Religious literacy in TWI

[penworks]

How much did you know about your own religion (if you had one) or about any religions at the time you took PFAL?

Lately in the news I've been coming across articles covering religious literacy and remembered I knew nothing about most religions at the time I first took PFAL class. I did know plenty about Catholicism, since I was raised a Catholic and a little bit about evangelical Christianity because of involvement in Young Life in high school, but any other world religions - nope. Of course, I was only 18 when I took PFAL but I had no curiosity, really, about other world religions or even the origins of Protestantism or evangelicalism or fundamentalism or what they were all about.

Perhaps if I had known there were more choices out there, I would have been a better informed student in PFAL and seen through some of the misrepresentations in the class, like the "first century church" was a unified force when it was actually very diverse and unorganized. Pick up any library book on early church history and you see this.

Anyhow, for those interested, follow this link to an article in the NY Times today on this topic:

Basic Religion Test Stumps Many Americans

Also, a great book on the topic is one by Stephen Prothero with a chapter listing all sorts of concise definitions of terms: Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know - And Doesn't

Prothero's latest book is God in Not One, which I have not read yet.

Cheers

[WordWolf]

I was raised Roman Catholic, and I knew a lot about Roman Catholicism for my age.

(I also knew enough to know I found it lacking the answers I needed, and left pretty young.)

About other Christians I was almost absent of knowledge, and I knew even less about

other religious groups.

I'm no expert on them now, but I've learned a LOT more since then.

[Twinky]

I knew something of Anglican beliefs before TWI. Nothing about other Protestant sets of beliefs. Nothing about Eastern religions. Enough to think badly of Catholicism.

I know a bit more about Eastern beliefs now, having come into contact with people from other lands (there were no non-white Brits where I lived).

I didn't think the people from the church I attended "lived" the gospel and walked out when I was around 13 years of age. The longing to know was still there, though, and periodically I wandered into various churches but wasn't impressed. Then I met a WoW and was impressed by what he knew of the Bible. Someone actually knew what it said, and meant! Hare Krishna was around at the time; what a bunch of weirdos. Other churches seemed to be in crisis.

I wanted to know. I was a sucker for TWI. Not at all keen on The Class and had to be dragged to it. Liked the teaching (PFAL) and excused the weirder bits and inconsistencies. At last there was some positive teaching, not wishy washy! Some of the people seemed ignorant of practically everything else about life, they were happy and relaxed with God and trusted him completely. And seemed to be doing well. So I excused them as well.

People simply don't have time to browse every religion or set of beliefs about anything, and become expert in each, knowing all the intricacies, before making a choice...maybe a choice by default. I'd support teaching a little about major religions but knowing how much variation and inaccuracy there can be just on Christianity, how much confidence could there be in learning a little of other major religions? Would the local rabbi or imam or confuscian or buddhist be able to give an unbiased decription of the main tenets of that religion?

In cities here where there is a high immigrant population, festivals are celebrated like Diwali and schoolkids are taught a little information at really basic level.

[Twinky]

I have a few books now:

"A Lion Handbook of the World's Religions" - various contributors

"The World's Religions" by Ninian Smart

and some others that I haven't looked at yet:

"A Handbook of Living Religions" by John Hinnells

"The Hutchinson Encyclopedia of Living Faiths" ed by RC Zaehner

"An Idiot's Guide to Islam" (in the usual Idiot's Guide series)

FWIW, I've worked with a number of Muslim colleagues, all of whom have been very nice people and we've had interesting discussions.

The terrorists that perform hideous acts in the name of Allah are no more representative of their alleged faith than terrorist bombers in any other pretend religious community (eg, in Ireland) (or dare I say it...Israelis). I've also met some great folks confessing Judaism as their religion.

Edited September 29, 2010 by Twinky

[waysider]

I was illiterate on religion. I suppose that may have contributed to my gullibility.

[cheranne]

I was illiterate on religion. I suppose that may have contributed to my gullibility.

me too. I wanted answers . I never would have thought I would end up in such a mess! I was better off without what PFAL had cut out . I was just turning 18 and at that tender age,alot of young people are soul searching.

[Thomas Loy Bumgarner]

oddly enough, I knew and had studied on world religion and various Christian denominations before going to ECU and running into TWI, yet the idea that all Christians should know everything that clergy were taught in seminary appealed to me. But I was young and foolish. :blink:

[excathedra]

there were catholics, protestants (well, one -- our next door neighbor from west virginia i think) and jews (although i hadn't met one)

oh, and there was one black person in my grammar school

[penworks]

Stephen Prothero, the author of Religious Literacy that I mentioned in the opening of this thread, just appeared (along with other history and religion scholars) on PBS's 3-part series called, God in America.

While the show is not that comprehensive (it's only 6 hrs. total) it is a good overview showing how religion and politics came to be so intertwined in this country. AND it naturally includes info on the development of fundamentalism which TWI is part of, particularly in its belief in the inerrancy of the scriptures and rejection of Darwinism.

Visit God in America

Cheers.