UK SUPREME COURT RULES CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IS "INDOCTRINATION": ORDERS SCHOOLS TO TEACH ISLAM AND OTHER RELIGIONS
The UK Supreme Court ruled that Christian religious education taught in Northern Ireland schools does not comply with human rights standards and is unlawful. The court reinstated a 2022 High Court ruling that found the teaching of RE and collective worship breached human rights as it does not approach the subject in an "objective, critical and pluralist manner".
In a landmark judgment, the court upheld an appeal brought by a pupil at a Belfast school and her father. The pupil, known as JR87, was at a controlled primary school in Belfast in 2019 when, as part of the curriculum, she took part in non-denominational Christian religious education and collective worship.
JR87's parents are not Christian and say they are "broadly speaking" humanists. In 2019, the parents wrote a letter to the school expressing concern and outlining that the child had "absorbed and adopted a religious (specifically Christian) worldview which was not consistent with their own views and beliefs".
Their lawyers argued the religious education and collective worship in the school contravened their human rights requiring the state to provide education to
"respect the right of parents to ensure such education is in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions".
The High Court in Belfast found in favour of the family in 2022 and said the Christian RE taught and collective worship in schools in Northern Ireland is unlawful. However, this was overturned by the Court of Appeal, so the family took their case to the Supreme Court.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Wednesday, the UK's highest court allowed the appeal and dismissed a cross-appeal brought by the department. Delivering the judgment, Justice Ben Stephens said:
"The Court of Appeal was wrong in its application of established principles of ECHR law and should not have departed from the (High Court) judge's finding that the parents had valid concerns in relation to withdrawing JR87 from religious education and collective worship."
The Supreme Court added that there is "no commitment in the core syllabus to objectivity or to the development of critical thought" and that to teach pupils to "accept a set of beliefs without critical analysis amounts to evangelism, proselytising, and indoctrination".
In effect, this means that, along with teaching about Christianity, primary school students should also hear about Judaism and Islam as part of their religious education. The court also ordered RE teachers and guest speakers from other religious backgrounds to be invited as well.
Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law, solicitor for JR87 and her father, called it a "watershed moment" for educational rights. He said: "The Supreme Court has confirmed that all children are entitled to an education that respects their freedom of thought, conscience, and religion."
Humanists UK, which campaigns to repeal mandatory Christian collective worship requirements across all four nations of the UK, welcomed the decision.
RE in Northern Ireland is almost entirely Christian, with only one module on 'World Faiths' at secondary school level. The core syllabus was written by the four big churches and starts with 'LEARNING OBJECTIVE 1: THE REVELATION OF GOD'.
THE CRUSADER'S OPINION
Britain just ruled that teaching Christianity to children in a Christian country is "indoctrination." Teaching Islam? That's objective education.
Read that again.
The UK Supreme Court branded Bible-based education as unlawful human rights violations. Their solution? Force schools to invite Islamic teachers and expose primary school children to multiple religions.
This happened in Northern Ireland. A historically Christian nation. Where Christianity shaped the laws, culture, and moral foundations for centuries.
Now the highest court says teaching Christian truth is "evangelism, proselytizing, and indoctrination."
One humanist family complained. One. Their daughter was "absorbing a Christian worldview." The horror.
The school offered to let them withdraw. Not good enough. The court ruled withdrawal creates "stigma."
So instead of letting one family opt out, the entire Christian education system must be dismantled.
This is how minority tyranny works. One complaint becomes a court order. One court order becomes national policy. Suddenly, teaching the faith that built your civilization is illegal.
The court demands "objectivity." As if Christianity and Islam are equally valid options to present to children. As if truth is relative. As if Northern Ireland wasn't built on Christian foundations.
They want primary school children taught Islam. Not about Islam's history. Not its influence on world events. They want Muslim guest speakers in Christian schools teaching Islamic beliefs as equally valid alternatives to Christianity.
This is civilizational surrender dressed up as human rights.
Meanwhile, Islamic schools in Britain teach exclusively Islamic curriculum. No one demands they teach Christianity. No court rules that Islamic education is "indoctrination."
The double standard is the point.
Christianity must be pluralistic, objective, and critical. Islam gets to be Islam.
Humanists UK celebrated this as a victory. They've campaigned for a decade to eliminate Christian collective worship from all UK schools. This ruling gives them massive momentum.
The Democratic Unionist Party vowed to protect Christian ethos. But what can they do? The Supreme Court has spoken. Christian education is now legally defined as human rights abuse.
This is what happens when you let secularists control your courts. When you accept the premise that all belief systems are equal. When you're ashamed of your own heritage.
Northern Ireland's Christian education didn't survive Islamic terrorism. It's being killed by lawyers and judges who believe neutrality toward truth is somehow virtuous.
One family's complaint just erased centuries of Christian education.
TAKE ACTION
Support Northern Ireland Christians: Contact Christian Concern at www.christianconcern.com and CARE at www.care.org.uk which work to protect Christian freedoms in the UK. Support their efforts to defend Christian education and religious liberty.
Oppose the Ruling: Write to Northern Ireland Education Minister Paul Givan expressing support for maintaining Christian education. Urge him to find legal ways to preserve the Christian ethos of Northern Irish schools despite the Supreme Court ruling.
Warn Your Own Nation: If you live outside the UK, use this case as a warning. Contact your representatives and demand protection for Christian education before similar cases reach your courts. Precedents spread.
Support Christian Schools: If your children attend Christian schools, get involved in governance. Ensure robust religious liberty protections are in place. What happened in Northern Ireland can happen anywhere.
Pray for UK Christians: Pray for believers in Northern Ireland and across the UK facing increasing legal and cultural pressure to abandon Christian education and public Christianity. Pray for courage to stand firm.
DEUS VULT
