new church life: september / october 2013
were to be an extension of the home; that parents and teachers would
work closely together for the same purpose. It was a mutual, and mutually
beneficial, relationship. The beliefs and values of a student’s family and home
were confirmed and nurtured in the schools, and the work of the schools was
supported and continued in the students’ homes. Both at home and at school
the students found a shared faith and agreement on the purpose of life.
In addition to beliefs and values, there needs to be a shared sphere that
knits New Church homes and schools together: a sphere of charity and order;
a sphere of respect for the things of religion and of marriage as understood
and practiced in the New Church; a sphere of reverence and gratitude for the
Word, including the internal sense as revealed in the Heavenly Doctrine.
This is not to say things were perfect and that there were never any
disturbances – we’re human, after all – but there has been agreement on what
the sphere should be and on the truths that would enable the establishment of
such a sphere.
Young people, whose rational minds and moral character are not yet
fully formed, are especially subject to disorderly influences, and our own New
Church young people are no different. That is, they are not inherently different
– but their youthful lack of judgment is tempered by the religious training and
example they have received at home, and the fact that the administrators and
teachers in New Church schools share those same beliefs and values.
As a result, there is a sphere of relative innocence in New Church schools,
even in the Secondary Schools and College, in comparison with the sphere
that prevails on many campuses these days. As the world around us has
shed the restraints of its religious traditions, college has become something
far different from an “ivory tower.” Higher education today is a spiritual and
moral minefield, and even physical safety is a concern on many campuses.
Today, our schools can hardly avoid being somewhat affected by negative
influences from the dying culture that surrounds them, but the difference
between New Church schools and others is perhaps even more pronounced
now than in the past, when there was a more orderly atmosphere on campuses
generally. That difference is an important consideration when parents decide
on which school they would like their children to attend, and to support with
their gifts.
(WEO)
the life of choice
There has been much speculation in the popular culture lately – and in New
Church Life – about the eternity of the hells. Could a God who loves everyone
really allow anyone to stay in hell forever? Isn’t there some hope of reform –
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