Tony Abbott thinks everyone should be indoctrinated with christianity. Oh, he’s disguised it as educating all school children about christianity, of making sure that they all know one of the great texts of our culture, just as school children ought to have some knowledge about Shakespeare, but if you believe that’s all he wants, then may I interest you in some very lucrative shares, ‘though you will need to deposit eleventy-ten gold florins in my bank account first.
It’s telling that the way he phrases it is:
I think everyone should have some familiarity with the great texts that are at the core of our civilisation … “That includes, most importantly, the Bible.
Most importantly? Most importantly?
I have no problems with education programs about religion in our schools. But that would be comparative education about all major religions, rather than education in one particular religion, and while we’re at it, at least some coverage of why at least some people think there is no evidence supporting belief in any god would be good too. Education about religion would at least give children some understanding of the ideas that have shaped our history, and give them some of the critical thinking skills needed for them to make up their own minds as to which of the claims made by various religions are plausible. Abbott, however, thinks that only christianity is important. And it turns out that it’s more important than say, Shakespeare, or J. S. Mill, or Marx, or Darwin. Sure, include parts of the bible in the list of texts that have had a significant influence on early 21st century Western culture, but to blandly assert that the bible is “most important” without offering any evidence for that claim is absurd. It reveals the coercive nature of Abbott’s thinking; it is a self-evident truth with which all right thinking people will agree, and the rest of us are just plain wrong.
The redoutable Dr Cat has reminded us why women ought to be very concerned that Tony Abbott is even considered to be a viable candidate for senior political office. Now he’s showing that he’s happy to tell people what to believe too. And all this from a man who claims to belong to the ‘liberal’ party.
