Do children need religion?

Even parents who aren't ardent in their faith often believe that religionis important in their children's upbringing

MARY SINANIDIS

Easter is the time when religion is most profoundly experienced in Greece IN A secular society, it's easy to wonder whether children need religion. Do they really need to know that there is something greater than themselves? Is it important that they practise religion in a land where Easter time is one of the few moments that many Christian families set foot in church? For many, religion is seen as a way to reinforce moral lessons and provide a structural framework to help youngsters distinguish between right and wrong. For others, religion is a superstitious crutch.

Greek leftwing groups believe that it is possible to raise happy, healthy, socially responsible children without exposing them to formal religious education, whereas the EU is pressuring for religious education to be more secular rather than focused on one particular religion. "Our country is now the only discordant voice in Europe," claimed University of Athens constitutional law lecturer George Sotirelis in an interview with Ta Nea.

Indoctrination?

In The God Delusion (2006), prominent atheist Richard Dawkins writes that children are indoctrinated with religious dogmas that are contrary to reality. "Innocent children are being saddled with demonstrable falsehoods. It's time to question the abuse of childhood innocence with superstitious ideas of hellfire and damnation. Isn't it weird the way we automatically label a tiny child with its parents' religion?"

Psychologist Lydia Kollarou believes that parents are actually called to instil values in their children as part of their nurturing role and this includes giving children an "ideological direction". "The wisest thing would be for parents to be honest and share their own beliefs with children," says Kollarou, even if this means admitting that they are lukewarm believers or agnostics. "A child can be raised without religion and gods and not be any worse off."

"Hypocrisy should be avoided," she says. "If the parents are strong believers of a particular faith, they should share this. However, they should not be dogmatic and should give the child room to think and make decisions about the faith it will ultimately follow."

Kollarou feels that God should be a source of comfort rather than a discipline device. Mothers who scare their children into doing the right thing with words such as "God is watching you" are treading on shaky ground by turning God into a bogeyman.

Importance of belief

Parents successful in instilling a sense of God in their children equip them with an innate discipline device. It's hard to do wrong and risk eternal damnation when God's all-encompassing eye is constantly alert to our failings. "Children are more likely to respond to doing the right thing when they are aware that there is a higher authority that they must answer to," says Brandie Crabtree, head of the Piraeus Baptist Bible Study Group for children, whose small Scripture sessions begin with Bible stories from the Creation right through to the life of Christ. She focuses on values such as sharing, obedience and kindness. "It is very important to instil a belief in God, morals and values."

Even so, she admits that children learn best by example. "You should live a consistent life with what you want children to do," she advises. "Children learn by example, so try to be a good role model."

Her husband, Adam Crabtree, heads Scripture lessons for adults. He states that many parents rediscover their own spirituality upon being blessed with their own children. Often they want their offspring to experience the sense of awe they were privy to in their own childhood, so they return to the fold. He states that the education system should teach both the theories of evolution and biblical story of Creation. However, he is particularly interested in a Christian influence in schools.

"If someone does not want their children to attend religious education classes, that should also be a prerogative," he says. "Children should not be forced."

Greek Orthodox focus

Teacher Angeliki Mastromihalaki, who wrote the religion textbooks for 3rd and 4th grade, along with her husband and a team of other writers, states that the themes were set by the ministry of national education and religious affairs in accordance with the 1952 constitution. The books are particularly focused on the Greek Orthodox faith and contain references to the sacraments and church feasts. Some may argue that the books indoctrinate, in effect, children into Christianity.

"We were obliged to follow themes that are based on the Greek Orthodox faith, the official national religion. However, we did take into account the growing cultural pluralism of Greek society by reinforcing core stories with extra material from India and Tibet," she says. "Furthermore, chapters do ask non-Greek-Orthodox believers to share stories from their own religion, such as tracing the roots of their names or describing parallel rituals from their own faith." The special teachers' book is full of optional activities to be adapted according to the composition of each class. "The ultimate message we hope to get across is one of love and peace."

