Monthly Archives: August 2012
Vlog: Praying in Tongues
Another piece of video that I’d really prefer not to exist. This has never been shown anywhere before – a Leaving Fundamentalism exclusive. It was shot for Video Nation, but never broadcast. I guess I just like embarrassing myself in public.
Accelerated Christian Education: Raising political activists.
Today I’m going to show you an ACE Wisdom Pack. I’ve mentioned them before, but just to put you in the loop: Every senior level English PACE contains a pull-out Wisdom Pack, which is a brief comic book. In these Wisdom Packs, the PACE characters (who are role models for Godly living) discuss pressing issues facing teens today with their teachers and pastors. Relationships with the opposite sex and general Christian living are covered, but the emphasis is on politics.
Most accurately, the emphasis is on the responsibility of all Christians to participate in government, to ensure that taxes are low, abortion is illegal, welfare programs are reduced or abolished, homosexuality is punished, and Biblical principles are enshrined in law.
If you do not think ACE poses a threat to liberal, pluralist democracy, you have not read enough Wisdom Packs. Read the rest of this entry
The Way Ahead – Recommendations for Faith Schools
On Friday, I examined the Alberta Department of Education’s views on Accelerated Christian Education. As part of its report, the Committee on Tolerance and Understanding made recommendations on educational policy to correct the problems it found. I think these make a reasonable skeleton for a public policy that could be implemented to ensure better education, and limiting poisonous systems like ACE. Lets look at their suggestions.
Actually, before we do, I’d like to post this quotation from the Committee’s report, since I agree with it so much I think I could put it on a poster:
“The mission of education must include development of critical thinking skills based on openness, inquiry, imagination, original ideas, dissent, rational thinking, and independence. Scoeity’s best efforts must alwas be open to skepticism and constructive criticism from students themselves. To do otherwise, to ignore their developing autonomy and judgment, would undermine the whole purpose of the enterprise. Respect for authority is essential, but a balance must be kept. History has shown time and again that when respect for authority completely overrides responsible independence, critical thinking is destroyed and society is left open to the evils of apathy, dogmatism and prejudice.”
Alright, so what are their suggestions? Read the rest of this entry
Alberta Department of Education Reviews ACE
In 1985, the Canadian province of Alberta got very worried about Accelerated Christian Education. In fact, they said in a report that “In the view of the committee, there is no place for curriculum of this kind in the schools of Alberta.”
The chair of this committee, Ron Ghitter, visited an ACE school and reported that he saw an ACE book which said “All kinds of Buddhists and Muslims are evil.” In the background was the rise of Stockwell Day, a controversial former pastor and politician, who was accused of anti-Semitism and connections to supporters of the Aryan Nation. Stockwell Day boldly and publicly defended Accelerated Christian Education. “God’s law is clear. Standards of education are not set by government, but by God, the Bible, the home and the school.” Read the rest of this entry
Accelerated Christian Education’s Literature Course
This week, I have mostly been reading hogwash.
The downside of studying fundamentalism is that I have to wade through fundamentalist literature. And I know I make this sound like a riot of hilarity, but it really isn’t. Most of the Christian extremist writers are rubbish communicators, who make a point once every 15 pages. At best. To get Pat Robertson’s views on Freemasonry, for example, I had to digest hundreds of pages of his ill-informed views on the political situation in Nicaragua. This was dull.
This week, I have splashed out on Amazon and bought several books by Accelerated Christian Education‘s founder Donald R. Howard, which amount to several hundred pages of unmitigated drivel (I wonder if I could get that description into a peer-reviewed journal article… challenge accepted!). But these are nothing compared to When Science Fails, a book I have been re-reading because it is part of Accelerated Christian Education’s literature syllabus.
The literature syllabus is probably the single worst aspect of ACE. It is so catastrophically dreadful that my mum used to do my literature homework for me – the only time in my entire education when she even considered cheating on my behalf. She thought the whole syllabus was such a waste of time that she used to read the books and answer the questions for me so I wouldn’t have to. Read the rest of this entry
The promise of miracles tortures dying children
So reported the Torygraph last week.
“Parents who trust in divine intervention, even after doctors say there is no hope of survival, are putting their children through aggressive but futile treatments, they said.
“In an article published in the Journal of Medical Ethics they warned that families with deeply held hopes for a “miraculous” recovery were increasingly being allowed to “stonewall” medical opinion…
The authors of this paper are quoted:
“While it is vital to support families in such difficult times, we are increasingly concerned that deeply held belief in religion can lead to children being potentially subjected to burdensome care in expectation of ‘miraculous’ intervention,” the authors warned. “In many cases, the children about whom the decisions are being made are too young to subscribe to the religious beliefs held by their parents, yet we continue to respect the parents’ beliefs.” Read the rest of this entry
Vlog: When I was a Creationist
Another scary vlog to show you today.
My slight concern with this vlog is that people will think I’m bitter. I don’t feel bitter, and I resent “you’re just bitter” being used as an excuse to dismiss what I have to say. My hope is that by being this personal, people will see the effect that Creationism has on children. At that age, people are vulnerable to deception. What I want to make very clear is that this is not just about me. This is about all the children who are taught this – about 2,000 in ACE schools in the UK.
When Christians say “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it,” they are taking advantage of a child’s credulity. It feels hysterical to call it child abuse, but it is an abuse of power.
The other thing I’d like you to notice is that I always said “man,” instead of “people,” or “humans.” Fundamentalist Christianity hates feminism.
I can write this blog because I escaped. I’m free and clear, and my life is good now. I’m genuinely concerned about the kids that are still in systems like ACE School of Tomorrow.
Related posts:
Vlog: In conversation with my 8-year-old self
In 1994, BBC2 broadcast “God’s Not Boring” a short film I’d made for their As Seen On TV series. I talked about how God is awesome and stuff because… well, there wasn’t much else in my life at the time, to be honest.
Leaving Fundamentalism 