Teachers told to lie to children

by Feòrag

England: New guidelines for religious education in Norfolk schools urge teachers to avoid telling the truth about religious belief and practice, or using the terms those religions use.

The education authority thinks that the traditional phrase 'Holy Ghost' implies a trivial and spooky concept of the third person in the Trinity. Instead it urges teachers to refer to the 'Holy Spirit'. The guidelines also say that the first 39 books of the Bible should not be called 'the Old Testament' because it makes them sound old-fashioned or out of date.

Dismissing centuries of Catholic belief, the guidelines go on to state that Communion bread and wine should not be referred to as 'the body of Jesus' or 'the blood of Jesus' because it suggests a cannibalistic consumption of human flesh.

As Cheryl Morgan said in e-mail earlier today, I rather liked the bit about them rejecting transubstantiation because it was cannibalistic. Finally, after 2000 years, someone has noticed? But what of non-Christian faiths? It seems teachers have to pretend that there is no such thing as a religious extremists, regardless of what children see on the news most days. Or that religion is anything other than fluffy-bunny sweetness and light.

The list of dos and don'ts in the Norfolk agreed syllabus for religious education urges teachers to avoid equating Islam with terrorism and violence by showing children photographs of Muslims holding swords or kalashnikovs.

They should not refer to Jerusalem's Wailing Wall in lessons because it implies that Jewish prayer is negative and moaning. Care is also being urged in the use of photographs of Hindu holy men who may be emaciated and caked in mud in case it gives the impression that Hinduism is for weirdos or masochists.

And Pagans don't dance around in their bare scuddies, either. Presumably the real reason for not telling children the truth about religion is that they'd quickly realise how stupid it is.

Norfolk schools told Holy Ghost 'too spooky' - The Guardian, 11th April 2005.