Why Richard Dawkins is the best argument for the existence of God

Russell Brand

AlaindeBottonon Why I amnot a Christian

Persona dolls, making RE more playful and new media

20+ classroom ideas

The power of religious wordsJonathan Sacks on The voice ofsilence

In this issue

also

Summer 2014Special EditionISSN 0226-7738

incorporating Professional

reflection (formerly REsource)

More that 101 Great Ideas

only18

An exciting and dynamic collection of 116 effective strategies for the RE classroom

strategies suitable for 516s arranged in 7 sections:

Act Create Think Enquire Reflect Talk Write

photocopiable and downloadable resources and templates

guidance on teaching and learning guidance on the importance and place

of spiritual development a model for structuring pupil-led enquiry

Within each strategy is a helpful quick useful for guide and see also references, linking to other strategies in the publication

1 Alphabet on the floor

2 Trust games

3 Trading places

Provide a safe learning environment, e.g. by supplying soft mats for landing.

Choose one of the following:

Back to back: In pairs, A and B stand back to back and link through each others

arms. They then have to sit down and stand up together.

Blindfold find: All members of the group are blindfolded and put in different parts of

the room. They have to link up with each other as quickly as possible. This is made

more difficult if a no talking; rule is imposed.

Sitting circle: In groups of 10 or more, pupils form a circle, all facing clockwise,

and then sit down in the lap of the person behind. If it is done correctly, everyone is

supported by everyone else.

In a large space, lay out some A4 cards on the floor, each one with a letter of the

alphabet written on it, as large as possible (its useful to put P and Q together on the

same card, and XYZ).

Ask the group to stand around, and call out some prompt questions. They must think

for five seconds, then go and place a foot on the initial letter of their answer. Invite

them to tell the others who share their letter what their answer to the prompt question

was, and say a bit about their answer. Usually letters like B, M, R, S or T have most

people on them. Keep it moving: 610 prompts is enough.

Questions (for a focus on spirituality) might include: What makes you feel peaceful?

What is your favourite word? Who do you admire most from history? Whats your

most moving piece of music? How do you feel about God? (one word) What one thing

do you do to save the earth?

Show pupils an image or picture, e.g. a Christian baptism, Muslim men at

prayer in a mosque, a Jewish family celebrating Hanukkah.

Arrange pupils in groups and ask them to reproduce the image or picture, taking the

place of people or characters in the photograph or artwork. As they put themselves in

the position of the characters, facing the same way, using the same expressions, and so

on, ask them what it feels like, and what might be going on in their characters mind

and body. When they have brought the 2D image into 3D l

ife, ask them to fast-forward five minutes

what position would people be in now? What reasons can they give?

12 RE Today Services 2013

Useful for

Useful for

Introducing pupils

to active strategies;

enabling pupils to share some simplefacts or deeper ideas

about themselves;

encouraging whole-

class involvement.

Affirmation13

Post-its54

See also

See also

See also

Developing trust and

collaboration within a

group.

Alphabet on the floor1

Who am I?12

Freeze-frame5

Mystery bag83

Through the keyhole88

Useful forEngaging young children in learning

in RE by using rich,

evocative images of

contemporary religious

belief and practice and

encouraging them to

talk about what they

see.

Strategy

Strategy

Strategy

1 Alphabet on the floor

2 Trust games

3 Trading places

Provide a safe learning environment, e.g. by supplying soft mats for landing.

Choose one of the following:

Back to back: In pairs, A and B stand back to back and link through each others

arms. They then have to sit down and stand up together.

Blindfold find: All members of the group are blindfolded and put in different parts of

the room. They have to link up with each other as quickly as possible. This is made

more difficult if a no talking; rule is imposed.

Sitting circle: In groups of 10 or more, pupils form a circle, all facing clockwise,

and then sit down in the lap of the person behind. If it is done correctly, everyone is

supported by everyone else.

In a large space, lay out some A4 cards on the floor, each one with a letter of the

alphabet written on it, as large as possible (its useful to put P and Q together on the

same card, and XYZ).

Ask the group to stand around, and call out some prompt questions. They must think

for five seconds, then go and place a foot on the initial letter of their answer. Invite

them to tell the others who share their letter what their answer to the prompt question

was, and say a bit about their answer. Usually letters like B, M, R, S or T have most

people on them. Keep it moving: 610 prompts is enough.

Questions (for a focus on spirituality) might include: What makes you feel peaceful?

What is your favourite word? Who do you admire most from history? Whats your

most moving piece of music? How do you feel about God? (one word) What one thing

do you do to save the earth?

Show pupils an image or picture, e.g. a Christian baptism, Muslim men at

prayer in a mosque, a Jewish family celebrating Hanukkah.

Arrange pupils in groups and ask them to reproduce the image or picture, taking the

place of people or characters in the photograph or artwork. As they put themselves in

the position of the characters, facing the same way, using the same expressions, and so

on, ask them what it feels like, and what might be going on in their characters mind

and body. When they have brought the 2D image into 3D l

ife, ask them to fast-forward five minutes

what position would people be in now? What reasons can they give?

12 RE Today Services 2013

Useful for

Useful for

Introducing pupils

to active strategies;

enabling pupils to share some simplefacts or deeper ideas

about themselves;

encouraging whole-

class involvement.

Affirmation13

Post-its54

See also

See also

See also

Developing trust and

collaboration within a

group.

Alphabet on the floor1

Who am I?12

Freeze-frame5

Mystery bag83

Through the keyhole88

Useful forEngaging young children in learning

in RE by using rich,

evocative images of

contemporary religious

belief and practice and

encouraging them to

talk about what they

see.

Strategy

Strategy

Strategy

Visit: shop.retoday.org.uk Email: sales@retoday.org.uk Call: 0121 472 4242

BUY YOUR COPY TODAY!

BESTSELLER!

10Why Richard Dawkins is the best argument for the existence of GodRussell Brand

8 The power of religiouswords

6Why I am not aChristian

14Using persona dolls at William Law School, Peterborough

26How does peace grow?

Cover image MBC PR

EditorLat Blaylocklat@retoday.org.uk

Editorial teamLizzie McWhirter (news)Jane BrookeJulie GroveChris Boxley

AdvertisingRebekah Hah-Dwyerrebekah@retoday.org.uk

Publishing datesPublished three times a year, in September, January and April

Published byChristian Education Publications

The annual subscription, including postage, is 34.00. For details of other RE Today subscription and NATRE membership packages, please call 0121 472 4242 or email chelsey@retoday.org.uk

RE Today Services1020 Bristol RoadSelly OakBirminghamB29 6LBTel: 0121 472 4242www.retoday.org.uk

Editorial and advertising policy Articles in REtoday will reflect a variety of viewpoints and should not be taken as statements of RE Today services policy.

Advertisements in REtoday and advertising material inserted into RE Today mailings may reflect the entire range of goods and services offered to RE teachers and the presence of such advertising material does not imply endorsement of the product by RE Today Services.

Design and layouttheteam@eplsdesign.com

Environmetally friendly printPrinted using vegetable inks and low VOC printing processes by a company accredited with the ISO 14001 environmental standard.

Editorial

5 Know, grow, do! Lat Blaylock

Opinion

6 Why I am not aChristian Alain de Botton

8 The power of religious words Julie Grove

10 Why Richard Dawkins is the best argument for the existence of God Russell Brand

13 The voice ofsilence Jonathan Sacks

For the classroom

14 Using persona dolls at William Law School, Peterborough (37) Julia Blower

16 How to make RE more playful for young learners: tenideas (411)

19 If Peter was a tweeter, then what would Peter tweet? (716) Editorial team

20 Good questions to ask, and what answers are we looking for? (1419)Editorial team

22 God and earthquakes? Cancer recovery? Women bishops? (1419) Bishop Victoria Mathews

Story

26 How does peacegrow? Jim Wallis

For the staffroom

28 Tony Blair, RE and global humanrights Lyndsey James

30 Ten ideas to get SEN pupils questioning Margaret Dean, Susan Davies andCharlotte Arnold

Professional reflection

32 Welcoming a wider readership Bill Gent

33 My NQT year in RE Richard Cooper

35 Were all in this together, the kidsand me Judith Everington

38 Ten characteristics of RE Brian Gates

Contents

only18

An exciting and dynamic collection of 116 effective strategies for the RE classroom

strategies suitable for 516s arranged in 7 sections:

Act Create Think Enquire Reflect Talk Write

photocopiable and downloadable resources and templates

guidance on teaching and learning guidance on the importance and place

of spiritual development a model for structuring pupil-led enquiry

Within each strategy is a helpful quick useful for guide and see also references, linking to other strategies in the publication

1 Alphabet on the floor

2 Trust games

3 Trading places

Provide a safe learning environment, e.g. by supplying soft mats for landing.

