You're wrong, Mr. Hell. It *is* the dark ages. The dark ages of bronze
age superstition long passed its expiration date.

You're wrong, Mr. Hell. It *is* the dark ages. The dark ages of bronze
age superstition long passed its expiration date.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070709/od_afp/australiareligion;_ylt=Ar...

Mon Jul 9, 2:58 PM ET

MELBOURNE (AFP) - A boy called Hell has been barred from enrolling in a
Catholic school in Australia because his surname jarred with its
religious teachings, the child's father said Monday.

The youngster's dad, 45-year-old Alex Hell, has expressed outrage after
the primary school in the southern city of Melbourne allegedly refused
to admit his son, Max.

"We are victims of our name," said Hell, whose name is of Austrian
origin.

"We're quite devastated by the whole thing," the Catholic father of
three told the Australian Associated Press.

"It's 2007, not 1407 -- it's not the Dark Ages."

Hell said that at one point he offered to change his son's name to his
wife's maiden name of Wembridge, a suggestion that he said was welcomed
by the principal of St Peter the Apostle primary school, Michael
McGrath.

But he changed his mind, and was then told that Max would not be able to
attend the school, Hell said.

School officials later had a change of heart, but Hell now says there is
no way he will ever enrol his son there.

"The school has turned around and said Max can go there, but why would
you want to go there after being victimised?" he said.

"I'd rather go to another school -- we had no problem with the public
school but we just wanted to further Max's education," Hell said, adding
that he would move his family to the nearby city of Geelong and put Max
in another school.

St Peter the Apostle School said it had offered Max a place and
confirmed that Hell had offered to change his child's name.

"The issue of a change of surname of the child was an initiative of the
parents which they believed would assist the child in the transition of
schools," the school said in a statement.

"The school is working with the family in the best interests of the
child," the statement added.

--
Atheist n A person to be pitied in that he is
unable to believe things for which there is
no evidence, and who has thus deprived himself of
a convenient means of feeling superior to others.

-Chaz Bufe, The American Heretic's Dictionary

You're wrong, Mr. Hell. It *is* the dark ages. The dark ages of bronze
age superstition long passed its expiration date.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070709/od_afp/australiareligion;_ylt=Arw6Go07xcQwI0IrdrOPslQZ.3QA

Mon Jul 9, 2:58 PM ET

MELBOURNE (AFP) - A boy called Hell has been barred from enrolling in a
Catholic school in Australia because his surname jarred with its
religious teachings, the child's father said Monday.

The youngster's dad, 45-year-old Alex Hell, has expressed outrage after
the primary school in the southern city of Melbourne allegedly refused
to admit his son, Max.

"We are victims of our name," said Hell, whose name is of Austrian
origin.

"We're quite devastated by the whole thing," the Catholic father of
three told the Australian Associated Press.