A CALL TO DEMONSTRATE OUTSIDE ROMAN CATHOLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The decision by the Catholic Education Service to exert political pressure on Roman Catholic Secondary School children to oppose gay marriage is reprehensible.

It shows that Michael Gove’s cynical encouragement of religious schools to provide more educational facilities in this country is ill judged. 

Richard Dawkins has argued cogently for the separation of education from religious influence and the government would do well to heed his advice. 

With Lord Carey’s petition and the letter issued by the Archbishops of Westminster and Southwark taking the Christian foreground, it is time for those Christians in support of gay marriage to speak out. 

If the Roman Catholic Church thinks that their schools are fair game for political campaigning, then I urge supporters of gay marriage to arrange demonstrations outside Roman Catholic Secondary Schools. 

Let us ensure that their pupils are not manipulated by their religious overseers into a blinkered understanding of the issues involved.