Kylie Orr Blog - Part One

I've been participating this week in one of the Age online blogs. Kylie Orr wrote an article questioning whether specific religion should be taught in public schools. As one might anticipate, the twin emotive topics of the education of our children plus religion lead to an explosion on the comments thread. For the most part, respondents were civil and a robust and healthy dialogue broke forth into cyberspace.

I have found myself feeling quite sympathetic to many of the “anti CRE camp”, in that (in NSW at least) there appears to be no accredited curriculum and it seems that anyone of any faith can teach children anything for half an hour a week. It seems to me if you’re going to teach about religion in schools I’d prefer it not done at all than that it be done badly. That is not meant to be critical of the many CRE volunteers doing wonderful creative teaching, but because I was made aware there are horror stories out there emerging from an unregulated system.

However, I’d like to make an argument that good quality accredited religious education has a legitimate place in schools (voluntarily out of respect both of conscience and of diverse family cultural backgrounds).

Even the most hardened skeptic might pause for thought about the benefits to human well-being that religious faith provides. There is a growing body of evidence that there are significant mental and even physical benefits to faith practice, and particularly strong evidence that faith brings great comfort and strength to those who do find themselves chronically unwell. I quote from this study:

“A great multitude of psychological, psychiatric, medical, public health, sociological and epidemiological studies conducted during the past two decades proved the beneficial and protective effects of religious involvement (the term “religious involvement” will be used interchangeably with other terms such as “religious engagement” and “religiousness” in this review, and this will be elaborated in the part on method later in this paper) on people’s mental and physical health as well as on their longevity. These studies also showed religion is an important aspect of human life. Evidence supporting these findings emerges from both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, as well as from studies based on both clinical and community samples (George et al., 2002; Plante & Sherman, 2001). This empirical evidence apparently contrasts with the skeptical and hostile attitudes towards religion of Freud and earlier mental health scholars, which were largely formed and based on their negative experiences with religion and their encounters with the psychiatric patients (Meissner, 1984; Zilboorg, 1958; Koenig, 2001).

Over the past two decades, a lot of studies have uncovered a strong positive association between religiousness and mental health. This association has extended across various populations, including samples of the young, adults, older people, general community residents, immigrants and refugees, college students, the sick, addicts, homosexuals, persons of parenthood, individuals with mental health problems and personality disorders (Alvarado, et al., 1995; Baline & Croker, 1995; Braam et al., 2004; Chang et al, 1998; Donahue & Benson,1995; Idler & Kasl, 1997; Jahangir et al., 1998; Kendler et al., 1996; Koenig, George & Titus, 2004; Levin & Taylor, 1998; Mickley et al., 1995; Miller et al., 1997; Pardini et al. 2001; Plante et al. 1995, 2001; Richards et al. 1997; Selway et al., 1998; Thearle et al., 1995; Woods et al, 1999).”

(Any of you readers who are REALLY square can Google/try out Science Direct to look at all the studies cited here.)

I would also note a study that indicates children seem to be born with belief in God “hard-wired” into their brains. Giving language to this intuitive sense of a Creator, and giving children the spiritual resources of prayer and meditation, to me appears to be an entirely healthy thing.

Now this does not mean I am militant over teaching about faith... I hold the words of Romans 12:18 in my heart: "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Some battles aren't worth picking for the sake of peace. But it is a pity that the benefits of faith are so little known, while toxic examples of faith communities (spiritual abuse, sexual abuse, cults etc.) are so strongly highlighted.