I grew up going to Sunday school and I remember things like “do not steal”, “tell the truth”, and, more than that, “love your neighbour”, and “help others”. They are really baked into my psyche.
PICTURE: Element5 Digital/Unsplash
In primary school they were the internal thoughts that shaped my behaviour – battling some of my basic urges to be first, and get things my own way.
My wife is a primary teacher, and she says few of her students have such basic morality baked into their soul. They stare at her blankly when she talks about thinking of others, and lies pour out of their mouths without an ounce of shame.
We can pooh-pooh things like Sunday school as olden-day, or we can embrace such programs to help shape impressionable children’s morality – for children without a moral compass are lost.
Paul Clark’s musings can be heard on radio across Australia and at atthetop.org.au.
