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A wide range of people turned up for a public conversation Sunday July 29, 3.00-4.30pm, at Nunawading Uniting Church, followed by further talk over coffee afterwards.  The conversation with Scott Hedges of FIRIS [Fairness in Religion in Schools] was led by Rev Dr Paul Tonson.

It was one of a series designed for the local congregation to be public and accountable with Christian approaches to contemporary issues, and to give attention to voices other than Christian. This conversation followed a similar one last year with Bishop Stephen Hale, chair of the Board of ACCESS ministries, that provides Christian religious instruction (RI) in schools.

There are three different concerns about the ACCESS program:
1. Firstly, the experience of children. The FIRIS website provides many stories from parents about unpleasant experiences for children separated from others doing RI.  Some parents are also concerned that Christian RI is sometimes presented in ways not appropriate for young children, for example, the teaching that God is always watching us.  FIRIS in cooperation with the Humanist Society of Victoria supported parents in a hearing earlier this year before VCAT, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The outcome has not yet been announced.

2. A second concern among some Christians is that the teaching material represents a too narrow variety of Christian belief.

3. Thirdly as a matter of principle, the Humanist and also some Christian leaders believe that in contemporary Australia there is no place for teaching religious instruction in schools. They would prefer to establish a broad program of General Religions Education

Scott Hedges strongly believes that the program of religious instruction in schools, whether Christian, Jewish or of other faiths, is wrong because it can not help but segregate children in ways that lead to discrimination and can not be done fairly. However, FIRIS is not against teaching about religion. Parents are seeking a way that their children can learn about the range of religious history of different faith groups in Australia.

Free Thought groups were represented at the Conversation by Humanists and Atheists. The next conversation at Nunawading Uniting Church will be Sunday September 16 at 3 pm, featuring Ian Robinson, former President of the Rationalist Society of Australia. The topic will be: Spirituality without God?