Teaching religion/theology to children

MrBishop · 07-11-2005, 11:28 AM

OK...so there are many different types of people on here; there are a few religious types, a few agnostics and a few athiests. Some of us have kids which it is our joy and our duty to teach them and give them as many mental tools to survive and thrive today and in the future.

Regardless of how you feel about religion in YOUR life, would you consider educating your children (or allowing them to be educated) in religion/theology in order to form a frame of reference for them?

That is...if your child does not have a religious/theological/comparitive education, do you feel that they can still have a full understanding of certain daily occurences. (ie Someone saying bless you after a sneeze, the whole christmas/easter/ramadan/ sabbath etc...), why certain clothes are worn by certain people, humour which touches on the subject of religion, arguments based on/against religion, what the cross means, what people mean when they mention "Thou shalt not kill" etc etc...

If they don't have this knowledge...would they still get it? Would they be able to have a full understaing of the depth of conversation?

Basically...do you plan on giving your child (hypothetical child if you don't have one) some sort of theological/religious education if only as yet another frame of reference? Why?

Mercutio · 07-11-2005, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBishop

That is...if your child does not have a religious/theological/comparitive education, do you feel that they can still have a full understanding of certain daily occurences. (ie Someone saying bless you after a sneeze, the whole christmas/easter/ramadan/ sabbath etc...), why certain clothes are worn by certain people, humour which touches on the subject of religion, arguments based on/against religion, what the cross means, what people mean when they mention "Thou shalt not kill" etc etc...

Along these lines,
I was watching "Annie Get Your Gun" yesterday. In one song (My Defenses are Down, sung by Frank Butler) there was a repeated reference to "like Sampson without his hair." I got me thinking...in media (books, movies, etc.) prior to the mid-1900s or so, one often needs basic Biblical knowledge to understand things (in this case even in a popular musical).

[/random]

***Tessar*** · 07-11-2005, 01:00 PM

My children will have so much religious education, they'll be able to make a bid for the papacy.

Not to mention that they'll all be nuro-surgons who make millions that they will (kindly) be donating to myself because of what a wonderful father I am.

This will be, of course, after I become the president of the United States of the World.

In honesty, though, yes my children will have training in religion. Considering that I'm the kind of person who's willing to attend as many masses as I can (daily mass, and then typically more than one on Sunday), I have a feeling that my children will be spending a lot of time in church with me

.

Not that I'm planning to drag them to daily mass and more than one mass on Sunday with me, but (at least in my parish) it's not uncommon to see parents going with their kids--even the kids going to the daily mass if the parents are out of town--so that makes me think that the children are very heavily influenced by seeing what their parents are doing.

MrBishop · 07-11-2005, 01:48 PM

Daily Mass??!?
Wow... I havn't done that since the last time my folx sent me to a religious camp.

***Tessar*** · 07-11-2005, 02:23 PM

Actually I'm unable to do daily mass right now because my summer class starts right as the mass would be ending, so I wouldn't have time to get to class, and then in the fall my sister and I will be shairing a car, so I just realized that she's unlikely to want to go to mass with me every morning

.

I'm still gonna hit the morning mass whenever I can though. *mutter* I need my own car

.

**Nurvingiel** · 07-12-2005, 01:41 AM

Wow, I'm impressed Tessar.

That's dedication. (Not your fault about the car.)

I have very fond memories of Sunday School when I was a kid. I'm Anglican, but I haven't gone to church in about three years. However, I used to go fairly often when I was in high school, and after I was too old for the Sunday school classes, I taught a class with my friend, and it was really wonderful.

Sunday school had a lot of singing, religion-related art (like colouring pictures of Jesus and stuff, depending on your age), and it was full of love and acceptance. It was a really great place. Our church was very friendly to families and kids, and my brother and I were never forced to go. When we were old enough to stay home by ourselves we didn't have to go to church if we didn't want to.

Anyway, based on my own experiences, I'd say if religious education (of any kind) is something you value, and do/have practiced it (so that you're not just shipping your kids off to Sunday school - bit of a mixed message), then go for it!

inked · 07-13-2005, 04:17 PM

Those values are best caught not taught, but all should also be taught so as to understand what it is they have caught! I, of course, think there is one revealed religion and one certainly must be taught, as well as catch, Christianity. What one believes does matter.

PS Good for you Tessar! JRRT was a daily attendant at Mass or nearly so! So you have good company!

***Rían*** · 07-25-2005, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBishop

OK...so there are many different types of people on here; there are a few religious types, a few agnostics and a few athiests.

Definitions matter here

- IMO, everyone is what you call a "religious type" - IOW, everyone has unproven/unproveable beliefs about the actual state of the universe upon which they base numerous daily (and sometimes VERY important) decisions.

Quote:

Some of us have kids which it is our joy and our duty to teach them and give them as many mental tools to survive and thrive today and in the future.

Hear, hear!

Quote:

Regardless of how you feel about religion in YOUR life, would you consider educating your children (or allowing them to be educated) in religion/theology in order to form a frame of reference for them?

