DD's Greek Mythology Assignment

[Lost_Wanderer]

Except that her discomfort seems based on a faulty premise - that dressing in imitation of whatever figure of Greek mythology is somehow incompatible with the Faith - which it clearly isn’t, as amply explained in the other posts.

Sometimes I have to wonder if ‘love of the faith’ can also come at the expense of knowing what said faith actually teaches.

Maybe that’s why people like me take it less and less seriously nowadays. :\

How exactly does one dress up as a Greek god(dess) modestly?

One word: Disney

http://www.disney4you.com/profiles/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/aphrodite1.jpg

So how exactly does one dress as the “Unknown God”? A tunic, and a paper bag over your head?

Given my twisted imagination, my interpretation of can sometimes be far too obvious.

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

I think my biggest concern is that it’s* DD* that is uncomfortable about doing it. She is very serious about her faith and she feels strongly that this isn’t right. It’s not me that has objections to it, it’s her.

Well, in that case your daughter should tell the teacher she will not dress up because she is not comfortable with the idea.

I’m not sure how dressing up in sheets and paper bags over one’s head are helpful to learning.

 

[EasterJoy]

So how exactly does one dress as the “Unknown God”? A tunic, and a paper bag over your head?

I do not know. I suppose it would help to do some research and then use the imagination that the Good Lord gave 12 year olds. As for me, I’d tell her to do Hestia.

But let us say that she wants to do Agnostos Theos, and the costume is only for a presentation about the personality that is to be given to the class. If the student did research and found that Agnostos Theos was by tradition never directly depicted, she might be able to get the teacher to go for a disembodied voice, with the student hidden out of sight. This solution sort of kills the costume problem and the Greek god problem with one stone. Otherwise, she might do an all-black gown with a black hood and face-covering veil and no identifying “tells,” to make a mysterious-looking entity. As I said, figuring out how to depict a character that the Greeks never depicted, a deity they knew nothing about except that deities as a rule were not persons the Greeks were willing to be caught ignoring, would be what would make it interesting. You want something memorable in a presentation like this, after all. That is half the point of dressing up.

–The trick to a face-covering veil is to have something in the hood that allows the face veil to be held away from the face by the hood. A thin black fabric can totally obscure the face while allowing the wearer to see out, if the fabric is held clear of the face. It is something you try at the fabric store. Sometimes commerical “grim reaper” or “ghoul” costumes are made according to this basic idea.–

 

[EasterJoy]

I think my biggest concern is that it’s* DD* that is uncomfortable about doing it. She is very serious about her faith and she feels strongly that this isn’t right. It’s not me that has objections to it, it’s her.

The problem is that it is not wrong according to the Church. If she doesn’t want to do it, it will be because she personally doesn’t want to do it. Her scruples, not the Catholic faith, are what are in her way. She really does not deserve a religious exemption, because our faith does not forbid what she is being asked to do. The Church has allowed people to dress up for dramas for centuries, even depicting the Devil and to personify the Vices.

By all means, she can talk to her teacher about it and arrange to meet the requirement in a different way, if the teacher is amenable. What she may not do is to conclude that she is a “better” Catholic than other Catholics in the class who are doing this or falsely claim that such a thing is against the Roman Catholic faith when it is not. Dressing up would be doing nothing in violation of our faith (per se–all bets are off if students show up in something provocative or immodest), and other Catholics do not deserve a critical eye from her because they don’t share her scruples. If she acknowledges that and yet wants to work something out with her teacher, let her advocate for herself on this one. I mean you can go as moral support, but let her do all the talking. It will be good for her.

 

[MJJean]

Dressing up would be doing nothing in violation of our faith (per se–all bets are off if students show up in something provocative or immodest)

When we did something similar the kids wore their costumes over their regular clothes. It wasn’t as authentic looking as say a stage actor in the same costume, but the kids were able to move around freely, put on and take off their costumes by themselves, and no one had to worry about accidental skin exposure.

How would she feel about the costume idea if she were told she could wear an all black or all white outfit underneath it? Would that maybe make her more comfortable with the project?

