Participants: Lincoln Steed (Host), Grace Mackintosh
Series Code: LI
Program Code: LI000223B
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00:07 Welcome back to the "Liberty Insider."
00:09 Before the break with guest Grace Mackintosh, 00:12 we were discussing-- 00:14 and when I say discussing that sounds sort of bloodless 00:17 and just you know nice repatriate. 00:20 But we're getting quite worked up at least I was. 00:23 Internally I was getting very agitated 00:26 as you describe in Canada 00:28 how in the education field through the curriculum 00:32 whether it's in, in the schools 00:33 or in homeschooling there is a projection of religion 00:38 that would be confusing to young people. 00:40 And gets the parents say, they'll be tripped up big time 00:43 if they even suggest some alternative to child 00:46 or question some of these views. 00:48 And then it turns very strange 00:52 and joins in with this the gay gender 00:55 and the anti-bullying 00:57 and so religious viewpoint can easily be cast 01:01 as against the social good 01:02 and restrictive for someone's personal prerogatives. 01:05 Isn't this-- is that a good description 01:07 of where we're going? It's an excellent description. 01:09 And it's almost like a social experiment. Yes. 01:12 Where previously held views of morality 01:15 and that will be instantly suspect 01:18 and accused of being against the common good. Yes. 01:20 Against society. Yes. 01:23 What do we do about this? That's it is very interesting. 01:25 Well, there is a random sampling of opinions out there. 01:30 So in Quebec as we recently discussed 01:33 this curriculum that deals with religion, 01:36 ethics and morality is imposed in public schools, 01:41 private, parochial and homeschoolers. 01:43 So you have to teach it the way that is drafted. 01:45 You cannot teach in confessional setting. 01:48 And it is a very interesting dialog going on. 01:52 Now say that again. 01:54 I know what you mean but for the viewers 01:56 when you say you teach it in a confessional setting. 01:58 What do you mean by that? 01:59 You can't say to your child, no Johnny, 02:03 this is what the material says 02:05 but you know that Christians believe this 02:09 and the Bible says this and that God-- 02:13 you know, especially if you're a Christian 02:14 there is no other God before me. 02:16 You know, there is curriculum is saying everything is equal. 02:19 That's incredible, isn't that? You can't say that-- 02:21 And as I understand it 02:22 they've even stated in a homeschooling situation 02:25 it's not just during that formal sit down 02:28 that the parent may have with the child 02:30 to go over with the curriculum. 02:31 Since it bleeds through into a lot of their daily activity 02:34 they can't say it at anytime really. 02:36 Right because what's in educational opportunity. Right. 02:40 You know you're out and you're in about 02:42 at the breakfast table during worship, 02:45 that's the teaching moment. Right. 02:47 And you know that in the schools as well. 02:49 So-- So how does this differ? 02:53 You know that's a rhetorical question. 02:54 But how does this differ much 02:56 from what existed in Soviet Union 02:58 where a young people were being taught by the state 03:01 anti-religious viewpoints, antagonism towards religion 03:05 and encouraged to report on their parents 03:07 if they taught them otherwise. It has a very chilling effect. 03:12 The end result is very similar 03:13 I think if this is followed through 03:15 as they seem to tempt though. 03:16 And it feels very oppressive 03:17 and then we had said in the last program 03:21 that several days after the release 03:23 of the decision of the supreme court 03:25 with respect to the Quebec curriculum, 03:27 Alberta, the Government of Alberta tables 03:31 amendments to its education act 03:33 which made it a violation of the act 03:36 if you in an educational setting taught against homosexuality. 03:42 So hundreds of homeschooling parents 03:44 gathered at the Alberta Legislature 03:47 and to protest the education act the amendments to it 03:50 and they've said the restrictions to the freedom 03:52 to teach their children was in that those amendments. 03:57 And members of the Alberta Home Education Association 04:00 called on education minister Thomas Lukaszuk 04:04 to uncouple the Alberta Human Rights Act 04:07 and the education act. 04:08 Because basically as I said the amendment said 04:11 "If you were in violation human rights act 04:14 you were in violation of the education act 04:17 and then the department of education 04:21 the minister on presidential power." 04:24 And so they asked for clarification. 04:27 So in Alberta the human rights act 04:35 protects the front door 04:37 but these amendments were like a backdoor. 04:40 So in Alberta the government has thought about curriculum 04:46 like the Quebec curriculum 04:48 and if that was going to be taught in the schools 04:51 would the parents have the right to remove their children. 04:53 And they said yes and they put it in the legislation so-- 04:56 But in homeschooling there quote on the side. 04:58 Well in a-- well it's the backdoor right, 05:02 so if you're child is in any school 05:05 and you aren't noticed like the human rights acts says, 05:09 that the school has to provide notice 05:11 that they are going to teach about homosexuality 05:14 or religion or sex education 05:16 or anything that you might feel in you know uncomfortable 05:20 you are allowed to remove your child 05:22 when you're given that notice. 05:24 And it's in the human rights courts. 05:26 So that's the front door. 05:28 But what the amendments to the education act 05:31 were the backdoor, 05:32 it's like okay, you can remove your child 05:35 if you're uncomfortable 05:37 with the material that's been presented. 05:39 If it has to do with morals, education, or sex 05:42 but you're not allowed to teach your child 05:46 that's it's a dangerous lifestyle. 05:48 That those people die young. 