Religion in US, UK, Hogwarts Schools

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 128721

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "komagata_mai" <irreality at m...> 
wrote:
> I would argue that a school like Hogwarts, would be a secular 
private (not-state owned) 
> school. 
> 

Geoff:

May I just repeat something I wrote in message 128539:

"I think that this question of schools is reflected in other areas. 
Although much of British society is now secular, it needs to be 
remembered that a huge swathe of institutions in the UK came 
originally from Christian sources. The public schools, ranging from 
the big ones such as Eton and Harrow down to smaller, more locally-
supported institutions spring immediately to mind.

But hospitals are also often linked to Christian backgrounds – they 
often sprang from the infirmaries of the old abbeys and monasteries. 
Likewise our political institutions and ideas of social welfare. Look 
at the work done by folk like Shaftesbury to remove child labour and 
Wilberforce to abolish slavery as an example.

It was in the long period of development of social conscience over 
many centuries, underpinned by Christian belief, that Hogwarts was 
also developing its ethos and traditions. So I see no reason why the 
school and its staff should not adopt and reflect the mores of the 
times it lived through."

I feel that in the present climate in the UK, religious education has 
become very diluted and, dare I say, rather wishy-washy but this does 
not remove the historical facts about institutions as I wrote above. 
The same malaise could easily have come to Hogwarts, mirroring the 
declining emphasis on faith in the real world of today. It is perhaps 
a modern reflection of the times.