Choose one of the following:

Back to back: In pairs, A and B stand back to back and link through each others

arms. They then have to sit down and stand up together.

Blindfold find: All members of the group are blindfolded and put in different parts of

the room. They have to link up with each other as quickly as possible. This is made

more difficult if a no talking; rule is imposed.

Sitting circle: In groups of 10 or more, pupils form a circle, all facing clockwise,

and then sit down in the lap of the person behind. If it is done correctly, everyone is

supported by everyone else.

In a large space, lay out some A4 cards on the floor, each one with a letter of the

alphabet written on it, as large as possible (its useful to put P and Q together on the

same card, and XYZ).

Ask the group to stand around, and call out some prompt questions. They must think

for five seconds, then go and place a foot on the initial letter of their answer. Invite

them to tell the others who share their letter what their answer to the prompt question

was, and say a bit about their answer. Usually letters like B, M, R, S or T have most

people on them. Keep it moving: 610 prompts is enough.

Questions (for a focus on spirituality) might include: What makes you feel peaceful?

What is your favourite word? Who do you admire most from history? Whats your

most moving piece of music? How do you feel about God? (one word) What one thing

do you do to save the earth?

Show pupils an image or picture, e.g. a Christian baptism, Muslim men at

prayer in a mosque, a Jewish family celebrating Hanukkah.

Arrange pupils in groups and ask them to reproduce the image or picture, taking the

place of people or characters in the photograph or artwork. As they put themselves in

the position of the characters, facing the same way, using the same expressions, and so

on, ask them what it feels like, and what might be going on in their characters mind

and body. When they have brought the 2D image into 3D l

ife, ask them to fast-forward five minutes

what position would people be in now? What reasons can they give?

12 RE Today Services 2013

Useful for

Useful for

Introducing pupils

to active strategies;

enabling pupils to share some simplefacts or deeper ideas

about themselves;

encouraging whole-

class involvement.

Affirmation13

Post-its54

See also

See also

See also

Developing trust and

collaboration within a

group.

Alphabet on the floor1

Who am I?12

Freeze-frame5

Mystery bag83

Through the keyhole88

Useful forEngaging young children in learning

in RE by using rich,

evocative images of

contemporary religious

belief and practice and

encouraging them to

talk about what they

see.

Strategy

Strategy

Strategy

1 Alphabet on the floor

2 Trust games

3 Trading places

Provide a safe learning environment, e.g. by supplying soft mats for landing.

Choose one of the following:

Back to back: In pairs, A and B stand back to back and link through each others

arms. They then have to sit down and stand up together.

Blindfold find: All members of the group are blindfolded and put in different parts of

the room. They have to link up with each other as quickly as possible. This is made

more difficult if a no talking; rule is imposed.

Sitting circle: In groups of 10 or more, pupils form a circle, all facing clockwise,

and then sit down in the lap of the person behind. If it is done correctly, everyone is

supported by everyone else.

In a large space, lay out some A4 cards on the floor, each one with a letter of the

alphabet written on it, as large as possible (its useful to put P and Q together on the

same card, and XYZ).

Ask the group to stand around, and call out some prompt questions. They must think

for five seconds, then go and place a foot on the initial letter of their answer. Invite

them to tell the others who share their letter what their answer to the prompt question

was, and say a bit about their answer. Usually letters like B, M, R, S or T have most

people on them. Keep it moving: 610 prompts is enough.

Questions (for a focus on spirituality) might include: What makes you feel peaceful?

What is your favourite word? Who do you admire most from history? Whats your

most moving piece of music? How do you feel about God? (one word) What one thing

do you do to save the earth?

Show pupils an image or picture, e.g. a Christian baptism, Muslim men at

prayer in a mosque, a Jewish family celebrating Hanukkah.

Arrange pupils in groups and ask them to reproduce the image or picture, taking the

place of people or characters in the photograph or artwork. As they put themselves in

the position of the characters, facing the same way, using the same expressions, and so

on, ask them what it feels like, and what might be going on in their characters mind

and body. When they have brought the 2D image into 3D l

ife, ask them to fast-forward five minutes

what position would people be in now? What reasons can they give?

12 RE Today Services 2013

Useful for

Useful for

Introducing pupils

to active strategies;

enabling pupils to share some simplefacts or deeper ideas

about themselves;

encouraging whole-

class involvement.

Affirmation13

Post-its54

See also

See also

See also

Developing trust and

collaboration within a

group.

Alphabet on the floor1

Who am I?12

Freeze-frame5

Mystery bag83

Through the keyhole88

Useful forEngaging young children in learning

in RE by using rich,

evocative images of

contemporary religious

belief and practice and

encouraging them to

talk about what they

see.

Strategy

Strategy

Strategy

Visit: shop.retoday.org.uk Email: sales@retoday.org.uk Call: 0121 472 4242

BUY YOUR COPY TODAY!

BESTSELLER!

More religious inspiration than you can shake an incense stick at

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Experts in adventure Passionate about education

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Share a Story with is a partner publication following the success of Say Hello To

An innovative resource using stories to promote the spiritual and moral development of 47s; it includes: an interactive CD-ROM with six short stories from the

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4

Editorial

Know, grow, do!

Lat Blaylocklat@retoday.org.uk

For over 30 years, REtoday magazine has been putting excellent classroom ideas into teachers hands, so that their RE lessons spring and zing with fizz and pzazz. Its not just about froth: we aim in every issue to enable a teacher of RE to know more about religion and belief, and to grow personally and professionally as well as to be able to do their RE lessons well. Im honoured to have been in the editorial chair for the last ten years, and Im especially delighted that in autumn 2014 we have expanded the magazine from 64 to 96 pages per term, and merged with the termly NATRE magazineREsource.

Who writes it?Im very pleased that over the years we have featured some great writing by some top com-mentators on religion and belief, for example from Rowan Williams, the Pope, Desmond Tutu and Jonathan Sacks to Michael Rosen, Gervase Phinn, Victoria Coren and Benjamin Zephaniah. Recently, Ive decided we need a funny take on our subject area, and articles by Marcus Brigstocke, Frank Skinner and (in this issue) Russell Brand may have amused you. But more importantly, I reckon in every issue to publish good examples of classroom practice written by teachers who are doing it every day. These hundreds of teachers are the spine of the magazine and always fill more pages than any other writers. Im immensely grateful to them: I want you to feel ready to get into the classroom every time you browse an issue of REtoday.

A special little tasty issueYou are reading our special taster edition of the new REtoday. We have selected articles to show you the range of what we do, and to encourage you to make sure you see REtoday every term. Our regular sections for the classroom, for subject leaders in RE and for developing professional thinking about RE are all featured in this taster issue: wed love it if you joined the growing number of regular readers, and also if you would like to contribute an article yourself.

Whenever you see this logo throughout the magazine indicates that resources for subscribers are available online. Youll find the password to access these inside each termly issue of REtoday.

Wed love it if you joined the growing number of regular readers.

5

6

I was brought up by a father who made Richard Dawkins look open-minded on the matter of there perhaps being a supreme being.I recall him reducing my sister to tears in an attempt to dislodge her modest-ly held notion that a reclusive god might dwell somewhere in the universe. She was eight years old at the time. If any members of their social circle were discovered to harbour clandestine religious sentiments, my parents would start to regard them with the sort of pity more commonly reserved for those diagnosed with a degenerative disease, and could from then on never be persuaded to take them seriouslyagain.

Christmas was a particular test bed of loy-alties. At its approach, my parents would go into overdrive, stressing the absurdity of all its rituals, art, songs and traditions. My parents werent so cruel as to deny their children presents but to make the point, they insisted on giving them to us in the middle of August. This wasnt a problem. It was rather special, even elect. I went through childhood feeling rather sorry for people vulgar enough to have Christmas trees and advent calendars: hadnt they understood?

In my mid-20s, I underwent a crisis of faithlessness.My feelings of doubt had their origins in listening to Bachs cantatas; they were further developed in the presence of certain Bellini Madonnas, and they became overwhelming with an introduction to Zenarchitecture.

