Quite often non-religious people have to listen to the stereotype, that if they are not believing in God they do not have any moral norms or vales. But what makes religion to a moral institution?
Nowadays, Germany and some other European countries are confronted with worse stories about sexual abuse in religious institutions, orphanages or through people, who are working for the church. Next to that there are shocking news about violence against children and younger people in these places. But still the church tries to convince us in the good thing as the church is our moral mother of all, as God never fails. But morality is not religious. So what makes a person to a moral worthful one? Which kind of moral values we need for our education, for our personal development and a peaceful living together?
In the past, children had to follow their parents rules -blind(ly) and with no discussion. Nowadays the societies grown up – education is strengthening self-convindence and selfresponsibility. That young people learn to decide, if it is right or wrong and what they do believe. It is obvious that each character is getting influenced through the transfer of values. The ordinary picture of a young person is a picture of crisis. Young people are situated in a challenging phase of life. A structural support through their surrounding cannot be given through a fixed moral catalogue or their own attitude to that. it is far more a skill to use these ideals in daily life constantly and sophisticated.
So, that means, that children cannot learn out of the bible or from strict descriptions of their parents rules catalogue, how to deal with life. It is more our own task to live the example, to live these skills, how we wanna see our own kids and youngsters. Each human being has its own moral values, its own catalogue of right and wrong. It doesn´t matter, if it is god oriented or freethinking in its mind, but it matters, if we can support our young generation through our own behaviour, through our own values and morality which we are living every day. That doesn´t mean to be perfect and to be responsible for every mistake, but to take care and part in the outcome of our societies development. Mahatma Gandhi already got the point – Be the change, you like to see in the world.
Silvana Uhlrich