Jordan (the kid in that story) was both great... and a real pain in the neck to have in class. *I* didn't really appreciate his argument - logical and clever as it is - because he went on to use it to justify having written the prayer, "Dear God, please kill James," in his exercise book - and James *saw* it. Ruckus in the classroom. He did not agree with me that it might not matter what you say to God, but it *does* still matter what you say and/or write about people. :|
One of the reasons I like the Unitarian Church I attend (though from what I can gather, things are different in US Unitarianism) is that while it is rooted in Christianity, ALL spiritual paths are welcomed and explored. Unitarians I know range from liberal Christians who haven't found a denomination they agree with, through pagans, to Buddhists, to agnostics: anyone who wants to explore human spirituality and feels the need for "something" even if they have no idea what that something is. No one tells you what to think or believe and you write your own "Creed".
The one thing I actually agree with Professor Richard Dawkins (famous UK scientist and "evangelical" atheist: he wrote a book - "The God Delusion" - in which he argued that, like "voices", or serious adult belief in fairies and unicorns, belief in God should be seen as a fracture in the brain/mind; a sign of madness. I don't agree with MUCH he has to say about faith and religion!) is that it is ludicrous to describe a CHILD as Christian or Muslim or whatever (Jewish is slightly different because it has cultural and ethnic values too). Since children (pretty much by definition) do not have the intellectual or emotional maturity to reach a final concusion on the matter, the faiths in which they are being brought up are as much "theirs" as their parents' politics are.
I think the best thing both parents and schools can do is teach children the processes of thought and enquiry and give them the freedom to draw their own conclusions. It's wonderful that your hope for Javier is just that - it's so easy to hope that our kids will agree with us. :)
I hope you, and your husband, and Jav have a wonderful time over the Holidays.
(BTW: did you see that I belatedly replied to your comment on my LJ, in that rather involved discussion we're having?)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
14/12/10 16:56 (UTC)One of the reasons I like the Unitarian Church I attend (though from what I can gather, things are different in US Unitarianism) is that while it is rooted in Christianity, ALL spiritual paths are welcomed and explored. Unitarians I know range from liberal Christians who haven't found a denomination they agree with, through pagans, to Buddhists, to agnostics: anyone who wants to explore human spirituality and feels the need for "something" even if they have no idea what that something is. No one tells you what to think or believe and you write your own "Creed".
The one thing I actually agree with Professor Richard Dawkins (famous UK scientist and "evangelical" atheist: he wrote a book - "The God Delusion" - in which he argued that, like "voices", or serious adult belief in fairies and unicorns, belief in God should be seen as a fracture in the brain/mind; a sign of madness. I don't agree with MUCH he has to say about faith and religion!) is that it is ludicrous to describe a CHILD as Christian or Muslim or whatever (Jewish is slightly different because it has cultural and ethnic values too). Since children (pretty much by definition) do not have the intellectual or emotional maturity to reach a final concusion on the matter, the faiths in which they are being brought up are as much "theirs" as their parents' politics are.
I think the best thing both parents and schools can do is teach children the processes of thought and enquiry and give them the freedom to draw their own conclusions. It's wonderful that your hope for Javier is just that - it's so easy to hope that our kids will agree with us. :)
I hope you, and your husband, and Jav have a wonderful time over the Holidays.
(BTW: did you see that I belatedly replied to your comment on my LJ, in that rather involved discussion we're having?)