Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge

Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge

First, one path one can take to acquire spiritual knowledge is through one's parents. For one thing, people acquire spiritual knowledge through dealing with their parents. For example, Robert Coles, author of " I Listen to My Parents and I wonder What They Believe," explains that children who once were considered "angels" are now wondering why things happen and the children are learning by dealing with their parents beliefs. For instance, Coles also says, "We didn't know what to do; the teacher kept telling us that we should be good and obey the law, but my daddy said the law was wrong." Another example is, parents try to give what is best to their children, and parents feel what they know is best. Children deal with their parents every day and in doing so their parent's beliefs rub off on to the children. Also, one can acquire spiritual knowledge from listening to one's parents. For example, Coles writes, "My daddy said none of us white people would go into schools with colored." For instance, when children hear the same thing over and over, like from parents, they are bound to start believing it. Another example is,

In many homes parents establish moral assumptions, mandates, priorities. They teach children what to believe in, what not to believe in. They teach children what is permissible or not permissible—and why. They may summon up the Bible, the flag, history, novels, aphorisms, philosophical or political sayings, personal memories— all in an effort to teach children how to behave, what and whom to respect and for which reasons.

In addition, people acquire spiritual knowledge through watching their parents. For instance, Coles writes, "They must learn hoe to dress and what to wear, how to eat and what to eat; and they must also learn how to behave under X or Y or Z conditions, and why. For example, Coles also says, "They need to be told what they must do and what they must not do." Children are born clean, with out any beliefs, and only believe what they learn. Most of all they learn from watching their parents and how they act and react to different situations. When one is constantly around another person, learning and trusting that person, it is bound to influence one's beliefs.