A Spanish judge has ruled that crucifixes on the walls of classrooms contravene the secular and neutral nature of the Spanish constitution.
A parent together with a local secular association complained about crucifixes in classrooms at the Macias Picavea state school in Valladolid. As a result of the ruling the school must now remove all religious symbols from classrooms and public spaces.
This seems obvious ... it is after all a state school. Spain's Education Minister, Mercedes Cabrera, said "the content of this ruling corresponds exactly with the provisions of the constitution and the secular character of the State.”
Despite the requirements of the constitution, Spanish Catholics have persisted in displaying their symbols as though Spain was still back in the days of Ferdinand and Isabella.
The Vatican's mouthpiece, L'Osservatore Romano, said that the decision to remove crucifixes from classrooms was motivated by 'anti-Catholic hatred.' No, it was motivated by a desire to maintain school spaces that are neutral and welcoming for all students irrespective of their religion or lack-of-religion.
There is also the issue of the crucifix itself. Christians are so accustomed to seeing it - they think of it as just another symbol of the faith. But for a young student who comes from an agnostic or atheist family, it could be quite disturbing to have a brutalized human form hanging on a cross while you are trying to focus on math.
Crucifixion was a barbaric form of torture. While Christians might find special meaning in the depiction of Jesus on the cross ... for others it might simply be a disturbing depiction of extreme cruelty ... one that has no place in the state school of a secular nation.
A parent together with a local secular association complained about crucifixes in classrooms at the Macias Picavea state school in Valladolid. As a result of the ruling the school must now remove all religious symbols from classrooms and public spaces.
This seems obvious ... it is after all a state school. Spain's Education Minister, Mercedes Cabrera, said "the content of this ruling corresponds exactly with the provisions of the constitution and the secular character of the State.”
Despite the requirements of the constitution, Spanish Catholics have persisted in displaying their symbols as though Spain was still back in the days of Ferdinand and Isabella.
The Vatican's mouthpiece, L'Osservatore Romano, said that the decision to remove crucifixes from classrooms was motivated by 'anti-Catholic hatred.' No, it was motivated by a desire to maintain school spaces that are neutral and welcoming for all students irrespective of their religion or lack-of-religion.
There is also the issue of the crucifix itself. Christians are so accustomed to seeing it - they think of it as just another symbol of the faith. But for a young student who comes from an agnostic or atheist family, it could be quite disturbing to have a brutalized human form hanging on a cross while you are trying to focus on math.
Crucifixion was a barbaric form of torture. While Christians might find special meaning in the depiction of Jesus on the cross ... for others it might simply be a disturbing depiction of extreme cruelty ... one that has no place in the state school of a secular nation.
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