Religious Education must be compulsory

Letters

COMPULSORY religious education in all schools is one of the most important decisions the Government can make that is in the best interest of the country.
I totally agree with the Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari and the Acting Secretary for Education Dr Uke Kombra, for their comments and adherence toward the legislating of such a policy and for this to be a part of the school curriculum.
The teaching of God’s word is very important, especially to young children and young people, because God’s word is spirit, it is life, it is alive and it is active to accomplish its purpose as was intended by God its source in the lives of all who shall believe it.
The Holy Bible is not just like any other ordinary book that has been written by human authors for knowledge, fantasy, intrigue and general consumption, rather, it is the inspired word of God and it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness for a better people toward a better  and prosperous nation.
We must accept the fact that we are not just physical beings with just the body, the human anatomy, but inside of this body, which is gender, is a soul with a spirit, as stated by God’s word.
In fact to be more precise, this is the only book, namely the Bible, on this planet that gives us this knowledge and understanding, that we are spirit beings housed in gender and with a soul.
Unfortunately, natural science does not acknowledge the existence of that supernatural realm because science is based on hard facts and evidence, while God’s word states entities and facts that can only be
accepted by having faith in His Word.
Though the natural eye has not seen, yet it is comprehended by faith as existing and its manifestation is evident in the lives of those who believe in the holy writings.
God made us body, soul and spirit.
We can put a lot of emphasis on the physical development and empowerment of a person, but that needs to be balanced with the person’s spiritual development and empowerment so the person is developed as a whole person.
We can have a situation where people are developed well mentally and physically but not so spiritually, and this can result in degradation, depravity, and agnosticism, resulting in ungodly people with no moral values, no ethical values, no principles and no core human values, consequently a disintegration of the main pillars in the fabrics of society culminating to law and order issues escalating out of proportion and the like.
When God’s word becomes the foundation upon which a person, family, society, community or country stands upon or is built upon, they shall be morally upright, they shall have ethical values, have principles and have good human values,
because the word of God that is living and alive, is at work in their
lives to bring out the good in their lives.
I commend the Government on its policy to work in partnership with the churches for the physical development of the people, but it should go further to place emphasis on the spiritual development of the people, with essential legislation to make Religious Education compulsory in schools from elementary to senior high.
After all we are not just any other country on planet earth, to be dictated to by others with human rights issues and other such agendas, especially on these matters that mean a lot to us, because we are a Christian country, this is our unique identity, this is who we are, we cannot pretend to be somebody else, lest we become hypocrites.
We must have laws that make us unique, different and special; laws that make us become who we are and who we want to be.
We cannot allow globalisation and unchecked modernisation to interfere or affect us in the way we want our children to grow up to be.
Religious education should purely be based on the Bible and nothing else, so that there is uniformity, conformity and constructiveness in teaching and in achieving a qualified result.
The teaching of God’s word in schools will further instil godly fear in our young people, further resulting in godly character and
as a result lessening cult activities in schools and colleges with the hopeful eradication of school fights.
When it is made a compulsory part of the school’s curriculum that must be taught and graded, the end result will be young people who are well behaved, well mannered, well-disciplined and who have ethical values and who are morally upright in general life.

Ps Peter Ropra,
AOG Highlands Regional
Superintendent