{"id":15658,"date":"2025-07-24T12:23:39","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T02:23:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rationalemagazine.com\/?p=15658"},"modified":"2025-07-24T12:24:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T02:24:45","slug":"end-the-government-funding-of-faith-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rationalemagazine.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/24\/end-the-government-funding-of-faith-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"End the government funding of faith workers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mp_wrapper\">\n  <div class=\"mepr-unauthorized-excerpt\">\n    <p>Editor\u2019s note: If you would like to submit a letter for possible publication, please email it to editor@rationalist.com.au. See our\u00a0Publishing Guidelines.\nDear Editor,\nThank you for sharing your online material about the funding of chaplains in schools (\u2018Government-funded chaplains in faith schools appear to be performing religious activities\u2019, 11 June, 2025, Rationalist Society of Australia).\nFor some years, I have been committed to seeing an end to the government funding of faith workers. I take this position as a minister in good standing in the Uniting Church.\nThe principle of a secular society demands the non-preferencing of any religion and of religion generally. And I cannot see how any Christian mission or ministry, other than social services, can be authentic if it relies on public funding.\nI hold this view while, in practice, I know that many school chaplains are effective with young people and do not push their religion beyond the ethos of \u2018general religious education\u2019 and open-ended reflection on ethics.\nI agree with my colleague and friend, Meredith Doig, who gave her opinion that every school child in Australia should learn about religions and about secular humanist philosophy.\nDr Paul Tonson\n&nbsp;\nVictoria\u2019s example on scripture is an important lesson for NSW\nDear Editor,\nI wish to respond to the article about the attitude of several conservative New South Wales\u2019 MPs who dismissed the Victorian shift of scripture classes to being outside normal learning hours,...<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"mepr-unauthorized-message\">\n    <hr style=\"width: 100%;max-width: 1000px !important;height: 5px;border-width: 0;color: red;background-color: red\" \/>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\n<h3><em>You're part way through this article. 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