(Transcript from World News Radio)
Christian Church leaders are calling on the West Australian government to ensure greater representation of their faith in a proposed multi-faith Centre at the Perth Children's hospital.
Lydia Feng reports.
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The opening of a Perth Children's Hospital has already been marred by construction delays.
Now there's a new sticking point - the construction of a multi-faith centre inside the $1.2 billion building.
The facility is intended to cater for people of all religious persuasions as well as those of no religion.
But not everyone is happy with the final details, including former tennis champion Margaret Court - the senior pastor of the Victory Life Centre.
"I was very disappointed to hear about that they weren't going to have a prayer centre or prayer chapel there but they are going to have a multi-faith one and a Muslim one."
Mrs Court says the 2011 Census showed Christianity is by far the most common religion in Western Australia.
She says the state government is bowing to a minority group by agreeing to include a Muslim prayer area and not building a dedicated praying area for Christians.
"If they want to have a Muslim prayer room there I have nothing wrong with that but we should have a Christian prayer room. I think that when we are a Christian Judeo country at 70 per cent and I think we should have a prayer room for people."
Her sentiments are echoed by Archbishop Roger Herft from the Perth Anglican Church Diocese.
"I mean I think a dedicated Christian chapel says something not only to the Christian community but to other people that faith is taken seriously. That our beliefs and searches for meaning will be taken seriously whatever paths we might be on. I think that what worries me about this whole engagement and this debate is that there is an underlying philosophy which says 'let's represent the least of who we are and then we can live together..it will be a sham. We will tolerate each other but we won't bring the best out of each other."
Western Australia's Chief Rabbi David Freilich says he favours the hospital having a prayer centre which includes all religions.
But he says if this if there's also going to be a second place of worship installed, other than the multi-faith centre, it should honour the Christian community.
"Australia is mainly a Christian society most people of the Christian faith. If indeed there is going to be a separate place of worship in any hospital in Australia as it is in present, then that separate place of worship should honour the main religion of Australia which is at present Christianity. "
Rabbi Freilich says he would not be offended by giving priority to Christians over Jews.
"Not at all. We are a minority here. And I must say that I give honour to the Christian community that they actually want they want one multi-faith place of worship. They are the dominant religion but they're willing to do best. That's what they feel is the right thing to do and to accommodate all other faiths. You can't ask for a greater blessing than that."
But a statement from the Perth Children's Hospital says the proposed multi-faith centre will cater for Christians by including resources such as a Bible, and an altar.
They add the same model is being used at at least one other hospital.
The Islamic Council of Western Australia declined to comment on the issue.
