tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299407302611232843.post7194844046523941864..comments2023-05-23T01:09:27.258+10:00Comments on Gordon Cheng's blog: Ethics classes in NSW schoolsGordon Chenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588151868151940982noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299407302611232843.post-15324540845328719872011-02-27T18:07:57.194+11:002011-02-27T18:07:57.194+11:00silkworm, I'm not sure why you would think tha...silkworm, I'm not sure why you would think that Christians are pretending to teach ethics. My argument (and that of most other Christians I know) has always been that they aren't— which is one of the reasons why the teaching of ethics classes is no substitute.Gordon Chenghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07588151868151940982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299407302611232843.post-25703393204903939462011-02-27T15:33:32.099+11:002011-02-27T15:33:32.099+11:00Let's not pretend that the purpose of scriptur...Let's not pretend that the purpose of scripture classes is to teach ethics. Their purpose is to indoctrinate students with ideas about sin and heaven and hell. A little honesty from so-called Christians would be welcome.silkwormnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299407302611232843.post-25326345062262222912011-02-06T15:58:37.039+11:002011-02-06T15:58:37.039+11:00I don't see a stack of benefits, but I do hope...I don't see a stack of benefits, but I do hope it encourages more people to be involved in teaching scripture, and that it also encourages us to keep trying to do it really well. <br />In Wee Waa all the kids do scripture, but it falls to a very few to teach it. It'd be great to see some change there.Erinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293516482560247456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299407302611232843.post-46242456629690937352011-02-03T21:31:40.171+11:002011-02-03T21:31:40.171+11:00sorry for all the typos.
Most my arguments are s...sorry for all the typos. <br /><br />Most my arguments are slippery slop.<br /><br />Slip. Slap. Slop.<br /><br />To hot.John Smutshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08210386968063020163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299407302611232843.post-52042972964243918902011-02-03T21:29:59.837+11:002011-02-03T21:29:59.837+11:00Hey Gordo - back from Tathra? Enjoy the coffee at ...Hey Gordo - back from Tathra? Enjoy the coffee at the beach cafe?<br /><br />Good article. I sent something along these lines as a letter to the SMH about 6 months ago but it didn't get published.<br /><br />I've told our school that we will even help them administer Ethics if they need help. At the moment it looks as if there isn't enough interest for it to happen though! (Amazing for the inner west.)<br /><br />The only bit of bad news that I think you have left out is the following progression that I predict:<br /><br />1. Becomes obvious that it is an administrative nightmare doing ethics through volunteers.<br /><br />2. Pressure on Government to streamline it - i.e. either employ chaplains to teach it or pay teachers to do it as part of their curriculum.<br /><br />3. Alongside no. 2 it is only possible to this if ethics becomes the compulsory replacement for SRE for all pupils. <br /><br />I'm not trying scaremonger but I can just see down the track pressure going in this direction. <br /><br />I have to say that I'm amazed it has taken so long. From a democratic perspective I'm amazed that a tiny minority of the population is able to teach its religion <i>in normal lesson time</i> to the kids. <br /><br />As you say my slippery slop argument has actually been delayed by what has happened. Because of all the fuss people the level playing field will stay for a bit longer. Any move to make ethics a sort of compulsory replacement to all SRE couldn't happen for quite a while.John Smutshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08210386968063020163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299407302611232843.post-21609676977694629382011-02-03T14:56:10.579+11:002011-02-03T14:56:10.579+11:00Nice to see you last night Mike, sorry didn't ...Nice to see you last night Mike, sorry didn't say hi.<br /><br />Yes I will sit on this for a little bit and think before I send anything to the papers. But I personally have never been particularly fearful of ethics classes; seems to me that if they are good then they are good, if they are bad they will be seen to be bad and lose support, and in the meantime we will keep trundling along and teaching school scripture as we always have. Just with smaller classes, which is in itself a mixed blessing.Gordon Chenghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07588151868151940982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5299407302611232843.post-80816360862326258222011-02-03T14:49:06.151+11:002011-02-03T14:49:06.151+11:00This makes sense to me. (You could post this to SM...This makes sense to me. (You could post this to SMH Opinion)<br />So: were we right to be so fearful about the classes in the first place?michael jensenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15379361601019023165noreply@blogger.com