THE EDITOR, Sir:
I AM writing this letter in response to a letter entitled "Religion is not Christianity" that appeared in The Sunday Gleaner of July 20, 2003.The letter itself was a response to another letter which I did not read but can grasp a gist of what it was all about from the very content and tone of Keirtap Eladnyt's reply to it.
Apparently, A. Bailey argued in support of religion, that is Christianity, being taught in schools. Eladnyt disputed the necessity of religion in schools on the very grounds of Bailey's alleged narrow-mindedness. If Bailey's letter was a thesis and Eladnyt's an antithesis then mine is the synthesis for I agree and disagree with both at critical points.
First, I agree that religion is a necesssary discourse of the school curriculum. But if the religious education being offered is merely a promotion of Christianity then I must agree with Eladnyt that it threatens to become extraneous. As Eladnyt said, there are already other avenues for this.
Religion must be taught in schools if not only for the fact that religion is a vital social and historical phenomenon; maybe even the most influential. I also want Eladnyt (and any other) to know that it is not only Christianity that is taught in RE in schools. I am an RE teacher who also teaches English. I did a bachelor's in English and Philosophy and I am now studying Religion at the Master's level. As a philosopher I teach that the principles of religion are but one categorically. It is known that the various Holy Books are vital guides to their respective followers.
I acknowledge that not all RE teachers are religious philosophers, some being Christian preachers with a bias. That is why I am advocating for a stronger presence of African Traditonal Religions (ATR) in the teaching of RE (there is none in fact). It is time to seriously look at the contribution of ATR especially as Caribbean people.
I also disagree with Eladnyt that the Bible is not a Christian book. It is - just as the Qur'an is an Islamic book and the Guru Granth Sahib is a Sikh book and so on. What Eladnyt should have said was that it is not the only holy book around. Some may say it is not Christian because several sects reinterpret it differently. One example is the Rastafarians. I argue that Rasta is a Christian sect but that is another matter altogether.
I am etc.,
Niichoas Alexander
English and RE teacher
nic7lex@hotmail.com
