Questions about faith and spirituality need to begin with an invitation: would you feel comfortable talking about this? In Canada, the Canadian Multiculturalism Act recognizes religious diversity as part of society. That provides context for a conversation that also welcomes doubt, the absence of religion and personal choices.
Ask what it means to the person
Do not assume a belief based on a name, language, origin or appearance. Each storyteller may relate to their family’s tradition in a different way.
- Is there a word you use to describe your beliefs or values?
- Is there a practice you consider important today?
- Who helped you think about this topic?
- Is there a song, a place or an object with personal meaning for you?
Accept short answers and the choice not to answer. The conversation does not need to decide whether a belief is right or produce a shared conclusion.
Make room for change and doubt
A story may include coming closer, drifting away and new interpretations. Ask without suggesting that the person must stay the same as they were in childhood.
- Has your way of thinking changed over the years?
- Which experience would you like to share, if any?
- How do you get along with people who think differently?
- Are there values you want to pass on without imposing a practice?
The questions about life advice offer ways to talk about values without requiring a religious identity. In French, English or another family language, keep words whose meaning the person wants to explain themselves.
Respect what should not become a record
A private conversation is not permission to record prayers, photograph practices or share community knowledge. Ask what can be kept and who may have access. Do not ask anyone to represent an entire religion or teach a restricted ritual.
If the topic comes up in family customs, see the questions about family traditions. Show the text to the storyteller, keep doubts as doubts and allow passages to be removed. The record can present a personal experience without classifying it, correcting its language or turning a memory into a rule for the next generations.