Inclusive division

The Queen attended a service at Westminster Abbey this week celebrating the 750th anniversary of it's rebuilding, the only reason I know this is that my Daughter's school was represented because of a historical link with the borough of Westminster. The outgoing Dean of the Abbey (John Hall) delivered a speech in which he proposed that the state fund more "Muslim faith schools" as currently the ones in the private sector were under-funded (and by implication not very good). He went on to claim that this would help Muslims to be "incorporated" into British society.

One of my normal logical devices for interpreting religious pronouncements is to take the meaning implied and to reverse it 180 degrees, I find this often allows the assertions to more easily align with reality. How could deeper division between children at such an impressionable age help to bring more understanding and integration later in life? Every shred of evidence there has ever been suggests that if you put people in silos at a young age they tend to remain in silos, Northern Island being a great example of this effect. The only satisfactory way of integrating different faiths together is via a secular approach to education where none are given preference or prejudice and children learn about all faiths as well as their own (including none). What people talk about in the privacy of their Mosque, Church or Star-Trek convention is their own business but when it comes to tax funded education I (seriously) object to paying for indoctrination and fully support the NSS campaign on this topic.

As if to rub salt into this gaping non-sequitur The good Dean also said "he saw no evidence that religion was becoming less relevant in modern society" - this is from a man who clearly bases his worldview on what he can see from "evidence" (not!) No doubt this chap is sincere but he seems to speak as though he has never heard a single argument against his position, ever! I wonder what he sees when he looks into his bathroom mirror in his medieval regalia, almost certainly not what the rest of us see.. Apparently he is retiring soon, hopefully this will allow more time for looking at real evidence, reason and rationality, good luck to him on that!