Tackling intolerance in Europe with a special focus on Christians
Freedom of religion is a fundamental right and one of the foundations of a democratic and pluralist society. Intolerance and discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief affect minority religious groups in Europe as well as people belonging to majority religious groups. However, acts of hostility, violence and vandalism targeting Christians and their places of worship are insufficiently taken into consideration and condemned.
Link to article: http://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/239/...Christians
The Council of Europe approved in its Parliamentary Assembly this Thursday the 29th of January the resolution “Tackling intolerance in Europe with a special focus on Christians”, which was promoted by Moldovan MP Valeriu Ghiletchi. 67 voted in favour of the resolution, only 2 against and there were 15 abstentions (see complete results here).
Summary
Freedom of religion is a fundamental right and one of the foundations of a democratic and pluralist society. Intolerance and discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief affect minority religious groups in Europe as well as people belonging to majority religious groups. However, acts of hostility, violence and vandalism targeting Christians and their places of worship are insufficiently taken into consideration and condemned.
Council of Europe member States should be invited to promote a culture of living together. Freedom of expression should be protected, as well as the peaceful exercise of freedom of assembly. The principle of reasonable accommodation should be resorted to in order to respect people’s religious beliefs, in particular in the workplace and in the field of education. By doing so, States should ensure that the rights of others are equally protected.
It is crucial that States condemn and punish hate speech and any act of violence, including against Christians.
The full document of the resolution can be accessed here: http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/X2H-Xref-ViewPDF.asp?FileID=21340&Lang=EN
Strengthening Critical Thinking
Christian schools are often intentional about teaching worldview and preparing students to engage with competing ideas. Yet the way we structure this engagement can either nurture deep critical thinking or unintentionally foster shallow habits of argument. Here are some practical tools to support critial thinking in the classroom.
Education as a Restoration of Hope
Today we turn to the good news: God’s plan of restoration through Christ. This is not only a personal hope but also a framework for how we think about education, leadership, and the shaping of society. How can we build meaningful outcomes into the process of teaching and learning which truly reflect the hope we have in Christ?
Recognizing the Problem of Sin
The foundational, yet often overlooked, reality is the way sin impacts both teaching and learning. As school leaders, we cannot view education merely as the transfer of knowledge or the development of skills. Education is always moral and spiritual, shaped either by truth that comes from God or by distortions introduced by sin.
ACSI Europe Online Prayer
Join Christian school leaders from across the Europe region for a time of prayer, fellowship and encouragement. This group meets on Zoom the 2nd Thursday each month at 13:00 CET to focus our attention on God's presence and provision for His work through global Christian education.
