This link has been bookmarked by 1 people . It was first bookmarked on 18 Aug 2008, by Zee ----------.
"The Italian republic, acknowledging the value of religious culture and taking into account that the principles of Catholicism are a part of the historical heritage of the Italian people, will assure in the future, within the context of the purposes of the schools, the teaching of the Catholic religion in all public educational institutions below the university level. In the spirit of respect for the freedom of conscience and the responsibilities of parents, each person is guaranteed the right to chose or not to chose the above mentioned subject. School children and their parents exercise this right at the time of enrollment upon the request of the school administration, and their choice cannot evoke any forms of discrimination."
It is suggested that an agreement between the Russian Orthodox church and the Russian government on questions of cooperation in the sphere of education should be constructed on such principles.
The Union of Orthodox Citizens recalls that for many years now it has stood on the positions of the "Act of Social Partnership" signed between the Russian Orthodox church and the government, according to which the state entrusts the church with substantial authority in the business of education and social prevention in the world of youth and the church and state act as partners in the nonpolitical arena, defending the interests of Russia as the leader of eastern Christian civilization, especially taking account of the fact that the Moscow patriarchate is the only unified structure in post-soviet space.
If Russia is to become such a leader and be the center of attraction for peoples of the same faith, it must become a country with the model of church-state relations and consequently the question of the introduction of "Foundations of Orthodox Culture" into the federal curriculum most be resolved positively and as soon as possible.
24 June 2005
Would you like to comment?
Join Diigo for a free account, or sign in if you are already a member.