I never wavered in my certainty that God did not exist. I was simply liberated by the thought that there might be a way to engage with religion without having to subscribe to its supernatural content. I recognised that my continuing resistance to theories of an afterlife or of heavenly residents was no justification for giving up on Christianity or indeed on the music, buildings, prayers, rituals, feasts, shrines, pilgrimages, communal meals and illuminated manuscripts of all the faiths.

I have never prayed, and I dont believe in anything supernatural, yet I believe that once faith goes from a society, there are particular dangers that open up.

I simply cant imagine joining a faith that is very foreign to me in terms of my background.I would feel it to be a betrayal of my family. By accepting The Father, Id be going against my father.

The closest I have come to an evangelical Christian is my good friend Luke Bretherton, a wonderful theologian and author ofHospitality As Holiness. He has been a terrif-ic advert for Christianity, not only because of his intellectual energy but also because of his generosity and good humour. He was the first person ever to invite me for a proper Christmas

Why I am not aChristian

service and lunch at his home afterwards, an experience for which Ill be for ever grateful.

I recently attended Mass at Westminster Cathedral and loved it.I was paying par-ticular attention to the issue of status. Here no one asks what anyone else does. It no longer matters who is the bond dealer and who the cleaner. It is the inner values of love and charity rather than the outer attributes of power and money that are venerated. Among Christianitys greatest achievements has been its capacity, without the use of any coercion beyond the gentlest of theological arguments, to persuade monarchs and magnates to kneel down and abase themselves before the statue of a carpenter, and to wash the feet of peas-ants, street sweepers and dispatch drivers.

I recently attended Mass at Westminster Cathedral and loved it.

I have never prayed, and I dont believe in anything supernatural, yet I believe that once faith goes from a society, there are particular dangers that open up.We dont need to fall into these dangers, but they are there and we should be aware of them.

For a start, there is the danger of individu-alism: of placing the human being at the centre stage of everything. Secondly, there is the danger of technological perfectionism: of believing that science and technology can overcome all human problems, that it is just a matter of time before scientists have cured us of the human condition. Thirdly, without God, it is easier to lose perspective: to see our own times as everything, to forget the brevity of the present moment and to cease to appreciate (in a good way) the miniscule nature of our own achievements. And lastly, without God, there can be a danger that the need for empathy and ethical behaviour can be overlooked.

Alain de Botton was born in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1969 and now lives in London. He is a writer of essayistic books that have been described as a philosophy of everyday life, and have been bestsellers in 30 countries. Alain also started and helps to run a school in London called The School of Life. His latest book,Religion for Atheists, is out now. He was talking to Sarah Lothian.

Alain de Bottonalaindebotton.com

Alain de Botton

Opinion

Opinion

7

Religion for Atheists: A Non-Believers Guide to the Uses of Religion by Alain de Botton is vital reading for any teacher of RE who wants to understand the frontier between faith and atheism in Britain today.

The complete seriesequips you with: 270 photocopiable pages

forclassroom use More than 320 classroom

activities Personal refl ections from

young people and interviews with people of diff erent faiths and beliefs

Includes case studies and artwork/photographs to explore as part of learning

Additional specifi c access activities for less able students and challenge activities to stretch the more able

and much moreBuy now!

12 for the price of 10! Questions in RE is a collection of practical and inspiring secondary curriculum resources. Each book provides ready-to-use activities for students aged 1116, exploring questions that ma er to diff erent faiths as well as raises questions of beliefs in compelling ways.

Only 95!

shop.retoday.org.uk Tel: 0121 472 4242 Email: sales@retoday.org.uk Fax: 0121 472 7575

1419

Read this article with your 1419s, and then try some of these learning activities:

How much was Alan influenced by his parents in his belief? How influential do you think parents are on their childrens beliefs? Who do you know who believes something different from their parents? How did that happen?

Should Christians tell children that there is such a personas Father Christmas?

Do you think religion helps society, as Alan suggests? Why? Why not? Can a society exist peacefully/harmoniously without any belief system?

What do you think would be the effect on the world if there were no religion at all?

What would a world without religion mean for you?

How far do you think de Bottons positive reaction to his experiences of Christianity might reveal a longing for something like it in his life?

Alain toys with the idea of engaging with religion if only he could do so without having to subscribe to its supernatural content. How far do you think that might be possible?

This article is reprinted by kind permission of Christianity magazine, April 2012.

8

Opinion

The power of religious words Julie Grove, of the REtoday Editorial Team, looks at an approach to words that change the world from different religions.

Many proverbs capture the essence of a truth universally understood, but that cannot be said for the often-quoted: Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me. Words do indeed have the potential to hurt in ways more profound than the physical. When they are religious in origin they also have the power to shape lives, to promulgate a given orthodoxy and to endorse or condemn practice. In the classroom such words can be used to give insights into the way words influence the lives of believers.

Context Classroom Learning

Bism

illah

The word is a conflation of two Arabic words: Bismi means in the name of and llah is an abbreviated form of Allah. It is a proclamation, declaring that what follows comes with all the power and authority of God. Every recitation from the Quran begins with the Arabic words: Bismillah Rachmani Rachim: in the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful . . .

In some cultures young Muslim children celebrate with a Bismillah party when they begin to learn Arabic at mosque school, as recognition that they are be-ginning their learning of the Quran, the book which will profoundly influence their lives.

After making due and deliberate preparations, show pupils a beautifully illustrated Quran and invite their reactions. Explain that the patterns are words, beautifully written and, for some people, holy because they are about God. Tell pupils some people know all the words off by heart and talk about what that phrase means.

Introduce the words Muslim and Quran, explaining how children sometimes have a party when they are just four years old to mark the time when they start to learn these words, so that they can have them in their heads all the time. Explain it is called a Bismillah party because those are the first words in the book and the first ones to be learned. Show pupils the Arabic letters and find them in the Quran.

Invite children to talk about words they know and their favourite books. Ask them what they like to learn and how they celebrate their learning.

Suggested age group: 45 years.

For pupils to: know that words

about God are impor-tant to some people

begin to understand that the Quran is precious and learning its words is important to many Muslim children

reflect on how they celebrate their grow-ing up/their learning.

9

Opinion

Context Classroom Learning

Ik O

nkar

These are Punjabi words translated as There is only one God, visually repre-sented in a stylised form of Gurmukhi script as a symbol which has enormous spiritual significance for Sikhs.

The words open the first hymn com-posed by Guru Nanak which has become a universal prayer for Sikhs called the Mool Mantra. They express the essence of a Sikhs belief and introduce every chapter of Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book.

Introduce the symbol and invite discussion about it before showing pupils the Gurmukhi text of the Mool Mantra and inviting them to find this shape and explaining what it means. Talk about its importance as a visual reminder to Sikhs of what they believe about God. Encourage pupils to explore the ideas expressed in the prayer and invite them to add their own thoughts about God, whatever they might be. Explain the origin of the words and their use today, emphasising how Sikhs believe they link them to their beloved Guru.

This can be developed through one of the traditional sto-ries about Nanak, thinking about how he is remembered and revered, or in an exploration of the Sikh kara, another concrete representation of Sikh belief in one God.

Suggested age group: 57 years.

For pupils to: know that Sikhs

believe in one God understand some-

thing of the power of words and symbols to influence a persons life

reflect on their own ideas of what God might be like.

Aum

/Om

Aum, pronounced Om, is both a visual and an auditory symbol. The sound of the word is used by Hindus as a mantra, repeated many times, to concentrate their minds and raise their spiritual awareness. It is considered a most sacred and auspicious sound, an echo of Shivas drum, beating the rhythm of the dance of creation and expressing the essence of the faith.

In its visual form it has three parts, representing different elements of the faith: birth, life and death; past, present and future; masculine, feminine and neuter forms of life; and it says of God, there is Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer.

Begin by playing a recording of the Om being chanted. It may be necessary to prepare pupils first by giving them a series of questions to focus their listening and then talk about the sound and how it made them feel. Explain its use and purpose and what it represents to Hindus. Invite them to imagine the sounds of creation.

Introduce the word in its visual, preferably three di-mensional, symbolic form and talk about the ideas it represents.

Invite a Hindu into the classroom to talk about the signif-icance of the shape and to explore some of its symbolism in ordinary life.

This can be developed through exploration of the figure of Shiva Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance, using the tradition-al story to interpret the imagery and raise issues about good and evil, life and death and belief in God.

Suggested age group: 711 years.

For pupils to: know that words

can take many forms and carry meaning in different ways

understand that for Hindus the divine can be expressed in the sound of a word

reflect on the sounds that make up their world.

