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There was not one child at Sunday School today. I wonder why parents are no longer interested in their children's spiritual development. Perhaps it is better taught at home or perhaps the Church is no longer relevant in today's world. Personally I think schools should spend as much time on teaching children about God or whatever you want to call that universal intelligence as they do teaching reading and writing. As one celebrity (Russel Brand) said "there appears to be a spiritual deficit in our world today". I am afraid I could not agree more!
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Was today exceptional for some reason? While I do think religion is important, I don't think school should spend as much time teaching children about God as they do reading and writing. Kids need tools to succeed in the world and spending that much time on religion means they won't be getting basic skills.
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Usually we get at least one child. The most maybe half a dozen.
I don't think they should teach theology (religion). However I do think they should teach spirituality. One hour a week is probably enough.
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That is a shame Garth, I believe that religion belongs with its base (Church, Mosque whatever) and it sounds like your church provides that but the flock young or old just did not go along with it yesterday, perhaps it was too sunny?
However, unless there is a wide choice of religious and non religious schools, I don't believe that religion belongs in school,sorry! But of course every school should teach religious awareness and basic morals etc. I am not anti religion, but I am very opposed to the assumption by some religions that they have the literal god given right to impose their views on others. They don't.
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(04-03-2016, 05:25 PM)Garth Wrote: I don't think they should teach theology (religion). However I do think they should teach spirituality.
Spirituality without faith (and that implies theology) is, to my mind, no more than stroking: self-pleasuring. Today's people seem to want that more than anything else:
me, first, last and central. I call that idolatry.
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The difference to me is spirituality is experiencing the presence of God or whatever you want to call that universal intelligence or the unmanifested. Religion or theology can give you sign posts to realizing spirituality but there are no guarantees it will happen until you go beyond thought and discover the inner space and stillness that lies within you. Salvation as we Christians like to refer to as enlightenment or awakening is not what you know or what you do but who you are. Our ego or sin prevents us from being enlightened or conscious as Eckart Tolle refers to it because we identify with form or our thinking and this becomes our false or conceptualizer self (unconscious self), our life story and not our true self. Moslems and A Course In Miracles refers to this as an illusion. Our true self as Jesus puts it is the pearl that lies within ourselves. Church can help us discover our true selves but it is not necessary or is the Bible to get there. You will know salvation or enlightenment when you feel a profound inner peace and joy. The problems of the outer world no longer bother you. Every problem is the same and there is always the same solution. When this happens you can feel only compassion and love for all of God's creation. You become whole. You need nothing. Material things become irrelevant. Good luck with your journey!
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Right on Jack!
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(04-04-2016, 07:29 PM)FlapJack Wrote: i kinda feel weird in this thread but I realy feel like I have to post to it and my dad says its o.k as long as I show respect so i will try to
But tbh i think all this god and spiritual stuff is a bit weird . none of it really matters in real life even though some of us do go to church and even my mum goes to mass and stuff. i don't believe in god but i'm the same as my mum cos i do think that praying and talking sometimes makes things easier to deal with but i still don't think god really exists. if god did exist then all the crap stuff that happens in life wouldn't cos it wouldn't be right
I dunno why ppl can't just get along and learn that every body has a different opinion and if my dad and our priest can have dinner in our house and laugh about it all then everybody else should to cos those two are total opposites :S
Of course it's OK to post, Jack.
I must confess that when I was 16 I didn't go to church and told people I was an atheist (and got really angry when my parents just smiled and said I would learn better).
Well, much to my own surprise, I did 'learn better' and in a way I'd never have believed. Part of it was a priest rather like yours seems to be, but only part.
So my advice would be, don't be put off; be honest (as I know you are) and don't close your mind to the possibility of surprising truths. Life is stranger than we think (or can think) and wonderful!
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I think this is something that must be different in different countries
Of all my friends, I only know one who goes to church (and he gets teased for it!). I think there are probably a few whose parents do, but the kids don't bother
I don't know if it applies to the whole country or just in my local area, but religion is just not a big thing here, especially with kids our age. Not many people go to church and RE lessons at school are just a good excuse to mess about like we can't do in proper lessons because the subject isn't important.
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I do think generally speaking the Churches are dying. This is certainly the case where I attend. As for spirituality on the other hand I do not believe this is the case. For example the O.W.N. Network and PBS frequently feature spiritual teachers such as Wayne Dyer, Echart Tolle and Deepak Chopra. We live in an insane world but I believe more and more people are becoming conscious or enlightened and a shift is happening where instead of war and conflict there will be more peace and love just as Jesus prophesied.
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