The latest from the Catholics in NSW is that a high uptake in ethics class enrolment only proves their point that these classes are not needed or wanted. Perhaps some readers can help me - I can't follow this logic, though it seems to fit with the ACL's classic line from the past: "don't take weight of public opinion as indicative of wider community values".
I'm really at a loss here. I have emailed the link to Carol Duncan, my unsuspecting go-to broadcaster, with a request to get someone in to try and substantiate this concern. Because it sounds to me like an utterly baseless one that amounts to 'if you give someone a viable alternative they might take it, and then we would have less influence. Sad face.'
Penny Sharpe has tweeted the latest totals when it comes to emails and messages of support/dissent.
Ethics classes started today in NSW. In support: 258 emails: 84 facebook: 81 tweets. 64 emails against. Minister has all your messages.
20 April 2010 8:47:10 AM
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It doesn't escape my notice that the opposers seem to be those that do not have Twitter or facebook. A generational gap beginning to show, perhaps.
I do take heart from the statistics. For once, it seems that the the herd-of-cats unbelievers, skeptics and freethinkers have organized and made themselves heard louder than the shouts from the ACL's rent-a-crowd. It's a positive step forward.
Now all we need is a bit more mainstream media coverage. And if they'll print George Pell's bilge about the Pope, they'll surely print SOMETHING written by one of us.
There is actually a document released by the ACL, a how to manual for influencing you local member, lets hope they don't update it :)
ReplyDeleteIf the religious lobby continue wanting to be a part of the evaluation process of the ethics trial, then St James Ethics Centre should get to undertake a re-evaluation of the effectiveness of the SRE and whether they are even sticking to what they are supposed to teach the children.
ReplyDeleteGenerational gap? I've been recently asked to join the 'Save our Scripture' group on Facebook, and I'm 48. And I found your page here through links from friends on Twitter! So I think your positive step forward merely reflects the community behaviours of the supporters.
ReplyDeleteKen West
Point taken, Ken - I meant it only as a throwaway comment. Trust me, I'm very happy for it to be wrong :D
ReplyDeleteSean - Agreed! And if the radio interview today with Robert Haddad was anything to go by, let's hope that the Archdiocese of Sydney's Confraternity of Christian Doctrine don't update their media training standards. I'll do a full post on this tomorrow - I've run out of time tonight.
Distroman - Why stop there? St James is merely a secular organisation - no particular bias like that of the religious lobby. Have the Atheist Foundation of Australia review its effectiveness if you want a fair reciprocation. Better yet, get Chris Hitchens down to have a gander.