Because of a family medical problem, I have been thinking about spirituality lately. I am bolstered by a wide knowledge of religions. All of them offer support. I know this because I visited many different churches as a child. Having a wide knowledge of differing religions can be helpful.
Foster kids may not be the same religion as their foster families or fellow fosterlings. Expanding the family’s understanding of each other can only be helpful. Even in the smallest community there are places available to expand knowledge. In a college town, there will be services and groups to meet. Rural areas can have Mennonites, Presbyterians, and Jewish congregations.
If learning about other religions is not a fun and comfortable thing for your family, explore your own family’s religion. Learn the history of your own religion, get involved in missions, and do other charity work with your group. Check the web for websites about your religion’s history, values and even sites criticizing it. If your current religious institution is not doing interesting things, get them started!
The discovery will be interesting and can be fun. Most newspapers have a page or two of listing of available churches. Ask your Pastor or Minister for advice. Even learning about the different facets of Christianity can be enlightening. Most of Christianity is very similar and learning the details can make your faith stronger. If your family is all of the same religion, learning about others can still help to understand the rest of the world.
There are many great ways to learn about other religions. Here are a few websites to start with: www.achahistory.org www.jewishhistory.org.il/history.php history.mennonite.net. Volunteer to help with the local Catholic soup kitchen, help with a Mennonite bake sale, and tell them why you want to help. Most groups welcome people interested in learning about them.
We all need to see and understand each other better. Religion is an important aspect of all of our lives. Understanding each other’s religion gives a large window to others souls.
The most unusual one I learned about as a child is the Baha’i. They are a fairly recent religion, having been founded in 1844. According to their website, “The central theme of Bahá’u’lláh’s message is that humanity is one single race and that the day has come for humanity’s unification into one global society.” www.bahai.us/welcome/founders-and-history.
Personally, I like that sentiment. I have found it in many forms in other religions. We can learn that we are our brother’s keeper, we all live in the same world, and that we all can make the world better.
Owner/Editor - Chris Chmielewski