Universal Spiritual Education?

Question

Being a Baha'i, and believing that there can be no compulsion in Religion, and in the necessity in universal education of both science and religion; I am wondering who else thinks in order for everyone to make informed choices in life, whether religious, secular, or otherwise, that everyone must be informed of all things conducive to an informed choice. For example: Knowing all religous basics, includiong atheism, agnosticism, scientific rules, etc, and various other creeds, would seem a must, if we are from our youth to choose for ourselves beyond ourselves... Please give details of how you think this could best be achieved, in practice; or whether it should, or even could, be taught as such, non-partially, at all.

The idea that education comes after relationship is valid IMO, but not so much as to say that education does not help form the relationship... For example, who would choose someone to marry they don't know, even whether they male or female, over someone they have come to know and love them for knowing them. Alternatively, how can one have a relationship to a knowledge they have not, such as with science? It must be reciprocal then, yes?

Obviously no-one can be so well informed as to have all knowledge thru any traditional human means, but this is no excuse to not teach. How could math be taught, even though it's known, to not all be known, yet it is taught to the degree believed necessary for daily use. Would not then, at least as many religions be taught as concern the immediate relationships in the community, and overshadowing concerns in the world at the time be taught. If merely for the sake of understanding and reduced ignorance induced errors of treatment between fellow humans?

Consider crime: if it weren't for a lack of consideration of other's, most crimes would be impossible to exist, therefore to promote the superlative morals and appreciation of each view, and each person's inherent merit is desirable to society. This must be done in such a way as would cause each to question themselves and each other in detail without judgment. This would mandate social justice be established before a crime could happen, that is, hate and enmity for divergent views would have to be thoroughly discouraged, and enforceable. Is this possible.

Answer 1

im a Baha'i and i think that maybe Ruhi courses should be inserted into school so that everyone can have a universal spiritual education.

Answer 2

I don't think it is possible to teach in depth about all religions, as any religion can take a lifetime to study in depth, but I think the basics can be taught impartially in school. I have taken a world religion class at the college level and that is how it was handled -- where/when the religion originated, Who founded it (Jesus, Mohammad, Buddha, etc.), basic beliefs, holidays, ritual/practices,etc. I think it would be appropriate to teach this at the high school level or earlier. When I was in high school, we were given a project to write a paper on a religion other than our own -- a good way to expand our horizons. I think there should be more of this. A lot of the intolerance I see here and elsewhere could be eradicated by education and travel -- I recommend both!

Free fighter -- do you really have to bring your Muslim-bashing into questions that have nothing to do with Islam directly? The Qur'an is the Book on which Islam is based -- not all religions and not the Baha'i Faith.

Answer 3

I did RE in school until I was 15. We studied Christianity in depth - ie the different denominations (strangely I am not a christian, non of my classmates converted or were suddenly 'brainwashed' by learning that Christians believe in a figure called Christ), but we also looked at Hinduism, Islam and Judaism.

Learning about religions is very different from believing in them and being taught them as if they are a belief. You could say that we shouldn't teach history in schools because we cant teach enough of a world view for it to be relevant. However unless you want to scrap every form of education on this basis it is not a good enough reason. Some knowledge dispels myths - it means when you see people like freedom fighter posing you know they are a troll -whereas some people may believe all Muslims think like this.

Ignorance breeds fear and fear of the unknown is no excuse not to enlighten yourselves and your children.

Answer 4

The closest you could come to something like that would be a comparative religion class, and they have those. I don't think we need to go to one to make an "informed choice" as you describe, but it might clear up a lot of confusion. For instance, many people think Christianity is the only religion that teaches there's a Hell, while almost all the world's religions, including the Pagan religions of the past, also believe(d) in a Hell like place. Christianity and Judaism also aren't the only religions to disapprove of homosexuality, sex out of marriage, etc. If some of the celebrities knew what the Buddhist Dali Lami thought on things like sex, abortion, drugs, etc., I doubt they'd flock to him in droves.

Maybe comparative religion should be offered in high school. It would clear up a lot of confusion.

Answer 5

I know this will not sound right, but I believe that ecumenism can only occur in the mind that is ready for it. In the ancient world, the universiality of religion was a secret that was only imparted to those of superior moral character, and then only after mandatory oaths of secrecy. That having been said, the best approach is probably to make non-biased material available on all belief systems. Other than that, what can we do?

Answer 6

the only thing why human is so different in many ways is culture that shape us. So, those (what U call universal spiritual things) are part of human traditions, civilizations and evolution. So, how long should we spend to learn it untill we master it then make a choice? would be too much in someway i suppose. But there is a mediator. Say like this: studying spirituality is morelikely fair and moderate than studying religiousity. So, the spirituality could moderating our choice of other aspects of religiousity. This is my experience
( i am a moslem who studying vedic tradition and philosophy)

Answer 7

The problem with teaching all is that there is just so much. We're talking thousands of active religions.

In the United States, we have to be consistant in how we teach religions in public schools. If we're going to teach about one, we have to teach about them all. The shear number of religions dictates that we teach about none. That must be left up to individual families to educate their own children in whatever religious persuations that they may hold.

I wish that religious education were part of public schools. Many people in the US are so uninformed about religions that they fail to understand whats at the heart of many world wide situations. If there was a better understanding of Muslims and Jews for instance, perhaps we would better be able to form opinions on the situations between Israel and Syria.

As it is, 2/3rds of primary education would have to spend on religion, and thats far to much when you have to tack on math, science, literature and so on.

Answer 8

I think it would be cool if "Religion" was a subject in school that did not promote any belief system, but merely presented all of them, (including Atheism and Agnosticism) leaving the conclusion to students. Way cool.

Answer 9

I believe that every religion holds part of the truth and that the sum total of them probably hold most of the truth. The main setback about prophets and religions is not what they profess, but what their followers understand their messages to be. We have untold stories of wrong, violent and odious applications of their separate messages. This is the reason for major dissent between religions, strife, struggle, dissent and trouble. It is always the over-zealous zealot who is blinded by the very Light he beholds!

Answer 10

I would favour a comparative religion class for everyone with accommodations for Christians and religious minorities in large numbers by allowing separate Buddhist, Jewish, Islamic and other studies in class.