Alain de Botton in Religion
for Atheists talks about how secular society often assumes it is best to
leave people to live how they chose without being pestered, whereas religions
give very clear instruction on how we should behave and encourages virtues
through the veneration of saints, gods and societal role models. In the
Catholic Church, for example, numerous saints are revered and followed
throughout the year to celebrate and be inspired by their devotion and
sacrifice. This is something that de Botton feels secular society can easily
replicate in order to promote virtues such as kindness that we may feel are crucial
in any thriving community.
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| Secular society is very good at promoting certain messages |
Schools have a duty to offer young people moral instruction.
For faith schools this is largely a case of following the lives of saints,
prophets, gods etc who teach the virtues of love, honesty, kindness,
generosity, temperance as well as the spiritual elements so central to
religious tenets. Secular schools also need to promote these virtues but can
perhaps afford to be a little more selective and objective in their veneration
of other people. Religions as well as the media often fall into the trap of
portraying people as sinners or saints and behaviour as good or evil or right
or wrong. This accentuates a rather simplistic attitude towards people which
somewhat ignores the issue of causation and interpretation. Schools can
celebrate and promote amazing achievements and feats but can also challenge
simplistic profiles and assumptions.
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| The Catholic Church uses the lives of saints to promote moral behaviour |
Last year at The John Warner School we asked students to
identify who their role models were. The list included pop stars, Hollywood actors,
footballers and reality TV ‘stars’ – the usual array of what might be dismissed
as over-paid, over-hyped role models who only promote greed and the desperate
search for fame. Our view was not to tell the students that they should not be
inspired by One Direction or Lady Gaga but to find the most positive aspects of
their lives to promote. Did you know, for example, that Kim Kardashian promotes
awareness of the Armenian Genocide of 1915?
On a recent trip to New York my attention was caught by
small billboards on the side of public telephone stands which promoted ‘values’.
The billboards celebrate the achievements of Americans, both the famous and the
not-famous linking to values such as fitness, encouragement, passion, drive, with
the instruction to ‘pass it on’. Schools could easily replicate this by mixing
achievements of famous people and students/staff/members of the community to
promote values.
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| US billboards promote moral values |
Religion is well-placed to inspire the spiritual message of
awe and wonder. The existence of gods, miracles, the afterlife and other
un-worldly concepts generates inexhaustible levels of mysticism and majesty. But
human history is littered with great achievements and inspiring individuals and
the story of the earth and universe gives us all the opportunity to inspire a
sense of perspective. Do schools give enough opportunity for those ‘star-gazing’
moments which can offer us the best kind of reality-check? Churches adorn their
walls and windows with images of saints and stories from the scriptures, people
are encouraged to forget their personal woes for a few moments and to consider
the plight of others and the grander forces at play. This instils a reverence for
the wonder of the world and an appreciation of our place in the bigger picture.
We have science and maths classrooms named after great scientists and
mathematicians and inspiring passages from history and literature are hung from
corridor walls. However, I still feel there are more opportunities to allow
students to pause and consider, creating spaces for contemplation and inspiring
a sense of majesty.
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| Zen garden at William Farr School in Welton - space for contemplation |
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