Other words that could be given this sort of treatment just as profitably include: I am the Resurrection and the Life; the Shahadah; God is Love; the Shema; and many more!

10

Opinion

Why Richard Dawkins is the best argument for the existence of GodRussell Brand, comedian and bestselling author, takes a view ontherealityofGod.

This article (at last) gives me the opportunity to prove the existence of God. You may think me unqualified for a task that has baffled the finest theologians, philosophers and physicists since the dawn of time, but dont worry, Ive been unqualified for every job Ive ever em-barked on, from learning to drive to working as a postman for the Royal Mail, and both these quests were successfully completed, aside from a few broken wing mirrors and stolen letters. So, unlike the Christmas money of the residents of Ockendon, Essex, youre in good hands.

Atheists are all about us, sermonising from the godless pulpit on the benefits of their anti-faith with some pretty good arguments like, oh I dunno, evolution and oddly, I think, given the stated nature of their motives being incredibly reductive in their line and manipulative in their targets.

Zero fun and too much mentalI once had the pleasure of talking to the brilliant Richard Dawkins, who has been called the Abu Hamza of atheism. (It was me who called him it, just then.) In his remark-able documentary The Genius of Charles Darwin, the professor excellently relayed the information within his heros On the Origin of Species, gave us some key information from his own masterpiece The Selfish Gene (which I only read because I took it to be an unsanctioned biography of the Kiss bassist Gene Simmons) and set about unravelling religion and spirituality with the adorable fervour of the Andrex puppy making off with some scriptural lavvy paper. Choice among Dawkinss targets were the kind of daft haporths were accustomed to tolerating on our telly: low-browed creationists gurgling

up Genesis like (forbidden) apple chutney and knee-jerk fundamentalists, who are always zero fun and far too muchmental.

Who could fail to concur with Dawkinss erudite dismissal of these hapless saps? No one. I have Dawkins to thank for my own understanding of the fantastic discovery that is evolution; his passion and expertise in this documentary hugely enhanced my knowl-edge and illuminated what for many spiritual people can be a difficult subject.

It is only in his absolute renunciation of God that the professor and I part company and, heaven knows, Id understand if you wanted to join his party. In almost any expedition in which the rival guides were myself and Richard Dawkins, I wouldnt be surprised to find myself pulverised by the converted horde stampeding towards the professor.

However, its not just swivel-eyed haters and mad mullahs who live a religious life, and to condemn all religion and spirituality on the basis of their slack-jawed, knee-jerk saliva-flecked vitriol (spit-triol?) is as unfair as the simplified dogma that the choir of pious atheists harmonise against. Gandhi, as I recall, was quite a religious man. St Francis of Assisi was a straight-up believer. And while the tenets of Buddhism are varied on the notion of God, the creator, I think it would be fair to describe the Dalai Lama as a spiritual chap. I dont see atheists queuing up to call the Dalai Lama a dickhead. These are the examples to which we should turn when questioning the existence of a power beyond man. Not Glenn Beck or some other capillary blob on Fox News.

Dawkins, the patron saint of atheists, would say that all religions are simply wrong a baffled blanket of cosy lies to warm dopes into snug compliance; unproven ideologies based on faith. I think God exists beyond the current reach of science, that one day our fast-evolving minds will know God empirically as they do now only intuitively. That the mystical will become physical.

Galileo Galilei, the man credited with being the first to point a telescope skyward (all previous users had presumably been Renaissance peeping Toms), speculated that heliocentrism was viable: that the earth likely circled the sun. He was imprisoned for this observation, which, viewed retrospectively (through my invention, the retro-speculars), seems unfair. He was, after all, correct. Evidently the persecution of scientists by religion has irked the members of that community but I think that the theoretical annihilation of God is a reprisal too far.

We must, on both sides of the debate, show compassion. I, for example, have overlooked the bald fact that Galileos parents gave him a bloody stupid first name considering their surname was Galilei. Galileo Galilei. He would have gone through hell at my school, not for being a heliocentric heretic but for being a ri-diculously titled child. We already had another lad in my year called David Dave (honestly) so his problem wouldnt have even been original.

Religion has rightly been cited as the cause of much suffering and conflict, way beyond what ol star-gazing two names went through with his prison stretch and forced retraction. Plus the Pope (I think it was Pope Benedict Benedicto) recently pardoned GG, so let it go.

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Opinion

A croissant conflictIt has been said that man is never more vehement in killing his brother than when it is in Gods name; perhaps thats true, but we hu-mans can seek out conflict in any situation. My last serious argument was about a croissant. It had been placed in the fridge beneath a meat product and could have been contaminated by dripping. If Id had a sword on me I would have happily carried out a jihad in the kitchen and Im a vegetarian. It is our nature to quarrel and fight just as it is to inquire and to empathise.

Frankly I think atheism is a commodity we cannot currently afford. No atheists on a sink-ing ship, they say, and a quick glance out the porthole reveals icebergs aplenty, but Im not suggesting God as some demented alternative to desperation no, this is a phenomenon that touches my life every day.

Through transcendental meditation, twice daily I feel the bliss of the divine. Through the mental repetition of a mantra, eventually my

chattering monkey mind recedes, gently ban-ishing concerns of the past and drawing the inner eye away from speculation and want. I connect to a boundless consciousness that has no palpable relationship with my thoughts, fears or desires. In this impersonal state of awareness I recognise that consciousness exists beyond time, beyond the individual. There was a time when the universe did not exist; this we know. We also know that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. This means that something, not nothing, existed before the universe. We do not know what, but there is wonder and intelligence enough to suggest that design may have been acomponent.

Could a witless miasma of molecules and dust ever have created anything as ingenious and incredible as Richard Dawkins? I dont think so, but Im prepared to listen and tolerate any theories and arguments, a concerto of contem-plation, a requiem of speculation, to divert us till we know the truth.

This article first appeared in the New Statesman (7 April 2011). Reproduced bypermission.

Bestselling author and comedian Russell Brands Booky Wook 2: This Time Its Personal is published by HarperCollins.

1419

Read this article with your 1419s, and then try some of these learning activities:

If they interviewed Brand, what would they ask? Share the questions.

Invite some of them to read a section aloud in the style of Brand, or someone else (there is fun here)!

Who can teach us about the likelihood of God would Brand or Dawkins be better qualified?

Who would the class like to meet Brand or Dawkins? Why?

How would an atheist respond to Brands attack on the idea of no God?

Through transcendental meditation, twice daily I feelthe bliss ofthedivine

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Opinion

Jonathan Sackswww.rabbisacks.org

If God exists, Bertrand Russell used to say, then He has written a detective story with all the clues pointing the wrong way.

I understand what he means. Somehow you feel that the biggest thing there is ought to be visible in some way, demonstrable, provable. Why, if God is there, is He so elusive? It is a good question. Even better, because it is so subtle, is the Bibles answer. The prophet Elijah, one of natures zealots, has decided to confront the false prophets of Baal. He sum-mons them to Mount Carmel and proposes a simple test. Let us both prepare sacrifices, he says, and call on our deity and see who answers. The God who sends fire is the God who exists.

God is the music of all that lives, but there are times when all we hear isnoise.

It is or so it seems the perfect test, and one of which Russell, the great philosopher, would surely have approved. It is a scientific experiment, a controlled trial. It satisfies even the most rigorous demands of logical positivism. Elijah is about to see whether, once and for all, he can prove that God exists. The event proceeds. The Baal prophets prepare their offering and call on their god. Nothing

happens. They intensify their devotions. Still nothing. They begin to work themselves into a frenzy, goring and lacerating themselves. Not a spark. Elijah for once cannot resist a touch of humour. Cry louder. Maybe your god is having a sleep. Eventually they give up, defeated.

Elijah, with the confidence of the true believ-er, says a few words of prayer, and fire de-scends. QED. The assembled Israelites, awed and convinced, cry out, The Lord is God, the Lord is God. End of episode but not quite. The Bible is anything but a simple-minded book. The trial is the end of Elijahs encounter with the false prophets, but it is not even the beginning of his encounter with God. Unpopular with the powers that be for his treatment of what has become the court religion, a warrant is out for his arrest. He hides. Eventually he finds himself on Mount Horeb, another name for Mount Sinai where, centuries before, the Israelites had received their great revelation of God. There, the following famous scene takes place.

