For the believers

[sherrardk]

Boy #1 is under-achieving in RE at school. His reason being that he doesn't believe in God (as he can't understand how there could be a God if there are wars, etc). I am not religious myself (or particularly anti-religion - pretty much 'an each to their own' kind of person) but I want him to appreciate other peoples choices and beliefs. I suppose my question is, if you do believe why do you believe? Thanks for any thoughts (and if I have inadvertently offended anyone then I apologise in advance).

[VHG]

One way to get your son interested is to perhaps point to all the great buildings in the world that have been built in the past for religion and ask him to wonder what drove people to do such things.

Buidling like York Minster or St Pauls cathedral took decades to build, and people would not have done it if they did not have a powerful faith.

And even if many people dont have that strong faith today (though many do), it is still interesting to wonder what drove them to such lengths in the past.

You could also wonder why so many people went to war for religion (and still do) or why people like Queen Mary in England burned people at the stake who did not agree with her religion.

In other words treat it as a history lesson rather than a religious lesson.

I guess you could also get him to wonder WHY so many people feel the need to follow a religion when so many others (like you and me it seems) dont follow a religion.

I am not religious at all, but love to visit churches and cathedrals and when inside them I always get a feeling of what drove people to spend their lives putting up a building like that.

[Old_Geezer]

I suspect you are approaching the problem in the wrong way. Not believing in a belief is no reason not to understand the human condition by learning about the beliefs of others. You might try to persuade your son that he is using his own disbelief as an excuse not to work at the subject, and that is against his own interests, not only academically but also hampers his ability to understand and interact with others.

It's besides the point that a God isn't under any obligation to conform to your son's belief in what a God should or should not do.

[naomi24]

OG, //It's besides the point that a God isn't under any obligation to conform to your son's belief in what a God should or should not do. //

I disagree. That is precisely the point. It seems to me that this boy is a thinker and has a good moral code - and good for him! Why should he appreciate beliefs that contradict that?

Sorry Sherrard, I can't answer your question. but I like your son. He has a mind of his own - and that is to be commended. You should be proud of him.

[beso]

A full appreciation of religious beliefs is not a bad thing. However the faithful invariably portray a distorted version.

The fact is the God of the Bible is an angry, prejudiced, bigoted, violent, vindictive monster. Any study of the faiths bade on it should include the facts.

[sith123]

i believe because i have studied a lot of religions, including islam, chhristianity, hinduism, etc and found that islam was better for me. Personally i think that a belief in god will help as it provides faith, it provides you something to work for and it also reassures you that death is not the end.

[naomi24]

I would say knowledge rather than appreciation is the important thing. In saying treat it as a history lesson VHG has the right approach. If I were his teacher, I would find such a child exceptional, and I would work with him from a different angle - why he doesn't believe.

[sherrardk]

Thank you'll for taking the time to answer my question.

OG - I did say in my post that I want him to appreciate other peoples choices and beliefs (also, he is only 11 but he is still entitled to his idea of thinking that there can't be a God).

[sherrardk]

Thank you Bill (and your cat) - we have had another brief chat about this tonight. I have told him it is perfectly ok not to believe in God but that I think it is important that he appreciates that other people do believe in God (or god(s)) and that it is a good idea to know about other peoples beliefs. We live in a quite a rural area so he doesn't mix with other people from different cultural backgrounds, this doesn't mean he should be ignorant of their backgrounds and beliefs.

[beso]

sith123 //Personally i think that a belief in god will help as it provides faith, it provides you something to work for and it also reassures you that death is not the end.''

What is the point of faith? It is just another word for mindless acceptance.

Something to work for? My life provides me with countless options of working for something. All of them are far more tangible than that provided by religion. Besides, all things that we can work for are not necessarily worth working for. The promotion of religious beliefs is a worthless pursuit.

I reassures you that death is not the end? Such fears are born in those who waste their lives on religious nonsence.

[sith123]

if we wasted our times on "religious nonsense" why is RE taught in school, and why are there so many religious people? Sherrard asked why i believed, i answered, Thats my opinion. im not saying you have to believe it as well.

[jomifl]

Sith, the existence of something is not a justification for it's existence. The existence of a lot of religious people doesn't justify religion any more than malaria is justified by the fact that a lot of people die from it.

[Ankou]

"Boy #1 is under-achieving in RE at school"

not being funny, but maybe he just doesn't like the subject or is just not clever enough to appreciate it. it doesn't take belief to appreciate and excel in a subject matter as naomi has said above.

[RATTER15]

Maybe you should be explaining to him why millions and millions of ££ are spent every year building and up keeping these churches and cathedrals and employing these ridiculous people to "spread the word" instead of putting the money to good use and helping people that are dying, the Catholic Church being the largest offender!!

1 pair of hands working will do far more than a million hands clasped in prayer.

Teach your son a good set of moral standards and he will never accept religion, the two rarely go together!

[naomi24]

//i believe because i have studied a lot of religions//
If a serious unbiased researcher embarked on an impartial study of Judaism, Christianity, or Islam, they would conclude that it’s all deceptive, and they wouldn’t believe any of it. There is no other option.

[keyplus90]

Perhaps you should just tell him that very simply wars have nothing to with whether God exists or not. In the real world its human who are at war and not God.

[naomi24]

//In the real world its human who are at war and not God. //

Quite right. God often causes it though, and then just sits back and enjoys the mayhem he's created!

[tamborine]

Were you wed in a church & if so, why ?

Religion offers a moral code to live by & helps youngsters to understand our practices & laws. Most religions have a 'leading power' they call God. Christian ten commandments is the basis from which some of our laws are drawn. Maybe this explanation gives him some interest in RE.

[Ankou]

does he go to a 'religious' school ? i.e. one that is affiliated with a particular church ?

[sherrardk]

Hi Ankou - he is under-achieving the personal target set for him based on various standardised tests (most schools use the same or similar tests). His overall predicted levels for the end of Key Stage 3 are mostly 7's and some 6's (the highest you can get is 8 and the average is 5). He actually went to a C of E primary and is now in his first year of secondary school.