Yet another interfaith experience and the inevitable post-event thought dump
wanton_heat_jet teaches church school (read "Sunday school") at a local Unitarian church of which he's a member. He's a staunch atheist, but has a deep interest in history and spiritual traditions and is very well read on the subject. He recently asked me to come to his class and speak about Passover; today was the class. The whole experience has been interesting
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If you need something leathery done for your Cup of Miriam let me know... I happen to know this guy who can get Hebrew letters:
Now, I need to wait until I've had some more coffee before I re-read your post. There's a lot here and I'm afraid my neurons aren't firing quite enough to take it all in yet.
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In the meanwhile, please feel free to come back and read the post again when you're more caffeinated. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.
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I think having an athiest teach at a Unitarian (I assume Unitarian Universalism) church is made of win. Given that the athiest in question is an athiest out of personal belief and not perceived personal persecution (I hate Christians therefore I must be Athiest). It keeps an element of objectivity and religious neutrality in an environment whose primary objective is that: explore religious pluralisms and development of your own theology (in a funny way it can be correlated to modern Wicca at its roots---which in the 90's Universalism did embrace earth and nature centered spiritualism. Note however that Unitarian Universalism has been around since the late 1700s). All that to say: Athiest instructor=made of win.
Inviting guest speakers of different denominational backgrounds is also made of awesome. My personal exposure to "the world of religion" so to speak came from my mother's own explorations into the New Age movement of the late 70s early 80s. Subsequently it was also my jump into agnosticism an away from Chistianity. Had I attended a Universalist church I may have been a different person (then again, what are universalists if not agnostics open to ritual interpretation?)
How class worked out I think one of the important things for a guest to do in a teaching/learning environment is to get together and discuss how the class should unfold. It would have been less of a surprise and on-the-fly adjustment for you. While I'm sure public and panel talks have reduced a lot of your public speaking fear--- I'm also sure that talking about such a personal and intimate subject...well, it's nice not to have any surprises yanno.
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Me, too.
Inviting guest speakers of different denominational backgrounds is also made of awesome.
I loved doing it.
I think one of the important things for a guest to do in a teaching/learning environment is to get together and discuss how the class should unfold.
It wasn't for lack of trying, believe me. I love JT, but he's sort of an on-the-fly kind of guy. Sadly, I'm not quite psychic enough (or avian enough) to maintain formation as perfectly as I would have preferred. I am, generally speaking, a plan-it-out kind of instructor; I've taught locally at continuing ed programs and, of course, at conventions, and I've had a little training as an instructor, so putting together a lesson plan was something I wanted to do. But without more specific input from JT than "we'll wing it," and it being his classroom, I was a little hamstrung. We did fine in the end. The kids seemed to get it and and enjoy it. Was it ideal? No, probably not. But it worked well enough. If I do it again, I might put my foot down a little about more concrete planning though.
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I think one of the caveats to a religious upbringing is the early use of religion as a control tool for children. It lasts on most kids until puberty and teenagerdom then kids fall away from their religious upbringing seeing it as another element of manipulation by an authority figure(s). My experiences with most Jewish families and watching their interaction re: raising children is that it is less so used as a control tool and moreso as you stated: a glimpse into the past and a way of creating cultural identity. I think Christianity has lost a lot of its cultural identity because of its refusal to regard Judaism as its background --- it also lost a lot of its cultural value and influence because of the Catholic Church, the use of Latin, and the use of a Priestly caste. I digress yet stay relevant all the same ;)
On denial: I think self-denial and self-discipline are easier to discuss than to practice. We can ask a child, "If you get really angry at someone should you hit them?" The answer is always (we hope) a resounding "NO!" Which is a denial of an angry impulse to exact physical harm. By not giving into that impulse we are in effect practicing self-discipline---we are also practicing self-denial...it is our monkey and lizard brain that compels us to crush (or run!).
Christian but not: Unitarian Universalism has come under fire from many religious communities for picking what they like out of other religion's practices and leaving what they don't. They have been called disrespectful, and lacking cultural respect and dignity--- I say any group who's been there fighting against racism, fighting for equality, fighting for women's sufferage etc... can worpship how they damn well please.
Oh yeah, I'm a minority. You ain't from 'round here aren't ya? Here in the land of German Descent I often get asked if I'm native American or from the mid-east. I don't walk, talk, or blare Leonard Skynard like my country cousins. It's nice to not fit in sometimes.
It doesn't matter if the class was 2 or 20...it was an awesome opportunity and I hope you have many more.
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