Religious Education Update: October 12, 2008
Exploring Our World
My world seems to be shrinking daily, as I read in my newspapers of our nation’s financial troubles spreading to other lands like a highly aggressive virus. In listening to political debates, I’m reminded that our nation’s habit of using huge amounts of fossil fuel is directly causing global warming. What we do in Petaluma, whether in our personal finances or our energy consumption choices, has impact on people thousands of miles away.
Intellectually, I know that we all inhabit one small planet in our vast universe, and that we are part of an interdependent web of life. Recently, I've noticed that this lesson is being hammered home to my consciousness, day after day.
It seems quite fitting that our children are learning about world religions this year. As our kids learn about other people and other cultures, they will be better equipped to live on our shrinking planet. My hope is that they will be ready to lead the way in helping all of us make better choices.
Our youngest children have heard stories from several major faiths; a Hindu story about a flood, the story of Noah and the Ark, and the story of Abraham and Sarah. These last two Bible stories are part of the scriptures of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. The elementary age kids have talked about Judaism and Christianity in their classroom. Today, the middle school group will learn about the ancient Aztec religion and how Aztec beliefs are part of modern Day of the Dead festivities.
Many of the stories our children are learning, are stories that have been told all over the globe, through countless generations. They are direct connections, across time and space, to the rest of the planet. For me, the fact that our children are hearing what children in Iraq or Indonesia or Ireland are hearing, is one more sign that we live on a very small world.
Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education
My world seems to be shrinking daily, as I read in my newspapers of our nation’s financial troubles spreading to other lands like a highly aggressive virus. In listening to political debates, I’m reminded that our nation’s habit of using huge amounts of fossil fuel is directly causing global warming. What we do in Petaluma, whether in our personal finances or our energy consumption choices, has impact on people thousands of miles away.
Intellectually, I know that we all inhabit one small planet in our vast universe, and that we are part of an interdependent web of life. Recently, I've noticed that this lesson is being hammered home to my consciousness, day after day.
It seems quite fitting that our children are learning about world religions this year. As our kids learn about other people and other cultures, they will be better equipped to live on our shrinking planet. My hope is that they will be ready to lead the way in helping all of us make better choices.
Our youngest children have heard stories from several major faiths; a Hindu story about a flood, the story of Noah and the Ark, and the story of Abraham and Sarah. These last two Bible stories are part of the scriptures of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. The elementary age kids have talked about Judaism and Christianity in their classroom. Today, the middle school group will learn about the ancient Aztec religion and how Aztec beliefs are part of modern Day of the Dead festivities.
Many of the stories our children are learning, are stories that have been told all over the globe, through countless generations. They are direct connections, across time and space, to the rest of the planet. For me, the fact that our children are hearing what children in Iraq or Indonesia or Ireland are hearing, is one more sign that we live on a very small world.
Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education
posted by Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma @ 8:57 AM
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