God tells Elijah to stand on the mountain, for the Lord is about to pass by. Suddenly there is a great and powerful wind that tears the mountains apart and shatters the rocks. But God is not in the wind. Then there is an earthquake. But God is not in the earthquake. Then there is a fire. But God is not in the fire. After the fire comes a still, small voice. God is in that voice.

There are many ways of translating the Hebrew phrase for a still, small voice. Some prefer a gentle whisper. Others, more accurate to the original, render it the sound of a fine silence. My own interpretation is different. What is a still, small voice? It is a sound that you can only hear if you arelistening.

I suspect that what God was saying to Elijah was this: Your trial was based on error. The prophets of Baal believe that God is power. You showed them that I am a greater power. Perhaps so, but that is not what I am. The idea that God is power is pagan. God does not impose Himself on his image, mankind. On the contrary, God like a true parent creates space for His children to grow. He is always there, but only if we seek Him. His word is ever present, but only if we listen. Otherwise we do not hear it at all.

God is the music of all that lives, but there are times when all we hear is noise. The true religious challenge is to ignore the noise and focus on the music. The great command of the Bible, Shema Yisrael, does not mean, Hear, O Israel. It means, Listen. Listening, we hear. Searching, we find.

Originally published with lots more examples of such reflection in Jonathan Sacks book about happiness Celebrating Life: Finding Happiness in Unexpected Places (Continuum Compact, 2006).

The voice ofsilenceJonathan Sacks, formerly Chief Rabbi, considers theexample of Elijah, and prayer as listening.

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Clarity, not confusionWere teaching small children about many religions, and we dont want to spread confusion, so we have

been trying to find ways to handle the diversity. The dolls are introduced

very carefully, and one at a time. I started with the Christian doll Sally. A

Christian family with a child in reception class were given the doll to take home for a weekend. The family took Sally to their church on Sunday and took photographs of her taking part. We showed the pictures to everyone, and Sally talked about going to the church.

At the end of another session about what Christians like to do I explained that Sally had a friend she would like the children to meet. The following session I brought in Sally with her friend Avi, our Jewish

persona doll. I explained that Avi has some of the same stories in his special book as in Sallys Bible.

By bringing in the dolls for the first time, with a few weeks between, and comparing, for ex-ample, what Sally likes to do with what Avi likes to do, the children are not confused. In each session I refer to some of the friends of

Using persona dolls at William Law School Peterborough

Julia Blower has made a lot of difference to her RE for 45 year olds using some persona dolls. A persona doll can enable all sorts of real-life storytelling, learning about family, festival and community. Here, Julia tells you how you could dothe same.

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the doll for the children in reception to work out similarities and differences. Of course the less able are not expected to remember all the dolls preferences but they do realise that different people like to have and do different things. They also begin to see things the same for some or all the dolls.

Four religions in schoolWe have Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and Christian children in our school and they are all are very pleased to have a doll at their home for a while. Older siblings and parents enjoyed joining in with the naming ceremonies. Our Jewish friend of the school helped choose the name for the Jewish doll since we do not have a Jewish family at school.

After a circle time as a whole class, meeting the doll and looking at his/her special things, I sit at one table in the reception class with the doll and some artefacts. The children then come independently to the table to ask the doll questions, usually choosing to draw a picture of the doll or an artefact. The presence of the doll stimulates questioning from the children, including some higher-order and very thought-ful questions. It encourages children from a faith group to share experiences from home and from their place of worship. Children enjoy hearing stories that are loved by the doll.

Making enquiry into religion morelikelySimply carrying the dolls around school invites enquiry from both staff and children. Taking the dolls on visits shows adults at lo-cal places of worship how I teach very young children about main world faiths. Hosts at a gurdwara made a new bandana for our Sikh doll during a school visit. The visit makes places of worship very real to reception children when they see their doll in photos on visits, sometimes with older siblings.

Visits to places of worship for the dolls are in the spring and summer terms, when reception can then see photos of theirdolls at a mosque, mandir, gurdwaraor at two very different churches. (We do not have a synagogue in Peterborough: the small Jewish communities meet in borrowed premises.)

Respect for all through friendlinessSmuggling respect for all often takes place, as the children see the dolls as friends with one another. They can sit and link arms with

each other. Children learn peoples preferences in each religion in a fun way. They love the size of the dolls, some reception children being not much taller than the dolls! Parents have found the dolls appealing to the children. Reception children talk about the dolls at home. Parents then ask their child questions.

In our school Sally made a good link between the school and church by going along to the church holiday club in August. Some of our reception children attended the club.

With the new reception children I have been using the festivals of Eid-al-Adha, Diwali and Hanukkah to introduce the Muslim, Hindu and Jewish dolls. Humza came to reception first, with special things he likes to use when it is Eid al-Adha. On the nearest date to Diwali Anjali camein to the clasroom with Humza, so that Humza could introduce his friend Anjali. Similarly Avi, the Jewish doll, came in with Anjali and Humza so that the children could see what good friends they are with each other. The dolls can be sat down linking arms, then the children like to link arms witha friend.

The children have enjoyed discovering things that are the same for the three dolls, for example praying, going to a special building, having presents at a festival time. We have also taught them to notice what is different for each doll, such as bowing down to pray, needing a prayer mat, a prayer cap. Boys like totry ona kippah just like Avis.

Each doll has taught the classes a song about the festival being celebrated. Letters have been sent to the dolls (written by the class teacher) as part of the childrens literacy programme. I keep revisiting what each doll has shared with the children.

In early December, Sally (the Christian doll) comes into a lesson with Avi. Avi will intro-duce Sally then Sally will tell the children why and how she celebrates Christmas. I also use short film clips from the Festivals DVDs (available from RE Today), to reinforce, deepen or follow up the sessions of doll work. When children were learning about Jewish festivals, the Jewish doll Avi brought in 90 chocolate coins, one each for the 90 pupils in reception. He showed us his dreidels, which every child enjoyed spinning.

Worth it? Recommended?These dolls are expensive but well made, so worth saving up for. I would recommend approaching the parentteacher association of a school to ask for help with funding the purchase of the dolls.

Id really recommend the dolls to others because using persona dolls dressed in both their school uniform and clothes related to their faith instantly engages our Early Years children in RE. The children want to find out about everything the doll has brought to show them, for example the 5Ks on the Sikh doll; a greggar; a Muslim childs prayer mat; a glove puppet of Ganesh; a CD of songs for young Christian children. Children get less confused between the faith groups because they have a particular doll as a means of remembering something about each faith.

Julia Blower is RE Co-ordinator at William Law CE Primary School, Peterborough

Persona dolls can be any doll butthereare good ones for sale for about 40www.articlesoffaith.co.uk

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Claire Rivers, Head Teacher at St Marks School, Hadlow Down, East Sussex, gets usstarted:The new Early Years guidance from the Department for Education, Development Matters (2013) has play as a one of the key areas in the Characteristics of Effective Learning and I believe it is through play that children make sense of the world in which they live, starting with the known and mov-ing into exploration of the unknown. In my teaching and leading of RE I have encouraged that approach regardless of age to begin with the known and move into the unknown in order to make good connections in learning and to ensure there is understanding. Play enables multisensory experiences and high quality personalisedlearning.

How to make RE more playful for young learners: tenideas We asked some of the best primary RE practitioners we know about play in RE. Do we need more playful RE? How can we make sure there is good religious content to very open-ended learning? Are children expert in play, and if so, do we make enough of that expertise? Which three of these might you try? Are there some youd never do?

Through role play, children can explore relationships, cultures, faiths and attitudes

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Through role play, children can explore relationships, cultures, faiths and attitudes key themes in RE. By playing collaboratively and co-operatively, with expert adult interaction, children will develop respect, a set of values and communication skills.

Claire gave us the first of our ten practical ideas for playful RE too:

1 Making dens is always fun: Sukkothatschool At Harvest time the children were able to explore natural materials and construction through the building of Sukkahs. The range of designs varied greatly and some were more successful than others, but learning through playing is all about experimentation, making connections, negotiating with others, discussion and questioning.

I am always delighted when children ask questions, challenge and are prepared to listen to the views of others, which play opportunities provide. I have found that the role of the adults working with the children in their play is of key importance as they will help to take the play forward through expert interaction, questioning and challenge.

Duplo: the House on the Rock Lego:making temples

Rebecca works at St Chads Primary School, Bishop Auckland, and her headteacher Dominic Brown sent this example of her playful RE:

Rebeccas a great fan of using Small World figures and environments for children to

re-enact aspects of the stories from the gospels and some parables of Jesus. The children are able to role-play, use voices, create dialogue, and basically this helps them to empathise more strongly with the characters/dilemmas in the stories. Rebeccas keen on play-based RE because of the fact that the learning isnt didactic and is more informal: the children can run with it, explore it, extend and expand it as its dealing with people and situations rather than impreciseconcepts.

