Form 4 students' experience of suffering : satisfying their needs through religious education

Abstract

Our study gives an overview of the fourteen and fifteen year olds' experience of suffering and their reaction to it. In the first chapter we deal with the problem of suffering, and the search for the answer to why does God allows suffering. We will also discuss how the Christian find his answers in the Crucified Christ. Chapter two deals with the development of adolescents and how through this stressful period of adolescence, they may find themselves in the midst of difficult situations, and because of such painful encounters, start doubting God. By conducting a questionnaire among an average population of 300 Maltese and Gozitan teenagers, we try to find out more what is causing the adolescent to suffer. The various issues discussed in the questionnaire differ from the search of identity, to problems in the family, the influence of the peer group, and doubting God. The outcome of this research is to give an idea to what adolescents understand by suffering and how they are dealing with this issue. This research will serve as an eye-opener to Religious Educators and those planning syllabuses and textbooks.