She believes that the central tenet of all religions is to serve the common good, and the focus of the books is on reinforcing moral lessons while providing a framework to help children distinguish between right and wrong. Mastromihalaki and her husband, Pantelis Zouras, particularly wanted to participate in this project because of their own faith and spirituality. "It is very important for children to belong to a religion as a foundation to grasp the unexplained or issues beyond their control," she says. "My own belief in a higher force has often soothed my soul in troubled times as much as in daily life."

Mastromihalaki questions critics' statements regarding religious teaching as being "propaganda" and "indoctrination". "It is natural that children will pick up basic principles of their parents' beliefs," she says. "This cannot be threatened by religious education."

Respecting difference

Surprisingly enough, although students in Greece have a right to opt out of religious education classes, most in northern Greece choose not to. "I thought that religion would be a bone of contention before coming to teach French in Xanthi," says Vasilis Haskis, who is also responsible for the Institute for Continuing Adult Education (IDEKE) parents schools held in the city, where Muslims make up almost a quarter of the population. "Rather than find fundamentalist concepts, I found a spirit of compassion and understanding. The wearing of the veil may make news, but in this region it does not even raise an eyebrow. Muslim students even exchange Easter eggs with their Greek Orthodox counterparts while Greek Orthodox students have an understanding of Kurban Bayrami [Sacrifice Feast]. Whether it be the Qu'ran or New Testament, students manage to find similarities."

"Everyone has a right to their beliefs as long as they respect those of others," he says, pointing out that it isn't religion that causes division as much as people's choice to use it as a weapon of discord. Religions are there to lead people to more important virtues rather than create division and discord.

Teaching religion to kids

• Share your genuine beliefs with children. It is not indoctrination to share what you believe and parents who don't do this risk having their children taught different beliefs by someone else

• Include children in religious ceremonies that are important to you as a parent and help children to appreciate these as opportunities to share meaningful moments

• Don't use scare tactics to persuade them, eg "God will punish you"

• Respect children's questions and try and answer as honestly as possible. Give other opinions regarding what other faiths believe, eg reincarnation, atheist theories etc

• Show a respect for all religions and other people's beliefs

• Focus on across-the-board moral values rather than the religious establishment

• Use religious stories to help teach children morals

Religion contacts

• To join the Piraeus Baptist Bible Study Group for children run by Brandie Crabtree, call 6932-800-010

• *To find out about the nearest Greek Orthodox Sunday School in your area, call 210-361-4135

• For more about the Religious Education school textbooks, visit www.happywriters.net (in Greek)

Kids' picks

• The Ice-Skating Rink has finally opened at Marousi and will operate there until June. Visit it from 2 to 10pm on weekdays and from 11am to 11pm at weekends. The rink is at Amarysios Artemidos St (across the tennis courts of the OAKA stadium). More info on 6937-676-158 or 210-684-9324

• La Leche Family Fun Day Picnic is being organised from 10.30am to 3pm on Sunday 18 May at the Pnevmatiki Estia Voulas, Agiou Ioannou St (between Poseidonos and Vas Pavlou aves, Voula). Activities include games, arts and crafts and a playground for children. There will also be a mini-bazaar, bake sale and homemade goodies. More info from Kathy Dounoulis at 22990-27378 and Kiveli Galanoudi at 210-895-5873. A healthy baked goody is always welcome for the bake sale table

• Olga Proukaki's radio show, "The Child in the City", every Tuesday at 4.45pm on Athina 98.4FM, is full of ideas regarding school, games, health, entertainment and a plethora of other children's activities

• Visit the Archelon Centre for the Protection of the Sea Turtle at the 3rd Marina of Glyfada (behind the Old Municipality tram stop) every Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 6pm where young and old visitors have the opportunity to take a guided tour and learn more about the sea turtle life cycle. Call 210-523-1342 or visit www.archelon.gr

• Children's programmes at the Zed Club include swimming for babies aged 4 months to 3 years as well as the FasTracKids talent programme for 3- to 8-year-olds. The With Your Child programme is geared towards children aged from 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 years and their parents with memory training and other creativity exercises. Call 210-668-5866

• Send us your thoughts on this article and tell us what you would like to know more about, at msin@in.gr
  

ATHENS NEWS , 25/04/2008, page: A37
Article code: C13284A371