A Catholic father, an intelligent and conscientious man, was explaining why he and his wife took their daughter out of a Catholic high school: "They told the kids that the gospels weren't true."
...
Over the years, many conscientious Catholic parents like the father quoted above have been scandalized and dismayed by the religious formation they've encountered in the Catholic schools, colleges, and religious education programs to which they've entrusted their kids. Not infrequently, it seems, a mischievous counter-catechesis has contributed to the young people's loss of faith.
To be sure, CTSA members aren't the people who teach religion in Catholic grade and high schools and religious education programs. But there's a link. It resides in the trickle-down effects of what these (academically speaking) humbler souls may have picked up from academicians in college courses and professional publications, as well as from the CTSA's own well-publicized proclamations of dissent.
At this point it isn't so much "dismayed" as saddened and resigned. As in, "It didn't have to be this way, but it is; and I don't see trends to the contrary." And the expense adds insult to injury. Ten grand a year so my kids can listen to "trickle-down" dissent from chardonnay progressives? No thanks. I'll go with one of the finest public high schools in the country and the Didache series.
Posts
8 comments:
Depending upon your perspective the $10K does purchase two valuable attributes:
(1) A Christian/Catholic peer group; and,
(2) A socio-economic peer group which faciliates networking - if your child plans to stay in Cincinnati this has value.
Regards.
Yep. Catechesis -- or, more likely, indifference -- by osmosis. I suspect you're right about demographic/peer factor. "At least my kids will be surrounded by other Catholics." Ditto for "the network," especially when it comes to some of the boys high schools.
As the mother of a 19 year old son who is entering his 2nd year of college and who also paid the 6K per year for 4 years of 'so called Catholic HS' and on average of $800 - $1000 per year of 'Catholic grade school' (not counting the support to the parish which subsidized the school) - I can tell you that he did NOT have a Christian/Catholic peer group. They were no different than anyone else in the neighborhood/area. In fact, one of the priests that taught there ( a fine, holy orthodox man) said that the vast majority of the boys in his class (not counting the few Protestants) were effective agnostics. This was his peer group.
Networking is a fine thing - required for many jobs - HOWEVER - since I didn't know what he want to do for a career (and he sure didn't either until about his junior year) I wouldn't know if he wanted to stay in Cincinnati or on this side of town. What I DID know was that he was called to a vocation of holiness and had a right to the TRUTH in his classes - particularly his religion classes.
While he had a few wonderful teachers in the religion area - who were fine holy men and women - the vast majority were heretics who taught heresy on a routine basis. (Personally, I wouldn't want to be them - that whole millstone thing... and I pray they come to repentence - for they have MUCH to repent for.) Finally, when confronted - and I did - they knew enough to say that they disagreed with the Church on particular subjects and thought that telling the boys that this was just their opinion was OK and somehow got them off the hook. They knew enough to 'teach the test' - word for word - the day before the class took the 'Archdiocese Test' for checking how well high schoolers knew the facts of the faith.
Clearly this is not a case of ignorance with good intentions - but rather purposeful malice without the honor to say - I disagree - let me work for someone else. But hey - don't worry - they won the State Football Championship - isn't THAT the most important thing?
So - if I had lived in a public school district that had good discipline and academics - I would have certainly sent him them - knowing what I know now.
It is a very sad thing.
"But hey - don't worry - they won the State Football Championship - isn't THAT the most important thing?"
As someone who grew up playing football in East Texas, I'd have to say yes.
;-)
Actually, I haven't given up on Catholic education yet, especially since that's the reason we moved to Norwalk, OH. Well, that and the fact that the Norwalk St. Paul Flyers are perennial football powerhouses.
Jay,
Do pushups!!
I have nothing against sports - in fact - I think they are a good thing and teach wonderful lessons - in the right perspective and priority - of course.
Now I know that's exactly what you mean too. And yes, where I grew up - if you were a thief - break in on Friday nights because EVERYBODY was at the game. (Of course - if you had bad luck and there WAS someone home - you'd probably be shot!)
Oh, direct hit by Mr. Shaw. Only I'd go so far as to say it's not a "trickle down" effect, it's more of a stream.
And this crap goes straight from the mouths of the dissentariat academics to the DREs and educators. Witness the prolific work of Messers Hill and Madges at Xavier, eviscerating the Catechism for non-academics in both print and video.
Dale,
Re: the 'stream.' The Hill & Madges evisceration videos were shown to candidates in my parish RCIA program a couple of years ago.
Jackie,
I am an '85 graduate of your son's alma mater. The good news is that catechesis has improved (slightly) since my school days. I remember how proud my teachers proclaimed their independence from diocesan oversight. Needless to say I was agnostic until a few years ago.
FWIW, I lived overseas for over a decade of adult life, and most of the time my internet homepage was my local high school sports page. During summer months how I longed for school to start again-- and I still do.
Joe K
Post a Comment