Heythrop College, University of London       View this article as PDF

The root of all evil?

           Louis Caruana SJ
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Religious education, if done properly, is precisely concerned with showing the human struggle in journeying towards the proper relation to the Divine.

Dawkins is right in saying that there is a possibility of teaching wrong things to our children, and that this should cause concern.  This possibility arises in all branches of knowledge.  It doesn't follow, however, that we should close our schools to eliminate the possibility of teaching wrong things.

Did anyone ever dream of stopping science teaching because some of our theories today may turn out to be mistaken tomorrow?  What needs to be done in religious education, as in all other kinds of education, is to make sure children learn what is needed to grow in virtue and intelligence.  For instance in Christian schools, the example of Jesus is essential for the fostering of an attitude of self-examination and continual conversion.


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