Will Church School be Forced to Ban Bible, Crosses, and Religious Assembly?
- Updated Oct 19, 2017
Parents of students at a church school in England have issued complaints leading to a decision by the school to ban a Christian charity.
According to ChristianToday.com, St. John’s Church of England Primary School in Tunbridge Wells is now also considering banning crosses, Bibles, and the presence of Church of England clergy at school assemblies.
The school has already banned CrossTeach, a Christian charity, whose members interacted with students and allegedly told them that “men can’t marry men” and that “they would not go to a good place when they died” if they did not believe in God.
The campaign organized by some of the parents of the school’s students is now calling for the removal of other aspects of faith and Christian symbols from the school. The group has reportedly put together a 13-page document airing their grievances and requesting that the school cease all religious activities.
Some of the church leaders associated with the school, however, believe the parents are stirring up trouble unnecessarily. Rev. Peter Sanlon and Rev. Giles Walter, who have been leading religious assemblies at the school for 24 years, accused parents of throwing a “hand-grenade” into what was a perfectly happy environment and creating conflict.
“This dispute in Tunbridge Wells is highlighting the inability of both our government and the Church of England to effectively preserve freedom of religion and diversity. As the bullies are allowed to have their way, all suffer,” said Sanlon.
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Publication date: October 19, 2017
