the compass

religious practices are tools, a means to an end, which is usually some form of spiritual advancement.

as such, religious practices are like boats: they help us cross a stretch of water and become useless once we reach the shore.

travellers may not want to board a “religion boat” to cross the water: swimming or using an individual boat are also perfectly viable options.

boats have to be piloted towards the shore. when crossing the water, it is important to know which route to follow.

that’s because a boat’s captain, if there is one, has an idea of the direction to take, but they may change at any time, and their replacement may want to reach a different shore: not the one you want to go to.

therefore, travellers should have their own compass and constantly check that the route the boat is following is aligned with the direction they want to go in.

if the boat’s route and the intended direction start diverging, then the traveller should jump onto a different boat or into the water, if the right boat is not in sight, and keep proceeding according to their own compass.

this is to say that the personal compass is far more important than the boat.

why am i saying that?

parents often strive to transmit a religious education to their children.

that education mostly encompasses religious ideas and practices, assuming that a compass will emerge from a religion’s ethical rules. therefore, children are not encouraged to develop their own compass.

as a consequence, those children grow up into adults whose ethics are shaped by traditions and practices followed blindly, rather than by self-reflection.

parents should instead educate their children by providing the ethical rules and examples needed to form a moral compass, devoid of religious ideas and practices. focus on ethics, not on religious practices: once grown up, children who are interested in religious systems will then be able to choose the boat that suits them best, and feel free to jump onto a different one if needed.

in short, parents should pass on ethical principles, not religious practices.