The problem for all teachers and students in all subjects from primary level to the highest grades of post-doctoral research is that belief in religion is irrelevant to competence in the subject matter, even when the subject matter is religion in general or a particular religion. The whole of modern education is oriented to building and improving competence, especially marketable competence such as occupational skills. By contrast, traditional education in all cultures was oriented toward building and improving moral character.
In this context, it is almost impossible to demonstrate the usefulness of religion. The only competence now associated with religion is its possible contribution to social order (people control themselves and behave themselves without coercion) and psychological and emotional consolation (such as for a bereavement). In both these cases, modern societies prefer non-religious solutions. For example, they will send you to a psychologist or behaviour therapist, and if that doesn’t work hospital or prison.
People think there is a set of questions or a style of debating such questions which will bring people back to religion. But there is no such set of questions or debating techniques. Religion is learnt from people who believe and live by the religion so that their belief is not spoken but evident in their personality, character and behaviour. Their belief has content beyond the reach of any competence taught in the institutions of modern education. The content is the effort to be aware of God and the effort to prepare for His judgement hereafter. This content can be mediated or expressed through various forms of cultural loyalty, but cultural loyalty is neither necessary to a comprehensive belief. Most teaching of religion tends to focus on elements of cultural loyalty, there is very little effort to articulate or communicate the content of true belief. In reality, such belief ensues from being in the company of believers in different situations including but not limited to formal acts of devotions, such as prayer or fasting or reading the Qur’an or acts of charity.
