Although I was brought up a catholic, I rejected it in my early teens and my children (a very catholic-like seven of them) were brought up without religion (sorry Jet Leg). Anyway my eldest daughter qualified as a teacher, went to London on a working holiday and got a job at a catholic primary (elemental) school. By way of clarification, you do not necessarily need to be catholic, but must profess to hold catholic ideals (!) to teach in a catholic school in the UK.
Needless to say my daughter was given religious instruction classes. At first I was amused with her calls from the other side of the world asking me to explain the trinity and transsubstantiation and how to pronounce Gethsemene. In her view it was just a subject and she just had to prepare like any other subject. It didn't matter to her whether she believed or not. This would have been unthinkable in my school days, several centuries ago.
I must admit to a bit more unease when I discovered that she was replacing hold water in the class when it ran out with tap water. "What do a couple of words from a priest do?" was her quite reasonable response.
So my question is, can religious instruction be properly taught be a competent teacher or must it be a believer?
Interestingly she is now home and looking for a job in the catholic system because the pay's a bit better and there's a bit more support and discipline.
Needless to say my daughter was given religious instruction classes. At first I was amused with her calls from the other side of the world asking me to explain the trinity and transsubstantiation and how to pronounce Gethsemene. In her view it was just a subject and she just had to prepare like any other subject. It didn't matter to her whether she believed or not. This would have been unthinkable in my school days, several centuries ago.
I must admit to a bit more unease when I discovered that she was replacing hold water in the class when it ran out with tap water. "What do a couple of words from a priest do?" was her quite reasonable response.
So my question is, can religious instruction be properly taught be a competent teacher or must it be a believer?
Interestingly she is now home and looking for a job in the catholic system because the pay's a bit better and there's a bit more support and discipline.