Were fond of Lego also! Children worked to-gether to build the Temple for Jesus to throw out the moneylenders! Younger ones have been building Duplo houses for the House on the Rock parable.

Divali in the forest, with marshmallows

Our 78 year olds have just completed a learning journey based on Festivals of Light and most of their learning was play based, giving the children the opportunity to play with and explore stories, cookery, art and crafts and poetry.

As with all outstanding personalised learning, which I see as a tree, the staff plan the trunk of the tree, which is displayed for children to see, and the children are encour-aged to take the learning off into their own branches.

The children planned independently a special celebration to be shared with parents, carers and friends which was to be held in our own SMILE (St Marks Ideal Learning Environment

named by a child) Meadow. Its an acre and three quarters of meadow, woods and stream. The Meadow was to be lit with individually designed diva lamps, with a bonfire, toasted marshmallows and hot chocolate, and with poetry readings linked to movement.

I love it when RE is shared with the communi-ty in this way, when the power of nature and aesthetic experience linked to the play of the children bring us all together in a very special way which more formal RE would never do.

School twinning with a playful RE dimension: rules and justice

Dominic also reports:

Weve had a big whole school Fair Play project with our partner school in Tanzania. Children from County Durham have been sharing our playground games and thinking about rules and justice.

When our visit to their school took place, we saw what they do at play times: the children took part in different activities. Wed been able to send them some footballs, and when we had shown the children how to pump them up then much to the childrens delight we organised a football match with medals be-ing given to the winning team. Other children played games and sang songs together.

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For the classroom

The small world Nativity

Donna Nagy works at Canon Evans CE Infant School, Bedworth, in Warwickshire. She has been playing around as well:

Children did a Small World play session in a builders tray, to model the Nativity. Over the years weve used a variety of things for the characters. One year we had Duplo figures for the characters in the story, another time we made dolly pegs into Mary, Joseph, an innkeeper, shepherds and wise men, with the children choosing swatches of fabric for the clothes, and drawing faces with permanent markers. We used sand, gravel and the stones that go in fish tanks for the terrain. The stable was easy to make from some boxes. The chil-dren chose touse lollypop sticks for sheep pens!

We regularly do small world for other aspects of the life of Jesus. We have had gospel small world versions of Jesus in the wilderness, Palm Sunday, Good Friday and rising from the dead.

A role-play church

Donna continues:

After exploring All Saints Church in Bedworth we have both indoor and outdoor role-play areas as a church. This area really takes off

after weve had an enactment of awedding and baptism for our reception children, as the children then act out their experiences in therole-play area.Over the years weve been doing this,children haveacted out Christmas and Easterservices which weattend atAll Saints, and Sunday School experiencesaswell.

Baskets of propsaregood: the children usethese todevelop their play.Among things weve found children playing with areBibles and crosses in dens (Its a church. Its a quiet place to talk to God.). Once, I noticed the chil-dren wading acrossa large piece ofbluefabric, escaping from Pharaohs armies! We need more play-based RE: as well as promoting RE, play develops personal and social skills andcom-munication skills includingexpandingvocabu-lary. Most of all play is fun!

Story sacks of key stories: take them home and talk about God at home!

Deborah Boldero, from Cawston VC Primary School in Norfolk, suggested these playfulideas.

Were not claiming these ideas are original, but they areworkable. We like using Godly Play: story sacks with characters and artefactsabout the book, and wondering ques-tions to keep children thinking. Our newest one in reception isThe Lion and St Andrew.In the story sack there is a lion, a map, a purse, a miniature harp, and some postcards.

One thing that works well is that the children takethese sacks home to share with parents and re-enact the story using the prompts. This is a way of reinforcing the message through the relaxed medium of storytelling. Many Bible stories lend themselves to this technique, though it needs preparation to collect the items. We think these could be developed into drama and role play in class, when the sacks are available for child-led learningopportunities.

Clay crosses and playdough fonts

We make fun use of modelling materials to recreate artefacts, e.g. from our church visit, making a playdough font. It is an easier medi-um for young children to make things that look realistic, which they enjoy. Being tactile and physical makes the learning morememorable.

Construction kits can also be used, for example making a stable, building an ark.

Ed: Why not a playdough Seven Days of Creation or Visit to the Gurdwara or Three scenes from the Parable of the LostSheep?

Dress the doll, take the faith story

We like dressing dolls we have made out of pipe-cleaner or peg dolls. We help children to make cut-out clothes to create characters from faith stories. Its good to see how this enables children to practise and improvise language in informal settings, with others.

These play-based activities are good because of their informality and adaptability to the level and interests of the children. Because they are fluid they can be replayed many times, thereby reinforcing the potential learning. We like the idea of more play-based learning, in any subject: it must be good when the children are less aware of the pressure to achieve and the enjoyment factor is high.

Rough and tumble in RE: wrestling play

The Editor comments: Is there any reception class teacher who is brave or stupid enough to notice and build a lesson from the presence of wrestling in faith stories? Jacob wrestles with an angel, Sumo wrestling begins in Shinto tradition, Saint Paul says we wrestle with an unseen enemy. Theres an Hadith of the Prophet about Muhammad wrestling for sport (he won). Would it be good to plan somecontrolled wrestling, not least becauseboys loveto wrestle?

Use a mat, agree the rules and watch carefully to make sure anger doesnt overwhelm fun. Then think about why wrestling is like getting tempted to do a bad thing, or like trying to find out the truth. Goon. I dare you!

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Thanks to Deborah, Donna, Dominic, Rebecca, and Claire for all these ideas. Why is play important for young childrens RE? What makes a playful classroom in RE work well? Do you have some more? Send them in to the Editor, lat@retoday.org.uk Send your complaints about suggestion 10 to the Editor as well.

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New and cool communication tools like Twitter always invite application to old and significant stories. Heres a lesson idea that is adaptable to any big story in a faith, and fun to do, but also really makes pupils think about the action, characters and meanings of stories.

Ask the class to think about the story of Holy Week and Easter, and retell the story in eight 140-character tweets from Simon Peters point of view, or ask pupils tackling the Diwali story to do eight tweets from Sita at key moments in the story. Working in pairs is probably more creative than trying this alone.

To get the idea clear and the pupils going, opposite are some tweets from Moses Twitter feed. Cut them out and give a set of cards to pairs. Pupils might put them in order, and suggest a couple more before they do some of their own in relation to another story. To make it simpler, give them 4, 6 or 8 moments in the story from which to tweet, but to make it more challenging

The approach to story is fun, as the illustrations on the right show. It would often be good to ask the pupils to tweet from a peripheral character rather than the central character. If you want some variety of interpretation, then get the pupils to plan the tweets of different characters in the story for Holy Week and Easter, for example, they could do Judas, Pilate, the centurion, Mary Magdalene and Joseph of Arimathea. For the Christmas story, how about Herod, the innkeeper, a shepherd, Mary, a wise man and the Angel Gabriel?

Any well-known faith story might be suited to this activity: Good Samaritan / Life of Gandhi / Jonah / Diwali / Prodigal Son / Life of the Buddha / Christmas.

Challenge the children to draft and redraft their tweets: can they make them funnier? Deeper? More thoughtful? Cleverer?

If Peter was a tweeter, then what would Peter tweet?If Sita was a tweeter, then what would Sita tweet?

Moses @mosesretoday

Bulrushes and the smell of tar always make me think of my @sister, my mum and the @Princess. Theyre sweet to me!

8hr

1,000,000,000 1,365,124,003RETWEETS FAVOURITES

Moses @mosesretoday

Growing up at the palace makes me feel like the fresh prince of the Nile. My (not so) secret plan: to be Pharaoh.

4hr

Moses @mosesretoday

Painted doorposts with blood. Ate roast lamb supper. Bread rather flat, but now we wait in hope, listening. How do angels sound?

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Moses @mosesretoday

@Pharaoh: heart like a stone. Will crack with frogs, blood river, dead cows and all. Let the people go, #Rameses, you old fascist!

2hr

Moses @mosesretoday

Youve got to be kidding us, God. Sea rolled back, slaves all safe. Egyptians all trying to swim home. Promised Land here we come! #Promised Land

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Moses @mosesretoday

They say that if you know where the bodies are buried, then you are a danger to the government. I do, but Im running for the desert.

