Mount Vernon Unitarian Church Teach the Children

What Do Unitarian Universalists Teach Their Children?

We teach them about all religions.

We teach them about the Old Testament, including Genesis, the prophets, and the Ten Commandments.

We teach our children about the New Testament and how Jesus challenged established leaders and ideas. We tell our youngsters that Jesus pointedly spent time ministering among society’s outcasts, including the poor, the sick, and the prostitutes.

We show our children the Koran and discuss the diversity of views within Islam. We examine the other large religions of the world, including the beliefs of Hindus, Buddhists, Confucians, and Sikhs.

Our middle-schoolers actually visit nearby churches, temples, and mosques to personally and respectfully observe how others worship.

We teach our young the stories that have been told for centuries by the native peoples of North America. We tell them about the oldest of religious practitioners: those who found (and still find) comfort, guidance, and spirituality while communing with nature.

We tell our children that not everyone is a believer and that agnostics and atheists are equally welcome in our community.

We explain the history of our own religion – how Unitarianism is a 450-year old branch of the Protestant Reformation. We tell our young that Universalism teaches that salvation is not tied to a particular denomination or belief.

We warn our children about the lure of modern cults and, at the same time, point out to them the irony that most religions originated with disaffected minorities.

We don’t just talk about religion with our children. Almost all of our youngsters are involved in community service projects. Twice a year our older children lead the Sunday services at Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church.

We try hard to give our children a strong foundation in religious education because we are certain that someday they will decide for themselves what to believe.