Fathoming the depths of illogic
The fact that parents had to provide a written explanation as to why they were pulling their child out of religion classes at school was a ridiculous requirement that was very rightly abolished by the Ministry of Education in a circular this week. The practice, after all, served no real purpose, because any reason put forward by the parent was accepted and no one – quite rightly – questioned it, so one could even lie. Requiring parents to explain themselves on issues concerning their religion is also contrary to the fundamental principles of the law, because one’s religious beliefs are an entirely personal affair and stating one’s beliefs is only meaningful when it is not compulsory. Last, but not least, Greece had to do away with this regulation because it was at risk of being dragged to the European court to answer charges which it would simply have been unable to rebut. Taking into account all the above points, the opposition to the Education Ministry’s circular to abolish the practice is almost impossible to fathom.
