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Saturday 31 March 2012

And lead us not into meaningless twaddle


Old Beardy – a.k.a. the Archbish of Cant – reckons the Lord’s Prayer should be taught in all schools.

Er, am I missing something? I mean, er, why?

He said: “I’d like to see schools introducing children to the Lord’s Prayer, so that they know that it’s there, they know what it means and know why it matters.

“Then they may make up their minds about whether they use it.”

Well, at least he recommends some choice in the matter of whether they use it, but why waste time on the Lord’s Prayer when there are other, more poetic texts that could be learned?

I used to memorise a few Shakespeare sonnets, for instance (did the same with the opening of Under Milk Wood). As well as the pleasure that comes from occasionally reciting them to oneself (when no one’s listening!), the old Bard contains more truth in his verse than the Lord’s Prayer, which just does the usual of saying, Hi, God, you’re great, now please give me some bread and, hey, don’t beat me up over stuff I’ve done, because, well, the glory’s all yours for ever, dude.

I can recite the Lord’s Prayer – and, for that matter, most of the Ten Commandments. It was drummed into me decades ago at school. It’s a minor achievement, but I don’t know that my ability to recite either has done me any good – and here I’m thinking back to before I began to question religion in the way I do now.

Perhaps kids ought to learn a few protest songs instead. Perhaps they should look at how religion in this country goes hand in hand with the government that’s taking their benefits away; that’s going to deter so many of them from going to university because of the enormous tuition fees; that’s privatising the National Health Service, thus ensuring that the bottom line will be put above health and wellbeing; that’s presiding over rocketing prices in fuel, which will work their way into everything the kids need, because manufacturing, processing and transport costs will all rise as a result.

I’m sure readers of a like mind could come up with a few dozen more things it would be better to have kids learn, or learn about, than the Lord’s Prayer.

But, like so much that kids are fed through TV and the Internet and rampant consumerism, cosy little jingles like the Lord’s Prayer – and all the other religious flimflam they’re stuffed with in school – will keep their minds off the more important things, and they’ll be less likely to make a fuss as they grow older.

4 comments:

Stuart Hartill said...

The Lord's Prayer is regularly inflicted on children at my daughter's primary school. By keeping her eyes open, she has learnt three fascinating things.

(1) the deluded talk in their sleep
(2) they all say the same thing and.....
(3) they do it in unison

I'm not sure that counts as an educational experience, but it's as much as the poor kid can do not to burst out laughing!

Timo Mitselakis said...

Cannot see what the problem is myself....A lot of us older ones used to do it and it didn't do us any harm.....

Dave said...

Not Our Father, which art non-existent in the observable universe,
Hollow be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom cannot come.
Thy will cannot be done in earth,
because you don't exist.
Give us not this day our daily bread
because that is the job of bakers.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us. (Like hell we do!)
And lead us not into temptation, such as believing you actually exist
But deliver us from religion.
For thine is Narnia, Middle-Earth etc etc,

No power, no glory,

For never and never.

Hymen.

Matt Westwood said...

Nema
reve dna reve rof
yrolg eht dna rewop eht
modgnik eht si eniht rof
live morf su reviled dna
su tsniaga ssapsert ohw esoht evigrof ew sa
sessapsert ruo su evigrof dna
daerd yliad ruo yad siht su evig
nevaeh ni si ti sa htrae no
enod eb lliw yht
emoc modgnik yht
eman yht dewollah
nevaeh ni tra ohw
rehtaf ruo