Get God Out of School.

First, I want to extend a heartfelt congratulations to all the students, teachers, and staff involved in Rowan's Harvest Festival. It was a well-executed event, and I also thank Reverend Cowan for hosting and supporting our school and community.

However, I believe it's important to address an issue that was brought to the forefront during the event: the increasingly blurred line between education and religion, and why it is inappropriate for our schools to subject children to religious doctrine.

The harvest festival has long been a fixture of British culture, dating back to a time even before Britain as we know it existed. Originally a pagan celebration, it honored the gods of early Britons and their blessings for a bountiful harvest. As Christianity spread across the country, like many pagan holidays, this festival was co-opted, its original meaning stripped away and replaced by a Christian narrative. This is not unique—Christmas and Easter are also examples of pagan festivals taken over by the Church.

While the Church is far less aggressive today, it still remains far from the progressive, inclusive institution it often claims to be. LGBTQ+ people are now “accepted” by the Church, but only under the premise that they repent for their "sins." The Church of England has begun to allow blessings for same-sex marriages but refuses to perform actual wedding ceremonies. If a doctrine discriminates on the basis of sexuality, then that doctrine is outdated and wrong. Period.

It is 2024, and we should not tolerate the homophobia, sexism, and racism that still permeate many religious texts, including the Bible, Quran, and Torah. The Bible, for instance, contains passages like, "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death." While it may seem absurd to judge a 2,000-year-old text by modern standards, the issue arises when such texts are still held up as moral authorities, especially within our education system.

It is unacceptable to send children into institutions that propagate these doctrines. Education should not endorse ancient beliefs that promote inequality and intolerance.

It's not just Christianity that has troubling tenets. Islam teaches that women cannot correct an Imam during prayer because their voices are too "distracting." Judaism continues the practice of circumcision on infant boys, which in any other context would be considered mutilation. We excuse these backward practices in the name of "respect for religion," yet we would balk at similar suggestions in modern times. If a new religion emerged today that required chopping off baby’s toes, we would rightfully condemn it.

The Church of England, meanwhile, has its own significant failings. The institution has a dark history of covering up child abuse, so much so that an Independent Safeguarding Board was created to address these issues. Yet, in June 2023, the Archbishops' Council dismissed the board members, with the Archbishop of Canterbury and York citing irreconcilable disagreements. It was revealed that the independent members of the board had raised concerns about interference in their work by the Church.

Let me be clear: I am not accusing any individual or the majority of Christians of wrongdoing. Many members of religious communities are victims of the institution's shortcomings. However, forcing children to participate in religious activities within schools—institutions that should foster critical thinking and independence—is contradictory to the very ideals of education.

The education system in Britain is outdated, still trapped in a past that clings to the idea of a "Christian nation." Yet, over 50% of the country is no longer Christian, and 37% of Britons have no religion at all. Despite this, we continue to accept the indoctrination of children into these religious practices, without respect for secular or alternative beliefs.

Harvest Festival should be a time of gratitude, but we should be thankful to nature, the Earth, or even the ancient pagan gods if we must involve spiritual elements. It is not a time to reinforce a backward, homophobic, elitist, and, in some cases, abusive version of God—a God whose stories involve the deaths of millions of people, in contrast to Satan’s meager ten.

The indoctrination of children into religion against their will is child abuse. It is time to purge religion from our schools. If I raised my child in a cult that encouraged bigotry, hatred, and the protection of abusers, I would be condemned. So why is it acceptable for our education system to do the same? The government must act now to ban religious intrusion on education. No more Harvest festivals with calls to "Thank God" and no more Religious schools. The very fact that these cults can be allowed to OWN schools specifically designed to reinforce the indoctrination suffered by these children is, to quote the bible, an abomination.