‘WE’RE going to blow up the Twin Towers in the name of Jesus Christ’, Osama bin Laden didn’t say when informing the minions of his evil plan. And George W Bush didn’t begin the Iraq War by kissing the ground and muttering a prayer to Allah. The reason being, of course, is because both warlords grew up following the religion of their parents, who followed the religion of their parents, and so on.
In other words, religion is stupid. And a Melbourne man who realises this was rewarded last week when he won the right to stop his children from taking part in Jewish coming-of-age ceremonies, because he wanted them to make their own religious choices.
The separated couple, known as Mr and Mrs Macri, went to court after the mother wanted her children to follow her Jewish faith and participate in their bar and bat mitzvahs. But Mr Macri, a Catholic, wanted the children, a 10-year-old and eight-year-old twins, to make their own decision in a “voluntary and informed” way.
Federal magistrate Terry McGuire ruled in favour of Mr Macri, saying: “Australia is a multicultural and secular society. These children are fortunate in that they have the opportunity to directly experience the culture and traditions of the religions practised by each of their parents.”
