Reverse Discrimation at its Worst

NSW Council of Churches
Australia
Media Release
May 14, 1997

"Plans to ban the traditional passion play at Monteagle Public School, in the NSW rural area, is reverse discrimination at its very worst," President of the NSW Council of Churches, the Rev. John Edmondstone, said today.

He said; "This time this group of people assigned the responsibility of improving our children's education has gone too far and has moved way beyond the group's mandate or curriculum watchdog into a blatant anti-Christian stance which highlights their ignorance of the historic fact recognised the world over that Jesus Christ was crucified.

"This historic fact is also recognised in many other non-Christian religions," Mr Edmondstone said.

He added "To use the pathetic excuse that the passion play for the Scripture Classes at the school contravenes the State Government's anti-violence stance; is a total absurdity."

Mr Edmondstone said, "There is no rationale or continuity in the minds of those who on the one hand now rightly include the historic accounts of the bloodshed attributed to early European settlement in the school curriculum and yet want to ignore that historic fact of the death of Jesus - it just doesn't make any sense at all!

"The NSW Council of Churches calls on Premier Bob Carr and the Minister for Education and Training, John Aquilina, to immediately intervene in this ridiculous scenario and calls for them to reverse any plan to ban the presentation of this traditional passion play at Monteagle Public School," Mr Edmondstone said.

For further comment, please call Wayne Magee - as per contact below.

CONTACT: Pastor Wayne Magee
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTOR/SECRETARY
OFFICE: PHONE/FAX +61-2-9557-5320
A/H'rs: PHONE/Fax +61-2-9153-5726

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