Results tagged “faith” from Birmingham Mail - Veron Graham

Tony Collins' story in a recent edition of the Birmingham Mail about the importance of youngsters' spiritual development made very interesting reading. So why is religious education treated like a hot potato in some schools?

Pamela Taylor, the principal of Birmingham's Newman University College, said: "the spiritual and emotional development of young people has never been more important." She goes on to say: "encouraging dialogue and understanding between different groups ... has never been so vital."

As a Christian myself, I am not surprised at her comments - I believe that all of us have a God-shaped void in our lives that only He can fill. My faith teaches me that God is interested in every area of our lives and wants to build relationships with us. So, as education is important to us, it is to God too. That's why I'm working with Christian Media Services, bringing stories of the tangible benefits of Christian faith to the world.

That said, why is Religious Education not been given full expression in schools and why is Christianity, in particular, marginalized in certain areas?

Recognition and respect should be given to all faiths in all schools, regardless of the religious make-up of that school. So what if the school is, for example, majority Hindu? That does not mean you only teach Hinduism there. Are these Hindu kids not going to encounter anyone of any other faith for the rest of their lives? And what about the non-Hindu kids in that school?

Education authorities need not be frightened of our religious differences, and more importantly, they shouldn't allow our children to be.

The society I grew up in was multi-cultural too and there was a better understanding of cultural /religious diversity because each faith was taught and discussed freely in school.

Kids are growing up now without any real understanding of other faiths, aside from that gained from lurid headlines and extremist views.

The lack of education into these issues at an early age is only storing up the potential for misunderstanding, fear and hatred when these youngsters grow up.

Am I going too far?

Do you think the lack of religious teaching in schools contribute to fear and disharmony? Did you do RE in school? Did it help or hinder your relations with people of different cultures/ faiths?

God Bless ... and I mean that whatever you call Him,

Veron
www.GMAgency.co.uk

I don't know about you, I've had enough of all the talk about what's gone wrong with society.

The latest thing is knife crime, sparked by disaffected youth and the breakdown of family and community.

If the ranting stopped for a while and we take a look at what the government, law enforcement agencies and media have permitted and even rated over the last 20 or so years, the answer is plain to see.

The school day began and ended with prayer, assemblies included hymns and we said grace before our school dinners. There were morals shaped by Christianity that guided what went on in and around the schools. We studied the religions of the world - along with our equally young Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and Buddhist classmates without anyone having a problem with political correctness.

Then they threw out the morals guided by Christian faith that kept people in check outside of the schools too - i.e. it gradually became acceptable and then downright cool to sleep around and get wasted on alcohol, weird 'smarties' or cigarettes with no writing on the side.

You see what's happened when these morals are put to one side?

How many of our youngsters were born to parents that were not prepared for them? How many parents are raising up - or should that be 'dragging up? - children who haven't got a clue or even real interest in doing it properly?

For anything to work well, it needs rules. If you let your cute little kitten or puppy grow up without structure, that animal will grow up to make your life a misery. Now we have generations of young people, who through no fault of their own, are growing up without proper guidance, neither from parents who are largely allowed to what they like and a society that celebrates or turns a blind eye to behaviour that may give a temporary high but has serious consequences.

If Gordon Brown and the rest of the 'rent-a-quote' politicians want to really turn society around, why don't they use their supposed intellect and make real change? Oh, I know why - because there may not be enough votes in it.

Don't ask dumb questions if you don't really want to find the answers.

Give the respect back to Christian faith - don't ignore common sense because it comes from Christians. Think about it, we've tried it the secular way and look what has happened.

Do you agree?