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| Church in Wales primary school children's "insightful visit" to South Wales Islamic Centre "learning about the mosque, the Islamic faith and how light is important to Muslims." Source: Twitter |
Click here to see Barnaby Bear gazing in awe at the 'beautiful stained glass' windows on display in the mosque, identifying ways light is important/displayed in the Islamic faith, ie, that for Muslims, Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.
Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."
Re-tweeted by Llandaff Diocese: "A multi faith Pilgrimage! This is exactly what the Year of Pilgrimage is all about! Have a great day." Really!
The Diocese of Llandaff launched its Year of Pilgrimage with a special service in Llandaff Cathedral on Sunday 12 January, 2020. It was claimed that 'Llandaff’s Year of Pilgrimage aims to celebrate Christian heritage and reinvigorate church life across South Wales'.
Christian pilgrimage is generally regarded as a journey to a Christian shrine or a sacred place to enrich one's faith so not the best start for the Llandaff 2020 Year of Pilgrimage, helping young school children to identify ways light is important in the Islamic faith.
Jesus also said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
Does Jolly June and her sycophants not understand that Islam denies that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the Cross in the greatest act of redemptive love? Clearly not.
Stained Glass in Wales lists numerous churches and cathedrals with stained glass windows illuminating the Christian pilgrimage so why take impressionable young children to a mosque rather than to a cathedral or a parish church?
The Diocese of Llandaff launched its Year of Pilgrimage with a special service in Llandaff Cathedral on Sunday 12 January, 2020. It was claimed that 'Llandaff’s Year of Pilgrimage aims to celebrate Christian heritage and reinvigorate church life across South Wales'.
Christian pilgrimage is generally regarded as a journey to a Christian shrine or a sacred place to enrich one's faith so not the best start for the Llandaff 2020 Year of Pilgrimage, helping young school children to identify ways light is important in the Islamic faith.
I disagree. Pilgrimage is always a call to discover God often unexpectedly and most certainly in our neighbor. What struck me about the Camino was the number of Muslims I encountered making the journey. I journeyed with one for several miles and he accompanied me to mass (but did not receive). Your adversarial post is, once again, misrepresentative (and not only of +June and we her sycophants, but of Muslims also). You have a skewed take on reality.
ReplyDeleteHow long will it take for a Muslim school to take its students for a day of pilgrimage to Llandaff Cathedral to be taught that Jesus Christ is not merely a prophet but the son of God and the Light of the world?
DeleteI don't know. But, in my last church in England, we enjoyed a mutual learning with the local Muslims. This included Christians being invited to the Mosque, listening to the Imam telling us what they believed about the Qu'ran, and observing lunchtime prayers. It also included a "demonstration" Christian service in our church with all the usual elements; this was attended by about 50 Muslims as well as our own folk, and some even joined in the responses! Afterwards we had a Q&A session at which the Muslims could ask questions about Christianity: the first was to ask us about out belief in the Trinity! There were also - obviously - questions about Jesus.
DeleteJust what the heck is a "demonstration" service?
DeleteHere's the latest CinW PR drivel.
https://www.facebook.com/penllanparish/videos/161199025171410/
Will they be visiting Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists. or a Synagogue? Where does inclusion end?
ReplyDeleteWell a visit to a synagogue would be a lot closer to biblical Christianity than a CiW mass
DeleteI find a certain amount of confusion here. I'm all for schoolchildren learning about different religions and visiting their places of worship as anything which promotes mutual understanding must be good for society. But, to me, this is Religious Education, not Pilgrimage, which is about seeking God in what are regarded as Holy P;laces.
ReplyDeleteAgree entirely. When I was in the sixth form our A level General Studies group visited a Reformed Jewish synagogue. For sure, it was a secular rather than than a church school visit; but the purpose was simply to learn more of what others think and believe, and something of how they worship.
DeleteBut ours wasn't in any way a pilgrimage, and, for the reason which you state, couldn't conceivably be.
PP. As Religious Studies examiner for two A level boards. The new 2018+ syllabus has compulsory units for World religions. These cannot be opted out. Learners, in most cases have to visit religious centres if practical or, have Imans, rabbi's, sufi's visit schools.
ReplyDeleteIn the new all Wales RE strategies now coming into law in the new Education programme, all schools have to follow the guidelines for inclusive learning. This means that all faith schools have to be compliant.
Is this a bad thing? A detriment to Christian teaching? Some may say "yes" but the legislation like the taking away of parental rights to opt out of sex education or gender studies dictates the way young people will learn about diversity.
How can an 'A' Level examiner be apparently so ignorant of the correct use of apostrophes. Ichabod.
DeleteOld Nick
PP @Old Nick, being dyslexic!
ReplyDeleteSo how do you mark papers correctly of those who are not?
DeletePP They are computerised and the software picks up faults. The job is to check accuracy of answers and grade. Then the paper is electronically checked and the grading aggragated. Grammar, spelling and punctuation is a small grade point, the major grading is content and context. All marking is verified online by a lead examiner. It's a stringent process.
DeleteBut the most important thing is the wide expression of the syllabus across all major religious belief systems. Christianity is no longer the major in the learning its about 25%. If you want to know more look at one of the lead exam boards:WJEC, OCR, PEARSONS EDEXCEL OR AQA. The Welsh Gov has pages and pages of it new learning strategies on its website.
Learning is changing drastically in this subject and others.
Somehow I doubt learning is increasing, but I suspect ignorance most certainly is.
DeleteAs you say AB the children are impressionable. Junior school children should be taught firstly the foundations of Christianity.They cannot be expected to discern the truth from being thrown a jigsaw of the Bible and the Quran with the pieces muddled up. If their teachers are making an attractive presentation of Islam with Barnaby bear,this is a clever way of making the Islamic visit stick in the young minds. In the child’s mind whatever the teacher presents as acceptable,then the children will take this on board.
ReplyDeleteReligion is not like other subjects where students need to have knowledge of alternatives. It may sound all well and good giving children an understanding of Islam for instance, but in fact it is equating it in their young minds with Christianity. Do we believe that Jesus is the way the truth and the life or don't we?
DeleteLW
In a secular society, which is what the UK - Wales included - now is, religions compete on a level playing field. Asserting that 'Jesus is the way the truth and the life' is just one assertion among others. Including '"
DeleteThere is no god but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God.'
I was going to say something similar. And, of course, when Christianity was "new" it had no special privileges but had to make its truth claims heard in a world full of other religious beliefs. Our current situation is much closer to the New Testament world than the centuries of so-called "Christendom" with its assumptions that everyone born in countries such as Britain are, by default, Christians; and that Monarchs have been appointed by God.
DeletePP. Might be useful
ReplyDeletehttps://www.politics.co.uk/opinion-formers/humanists-uk/article/welsh-government-announces-sweeping-changes-to-re-and-rse-in