Need and Importance of Religious Education | Aims of Religious Education

 

Aims of Religious Education 

 

1. Development of moral and spiritual values - 

Religious education supports moral and spiritual values in human beings. The development of these values leads man from smallness to greatness. It strengthens man 's will and develops concentration of the mind. These values prevent man from going wrong and provide an inspiration to march on good path.

2. Development of character -

 

Religious education develop the virtues in child. The children take up this education and try to be virtuous, humble, honest, charitable and true - loving. In the words of medan ward, "the religious strength of character includes humility which makes a person bow to a group 's thought and collaborative action".

3. Development of broad vision -

Religious education seeks to develop a person 's vision. Religion forces one to be generous and tolerant. Religion develops a sense of working selflessly, doing altruism and serving mankind. By acquiring religious education, therefore, one abandons a narrow outlook and develops a sense of human experience.

4. Development of democratic traditions from schools -

 

Religion develops in children the idea that god is all - powerful and that he is the originator of creation; so no evil act should be done. We are all the children of that father, so all men must live together. We should neither be envious of any one or malign one another. According to rayavarn, religious education occupies an important place in the day - to - day life of man, and offers numerous advantages in maintaining the plans and conventions of democratic schools.

5. Total development of child 's personality - 

 

Education without religion is incomplete. Religious education emphasises on the whole development of the child 's personality. So that it could set a great example in the future.

6. Preservation and development of culture - 

Culture is an integral part of religion. Since we have an unshakable faith in religion, we have faith in culture as well and are based on it. Thus, culture is preserved and developed. Schools run by religious institutions contribute to the achievement of this objective.

7. The sublimation and purification of basic activities -

 

It is necessary to make the child from animal to man that its original activities are marganing and purification. Religious education encourages social service by establishing social ideals in it. It develops social development in the child.

 

Demerits of Religious Education 

 

1. Development of Narrow Mindedness - 

Getting religious education makes the child learn worship and rituals according to any religion. This gives rise to religious fanaticism and narrowness. This narrowness of feeling is the greatest obstacle to national integration.

2. Formation of Unhealthy Attitude -

 

Religious education gives rise to superstitions. This education instils communal feelings in students and they become superstitious and bigoted and bad for others. In the words of mohiuddin mo sultan, such religious education creates turmoil and conflict in the emotional life of the teenager. This will create a double personality - broad in cultural matters, broad, liberal and tolerant, and narrowly, bitter and intolerant in religious matters."

3. Creation of many problems -

Providing religious education can lead to school's many problems, like many religious students coming to take education in any school. If the education of one religion is imparted in the school itself, it may object to the followers of other religions. Secondly, if different schools were built to provide a conducive education for the different religions, then much money would be needed. What is the nature of the third religious education there is a difference of opinion among scholars?

 

Fourthly, qualified and experienced teachers would be required to impart religious education, which is not an easy task. We thus see that religious instruction, if granted, will lead to a number of problems.

4. Ignorance about present life -

Religious education prepares the child to be in place of this real world to the next world. From this the child could always think of the interests of the other world and adopt a neglectful approach to the true circumstances of this life and the improvement of real life. This does not induce the child to face conflict and the student gains pleasure in moving about in the world of imagination.

5. Mental conflict -

 

Religious education not only creates a narrow outlook in children but it creates conflict in them by developing in them the feelings of sin and virtue, world and the other world, holy and impure, heaven and hell and heaven.

Need and Importance of Religious Education 

 

Being an important part of culture, religious education plays an important role in the propagation of culture.

In the modern age man attains material prosperity, but he has no inner happiness and peace. This is possible only through religious instruction.

Religious education plays an important role in developing the stability, will and concentration of the mind.

Through religious instruction, social control and social unity are strengthened.

 

Religious instruction can lead to the full development of personality.

Most human accept religion with all their heart. Thus, through religious instruction, various social evils can be eradicated.

Through religious instruction we receive the teaching of vasudhava kutumbakam.

Religious education refines the basic instincts of children. This makes them a superior social being in the future.

 

Religious education develops social virtues like truth, non - violence, morality, tolerance etc. in a person.

Religious education gives a sense of social and moral values to a person.

By acquiring religious education a person is encouraged to act appropriately.