The Lords Prayer

“Deliver us from eagles” and “Harold be thy name”, just two of the misquotes said by small children trying to make sense of the Lord’s Prayer.

As a regular church goer, I can of course recite the Lord’s Prayer, but have to admit to getting lost when visiting other churches where a different or modern version is used.

Whilst visiting a church to look at the architecture, my 4 year old GS steeped into the pulpit and said "Jesus Price died but then he didn't." Priceless

I am not surprised that children cannot make sense of it all - neither can I!

- or stepped even -

We all learned the Lords Prayer and the 23rd Psalm off by heart in both Welsh and English. As I attended a Welsh chapel all the English hymns were learned in school. I still enjoy listening to "rousing" hymns but sadly "Songs of Praise" has been moved to such an early slot that I think it is now on at lunch time. I do sometimes watch "Dechrau Canu" on S4C.

Bossy rosy that reminds me of something my mother told me I has said as a child. As with grace we’ll persevere, was ,translated, my me to Percy Vere and I piped up loudly to ask who Percy Vere was and where did he live!

I wholeheartedly agree with Tillybelle. I am a Christian and considered it my, not the state's duty to bring up my children in the faith of my family.

"I am not surprised that children cannot make sense of it all - neither can I!" (Luckygirl)

Religious leaders and religious doctrines nearly always confuse myth and history. The flock is misled by this confusion so history teachers and English literature teachers have to diplomatically un-teach the nonsense before they can begin the education.

Religion is necessary for any society to hold together. Christian moral code is a good one, and the muth is a good story if told as myth. But the supernatural stuff is past the date when the general run of people believe it.

My feelings exactly Nanny.I learned my prayers at my mother's knee, cherished memories of night prayer, the litany of those I wanted blessed got longer and longer! That is how my own children were taught.

I taught all my working life in Church schools where the children learned about the other faith beliefs represented in the school population.We celebrated the seasons of Divali, Eid, Hanukkah in addition to the great Christian festivals of Easter, Advent and Christmas.

Children were encouraged, at their maturity level, to celebrate our similarities and respect our differences.
I pray that stayed with them into adulthood.

I say it most days, and I expect my children do as well. I sincerely hope for a move away from this so called secular society to a more Christian based one.

Alexa, can you explain why ‘ religion is necessary to hold society together’.
Genuine question as it seems to me that ‘religion’ is often the thing that divides societies.

Well, Jacinta55 that would exclude my two Jewish grandchildren and my two Muslim grandchildren, wouldn't it? Nice.

Well, Jacinta55 that would exclude my two Jewish grandchildren and my two Muslim grandchildren, wouldn't it? Nice.
This countries values are based on Christian ones. Moving back to those doesn't need to exclude other beliefs, and in a tolerant society we should be able to include all religions. We did when I was young.

When my son aged around six years old returned from school one day he said, ,we said a prayer for you today grandad.Oh that’s nice my father replied,why was that?I don’t know but it went,Our father who art in heaven Harold be thy name!

When my six year old son returned home from school he told his granddad that he had said a prayer for him at school.That’s nice said my father,but why was that.I don’t know said my son but it went,Our father who art in heaven Harold be thy name!

I too know every old hymn, well almost, and all that goes with attending a CofE church as a youngster.
Read ‘Jesus the Man’ by Barbara Thiering. Food for thought.

Ginny, religion is what enshrines any society's moral code. Secular laws derive from religious laws.

When people use religious sects as political tools which happens frequently then religions are divisive, and moral codes and secular laws are broken.

Well said Alexa

I think it's perfectly possible to have a cohesive society and strong moral values without any religion being involved. It's probably a lot easier when you consider all the problems religious differences have caused. To us non-believers, it's just fairy tales anyway.

I am a Catholic (convert), and attend church probably twice a month. The problem is, its very traditional, and I hate the old fashioned words of prayers and hymns. In my opinion its one reason why young people don't go to church any more.

" I think it's perfectly possible to have a cohesive society and strong moral values without any religion being involved. It's probably a lot easier when you consider all the problems religious differences have caused. To us non-believers, it's just fairy tales anyway."

"Fairy tales" is a disparaging word for the big belief systems that give meaning to our lives. True, the great Christian myth needs tweaking to bring it up to speed. For on thing, it needs to have the supernatural bit left out of it, and I think that's the bit Hetty and many others object to.

Religion is a part of all cultures without exception, and I include religion look alikes such as Humanism, Islamism, communism, and fascism.

To avoid the bad religion substitutes and the authority freaks we need a reasonable religion that preserves a good moral code and tells a story of humanity that makes sense in everyday life.

Yes I know the Lord’s Prayer. We had school assemblies most days. I knew someone who thought we said Harold be thy name. And someone else who in later years confessed that he thought it was lead us not into Thames Station and wondered what was wrong with it !!

Yes, I can recite The Lord's Prayer, but not sure that my children can.

Most of us are from a generation that had a religious assembly in school most mornings. I love the language of prayers and hymns and think it's quite sad that we are not passing on this treasure trove of work to younger generations. I understand why in our multi-cultural, multi-faith society but I feel very sad that some truly beautiful hymns and prayers will be lost to the UK before long. (Although I stopped becoming a regular church-goer years ago, I often pop into a church service for a good old sing-song. It still lifts the spirits and makes me think.)

I can recite the 'Our Father' and say it regularly. Once upon a time I could say it in Latin but when I attempted it today I didn't manage it and had to call on the services of my chum Mr Google to remind me.

How about the 10 commandments? I learned them at school and can still recite them, not necessarily in the right order.
Unfortunately the school was so blinkered and obsessive about religion that it destroyed any belief I had. After a particularly distressing episode I squeezed my eyes shut and said in my head, "I don't believe in God." I expected to be struck down by lightning, when it didn't happen...