as that of the National Sausage Appreciation society (about 5000 for the whole of the UK). I'm sure the professor can do the arithmetic.
The hypocrisy comes from his attack on "minorities" leading education when he himself belongs to an elitist and self-perpetuating minority.
The Scottish education system, rooted in Christianity with its emphasis on equal opportunity for all, is in direct opposition to Prof Grayling's private atheist university which charges fees of £18,000 per year. I wonder what the people of Scotland would prefer, an education system based on Christian principles of opportunity for all, or Prof Grayling's atheist system based on privilege for the wealthy?
David Robertson,
Solas CPC,
St Peters Free Church,
4 St Peter Street,
Dundee.
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