Dramas at school...
Well it has been lively day at school.
Catrin's school friends are going through a time of Malory Towers - you know, where Bunty is best friends with Felicity, but decides not to talk to her or to invite her to her party etc. etc.
Meanwhile the curriculum has taken Gwilym into the Old Testament in the French lessons and the New Testament in the History lessons. French was this morning and the charming, aunt-like (is it still avuncular for aunts?) French teacher sought me out at lunch time to explain that Gwilym had become very upset during the lesson, which was on Genesis 1.
Hmmm.
Under interrogation he told me that what upset him was when when she used the word "mythology" and compared Genesis 1 to the Odyssey. So I tried to explain that people use the word "mythology" in various ways - they don't always mean that it's not true...
In fact I do not know if I have ever met a French christian who is a 6 day creationist. Most seem to take the "poetic and polemic document" view that sees Genesis 1 as taking on the pagan myths "on their own terms". Here's a "myth" that shows that it wasn't your gods that made everything but the Living God.
Not only that but she has to be very careful not to appear to be teaching Christian truth to the children. France is, after all, a secular nation and the beliefs of all are supposed to be respected.
Because of that although the kids go to a catholic school the amount of "religious instruction" they get is significantly less than in the state school back in Wales. There's no regular collective act of worship, for example.
So we'll have a nice, interesting chat when I pop in to see the French teacher.
Meanwhile the school's Soirée Théo is tonight, when parents, staff and clergypersons gather to discuss things like ethics etc. Tonight's is on 'Faith today'.
Catrin's school friends are going through a time of Malory Towers - you know, where Bunty is best friends with Felicity, but decides not to talk to her or to invite her to her party etc. etc.
Meanwhile the curriculum has taken Gwilym into the Old Testament in the French lessons and the New Testament in the History lessons. French was this morning and the charming, aunt-like (is it still avuncular for aunts?) French teacher sought me out at lunch time to explain that Gwilym had become very upset during the lesson, which was on Genesis 1.
Hmmm.
Under interrogation he told me that what upset him was when when she used the word "mythology" and compared Genesis 1 to the Odyssey. So I tried to explain that people use the word "mythology" in various ways - they don't always mean that it's not true...
In fact I do not know if I have ever met a French christian who is a 6 day creationist. Most seem to take the "poetic and polemic document" view that sees Genesis 1 as taking on the pagan myths "on their own terms". Here's a "myth" that shows that it wasn't your gods that made everything but the Living God.
Not only that but she has to be very careful not to appear to be teaching Christian truth to the children. France is, after all, a secular nation and the beliefs of all are supposed to be respected.
Because of that although the kids go to a catholic school the amount of "religious instruction" they get is significantly less than in the state school back in Wales. There's no regular collective act of worship, for example.
So we'll have a nice, interesting chat when I pop in to see the French teacher.
Meanwhile the school's Soirée Théo is tonight, when parents, staff and clergypersons gather to discuss things like ethics etc. Tonight's is on 'Faith today'.
Comments
In fact, I guess that in the United Kingdom 6-day creation is a minority conviction, too.