Religious Education Update: June 22, 2008

Looking Ahead

The RE Committee recently decided that our program for children and youth will focus on World Religions next year. I am looking at some UU curriculum in this area, including "Neighboring Faiths" for our middle school age youth (next fall's 6th, 7th, and 8th graders) and "A World of New Friends: An Introduction to World Religions" for elementary age kids. I'm investigating Spirit Play for the youngest, which includes wisdom stories from many traditions. I'm excited about the study of World Religions, particularly since I just completed a course on Comparative Religion at Santa Rosa Junior College, which stretched and changed my preconceptions about religious truths.

This is the introduction to one of our texts we'll be using,
Sacred Myths, Stories of World Religions:

"Long ago, myths about gods and goddesses explained
the natural world. When people heard thunder or
lightning, they said the sky gods were angry…. Over
the centuries, religious beliefs changed and shifted,
until now hundreds of different religions exist
around the world, each with its fervent followers.
Some people think that their religion is the only
true and correct one. Some have gone to war to
force others to change their spiritual beliefs. …
Why do they care so much, and why is religion so important?

The Sacred Myths from all the major traditions are truly good stories,
which probably helps explains why they have been passed down through the centuries. Why does the Hindu god Ganesh have the head of an elephant? How did the young Jewish boy David defeat Goliath? Why did Persephone travel to the Underworld? What do these stories mean? Stay tuned….

Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education