Add theology to the public school curriculum

God(s)⁄religion(s) are not going away because we are hardwired; thus, we should make every effort to understand it and impart a basic literacy to our young who are coming of age in a world growing exponentially smaller.

Religious and spiritual literacy is just as important as lingual and mathematical literacy.

Research shows Americans are the most church-going people in the industrialized west and also the most religiously illiterate. Many believe the Bible is the actual word of God but seldom read it.

Many others read it out of historical, social, economic, anthropological and psychological context and conclude that it is the literal and actual word of God, that they have discovered the truth, and that God is on their side – the same kind of belief that motivated the Sept. 11 highjackers and the daily bombings in Iraq.

Some European countries require theology as part of their elementary and secondary schools curriculum. Some jurisdictions in the U.S. offer theology as an elective. Prince George’s County should do the same as a small first step in bringing our system at least into the late 20th century.

African Americans seem especially vulnerable to religious appeals because for hundreds of years this was all we had. We could not turn to the courts and government for protection and justice.

One could argue that we were saved by faith because we had nothing else.

Where could we go but to the Lord?

Things have changed though, and we need to change. Faith, true believer-ism, born again-ism and literal interpretation of the Bible may have been the best we could do for hundreds of years under the circumstances, but they no longer serve a useful purpose in the modern world.

We need to become religious and spiritually literate to understand our circumstances and the modern world.

Children have a deep spiritual life. When my son was young, I taught religious education at my church, Davies Unitarian Universalist Church in Camp Springs. I was transformed by the gradual acquired understanding that children have a deep spiritual life. I have come to believe they are indeed, in many ways, role models of spirituality for adults in their wonder about and openness to the world.

How these innate spiritual needs are shaped and nurtured is extremely important. When I read or hear about the Islamic madrassas in the Middle East, where young children are taught Islamic fundamentalism, I cannot help but think that another generation of intolerant ‘‘warriors for God” is being raised.

I had the same thought a few weeks ago when a news report aired with the late Jerry Falwell describing the mission of his school, Liberty University, as preparing ‘‘warriors for God.”

Religion at its best is liberal, liberating and nurturing – not limited and limiting by inflexible dogma and doctrine. It seems to best nurture our needs when founded on the following general principles:

*The inherent worth and dignity of every person;

*Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;

*Acceptance of and encouragement of the spiritual growth of all;

*A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;

*The right of conscience and the right to access and use of the democratic process;

*A world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;

*Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

This makes it more difficult to kill other humans, other sentient beings, or the environment and eco-system that sustain life.

Van Caldwell, a lawyer, lives in Kettering. He can bee-mailed atvcaldwell@comcast.net.