7hr

Tweets

To get the idea clear and the pupils going, here are some tweets from Moses Twitter feed. Cut them out and give a set of cards to pairs.

Moses @mosesretoday

Bush that burns and talks? Stick turn-ing into snake? Am going crazy today. Actually Ive never been saner. Off back to Egypt.

3hr

Moses @mosesretoday

Leading crowd of slaves to the beach. Egyptians chasing. Its Pharaoh-Devil or the deep red sea. #Wish Id never listened to the bush.

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Good questions to ask, and what answers are we looking for?

We all know we can improve our questioning technique in the classroom, but we all need to focus on this from time to time. Imagine any topic in RE where pupils are gathering facts and understanding about particular religious belief, practice and ways of living.

Are there questions (maybe generic) that teachers can keep on asking which enable pupils to develop increasing insight and discernment. Here the RE Today Advisers and the Editorial Team propose some age-related, progressed questions that might help any teacher to push and probe childrens understanding, and enable next steps through thoughtful conversation. Dont be scared of thinking time always allow 15 seconds thinking time for pupils. Dont be afraid to take risks, and always plan a few teaser, quirky questions. They can get the ideas flowing in your pupilstalk.

What other topics can you think of that would make use of the question stems above? It might not be a bad idea to copy this sheet, stick it on the classroom wall and tick off all the questions as you use them. Or you could give the left-hand column to pupils to use in discussion groups make one of them the questioner and three or four others the respondents. Take turns.

Feedback from this article is very welcome contact the Editor on lat@retoday.org.uk

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Useful question stems typical for this age Stimulus and activity on prayer

For 5

7 y

ear o

lds:

Can you remember ...? What did you notice about ...? What did you like about ...? What would you like to ask about ...? Did you learn a new word? What did it mean?

Can you put it in a sentence? What are your ideas about ...? What is this a bit like?

Ask pupils to listen to some funny made-up prayers, and guess who might have said them. Keep them short. I want to go to infinity and beyond, but Im plastic, is Buzz Lightyears prayer. Whose is this? God, I am missing two pandas and one gazelle. Help!? Make up some more, including some for people at your school dining staff, crossing patrol, headteacher, and so on. Then ask the questions. (Itwas Noahsprayer.)

For 7

9 y

ear o

lds:

Use some of the questions above, and also try these: Why do these people ...? Do you think this is similar to ...? I wonder: (say what you wonder, and leave a pause

count 7 seconds. Hands will go up!) Is there another (maybe deeper) meaning to this ...? What matters most here? Does this connect up to ... how? Did you learn something about ideas to do with God

... (or another big concept)?

Make a large flashcard with Answered Prayer written on it. Have a little prefix that says Un- as well. Tell pupils that many people pray in trouble if they are ill, hurt, short of money, lonely, sad or upset. Give some ex-amples, and ask for more. The discussion using the prompts to the left can then be about answered and unanswered prayer what is an answer like? Does unanswered prayer mean prayer doesnt work? Pupils could write prayers on behalf of some people they know in the news or personally who have troubles. They could select photos from newspapers, and write the prayer of a person in the picture. This makes a great classroom display.

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Use some of the questions above, and also try these: Can you explain what Muslims/Hindus/Christians

believe about ...? Can you explain what you think about ...? What bit of this did you not understand ...? What other ideas do you know about this ...? Can you explain what you mean by ...? Have you got a good hard question to ask

aboutthis ...?

Put a range of short texts of prayers around the room. It is good to stick these in the centre of large sheets of paper. Ask pupils to go from table to table and read them all. They should annotate the sheets with comments: Ilike this one because ... or I dont like this one because ... The skill of giving simple reasons is developed here. Work with the whole class next, using the question stems to the left to open up what the pupils have been thinking about. Consider whether prayer for Hindus, Christians and Muslims is the same or different, and in whatways.

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s:

Use some of the questions above, and also try these: What if ...? (speculate) Can you give two reasons for ...? Why do some people disagree with you, do

youthink? What evidence is there for ...? Who thinks the opposite of this ...? What do you think is the main thing here ...? How would those who disagree with you argue ...?

The Lords Prayer: what is the evidence that this prayer came from Jesus, as Christians believe? Is there something valuable about the fact that Christians all say this in their own languages? Does that unify people? Ask pupils to write their own simplified version of the Lords Prayer for 7-year-olds.

For people who dont believe in prayer, are there words that would still be worth saying every day? Make your version of a 10-line daily text to keep saying often, to shape your life.

What if every line of the Lords Prayer was answered, or came true? How would your town change, and how would the world change?

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Use some of the questions above, and also try these: Can you explain another viewpoint of ...? What helps you to make sense of ...? What arguments would support ...? How would you weigh up the oppositions

arguments onthis ...? How can you come to a conclusion about ...? What would a psychologist say about this? What would a philosopher say about this? What would a bishop say about this? What would an atheist say about this?

Does prayer cause arguments? It surely should do!

Can you explain why believers like to call on God? Bad religion: notice that some people who run corrupt forms of religion use the name of God. Is this prayer? How might the Almighty feel about that?

Andrew Copsons article in REtoday, Summer 2014, p.30, is good raw material to start an argument.

A nurse has been in trouble this year for offering to pray for her patients. She sees it as a simple expression of care: what might be wrong with that?

For the classroom

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For the classroomFor the classroom

Bishop Victoria was one of the first Anglican women to become a bishop in 1994, in Canada. She moved to New Zealand to be Bishop of Christchurch in 2008 just before the earthquakes there. She shares some of her ideas with RS students in this interview.

What led to you becoming a priest? When I was about 15 years old I was an unhappy teenager. I recognise now that this is quite common but at the time it was painful. My mother died when I was 13 and my father had remarried. I was lying in bed one night pondering life and all its unfairness when I heard a voice that said, You are my beloved and I will never leave you or forsake you. And you will be my priest. There was

God and earthquakes? Cancer recovery? Women bishops? Learn from a Christian pioneer for GCSE and StandardGrade RS

Bishop Victoria Mathewswww.anglicanlife.org.nz/Our-Bishop

absolutely no question that the voice was Jesus, and I knew that at that moment my life had changed for ever. The Anglican Church of Canada would not ordain women to the priesthood for seven more years (30 November 1976) and somehow I knew if I shared what I heard from God, I would be the laughing stock of family and friends. Thus, with God-granted wisdom, I kept my calling to myself until I was in the last year of my undergraduate degree.

What would you have planned for your life when you were 15 years old?I have to say that had God not intervened I would not have ever imagined myself in the public arena. I was painfully shy and quite introverted. It needed something I was passionate about to draw me out of myself. Prior to my vocational experience my calling by God I imagined myself perhaps teaching in a school like the one I attended. But now I spend a lot of time telling young women that they set their sights too low. We so easily underestimate the gifts that God has given us.

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For the classroom

And what was it like to be one of the first women to become abishop?It was 12 February 1994 when I was consecrated the first woman bishop in Canada. I was the fifth in the world. Those ahead of me have now all retired. I can honestly say I have never been so scared in my life. I only let my name go forward because others, women and bishops primarily, asked that I let my name be considered. It was an incredible leap of faith and I was sure I would be a huge failure. But the Church that asked me to dare continued to support me. Then in 1997 I was asked to become the Diocesan Bishop of Edmonton which was again a first for Canada. In Edmonton I was the sole bishop in the diocese. From 1994 to 1997 I was the Suffragan Bishop in Toronto, a very large diocese with five bishops.

Christian scripture says humanity is made in the image of God. How, for you, does that apply to genderequality?Scripture has more than one creation story. Genesis 1:26-27 says that God first created an earth creature from which man and woman were made. It is this creation that was and is made in the image and likeness of God. Unfortunately the Hebrew for earthling is often translated man so it sounds as if the human female was a derivation or lesser creature than the human male. But that is not what the Bible says. Men and women are created equal by God.

It was 12 February 1994 when I was consecrated the first woman bishop in Canada. I was the fifth in the world.

For the classroom

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Two years after you moved to Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2008, there were dreadful earthquakes in the city. What did this experience teach you?In 2004 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a bi-lateral (both breasts) radical mastectomy. Then followed chemotherapy. At the end of that process I knew what Paul says in Philippians 1:21 is true: For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. So in 2010 and 2011, when a number of large earthquakes hit Christchurch and we suffered through 12,000 aftershocks, I knew full well that I could die in the earthquakes. Many did. But whether I lived or died, I would have Christ.

