Australia - Secular Society?
Sam
Should all references to and indeed the very concept of 'God' be
removed from government institutions? I'll mention seven issues below
that have received some media attention recently:
1. Avoid Public Celebrations of Christmas and Easter?
Should Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Easter no longer be celebrated as
a Public Holidays? Should government departments stop sending any
greeting cards and messages to staff and clients at the end of the
year, even when they don't mention 'Merry Christmas', but instead
merely wish for a 'Happy New Year' or 'Happy Holidays'? Should
'Christmas Lights' be called 'Festivity Lights', or 'Fairy Lights' or
just 'lights'? Similarly, should Christmas Carols be referred to as
just 'carols' or 'songs'? Should public broadcasters, like ABC and SBS,
avoid broadcasting Christian celebrations around Christmas and Easter?
Should they avoid mentioning associated celebrations in newsreports at
all?
2. Change Calendar to MT and BMT?
Should historians continue to use the phrase BC (Before Christ)?
Officials at the Cheddar Caves museum in Cheddar George, Somerset, one
of Britain's most popular tourist attractions, have changed all exhibit
dates to BP (Before Present [Times]). As Cheddar Caves museum curator
Bob Smart says, different religions have different dating systems. Some
people suggest that we can continue using BC, as long as we insist that
this means Before Current [Times], rather than Before [the birth of]
Christ. Alternatively, some people suggest to start counting from
another date altogether, say 1700 as the start of MT (Modern Times),
leaving behind the preceding dark ages and prehistoric times which can
then all be referred to as BMT (Before Modern Times). The Year 1700 can
be taken as the the start of the Industrial Revolution, as in the Year
1712, Thomas Newcomen put a piston and cylinder engine to work pumping
water from a flooded mine in Staffordshire, while others had earlier
worked on and created similar machines, such as English military
engineer Thomas Savery in 1698. In the case of Australia, the New Year
could start at 1st July, which coincides with the start of the new Tax
year.
3. No Bible in Public Hospitals?
Should Gideon's Bible be removed from the drawers next to beds in
public hospitals? Apart from secular considerations, there the added
argument that such bibles can spread contagious diseases.
4. Stop Privileges for Religious Charities?
Should religious charities have tax privileges when they engage in
commercial activities? Should Churches that sell CDs, organize bingos,
hold real estate and sell food be exempt from Rates, Capital Gains Tax,
Income Tax, etc? Should the 'Christmas Box', for donations, be removed
from the desks of public offices? Should religious charities get
government grants for social work and community activities?
5. Ban Religious Symbols from Public School and University Dress Codes
Should all public schools and universities have dress codes, or should
each case be treated individually? Should a formal dress code be
introduced to ban students at public schools and universities from
wearing items and symbols that carry a strong visual religious message,
such as headscarfs, large crosses, turbans and printed t-shirts?
Interestingly, the European Court of Human Rights recently threw out an
appeal by a Muslim woman student against Turkey's ban on wearing a
hijab, or headscarf, in universities, while an Islam woman won her case
in the Netherlands against the Islamic College of Amsterdam, which had
denied her a position for refusing to wear a headscarf.
6. What constitutes Science at Public Schools?
Should public schools be allowed to mention 'Creationism' or
'Intelligent Design' as a serious alternative to Evolution? Should
public schools stick to a formal curriculum regarding science in the
first place?
Feel encouraged to discuss these and similar issues here; if there are
any similar issues, feel welcome to add them to the list!
Sam