Teaching Kids to Respect Different
Religions
Religion is as diverse
as it is personal to individuals, and in order to respect different faiths and
religions it is important to have a good understanding of them. Whether you
class your family as being religious or not, it’s important to teach your
children the importance of respecting people of all different faiths and
beliefs. Whether you have a firm belief
in a religion yourself or don’t hold to any particular religious belief,
educating your children about the different religions and faiths which people
follow can help to instill a deeper respect for diversity in them.
Understanding Your Own Spiritual
Values
Before you can start
to explain the different belief systems and values of other religions it’s
important to have a good understanding of your own spiritual
values and that of your
family. If your family has a religious background, it’s important that you
realize that this is a vital part of your family history and should be
explained as such to your kids, regardless of whether you yourself still
practice the religion personally. Children should be encouraged to learn about
and compare other religions in a respectful way. Different theologies lead to
various practices and celebrations, and it’s important that these differences
be approached in a respectful and courteous manner rather than saying that ‘our
way is right and theirs is wrong’.
Encourage Learning
Don’t leave it to your
kids to figure out different religions for themselves; instead bring up
conversation and encourage your children to ask questions and learn more about
diversity of religion. For example, if your child has Muslim friends at school,
you could bring this up in conversation and get them talking about the religion
of Islam and its different practices and traditions.
It’s important to help your child to understand that no matter which religion
you follow personally, all religions have good things about them and moral standards which are useful in life. Teach your child to
celebrate different religions as they are part of what makes individuals who
they are. This website is an excellent resource for information about
all different religions and can be a great tool to help you answer any
questions that your kids might have.
Incorporate New and Old Rituals
If your family has a
history with a certain religion, there will no doubt be certain religious
rituals and traditions which you still partake in as a family unit.
Incorporating new and old rituals and traditions can help to encourage your
child to respect other religions and have an open mind regarding the traditions
and culture of different faiths. Religious rituals create a spiritual framework
along with warm family memories, so it’s important that you observe these old
traditions as well as create new ones which people of all faiths can
participate in. This allows you to accommodate for any friends of your children
who follow different religions and demonstrate to your children how people of
all religions can respect each other’s beliefs and get along in harmony.
Can you give any more guidance to parents
who are looking to encourage their children to respect other religions? Let us
know in the comments.
