Seeing the World through others Eyes

Religion and Faith are often seen as very personal and private things but in an increasingly globalised world where people of many different cultures and traditions rub shoulders with one another on a daily basis there is a need for us all to try and understand where other people are coming from and how their beliefs may either resemble or differ from our own. Despite the fact that schools in the UK have offered Religious Education as part of the curriculum since 1944, Multifaith Education has been slow to evolve. With recent changes in legislation and with rising tensions mounting it is perhaps now more important than ever for people of all ages to come to terms with our multicultural heritage. Recently Religious Education has developed a more responsible approach to community relations and the following official governement quote could apply to us all.

The Importance of Religious Education

"Religious education provokes challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. It develops pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity, other principal religions, other religious traditions and other world views that offer answers to questions such as these. It offers opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development. It enhances pupils’ awareness and understanding of religions and beliefs, teachings, practices and forms of expression, as well as of the influence of religion on individuals, families, communities and cultures. Religious education encourages pupils to learn from different religions, beliefs, values and traditions while exploring their own beliefs and questions of meaning. It challenges pupils to reflect on, consider, analyse, interpret and evaluate issues of truth, belief, faith and ethics and to communicate their responses. Religious education encourages pupils to develop their sense of identity and belonging. It enables them to flourish individually within their communities and as citizens in a pluralistic society and global community. Religious education has an important role in preparing pupils for adult life, employment and lifelong learning. It enables pupils to develop respect for and sensitivity to others, in particular those whose faiths and beliefs are different from their own. It promotes discernment and enables pupils to combat prejudice."

Why do we need a Multifaith Education Programme outside of School?

As part of what has become an already overcrowded curriculum Religious Education is sadly just one subject area amongst many. Some programmes are highly developed and manage to match the standards and goals as illustrated above but others are often too compressed and fragmented to give our children a full and rich understanding of the ultimate purpose of all religions; especially in terms of how we can put into practice what has been taught. By tying together the common strands of all the major world religions and concentrating on service to others; as opposed to ourselves, our immediate family, neighbourhood or even faith community, we can begin to realise how complementary different religious traditions actually are in relation to one another, when viewed from a more human, global and historical perspective. This then acts to strengthen our respect for the rich diversity that the human family offers and at the same time reduces tensions and misunderstandings between people of a variety of very different backgrounds thus enabling them to become much closer to one another then they ever thought possible. How? Take a look at the different programmes on offer here and decide for yourself if you also want to get involved.