‘The human person’s openness to truth and beauty,sense of moral goodness, freedom, conscience and longings for the infinite and for happiness, provokes questions about God’s existence’ (CCC 33)

Section A: The Search for Meaning is common to both the Leaving Certificate R.E. Syllabus and the Curriculum Framework for Senior Cycle R.E. (non-exam). It allows students to examine the role of Religion in the secular world.

You have probably seen the media coverage regarding Stephen Fry’s appearance on The Meaning of Life with Gay Byrne, the full episode can be viewed on RTE Player, however this 2 minute, 25 second YouTube clip would probably provide students with a clear idea of his viewpoint.

To remind students however that there are other ways to view the world, this article from David Quinn provides some Food for Thought too:

Why I just can’t believe in Stephen Fry’s ill-considered atheist outburst

Also, perhaps you might like to show this brief clip from The Saturday Night Show, where George Hook reveals the reasons behind his rediscovery of his Christian faith. Note: Contains some strong language! 

Click here to view a video, kindly shared by Michelle Donohue, which offers a brief introduction to this topic.

You could also view the following video clip with your students as it is appropriately entitled What Do Kids in Kindergarten Think About God and Heaven?

Furthermore, there is a wealth of material to continue exploration of this topic on TrueTube. For example; What is Sacred? and further options to choose from in their section entitled: Ethics and Religion