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CHRISTIAN
NEWS |
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CHRISTIAN
NEWS |
ECUMENICAL PRAYER FOR ALL FAITHS IN STATE SCHOOLS
According to an article in The Beeld, it seems as though the government with its new approach to religion in state schools have sacrificed personal religious preferences for the sake of unity and harmony.
Dr Isak Burger, president of the AFM, said on 21 November that by so doing the basic constitutional right of freedom of choice, and specifically regarding the individual's religion, is infringed upon. Burger and other church leaders from the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches had a meeting the day before with Mr. Kader Asmal, minister of Education. According to Asmal he has not envisioned a kind of interfaith religion or New Age for schools, but had rather thought of a kind of an ecumenical prayer in schools in which people of all faiths can take part.
Burger said that he made Asmal aware of the fact that a large part of the Christian world see their religion as unique and would not take part in such a prayer. Burger said he does not object to children learning more about the wide picture of religion, but said he is concerned about the influence it could have when people of various religions pray together.
(Beeld, 22 November 2001)
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