That is...if your child does not have a religious/theological/comparitive education, do you feel that they can still have a full understanding of certain daily occurences. (ie Someone saying bless you after a sneeze, the whole christmas/easter/ramadan/ sabbath etc...), why certain clothes are worn by certain people, humour which touches on the subject of religion, arguments based on/against religion, what the cross means, what people mean when they mention "Thou shalt not kill" etc etc...

Yes - I think different belief systems are a very important and interesting aspect of life. I also think kids should be taught analytical skills so they can evaluate the truth claims of the differing worldviews. It's amazing (and sad) to me what people will swallow without thinking about it.

katya · 07-25-2005, 03:16 PM

I think that understanding others is one of the best ways that we can start getting along, so I'd say even if your family is not religious, it's a good idea to teach some religion. I would teach my children the basics of all the major religions, since it ties so much into world affairs. There is no knowlegde that is not power, and with something like religion that is so important to so many people, all the more so.

07-11-2005, 11:28 AM	#1
MrBishop Elven Warrior Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Montreal Posts: 118	Teaching religion/theology to children OK...so there are many different types of people on here; there are a few religious types, a few agnostics and a few athiests. Some of us have kids which it is our joy and our duty to teach them and give them as many mental tools to survive and thrive today and in the future. Regardless of how you feel about religion in YOUR life, would you consider educating your children (or allowing them to be educated) in religion/theology in order to form a frame of reference for them? That is...if your child does not have a religious/theological/comparitive education, do you feel that they can still have a full understanding of certain daily occurences. (ie Someone saying bless you after a sneeze, the whole christmas/easter/ramadan/ sabbath etc...), why certain clothes are worn by certain people, humour which touches on the subject of religion, arguments based on/against religion, what the cross means, what people mean when they mention "Thou shalt not kill" etc etc... If they don't have this knowledge...would they still get it? Would they be able to have a full understaing of the depth of conversation? Basically...do you plan on giving your child (hypothetical child if you don't have one) some sort of theological/religious education if only as yet another frame of reference? Why? __________________ RPG gamers talk and podcast Chucky and Larry Blog

07-11-2005, 01:48 PM	#4
MrBishop Elven Warrior Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Montreal Posts: 118	Daily Mass??!? Wow... I havn't done that since the last time my folx sent me to a religious camp. __________________ RPG gamers talk and podcast Chucky and Larry Blog

07-13-2005, 04:17 PM	#7
inked Elf Lord Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: sikeston, MO, usa, earth, sol Posts: 3,114	Those values are best caught not taught, but all should also be taught so as to understand what it is they have caught! I, of course, think there is one revealed religion and one certainly must be taught, as well as catch, Christianity. What one believes does matter. PS Good for you Tessar! JRRT was a daily attendant at Mass or nearly so! So you have good company! __________________ Inked "Aslan is not a tame lion." CSL/LWW "The new school [acts] as if it required...courage to say a blasphemy. There is only one thing that requires real courage to say, and that is a truism." GK Chesterton "And there is always the danger of allowing people to suppose that our modern times are so wholly unlike any other times that the fundamental facts about man's nature have wholly changed with changing circumstances." Dorothy L. Sayers, 1 Sept. 1941

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07-11-2005, 01:00 PM	#3
*Tessar* Master and Wielder of the Cardboard Harp of Gondor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: IM IN UR POSTZ, EDITIN' UR WURDZ Posts: 6,433	My children will have so much religious education, they'll be able to make a bid for the papacy. Not to mention that they'll all be nuro-surgons who make millions that they will (kindly) be donating to myself because of what a wonderful father I am. This will be, of course, after I become the president of the United States of the World. In honesty, though, yes my children will have training in religion. Considering that I'm the kind of person who's willing to attend as many masses as I can (daily mass, and then typically more than one on Sunday), I have a feeling that my children will be spending a lot of time in church with me . Not that I'm planning to drag them to daily mass and more than one mass on Sunday with me, but (at least in my parish) it's not uncommon to see parents going with their kids--even the kids going to the daily mass if the parents are out of town--so that makes me think that the children are very heavily influenced by seeing what their parents are doing.

07-11-2005, 02:23 PM	#5
*Tessar* Master and Wielder of the Cardboard Harp of Gondor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: IM IN UR POSTZ, EDITIN' UR WURDZ Posts: 6,433	Actually I'm unable to do daily mass right now because my summer class starts right as the mass would be ending, so I wouldn't have time to get to class, and then in the fall my sister and I will be shairing a car, so I just realized that she's unlikely to want to go to mass with me every morning . I'm still gonna hit the morning mass whenever I can though. mutter I need my own car .

07-25-2005, 03:16 PM	#9
katya Elven Maiden Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 3,309	I think that understanding others is one of the best ways that we can start getting along, so I'd say even if your family is not religious, it's a good idea to teach some religion. I would teach my children the basics of all the major religions, since it ties so much into world affairs. There is no knowlegde that is not power, and with something like religion that is so important to so many people, all the more so.