Religion is Relevant: Religious Education
When I was a teenager, I left the Catholic Church and spent nearly two decades living a “spiritual but not religious” life. During that time I felt a little lost. I knew what I believed, but had no one to share my beliefs with. It was a lonely time.
After the birth of my daughter, I found my way back to organized religion. I didn’t realize how important having the support of a spiritual community really was until I had one again. I wish I had figured that out sooner and saved myself years of feeling isolated. With my series “Religion is Relevant,” I will share what I’ve learned along my journey so far. Hopefully it will help you with yours.
A lot of parents who don’t attend church say it’s because they want their kids to “learn about all religions and choose for themselves.” If you are one of those parents, I ask you, in all seriousness and without judgement: where are they getting that education from? Are you providing it yourself? Do you feel well-versed in the basics of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Wicca, etc.?
Even if your kids’ school offers a comparative religion class of some sort, it is probably presented in a historical context, and not from a spiritual one, which won’t teach them the benefits for individuals practicing those religions. Maybe your kids will learn a little bit about a few religions from extended family and friends, but it is still an incomplete picture.
Again, I am not judging. I’m seriously not. I’m simply trying to illustrate that giving your children the freedom to discover their own spiritual beliefs is a wonderful gift…but they can’t go on that journey without a compass, a map, and a list of places to stop at on the way.
I know this, because I am one of those parents.
Both my husband and I were raised Catholic, and both of us left the church for similar reasons. When we started talking about having kids, we knew we wanted to raise them with some type of religious community. We ultimately decided on Unitarian Universalism for this exact reason. We knew our daughter would be raised in a church where each individual person had their own spiritual views, and she would get to learn about and participate in a variety of religious traditions.
She will get what I didn’t have when I was a teenager who felt lost after leaving Catholicism: a spiritual support network.
The church we attend — Channing Church in Rockland, Mass — has members who are Christian, Buddhist, Neopagan and more. Actually, many of the people there have some combination of beliefs from a variety of religions. No one is judged for what they believe. In fact, everyone is actively encouraged to continue to explore their spirituality and grow as individuals.
As I learn more about Unitarian Universalism, the more I realize that this style of religious community has benefits beyond an individual’s spiritual needs. It is essential for peace. Not just “inner peace” but world peace.
Even though the UU church doesn’t preach a specific creed or dogma, we do follow a set of Seven Principles that acts as a moral compass so to speak. These principles teach adults and children alike to recognize the value of each individual, to accept everyone, and to pursue the goal of world community. This is done not through trying to get everyone to conform to one religious path, but by accepting people as they are and celebrating our differences.
So, if you are serious about wanting your kids to learn about all religions so they can be equipped to travel along their own spiritual path, I highly recommend finding your local Unitarian Universalist church and taking a tour of their religious education program. Your children won’t be indoctrinated to follow any specific set of beliefs, but will learn cooperation, acceptance, and compassion.
