Values in Religious Education

Values are ideas that people believe are important. They are guiding principles, standards or behaviour that are regarded as desirable or held in high esteem in our society. Examples of values include: justice, hospitality, compassion and sharing.

How values help us

• They help people to make decisions and take responsibility for their actions.
• They also help to define who we are by influencing our behaviour and choices.

Importance of maintaining positive personal values.

• Maintaining positive values is important because your they determine your priorities.
• Positive values include cheerfulness, self-discipline, gratitude, freedom, honesty and creativity. Much unhappiness is caused by behaving in a way that does not match your norms.
• It is therefore, important to identify your values so that you can find out what is really important to you.

Personal values in relation to sexuality

• Virginity: Refers to the state of never having sexual intercourse. Most cultures around the world and throughout history place a high value on virginity.
• Keeping virginity until marriage is a value taught by both Christianity and Islam.
• “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his body.” (1Cor.6: 18).
• “And come not near to unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is a faahishah” (great sin) and an evil way (Surah Al-Israa Q17:32).

Benefits to keeping your virginity until marriage

• You do not have to worry about pregnancy outside marriage.
• You do not have to worry about contracting sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV.
• Because sex involves intense emotions, you will avoid emotional pain when a relationship ends.
• If your parents, culture and religion disapprove of sex before marriage, you will not have to lie about what you are doing.
• You will not form habits that could make your future marriage partner think you are capable of being unfaithful.
• Decide on your personal sexual values and stick to them. It you stick to your values, you will gain respect for yourself.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

1. Define the following terms;
2. Immoral person…….
3. Amoral person…….
4. Moral dilemma……..
5. Identify the four of the Ten Commandments that were included by Dr Kent in the Universal moral Code.
6. Mention two benefits of keeping your virginity until marriage.
7. Compare the teachings of of Christians and Muslims on sexual immorality.
8. What is morality?
9. Outline two ways on how values help us.
10. On what two concepts does Hindu morality focus on?
11. List two Purposes of spiritual and moral education in schools.
12. Explain the main teaching of the ‘’golden rule’’ to religions.
13. According to Mahatma Gandhi, which book did he refer to as ‘’his spiritual dictionary?