Sunday, November 14, 2010

Teaching About Religion

"Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right." -Laurens Van der Post


I was reading the announcements sheet from church today and saw that the high school Sunday school topic this year is regarding Christianity's relationship with other religions and cults. It's supposed to show students "why they believe what they believe."
For one thing, I think the "why" is something everyone should discover for themselves, but that's not the point.
The point is that the class expands upon the teachings of the Bible and shows the differences in the teachings of other religions, and how to better share the Gospel with people of these other faiths.





  1. I hate evangelism of this kind. Sharing in the "this is what I believe and I think it's interesting" context is WAY different from the "this is what I believe and you should too or else you are damned for all of eternity" context.
  2. Shouldn't it be the similarities that are being taught? Shouldn't we be encouraged to love others? (The answer is yes, by the way. Back when I was forced to write this speech for church, my verse on which it was centered was "This is my command: love each other.") Teaching differences only creates more intolerance, fear, and hate.
And that's why I don't want to go to the class. Fortunately, I don't think my mom is going to make me.

1 comment:

  1. It would be good to teach similarities (yes) as well as differences. Differences can help us to understand that ours is NOT the one and only way. See:
    http://worldvieweducation.org/worldview.html
    http://worldvieweducation.org/worldviewsampler.html
    Similarities can focus us on our common humanity. See:
    http://worldvieweducation.org/ultimate.html
    Actually, "religion" gives an incomplete view. People who have a naturalistic worldview need to be included in consideration along with those who have a religion. It is an understanding of civic pluralism that can help to tie it all together. See:
    http://worldvieweducation.org/pluralism.html
    The website is for teachers, but you seemingly have very good instincts, lots of maturity, and a caring heart, so it may be useful to you.
    Proselytizing just one view - when one has not given due consideration to the many varied views - is a serious problem in our society.
    I hope you do keep yourself open to broader understandings!
    I wish you well.
    Mynga

    ReplyDelete

Talk to me.