In support of Religious Education

Religions are the Operating Systems of Culture

Without diversity there is no innovation

When I was a school boy a long time ago, and until quite recently, I thought that the compulsory teaching and learning of Religious Education (RE) was a complete waste of time. This, I believed, was a valuable period in the school week that could be best invested in real things like science, art or maths that might perhaps lead to a job. Religion could be something that happened outside of school if desired.

What I didn’t realise was that RE, taught well and with a clear purpose, could lead to peace and a society willing and able to solve some of the challenges facing its future.

Don’t misunderstand me, I haven’t suddenly discovered “God”. I would regard myself as an atheist although not a fundamental atheist of the Richard Dawkins variety. I don’t take my lack of allegiance to a particular faith or deity and relentlessly shove into the face of those who do.

Recent events in Paris, and indeed events that are taking place all over the world as you read this, make us focus on the differences between faiths and ideologies. As another writer wrote,

“Twelve people are dead — because the world we are creating — is utterly polarised”.

Religious or not, nearly all of us live within a society whose culture and ways of relating are embedded in religious practice and ideals. We can not and should not try to erase religion because this is one of the structures that make society what it is as well as what it will become.

Sometimes I look at the brand symbols of religion such as the crucifix, the Star of David or the star and crescent, and then I think of the new “religions” and brand symbols of Apple, Google, Facebook etc, all in their silos.

What we really need is interoperability rather than proprietary walled gardens and holy wars.

So in support of Religious Education perhaps then there is a case for each child to learn and understand their own and other cultures through different religions. Perhaps reading and understanding the Bible, Torah, Veda, Quran and other texts would mitigate the ignorance that spews forth on social media every time we hear of a new “terrorist attack”. Perhaps they will learn that the similarities, by far, outweigh the differences and that through difference we discover beauty, we innovate and we find solutions. Perhaps that hour of RE could be put to better use.

Just say KNOW.