ABSTRACT
To achieve worthwhile understanding of a religion, at least, be greatly assisted by a grasp of the beliefs of its adherents, and of their reasons for believing. Moreover, failure to treat religious beliefs as properly subject to a serious rational assessment of their truth leads to indifference about religion, and deprives pupils of critical skills which Religious Education (RE) could and should be well placed to foster. According to some of the best regarded recent theories of knowledge or belief, and contrary to simplistic scientism, there is in fact little difference between the bases for the claims of 'religion' and those of 'science' on our acceptance of them. Reflection on the tourists in the Dolomites, and the limited extent of the understanding where there is little or no awareness of the procession's beliefs or the basis for the beliefs, suggests that a move beyond superficiality in understanding a religion calls for attention to be given to beliefs and their basis.
