LA ENSEÑANZA RELIGIOSA CONFESIONAL FUERA DE LA ESCUELA

Abstract

The growing decrease of religious practice in the Spanish society, especially among young men, demonstrates the failure of religious denominational education, which, during decades, has been obligatory in Spain, though today it is an optional subject. On the other hand, the denominational religion is the right expression of religious faith. But the faith, as Christianity understands it, is neither a set of knowledge, nor only discovery of a few values. Faith is personal adhesion to Jesus Christ, which proceeds from a free conviction and which leads to live in accordance with Gospel. Understood this way, the right place to teach denominational religion, as a peculiar life project, cannot be the school, but family and Christian community. This way spread Christianity in the first centuries of its history. The problem, which represents communication of faith and has appeared as «Symbols of faith» or «creeds», first, and catechisms, later, have given grounds for many people think that it is possible to teach faith as a theory, a doctrine or a group of truths. Probably because religious faith has been taught this way, failure of denominational education in the school turns out to be understandable.