Teaching grandchildren Christian values

JessM, I'm actually in Adelaide. The only mosque I've visited is the one in the city and it's very much an integrated congregation of all ethnic origins and is actually just as welcoming as any other religious congregation. The Lakemba mosque in Sydney's western suburbs is more in line with our media's ideal picture of aggressive Islam... a largely uneducated, multi-generationally unemployed Lebanese congregation complete with firebrand Imams advocating Shariah law. Of course the Muslim voting base in Australia is miniscule so most of us are more concerned about the increased influence by fundamentalist Christians and a resurgence of Catholicism spurred on by a couple of megalomaniacal firebrand archbishops over the political parties than a few votes from a faith group more influenced by the songs of Cat Stevens than the rantings of Osama bin Laden.

Thank you for such an interesting and informative post, PoppaRob.

not sure Quakers can be defined as Christians - or that they want to be.

I'm sure Quakers are Christians. My old Headmaster (Heckmondwike Grammar School 1950s to 1960s ) was one, and he was a deeply Christian man.

granbunny - what has given you the notion that Quakers are not Christians?

They don't celebrate Easter and Christmas all about them

I did read about Quakers on line and was impressed by the fact that they do not claim that their way is the only way.
They seems to be a very broad-minded and inclusive bunch - if I believed in any god at all I would probably join them!

I thought the definition of a christian is someone who believes Christ was resurrected. Do Quakers believe that? If so, they are christians, I think. Xmas and Easter were there before christianity, just called something else. Actually, Easter probably wasn't (called something else); the goddess Oestre was around long before Jesus.

They might well believe in Oestre Bags.

Good luck to them. Actually, I believe in Spring too .

Have a lovely Easter Bags

and get yer arse in gear and go buy some choccie eggs

It will be just another day for me! I do celebrate the Midwinter festival, though.

Shall do, jings! Planning to let DD choose her own today. Is this wise? I'm not eating much chocolate at the mo but if I see some good caramel chocs......

Not on a diet, btw, just not 'needing' it these days. Funny things, hormones.

Mind you, I've been enjoying those double choc cookies we made the other day.

I was just watching an interview with Brian Cox on YouTube. When asked about religion he said "As a scientist I'm comfortable with the unknown". What a beautiful and succinct answer.

Greatnan so does ds.

any answer given by brian cox has a fair chance of being beautiful...

as to the Quakers, they're the ones who don't want to be thought of as Christians - or perhaps don't want to be lumped in with other Christians. it was a big fuss a few years ago. we can't use them in our teaching for exams because of it.

PoppaRob

You can't blame the Quakers for wanting to distance themselves from some Christian sects! They are opposed to all forms of discrimination, including sexism and homophobia.

Gosh, I never ever questioned whether Quakers were Christian or not - it seemed obvious to me that they were. They seem to follow the teaching of Jesus and behave more like the very early Christians with their informal meetings.

Does it matter if they believe in the resurrection or not? Many Christians now believe that Christ was not so much resurrected as rescued - from the cross while still alive, taken to the tomb to fool those who wanted him dead, and spirited away by his friends. I like the theory that he married Mary Magdalene (not a whore but woman of substance) moved to France and had children, the descendents still living in France.

But - I'm always in favour of a rational explanation, especially when the hero and heroine live happily ever after.

I have had cause to attend a Quaker meeting and found a great deal of peace there - and warm friendliness. It was such a contrast to a Roman Catholic funeral service I attended which had water being scattered on the coffin, little bells jingled and incense which to my horror made me cough the fumes were so strong! The priests were hidden in a smoke haze which can't be healthy. The rites seemed more important than the people.

I answer any questions from my GC about God, Jesus, the bible etc as honestly as I can and I suppose the values their parents and we as grandparents are trying to engender are basically Christian, but then other religions have a similar ethos. 'Do as you would be done by' seems quite a good maxim for little ones to learn.

Just keep praying for them and hand them over to Our Lady's care

would stay well clear of introducing children to any religion or no religion without getting the OK from their parents...even my grandchildren.

When I was a Catholic school teacher I indoctrinated many children but their parents had chosen to send them to a Catholic school. We didn't call it indoctrination. We said we were enabling the children to build a relationship with God and helping them to learn about Jesus, his life and teachings and the teachings/works of his disciples. We also said that we were teaching them the traditions and practises of the Roman Catholic church. Looking back I indoctrinated children because I taught Christianity as fact not as a belief system and, although it was never said directly, there was always the implication that we were right and all other faiths were mistaken. I once got into trouble from the priest for saying that God and Allah were one and the same. I said that I had several names Mum, Christian name, Mrs * but I was the same person. Then I really blew it when I added 'just like the Trinity'

Now I regret indoctrinating children. There is nothing wrong with teaching about faiths/non faith but we shouldn't teach any of it as fact. Religion and faith is subjective. We should give the children the information (warts and all) and leave the rest up to them.

Thread resuscitated by Hondaboy after more than eight years dormancy.

The answer to the original question is to teach children good universal values, which are almost identical in all world religions, and in good people with no religion at all. Then tell them about the different ways in which people worship and pray, and how some people prefer not to worship any God or gods, and let them choose their own path.

Perfect answer Elegran.