In some households, children are taught to never take God’s name in vain. And in others, ‘Jesus’ means nothing more to kids, than what mum and dad say when they drop the toast on the floor butter side down.
For religious families, the choice of approaches isn’t even a question. But if you’re not bringing your children up in the Christian faith, does it matter if they don’t realise the significance of who Jesus was and why he matters to some?
A video posted on YouTube last week by the group Access Ministries has sparked a debate about this very issue. CEO Dr Evonne Paddison arguing in the video: “[children] deserve to know that Jesus is a person, not just a swear word.”
The video has been put together in response to perceived attacks on chaplaincy in schools, and those in the video argue that children would have nowhere to turn if chaplains were removed from schools.
Of course, a great deal of the debate surrounding chaplaincy currently, is whether or not the funds allocated in the Federal budget specifically to chaplains, should be able to be used for the hiring of secular school counsellors, at the school’s discretion.
In fact, a poll last month found that only 5 per cent of people in Australia support the Government’s decision to fund ONLY chaplains in secular schools.
Those who oppose chaplaincy and the current Christian Religious Education programs in schools, such as the group Fairness in Religion in Schools, say that children should be taught about all religions – not just Christianity – by teachers, rather than employees who have been hired on the basis of their faith.
But is the debate raised by Dr Paddison in her campaign a valid one – does it matter if children think Jesus is just a swear word?
Christianity has, culturally, been the dominant religion in Australia since the European discovery and invasion of the country – and it seems unlikely that children will not be brought up knowing about even the existence of religions. But for many people now, the words themselves – God, or Jesus, or otherwise – have no emotional meaning. They are words, just like any other, without any special significance.
If the word does start to lose its meaning, would society be losing something deeper? Or is that just the natural progression of language?
Is Jesus a person or a swearword in your house?
Top Comments
And now, with the chaplaincy-funding program declared unlawful for a second time, the Abbott Government insists it intends for it to continue.
I didn't care about breaking promises to the elderly, to the sick, to the poor or to students, but it doesn't want to upset the religious.
It's time this government was dumped. It's priorities are all wrong.
That should read "IT didn't care about breaking promises..."
Damn!
I actually don't like the overuse of swear words such as the f word and sh... in particular the latter because the last thing I want to be continually reminded of is excrement, yet the sh... seems to be in every conversation and every blog. Yet I noticed that someone on this site asked Rosie to stop using OMG due to that commenter being religious, the lady did ask Rosie politely but I was a little offended because I noticed that a couple of times when I commented and used God as an exclamation my comments were moderated. Yet the thing I detest is the overuse of swear words, but it's typical the religious get their way and no one says God or Jesus on this site, yet I constantly see expressions like "for shits and giggles" on this site which I find really gross, yet it's typical because I'm not religious it's ok to offend me but society is never allowed to offend religious people. I personally use the expression God or Jesus when I drop the toast because I don't find the word offensive compared to people saying "oh sh... I dropped the toast." Which makes me think, oh thanks very much I was trying to enjoy my food and now you have reminded me of excrement. I would much prefer someone says Jes... I dropped my toast. Whether someone believes in Jesus or not I can't see the harm in using the word as an exclamation. In any case do we have proof that Jesus existed? Some of my aethist friends say no. By the way I'm not completely against swear words because I think they serve a purpose when you are very angry or extremely stressed, screaming a few swear words can let you vent a little and make you less likely to resort to other levels of aggression such as punching someone. What I don't like is the way people have to use such ugly words continually in every day sentences which degrades the language and makes it ugly.
I think religion and the religious are fragile and when you use their deity's name in vain, and don't immediately get struck by lightning, they suffer a tiny little bit of doubt creeping into their beliefs.
And despite the supposedly all-powerful nature of their particular god(s), humans always have to do the hard work for him (or her) - except for the occasional earthquake or tsunami which is a bit like hammering a drawing pin with a sledge hammer and is hardly acceptable behaviour for an omnipotent but loving force that can't even find the time to cure childhood cancer.