Why teach spirituality?

Question

Do you think teaching spirituality is the same as teaching religion? Do you see spirituality as a universal quality of humans? What do you think about addressing a child's spiritual nature without bringing religion into it?

Answer 1

You can't really teach spirituality - you can teach the concept of it, but spirituality comes from within the person.

Answer 2

Teaching spirituality is not the same as teaching religion, although both are conceptual idealisms.

What do you mean by "do you see spirituality as a universal quality of humans"? Versus animals, natural world, or just in general?

I know it's completely possible to build a child's spiritual nature without set religious ideas. However, we do have to give the child concepts to work with. The ideas of spirituality are individual. We must be open to many ideas when teaching our children spirituality.

Thank you for posting your thought provoking question.
~Rev. Courtney Barry
www.courtneyscc.com

Answer 3

Hi Lottyjoy ,all

Spirituality is the nature of the living being ,just as the nature of
sugar is sweetness or fire is heat and light.Religion is the law
given by God ,to certain culture.

So spirituality and religion are different , spirituality is eternal
we cant change is, its what we are ,and religion can change ,according to ones faith.

Spirituality is the universal quality of all souls .
not only those in human body ,but also in animals ,trees ,
insects bodies .

That we are eternal spiritual souls ,is most important lesson
we have to learn as humans ,and the sooner the better.
So teaching a child about his spiritual nature is very good.

Religion is up to the child if he wants to follow or not ,but
this should also be taught at a young age.Then the it
will be more easier for the child to understand and follow
a certain religion.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HighestLove/


servant of the highest love
errol

Answer 4

Sometimes I think teaching religion is teaching spirituality. Sometimes I think they're separate. Depends on the curriculum. I do see spirituality as a universal human quality. I think children do just fine on their own addressing their own spiritual nature without adults getting involved at all.

Answer 5

Spirituality is very different from religion as it prescribes to a feeling/connection with a higher being without being particular about it.
Spirituality allows freedom of expression. It regards all as valuable.
I have always been spiritual. Religion is too restrictive for me.
I believe it's a great way to teach a child.

Answer 6

I see spirituality and religion as things in their own rights - they are not the same, but they do link to eachother.
It;s like teaching maths and physics, bits of eachohter cross over but they aren't the same thing.
It's absolutely fine to address a child's spiritual nature without religion - I do not feel spirituality requires a religion.

Answer 7

Spirtuality can mean anything from worshiping the true God to conjuring up demons.
I am in favor of the former but not the latter.
Jesus said "God is Spirit" (the anarthrous use of the word indicates that God, as to His essential nature, is spirit), "and those who worship Him must worship Him in (the sphere of) spirit and (in the sphere of) truth." (John 4:23,24)
Children are every bit as spiritual (and in most cases more spiritual) than adults. They have not been polluted and weighted down by the skepticism, cynicism and unbelief of a spiritually corrupted world. It was Jesus who said "Allow the children to come to Me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
I remember hearing a story of a child grabbing a curling iron and badly burning her hand. Her mother took her to the doctor who bandaged her up. Problem was, the hand that was bandaged was the one with the thumb the child used to suck. The child was so distraught over this that she asked Jesus to let her suck her thumb. The mother came upon her the next day in her bed sucking her thumb with the unraveled bandage. When she took her back to the doctor to have the wound redressed, much to the amazement of the doctor and the mother, the burn was completely healed.
Interestingly, the mother, who told me these things, was not a professing believer.

Answer 8

Religion is not spiritual but it is a ladder towards the goal. It gives us the purpose and the discipline which are essentials for spiritual attainment. Child is God incarnated and does not need to be taught spirituality.

Answer 9

no i don't think it is the same. spirituality is a universal language. it tends to bring people together, religion separates. it is a parents job both to direct a child and also learn form a child. after all a child is more likely to be close with god in what ever form he/she appears. a child's heart only becomes cold with our fears. so carefully what you teach.

Answer 10

The Chinese believe that generally Taoism is a child's first look at spirituality- watching nature and seeing how it handles things. It's spirituality at the most basic level, and I think the best. If the child does anything after that it should only be if they choose to. Just enchorage them to learn things from nature.