Hillsong's Trojan horses invade NSW public schools

Commenting on a story on page 1 of today's Sydney Morning Herald ('Hillsong's secret school push'), Dr Kaye said: "Hillsong Church and its allies established the Exoday concerts as a way of exploiting students to do their evangelising for them in public schools.

"They know that their Youth Pastors would not be allowed onto public education grounds so they use students instead to push their religion.

"The Exoday manuals, available on the abandoned Youth Alive Queensland website, are a clear statement of the intent to evangelise and to recruit.

"Young Christians are encouraged to use their school's resources and time to promote the lunchtime rock concert and sausage sizzle.

"They are being used as Trojan horses to take the battle for converts into public schools.

"Hillsong's usual gender stereotyping is strongly present in the giveaways suggested in the manual.  Students are to be attracted to the event with 'make-up and jewellery for the girls [and] watches and belts for the guys'.

"Parents have a right to send their children to public schools without fear that they will be subjected to religious indoctrination.

"The Greens are calling on Minister Firth to fulfil her obligations under section 30 of the NSW Education Act, which protects the secular and non-sectarian nature of public education.

"Exoday in public schools clearly violates the spirit of the law and should be stopped.

"Now NSW has a full time education minister, it is time for her to prove that she is prepared to stand up to the religion lobby and develop protocols that prohibit events like Exoday and evangelising in public schools," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455