In Theory: On mandated tolerance at religious schools
After allegations last spring that several schools in Birmingham, England had been infiltrated by a group of people “with a restricted and narrow interpretation of their faith” trying to achieve an “Islamisation” of secular state schools (Operation Trojan Horse), Education Secretary Michael Grove announced that schools throughout the country would have to promote “British values of tolerance.”
Under the new rules, as overseen by Ofsted, the official body for inspecting British schools, teachers could lose their jobs if they allowed extremism onto their campuses. This month, a Christian school there was put on warning by Ofsted that the school has not done enough to “actively promote” those values — and it could even face closure — because it had not invited a leader from another religion to lead an assembly there.
Q: What do you think of religious-based schools being told by the government that they must incorporate the participation of other faith leaders in their programs?
I think it’s a horrible violation of the rights of religious-based schools and an unfair undermining of their goals. I agree with religious schools offering comparative religion classes where the viewpoints of other faiths are taught. But voluntarily offering these classes and controlling the manner in which the viewpoints are presented is very different than being forced by the state to open their schools to what very well might amount to outright promotion of beliefs and values that contradict the school’s deeply held beliefs. Parents send their children to religious schools precisely for an education and personal growth in specific beliefs and values that differ from other religions. We might ask what’s next: Forcing churches to give time to other faiths during their services? Romans 13:4 teaches us that all governmental authority is established by God and accountable to him to be “a minister of God … for [the] good” of the people they rule. Imposing doctrinal compromise upon people of faith is not good. It is a violation of the very reason God empowers governments.
Pastor Jon Barta
Burbank
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When I was in college, one of my professors quoted the 18th-19th-century Danish philosopher/theologian Soren Kierkegaard as saying, “In a world gone crazy, only the sane will be found in institutions.” That quote comes to mind because in a strange way, our world really has gone crazy. Normally I would say that governments have no right to insist on what religious schools should have — but lately we have been inundated with extremism, and not only Islamic extremism. The orthodox Jews of Israel can be insufferable, and so can Christian fundamentalists everywhere. So while normally I’d defend the principal of separation of church and state, these days we all yearn for balance and sensibility and the middle of the road. And these days it appears that Western governments, in an attempt to provide fair societies where all people can get along, are the only folks speaking rationally. There is an old saw that says people want the front of the bus, the back of the church, and the middle of the road in politics. It seems to me that the British government is simply trying to put some sanity into the equation. So yes, absolutely! The government should intervene and insist on different points of view at that Christian school. As the late Rodney King said, “Can’t we all just get along?” And isn’t that one of the points of all religions? That’s what the British government in this situation is trying to do: cool the rhetoric, inject some sanity into the equation, and try to let us all “just get along.”
The Rev. Skip Lindeman
La Cañada Congregational Church
La Cañada Flintridge
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UK religious-based schools function under UK laws and regulations. I trust that Ofsted, as the official body for inspecting British schools, is doing the job it was created to do.
I am no expert, but I do know that the UK, which has no written constitution, does not have the strict separation of church and state that we enjoy in the U.S.
I wouldn’t want to give up our establishment clause, but I also think that it would be wonderful if church schools throughout the world all promoted tolerance and resisted extremism, including that of their own faith.
What possible harm could it do to have representatives of different faith groups explain their religions at each other’s religious schools? Of course the exchange must go both ways with Christian pastors teaching lessons on Christianity at Muslim schools, and Imans on Islam at Christian ones.
Roberta Medford
Atheist
Montrose
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The foundation for religious belief in America is different than in Great Britain. There they have had a national religion, Anglican, for 600 years; while here we have the 1st Amendment which says, “Congress shall not establish a national religion, nor limit the free expression thereof”, so the authorities cannot force any religious institution to incorporate other faith leaders’ participation in their programs. On the other hand, if you are so insecure in your religion that you think a person who is a true believer in their own faith will make your children change, then perhaps you had better discover why your belief system is failing and improve how it deals with young peoples’ inquiring minds. “My way or the highway” often leads people to travel far away from the home faith-based system. But hosting an open forum for honest dialogue, discussion and debate, the holy trinity for discovering what one truly believes, can only benefit the host. Further, an arena like that often discloses the core of all true religions, our Love of God and God’s love of us. The TaNaK, the Bible and the Koran speak first of Adam’s birth, not Moses’, Jesus’ or Mohammad’s. Let us find what brings our paths closer together, not further apart. And remember, God is there for all of us.
Rabbi Mark Sobel
Temple Beth Emet
Burbank
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Operation Trojan Horse? Islamisation? Certainly Christians do not believe the Islamic message, and probably most secular folks are getting quite tired of hearing how Islam is invading western culture and attempting to destroy it. But why does England intervene to stop it in secular schools, only to demand its advocation in private Christian schools? Will they soon demand that the Church of England begin erecting mosques and worshipping against Christ also?
Christian institutions exist to exalt God, and Christian schools, within general education and learning. They exist to promote Christianity, not pagan religions. They promote Christ, not antichrist, and their values aren’t always politically correct. That’s why they aren’t state schools, and specifically why they exist; to maintain unchanging religious truth. Truth is not enhanced by inviting speakers to negate its message, not in Christian schools, neither in secular ones. Should public schools provide flat-earthers and moon-landing deniers equal platforms to “educate” students during assemblies? Would that convey toleration?
Whatever the Brits do, they need to do so across the board and in context. If Islam is going to be tolerated (despite its adherent’s attempted hijack of the school system) then you’d think they’d bend over backward to tolerate their own historic faith of Christianity and the institutions that preserve it. Muslims are only about 5% of England’s population.
True toleration is never mandatory acceptance. I can tolerate a cult, but I will never accept it. I can tolerate bad manners, but I’ll never accept them. I can tolerate a world of sin, but I’ll not champion it before God. Would you? The English have moved far from the day when the sun never set on the British Empire and when Christianity was their best export. Have they now become so worldly minded that they’re no heavenly good?
The Rev. Bryan Griem
Montrose Community Church
Montrose
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I’m not sure how the government-school interface works, when there’s no principle of separation of church and state. I’m sure that the specifics of how tolerance and its related values can be made into rules and policies will probably take England some time to work out. But making sure that multiple faiths have voices of influence in every school, with every child, seems like a good place to start.
One of the coolest religion-related things I’ve heard about is an interfaith initiative in Omaha, Neb. A Reformed Jewish congregation, an Institute of Islamic Culture and Study, and the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska have pooled funds, bought land, and are building a tri-faith center and campus. Each faith will have its own worship center and services; but educational offerings will all be blended.
The founding religious leaders, who had been in professional groups together for years, said they got tired of beginning every sentence they spoke to each other with “I’m sorry, please excuse my ignorance of your faith, but…” So they decided to address and end that ignorance, for themselves and their people — beginning by putting all their children in a room together, to become friends and learn together the ways of peace.
How beautiful is that?
So I don’t know if values of tolerance in England’s schools are being enforced in the right way or not, but I do know that the dream they’re working toward is worth struggling for.
The Rev. Amy Pringle
St. George’s Episcopal Church
La Cañada Flintridge