"Members of weakly religious families get, of course, no religious training from any source outside the family"

Gregory Bateson, a renowned anthropologist, social researcher, and systems thinker, discuss an often-overlooked aspect of religious training in the quote: "Members of weakly religious households get, naturally, no religious training from any source outside the household". This statement opens a discussion about the characteristics of religious education within familial and societal contexts.

Firstly, Bateson's use of the term "weakly spiritual households" recommends families where religious beliefs and practices are not strongly emphasized or deeply integrated into daily life. In such environments, religious beliefs may not play a significant role in shaping values, behaviors, or worldviews. As a result, children raised in these settings might not get formal religious education or participate in community spiritual activities, such as attending church services, Sunday school, or other faith-based gatherings.

Bateson's assertion that these people get "no religious training from any source outside the family" suggests a self-contained religious experience-- or do not have thereof-- restricted to the family's own practices and beliefs. This can lead to a narrower scope of religious familiarity compared to peers from more devout or consistently active families who might engage with a more comprehensive religious neighborhood, getting diverse viewpoints and experiences.

The quote welcomes us to think about the ramification that the depth and breadth of one's spiritual understanding and identity can be significantly influenced by both familial emphasis and external spiritual direct exposure. For children in weakly spiritual families, the lack of external religious impacts indicates that their spiritual framework, if developed at all, is primarily shaped within the home. This can cause a varied understanding of faith, which may manifest as secularism, spiritual but not spiritual identities, or an eventual pursuit of religious understanding and community as an adult.

Bateson's observation motivates reflection on how religion, or its absence, effects identity formation. It likewise raises concerns about the functions parents, societies, and educational systems play in offering a well-rounded understanding of religion's cultural, ethical, and spiritual dimensions.