The role of faith and spiritual attentiveness in Schools, Hospitals, Prisons, and Juvenile Detention centres.
Good religious education, pastoral care and attentiveness to spiritual matters are an important moderating influence on the deep and powerful tides of religious belief.
With good reason we reject science deniers. They will leave us exposed to the destructive forces of ignorance run wild.
With equally good reason we must also reject those who deny the value of good religion and deep faith. For they will leave us exposed to the destructive forces of bad religion and superstition run wild.
Bad religion and superstition has already wrought more havoc in human affairs than than any volcanic eruption, earthquake, cyclone or tsunami.
The forces of faith well placed provide calm days and gentle rain in the flow of human affairs.
When misplaced at the hands of bigots and extremists, these forces are at least as catastrophic as the worst possible natural disasters.
Where there is no input from people of knowledge, balance and moderation, the lunatic fringe move in.
Any religious tradition, left to be taught or expounded by crack-pots (of whom there is never a shortage) will lead to great tragedy and strife.
There are two very large elephants in our community room at the present time:
Science deniers!
Spiritual Heritage deniers!
Some can see both, some only one, and some neither!
But they are there! and each are very, very dangerous!
The whole question of religious education in schools is a contentious one, with those of a more traditional view opposing the introduction of ethics classes, while those supporting ethics classes pointing to the perceived narrow or partisan views promoted in traditional religious education.
The answer must surely lay in the middle way.
And in establishing this middle way, the school Chaplain will play a crucial role.
A Chaplain must not be a proselytizing evangelist with a desire to impose his or her own worldview on vulnerable young minds.
A Chaplain must be a mature, well balanced and moderate individual who is able to assist young people to ‘furnish’ the inner mansion of their Dreaming (see The Soul of a Nation page).
They must be:
- Well trained and qualified
- Well supervised
- Well supported
They must be: In the System, But Not of the System.
Building the Spirit of an inclusive Nation
On the Dreaming of Our Young
