Some public figures have warned about the dangers of religious illiteracy especially in multi-faith societies where misunderstandings and ignorance can escalate into hostility, abuse and violence. Myths and factual inaccuracies about religious beliefs and texts are common, and many say that education about religionreligious education is as important to understanding the world as history, geography, science and art are.
According to Harvard’s Religious Literacy Project: “Understanding complex religious influences is a critical dimension of understanding modern human affairs. In spite of this awareness, there remains a widespread illiteracy about religion that spans the globe. There are many consequences of this illiteracy, but the most urgent is that it fuels conflict and antagonisms and hinders cooperative endeavors in all arenas of human experience.”
Prof Adam Dinham, co-author authoreditor of Religious Literacy in Policy and Practice, has said: “Religious literacy is a particular problem of the developed Wwest, where fuzzy secularity and a complex religious landscape coincide. European and Wwestern thinking has long assumed a post-religious world, and seeks to act as though it is one. But on religion, Europe is the exception, not the rule. It also continues itself to be Christian, more secular, and more plural all at once.”