Human beings have believed many absolutely beautiful things throughout our history. Religion and mythology tell our species story of spiritual and intellectual growth on this confusing, dangerous, yet breath-taking planet. To this day they are woven into our interactions with the world around us.
The majority of human beings still hold belief in God. As recently as 2008 In Canada for Example only 23% of people did not believe in some sort of deity.
Given this fact, we as a society should be given as close to a complete religious education about as many of the major beliefs of the other people on our planet as possible. I feel as though keeping religious education out of schools is a huge mistake we are making as a society.
Our message should go beyond simple tolerance and move towards understanding. What is driving and influencing large groups of people around us? How do we interact peacefully and amicably if possible? These should be important topics of conversation in the education we provide.
We all live with each other but each other’s beliefs are but something we are made purposefully ignorant about without private search for understanding. We walk around almost strangers to each other in ways because talking on certain levels is often seen as taboo.
All major groups nationally and worldwide past and present should be included and clearly explained. Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Scientology, Protestantism, Taoism, Mormonism, Atheism, Agnosticism, just to name a few. Many of these ways of life have beautiful things about them.
By understanding what each other sees in their views we would find the commonalities that truly bind us all together as human beings and through that we could stop all the hatred and violence going on around the world caused by people not liking or understanding each other’s beliefs.
It’s time we started to have open honest conversations with each other about our beliefs and how they really do effect other people around us.
Only through education can we all truly say we coexist in a world of tolerance. Ignorance is not the answer. Only through more religious education is this possible, not less.
