religous lies

Before rolling eyes to the skies, dear reader, I am about to rant about schooling, specifically entrance to Catholic schools. As I've been waiting all day to get something written, and as I've only just got around to it you can expect a poorly formatted, crap-grammar speed-entry. Ah well, maybe I'lll tidy it up later.

As I may have previously mentioned, I am not a religous person. OK, I cannot ABSOLUTELY prove the non-existence of God. However, the existence of a literal God is so propsterous that I'm prepared to state that, in my far-from-humble opinion, he she or it does not exist.

Sal and I have been discussing schooling, what with her being up the duff and the bump needing, sooner or later, to attend school. My vast intellect, and that of my far smarter brother, are in part due to our state school education. We both did OK out of the English state. Sal, however, seems to regard Australain state schools as the lowest form of educational institute, something a kid is condemned to if their parents don't love them enough to provide them with a place in a private, selective or faith-funded school; read Catholic school for that last one. As an aside, in a recent league table (check the internet, it is out there somewhere...) an Islamic school placed ahead of the best Catholic school. Interesting though that is to many people, a faith school is a faith school to an atheist. And for the record, selective schools came out on top of the religious ones. However, I am rambling before I get to my point.

Here in Australia Catholic schools, allegedly, provide a "better" education than your normal state schools. Therefore, if you want the best possible non-private, near-enough free education for your kid you try to send them to a Catholic school. If you're an atheist (or, I guess, any non-Catholic) you do this by lieing about your faith for the greater good of your child. Hands up everyone who can see where I am going with this...

It's all a load of bollocks really. To secure the best possible education for their child an atheist must set the worst possible example. You need to lie about your faith, or rather lack of it. I have no desire to do that. None at all. Zip. How are you supposed to teach a child to be honest and decent when you're a liar? I have no problem justifying and explaining my atheism. I have no problem explaining my morals. I think I am a mostly decent person. Far more decent than, say, someone who claims to have faith in order to secure their kid a school place.

Of course, the lying parent who, if it turns out I am wrong, burns in hell, will have a well-educated kid to carry on their legacy. We can only hope the education they recieve at school is better than the example set by the parents. "Better", of course, other than the creationist nonsense, that stuff about homosexuality being a sin and contraception being murder. If I am wrong (which I'm not) I will be able to talk my way into heaven. "Shit, I didn't see THAT coming! Hey, I led a decent, honest life. I didn't lie or cheat or misrepresent myself, so can I still come in? Can I take one of the spots freed by the part-time-pick-and-mix-Catholics you've sent downstairs for their genuince sins?"