05:50 There are a lot of adult immune diseases. 05:52 There are all kinds of issues you can't teach that 05:54 because that's in violation of the human rights court. 05:58 And when the homeschoolers pressed 06:01 the minister for a definition 06:03 of what is in educational context. 06:07 They said, that they wouldn't provide them with clarification. 06:12 And the--like I said the amendments had two readings 06:18 and they were passed that two readings 06:20 they just needed a third reading to pass. 06:22 And Alberta went to the polls 06:27 with respect to provincial government. 06:30 And that government barely got back in it 06:32 and just squeaked in through the door. 06:34 So they probably gonna back off. 06:35 And we have--that's right, we haven't seen it since. 06:39 But it creates questions in your mind 06:41 is to what is the agenda. What's the agenda? 06:44 And I was speaking to a PhD he was at York University 06:49 I was speaking to him 06:50 and at meetings in Downtown Toronto 06:53 and I brought to his attention. 06:55 Well Alberta has already considered 06:56 the issue of curriculum 06:58 and they have given statutory rights 07:01 to parents to withdraw their children. 07:03 And what he said to me was, yes, 07:06 and they got it wrong. 07:08 There are certain dialogs that children must participate 07:13 and this is one of them. 07:16 They must participate in this dialog. 07:18 You're clearly passing on values. 07:21 You know, when you're talking passing on values, 07:24 yeah, the education department could do that in this case. 07:27 But when I think of how the gay 07:29 gender is being advanced 07:31 its largely being through the media 07:33 where they have been inculcating 07:35 this just constantly, constantly 07:37 and secondarily through the education department. 07:40 And what's the end result? 07:41 They have changed the entire society 07:43 to accept something that was once anathema. 07:46 So I wouldn't understate 07:48 that all the value of a new curriculum 07:51 to move not just people of faith 07:54 but a whole society in a direction 07:56 that might not have even been intended or recognized initially 07:58 under the guise of just information. 08:00 You soften up people 08:02 in this case compressional young people 08:04 to look differently on a value 08:08 that they themselves wouldn't inherently come up 08:10 and their parents wouldn't ever wanted them 08:14 to think that new direction. 08:17 Well, with respect to normative values 08:20 the three main contributors 08:22 that shape normative values are family, education, and media. 08:27 Sure media is and I'm not 08:29 in that well family should be first. 08:31 I'm not sure in the 21st century 08:35 where so much of time is being spent 08:36 even in the home in front of the television. 08:38 Not eating together and so 08:39 and you always can't put the family first. 08:41 But it should have been but I think the media is big time. 08:44 I agree completely. 08:45 And a lot of education as you know-- 08:48 which I was in school and as far as the entertainment factor 08:50 but often they're watching a television program. 08:53 That's right. Or a video program. 08:55 So and you know I have seen plenty of studies 08:58 that you're normal defenses in the sense of perception 09:02 and the analysis and so on down 09:04 when you're just looking passively at a screen it 09:06 just sort of soak straight in. And soak straight in. 09:09 And this is why one of tenets 09:11 of the curriculum really bothers me 09:14 because it's thematic and that is the idea. 09:17 You know the indirect kick at fundamentalism 09:20 and not taking things too seriously. 09:23 And to me there is a whole normative value 09:29 built up around this issue of who is the next public enemy. 09:34 So you're teaching it in the educational setting, 09:37 if got it in the media the last time 09:39 I heard fundamentalism was at the Boston bombings. 09:43 Yeah, now we get to be careful in language. 09:45 Educators know this better than anyone. 09:47 Language can determine your viewpoints. That's right. 09:50 Your definition of word can-- 09:52 well, gay we're talking about gays. 09:53 It's come to mean something totally different hasn't it? 09:56 It's going to mean something totally different 09:58 than what we have experienced. 10:00 And there is recognition among educators 10:04 of the power of curriculum. 10:06 And they have the children 10:07 during the formative years of their life. 10:09 And they have got them for eight hours a day 10:12 as supposed to the parents. 10:13 And when they let them go 10:15 the media has such a huge effect. 10:17 And I'd like to talk more about this in a future program. 10:24 For Christian looking at the life of Christ 10:26 there are those hidden years between as a very young child, 10:29 His family returned from sanctuary in Egypt. 10:32 And then as a grown man 10:34 he reappears on the banks of the Jordan 10:37 for Baptism in the beginning of His ministry. 10:40 What happened during this hidden years? 10:42 We know that He was largely taught by his mother at home 10:46 because when he at the age of 12 10:48 went to the temple 10:50 here this unlearned child was teaching them theology. 10:53 But can you imagine his mother teaching him 10:57 the truths about life and morality 11:00 and the great story of His people 11:03 and how the Lord had led them. 11:05 If periodically one of the church leaders 11:08 all of the centurions that come 11:10 perking through the front doors 11:12 and say you cannot say such things. 11:14 You're subverting this child. 11:16 That was the very essence of Jesus training. 11:19 Just as today no matter what the secular system 11:22 or indeed the church school they go to 11:24 at home the parent's role is to inculcate values 11:29 that are commensurate with that family structure. 11:33 That is the risk today where that is being restricted. 11:37 For Liberty Insider this is Lincoln Steed. |
Revised 2014-12-17