A View on the World: KS2 Florence

Four Generations

Great Grandma born in 1927 (95 years old)

When I grew up it used to be very strict. We were taught religion and had to learn catechism and the 10 commandments. It was drummed into us. We went to church every Sunday and we were devoted to it. We were serious about it. The next generation still had religion but some people no longer went to church. Shops didn’t open on Sundays because it was a religious day. Children went to Sunday school, sometimes twice a day.

Grandma born in 1956 (66 years old)

We were brought up taught the 10 commandments and it was strict in the way of heaven and hell and having fear in God, because you didn’t want to go to hell. We went to church every week and when I had children I took them to church and they attended catechism.

Mum born in 1980 (42 years old)

I grew up with religion in the household but when I was 15 years old I decided I wanted to have the values of religion – being a good person and living a good life, but not with the guilt of the church or attending church. I feel like there is more of a respect for different religions now, we live in a wider multi cultural society.

Florence me born in 2011 (11 years old)

Growing up I never went to church and was not taught any religions until I went to school. Now aged 11 years old I know I am a humanist which means I believe that reason, experience and evidence are the best ways of finding out about the world and the universe around us.
But I also love leaning about Buddhists and meditation and how different symbols mean different things: like the lotus flower represents enlightenment.

In 50 years time

(Great grandma) I’m not sure that there will be any religion in 50 years time the way it is going, or maybe something will happen and maybe people will return to church. During the war there was a big disaster in Morecambe, everyone ran to church.

(Grandma) I hope in the future there will still be religion, Christianity has been around for thousands of years. So the next 50 years is a drop in the ocean and religion will still be strong.

(Mum) I don’t think religion needs to be about going to church, it can be about being a good person and living a good life.

Florence (me) I think in the future most people will have a religion and still pray or continue to do any other practices they do now. A lot has changed between when I was born and when my great grandma was born so anything could happen.