That gave me enormous strength and the necessary courage to keep going even though I lost my house, my office, and for five weeks could not get to my car which was in the red zone, so cordoned off from foot and vehiculartraffic.

The earthquakes taught me that we carry too much stuff with us. We have so much more than we need. For the last two plus years I have lived in two rooms plus a toilet and shower without a kitchen. But I am very

happy and have everything I need. Yes I do miss my library but I am alive and that is something to be savoured daily.

Is God to blame for the earthquakes?I answer the question, Were the earthquakes acts of God? by saying that God did not cause the earthquakes. The earth moved because in this part of the world that is what the earth does. The acts of God were the loving, selfless, even sacrificial, actions of many students, men and women who worked around the clock to free people from the rubble, remove the tonnes of liquefaction and serve water and food to those who had lost everything. God was active in those who helped others. I also point out that in 1 Kings 19:11 we read God was not in the earthquake. Later in that passage we hear that Gods presence was in the still small voice. I fully believe that.

What do you think the Christian vision of life offers to young peopletoday?That is a great question. I think it offers everything. In the first world we are eaten up by consumerism. We are told that spending

money and purchasing stuff is the secret to meaning and happiness. But that is not the Christian vision. The Christian vision is that Gods love is sacrificial. God is prepared to die that you might fully live. What a gift and a promise that is! So the Christian vision invites service and sacrificial giving. In the Prayer Book we pray to God, whose service is perfect freedom. I become free when I serve God and neighbour. I am a prisoner when I surround myself with my selfish needs, my selfish wants and my self-servingpossessions.

The earthquakes taught me that we carry too much stuff with us. We have so much more than we need.

So for my life on earth I have chosen God in Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. There is no life like it. As Jesus says in John 10:10, I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.

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Read this article with your pupils, and then try some ofthese learning activities:

Read: a pair of students are to read the interview aloud to groups of five or six, one reading questions, the other answers.

Discuss: what did you find interesting, puzzling or surprising about BishopVictoria?

Consider: creating women bishops is controversial in Britain today. Why? In what ways do you think Bishop Victoria seems to be a good leader? What might the church be missing if this does not happen?

Ask: if you could extend this interview, what extra five questions would you ask the bishop?

Write: take a postcard, and write to Bishop Victoria. Keep it brief, but deep. In what you say, answer these two questions: what impressed you about her ideas and her life? What did you learn from thiswork?

These three postcards from pupils show how the work in action has enabled young people to think for themselves about gender, suffering and Christian belief.

Activities like this use a strong religious stim-ulus to provoke a better understanding and deeper engagement with the contemporary world of religion and belief. RE always needs to add the contemporary edge to study of the history and traditions of our communities. The lessons were used very widely by RE teachers during the recent Anglican General Synod debates about women becoming bishops in the Church of England: topical RE is useful.

These resources are available to all REtoday subscribers and NATRE members in ready-to-use classroom formats, an example of the kinds of benefit we deliver to them.

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How does peacegrow? A story from Heartsong Methodist ChurchinMemphis, Tennessee Jim Wallis

NARRATIVE 1

Nine-eleven, or 11 September, is a big date in the USA, since 13 years ago when two hijacked planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Tragic destruction and a huge loss of life followed. Feelings against Muslims sometimes run high, even though the suicide bombers did something deeply un-Islamic by killing them-selves and so many innocent people. In the USA, there is some pretty strong anti-Muslim feeling connected to the events of that day in 2001. For example, in the state of Tennessee, a law was passed recently forbidding Islamic Sharia Law. Less than 1 per cent of the people of Tennessee are Muslims, but there is some religious intolerance in the USA.

We hoped we would just be ignored! We didnt imagine we would be welcome.

NARRATIVE 2

Steve Stone is pastor of Heartsong Church in Memphis, Tennessee. He learned that the Memphis Islamic Centre had bought some land adjacent to his church, and were plan-ning a community centre and mosque. Rather than protest the plans, he put up a large sign outside his church that said: Heartsong Church Welcomes Memphis Islamic Center to the Neighbourhood. The Muslim leaders were rather amazed by this. They came to talk to Steve. We hoped we would just be ignored! We didnt imagine we would be welcome.

Steve said We are just trying to love our neighbours, as Jesus instructs us to do.

When Ramadan time came round, the Muslim communitys new building was still under construction. They asked Steve if they could use a small room at his church.

NARRATIVE 3

He gave them the biggest room he had. The friendship between the Christians and the Muslims grew a little stronger. Now when the church has a barbecue, they make sure to serve halal meat, so that Muslim friends will feel welcome. They are planning two projects together, one to help the homeless and another to tutor local children.

Pastor Jim Wallis knew about Steves churchs work. He was negotiating with CNN, the big TV news channel, about the fact that they kept putting out bad news stories about Islam. Why dont you ever show good news? he asked. CNN said they didnt know of any good news stories about American Muslims, so Jim sent them to interview the Muslims and Christians in Tennessee, and they broadcast an item about the co-operating communities. It ran on the global news service.

NARRATIVE 4

Over 7500 miles away, in a small community in Kashmir, a group of Muslim men were watching TV together, and saw the news item. Afterwards they were silent. They were

Story

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surprised. They had been thinking that all Americans hated them, and were against Islam. One of the communitys leaders said to the others: God just spoke to us through this man. Another said, How could we try to kill these people when they give a welcome like this? A third man went straight to the local Christian church and voluntarily cleaned it, inside and out.

Touched by the neighbourliness of the Christians in Tennessee, the Muslims in Kashmir decided to be good neighbours as well.

Steve Stone was at home when the phone rang a call from Kashmir. A man whom he had never met told him they had been watching CNN when the segment on Heartsong Church was aired. We are now trying to be good neighbors, too. Tell your congregation we do not hate them, we love them, and for the rest of our lives we are going to take care of that little church near us, just as you have cared for the Muslims in your district.

Visit the websitewww.heartsongchurch.net

1012

Read this article with your 1012s, and then try some

of these learning activities:

You could tell the story in four parts, asking pupils at the end of each segment what they think will happen next. We have put the narrative in four sections to enable this.

Give pupils a list of questions, and ask them which ones they would like to investigate. Try these for pupils aged about 1012:

What have you heard about the events of 9/11 (11 September 2001)? What would you like to ask?

Why is there sometimes intolerance between Muslims and Christians? What examples of this do you know about in the UK?

Do you think Pastor Steve Stone is a good follower of Jesus? Why?

CNN said they did not know any good news stories about Islam. Why is there often only bad news on the TV and in the papers?

What impact did Steves actions have in Kashmir? Is the little church in Kashmir similar to the Islamic Community Centre in Tennessee? How and why?

What did you learn from this story?

Here are four pieces of religious teaching, two are Islamic teaching and two are Christian teaching.

1 If you walk towards God, then God runs towards you.

2 You have heard it said that you should love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemy and do good to those who persecute you.

3 Do to others what you would like them to do to you.

4 No one of you is a true believer until you love for others what you love for yourself.

Find out which is which. In what ways did the people of Heartsong Church and the Muslims from Kashmir put these teachings into practice?

Artwork Tom Jay www.tomjay.com

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For the staffroom

Tony Blair, RE and global human rightsNottingham Girls High School students talked to Tony Blair and students from the Palestinian Territories and India on UN International Human Rights Day through the global education programme, Face to Faith. How did it happen and how did it go?

On UN International Human Rights Day, Year 12 students from Nottingham Girls High School engaged in a live video-con-ference with Tony Blair, Founder of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, and two other schools: Aboud Secondary Boys School in the Palestinian Territories and Salwan Public School Afternoon, India. They ex-plored the theme of universal human rights from a faith perspective as part of the Tony Blair Faith Foundations global education programme, Face to Faith.

The Face to Faith programme aims to break down stereotypes and broaden horizons by engaging students of different cultures, reli-gions and beliefs in discussing global issues

from different perspectives. Face to Faith connects students aged 1116 from different schools in 15 countries across the world via video-conferencing and a securewebsite.

Sarah Edwards, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Health Poverty Action a UK-based charity that works to improve health services among the worlds poorest, also took part in the event as a guest speaker. Tony Blair said: Words dont mean anything unless they are translated into action.

Nottingham Girls High School was one of the first schools to join the education programme when it launched back in 2009. It is the second Face to Faith Lead School in the UK.

Having already engaged in video-conferences with schools in India and Pakistan, the school is a local ambassador for the programme and showcas