Just the tip of the iceberg

Not surprisingly, the new rules intended to combat extremism in a handful of Birmingham schools are already having disturbing consequences.  While the schools in question continue to function with a minimum of concessions, Christian and Jewish faith schools are being told they will be downgraded by Ofsted and even closed if they fail to comply with the new legislation.

Last week, a successful Christian faith school has been told that in order to uphold ‘British values’ such as individual liberty and tolerance, they must actively promote harmony between different faiths.  It is not enough to take children on trips to other places of worship; in practice, this means they must invite leaders of other religions, such as an imam, to lead assemblies.  Failure to comply will result in a further full Ofsted inspection of the school, and could ultimately lead to closure.

It’s not only Christian schools which are feeling the squeeze.  Orthodox Jewish schools have also been under scrutiny, and girls from strict traditional backgrounds have allegedly been asked whether they were being taught enough about lesbianism, amongst other things. (How much is 'enough', one wonders?)

As the End of the Age draws closer, these things are bound to happen – but it’s the speed at which our society is changing that is shocking.  Ofsted inspectors have always, up until now, respected the religious ethos of faith schools; now they are required to ignore them in favour of political correctness which infringes the rights of children, parents, teachers and schools to hold and practise their religious beliefs.

This is surely another wake-up call for the Church!  No longer can we assume that as long as we keep ourselves to ourselves we can do and believe whatever we want to.  We are well on the way towards a society where thought-crime will be punished.   There’s a devious enemy out there, who is determined to make life increasingly difficult for us and all God-fearers, whilst promoting his own ungodly agenda and ensuring that the population at large accepts it.

As Christian schools feel the squeeze, be sure they are just the tip of the iceberg.  These are going to be challenging times for all of us, and to be unprepared and have no idea what we will do when anti-Christian legislation starts to impact us more acutely, would be extremely foolhardy.

To read The Telegraph articles, go to http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/11173102/Christian-school-downgraded-for-failing-to-invite-an-imam-to-lead-assembly.html and http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/11187655/Trojan-Horse-rules-stopping-us-being-a-Christian-school-governors-warn.html 

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