Comments on: The Best Way to Teach Religion: Don’t. http://oneandfour.org/archives/2006/01/the_best_way_to.html Alex's Blog Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:30:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.2 Comment on The Best Way to Teach Religion: Don’t. by: SoulRiser http://oneandfour.org/archives/2006/01/the_best_way_to.html#comment-393 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://oneandfour.org/archives/2006/01/the_best_way_to.html#comment-393 Well said, and 100% agreed! My parents did read to me from the bible (the kids version), but we never really went to "normal church", nor did they really try to force it on me. I found it myself later on, from a perspective that made a lot more sense to me than things like "love God with all your heart or else" ever could. Quite frankly I doubt they even know what on earth I believe ;P But at any rate, at least they didn't drive me away from Christianity. More people need to read this. Well said, and 100% agreed! My parents did read to me from the bible (the kids version), but we never really went to “normal church”, nor did they really try to force it on me. I found it myself later on, from a perspective that made a lot more sense to me than things like “love God with all your heart or else” ever could. Quite frankly I doubt they even know what on earth I believe ;P But at any rate, at least they didn’t drive me away from Christianity.

More people need to read this.

]]> Comment on The Best Way to Teach Religion: Don’t. by: amechad http://oneandfour.org/archives/2006/01/the_best_way_to.html#comment-392 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://oneandfour.org/archives/2006/01/the_best_way_to.html#comment-392 Alex, in response to your question, I think the gist of your post is true for my personal experience as well. My parents taught me the importance of Judaism and the Jewish community and all that without completely shoving it down my throat but their initial example, for example, by sending me to full-day religious school until 1st grade (albeit very young) and the knowledge of the Jewish community was very important in my being more observant and more connected. For me, and I think it works more in Judaism in which the communal connection is a religious connection (for example, Ruth - in the Bible - is the Jewish paridigm for conversion and she doesn't say "Your God will be my God," but rather "Your people will be my people."), and thus, thanks to the positive "the community is important" message from my parents I searched out ways of entry into the Jewish community (of which, I would argue, Hillel at college was the most important) which provided me with a greater religious education and I learned a lot more in 3 years of college than I did at afternoon religious school. In fact, I argue that my becoming observant was a rebellion from the BS watered down ("being Jewish = being a good person along with praying in Hebrew" message (which I find to be, in some ways, prejudiced (although this is not the intent but rather simply the providing of watered down universalistic content) in that non-Jews, of course, can and do engage in community service and are 'good people' too). Alex, in response to your question, I think the gist of your post is true for my personal experience as well. My parents taught me the importance of Judaism and the Jewish community and all that without completely shoving it down my throat but their initial example, for example, by sending me to full-day religious school until 1st grade (albeit very young) and the knowledge of the Jewish community was very important in my being more observant and more connected. For me, and I think it works more in Judaism in which the communal connection is a religious connection (for example, Ruth - in the Bible - is the Jewish paridigm for conversion and she doesn’t say “Your God will be my God,” but rather “Your people will be my people.”), and thus, thanks to the positive “the community is important” message from my parents I searched out ways of entry into the Jewish community (of which, I would argue, Hillel at college was the most important) which provided me with a greater religious education and I learned a lot more in 3 years of college than I did at afternoon religious school. In fact, I argue that my becoming observant was a rebellion from the BS watered down (”being Jewish = being a good person along with praying in Hebrew” message (which I find to be, in some ways, prejudiced (although this is not the intent but rather simply the providing of watered down universalistic content) in that non-Jews, of course, can and do engage in community service and are ‘good people’ too).

]]> Comment on The Best Way to Teach Religion: Don’t. by: SciVille http://oneandfour.org/archives/2006/01/the_best_way_to.html#comment-391 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://oneandfour.org/archives/2006/01/the_best_way_to.html#comment-391 *insert about a zillion thumbs-ups here* :) You rock! *insert about a zillion thumbs-ups here* :)

You rock!

]]> Comment on The Best Way to Teach Religion: Don’t. by: KPalicz http://oneandfour.org/archives/2006/01/the_best_way_to.html#comment-390 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://oneandfour.org/archives/2006/01/the_best_way_to.html#comment-390 Does my post ring true for you and your personal experiences as well? You are more religious with your parents (right?) how did their approach contribute or detract from that? Does my post ring true for you and your personal experiences as well? You are more religious with your parents (right?) how did their approach contribute or detract from that?

]]> Comment on The Best Way to Teach Religion: Don’t. by: amechad http://oneandfour.org/archives/2006/01/the_best_way_to.html#comment-389 Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://oneandfour.org/archives/2006/01/the_best_way_to.html#comment-389 1. I think you are right but (I'm not sure it's a but because you allude to it in your post) in order for a child to be religious in their adulthood (and teenagehood) they need to (with rare exception) to be provided the example and the tools by their parents. For example, because your parents went to Church with you (and it's important that you saw them doing it for themselves and not as something to force you) in addition to sending you to Sunday school and your father's example of his personal ritual observance, you are religious. (I also think there is a difference between secular East coast and the midwest, also, which, in part, relates to the disproportionate concentration of Jews and Liberal Protestants who are in specific fields overwhelmingly and are more secular than the rest of the US). In the case of the Jews (as this is, of course, the area I know best), I would argue that the overwhelming educational ignorance (that is to say, not being observant religiously is not a choice being made -- most non-Orthodox US Jews simply don't have the tools or the knowledge necessary to make an informed decision whether or not they want to / are able to / are willing to engage in 'ritual observance.') Though also, in the case of the Jews, while it is often not framed that way in the US discourse, being Jewish is not simply following a religion but rather being part of a nation (the people of Israel) with a language (Hebrew), a land (Israel), and a religion (Judaism). Hence the Judaism is only a third of the story which is not the case for Christians or Muslims (while many Muslims originate in the Middle East, many others have roots in parts of Asia and Africa, and Islam and Christianity as missionizing religions, unlike Judaism, has an impact on that) 1. I think you are right but (I’m not sure it’s a but because you allude to it in your post) in order for a child to be religious in their adulthood (and teenagehood) they need to (with rare exception) to be provided the example and the tools by their parents. For example, because your parents went to Church with you (and it’s important that you saw them doing it for themselves and not as something to force you) in addition to sending you to Sunday school and your father’s example of his personal ritual observance, you are religious. (I also think there is a difference between secular East coast and the midwest, also, which, in part, relates to the disproportionate concentration of Jews and Liberal Protestants who are in specific fields overwhelmingly and are more secular than the rest of the US).

In the case of the Jews (as this is, of course, the area I know best), I would argue that the overwhelming educational ignorance (that is to say, not being observant religiously is not a choice being made — most non-Orthodox US Jews simply don’t have the tools or the knowledge necessary to make an informed decision whether or not they want to / are able to / are willing to engage in ‘ritual observance.’) Though also, in the case of the Jews, while it is often not framed that way in the US discourse, being Jewish is not simply following a religion but rather being part of a nation (the people of Israel) with a language (Hebrew), a land (Israel), and a religion (Judaism). Hence the Judaism is only a third of the story which is not the case for Christians or Muslims (while many Muslims originate in the Middle East, many others have roots in parts of Asia and Africa, and Islam and Christianity as missionizing religions, unlike Judaism, has an impact on that)

]]>