Uganda churches resist plan to cut religious education in schools
ICC Note
“If God can only be talked about in homes and churches, we are destined for moral disaster,”
By Fredrick Nzwili
05/01/2008 Uganda (ENI). Church leaders in Uganda are preparing to challenge a government proposal to end the teaching of religious studies in schools after deeming the plan unacceptable in a country where they say the greatest battle is that over morals.
“This is not acceptable,” the Rev. Grace Kaiso, executive secretary of the Uganda Joint Christian Council, told Ecumenical News International on 29 April. “Nobody will agree to this because the greatest battle we have at the moment is that centered on morals, whether we are dealing HIV and AIDS or issues of governance,” said Kaiso, whose council is made up of Anglican, the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches.
Some Ugandan political leaders have agreed with church leaders on the continuation of religious studies at schools in a country where about 84 percent of its 31 million people are Christians and some 12 percent are Muslims.
“If God can only be talked about in homes and churches, we are destined for moral disaster,” the Uganda Land Commission chief, Mayanja Nkangi told New Vision, a government-owned newspaper on 28 April.