 

[masondoggy]

Thank you for all of the (name removed by moderator)ut. I’m going to talk to DD about this a bit more this weekend.

 

[John_Lazarus]

By the way…what subject/class is this assignment for?

 

[masondoggy]

By the way…what subject/class is this assignment for?

I don’t really remember, I’ll have to ask DD when she gets home.
Btw, she did talk to her teacher on Friday and the teacher is willing to give her an alternate assignment. I think I’m just going to let DD take the lead here. If she’s uncomfortable doing it, she’s following her instincts and I think that’s a good thing.

 

[petitfleur]

I don’t really remember, I’ll have to ask DD when she gets home.
Btw, she did talk to her teacher on Friday and the teacher is willing to give her an alternate assignment. I think I’m just going to let DD take the lead here. If she’s uncomfortable doing it, she’s following her instincts and I think that’s a good thing.

My kids did this for sixth grade Social Studies. That year was mostly Ancient Civizations. They did something similar for ancient Egypt too!

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

If she’s uncomfortable doing it, she’s following her instincts and I think that’s a good thing.

Uh, what instincts are we talking here? Last time I reviewed this thread, her refusal is of her own whim and nothing guided/justified by Church teaching.

 

[gardenswithkids]

I don’t really remember, I’ll have to ask DD when she gets home.
Btw, she did talk to her teacher on Friday and the teacher is willing to give her an alternate assignment. I think I’m just going to let DD take the lead here. If she’s uncomfortable doing it, she’s following her instincts and I think that’s a good thing.

That’s a good plan. Letting her speak up for herself teaches her how to talk to authority figures to come up with alternatives that both parties agree to. It helps her take more responsibility for her education. The assignment involved public speaking in front of her class-and speakers generally do much better when they are at least somewhat comfortable. Wearing clothes that made her uncomfortable for any reason could have negatively affected her presentation and grade. I’m glad the teacher listened to her concerns and that they came up with a mutually agreeable assignment to fulfill the requirement.

 

[Book_Worm]

I thought that getting over discomfort and doing things we find difficult was part of the learning process.

 

[Demetra2]

It is certainly appropriate for her to dress up as a goddess from Greek mythology. The key will be to pick a character that is wearing an outfit that your daughter would feel comfortable in. How about Artemis/Diana who is depicted as a huntress with a bow and arrow? That should be modest and fun but I would get pre-approval on the bow and arrow!

 

[Sarcelle]

That puritanical strain that appeared and then disappeared in England was the exact same strain with which an entire country, the US, was founded on.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Of course there is nothing wrong with learning about Greek gods. And of course there is nothing wrong with dressing up to depict them. The part I side with the OPs daughter and perhaps the OP is that a school would direct mandatory dressing up as a deity. I would think that would be unacceptable. And if that is the Daughters real objection then I have to agree with her.

 

[agnes_therese]

I thought that getting over discomfort and doing things we find difficult was part of the learning process.

It used to be.

 

[gardenswithkids]

I thought that getting over discomfort and doing things we find difficult was part of the learning process.

The purpose of this lesson seemed to relate to learning about Greek mythology. The teacher has agreed to accept an alternative assignment, which seems quite reasonable as there are many other ways in which a student can demonstrate what she’s learned. Some of the remarks on this thread seem like some posters are uncomfortable with this girl* not *dressing up like a Greek goddess and giving her presentation in a bed sheet.

I am all for students learning to do difficult things, but really how hard is it to throw a sheet around oneself? It would seem to me that speaking up to ask the teacher for another assignment might be more difficult and uncomfortable for many students, yet she did that. And how far do we allow some teachers to take some of these creative dress up assignments in history or literature or some other class before people of other cultures or underrepresented group find such things offensive?

The teacher permitted this girl to do an alternative assignment. I don’t know what the particular assignment was, but I can think of some far better ways to demonstrate what she learned about the ancient Greeks and their mythology beyond dressing in a costume.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

The purpose of this lesson seemed to relate to learning about Greek mythology. The teacher has agreed to accept an alternative assignment, which seems quite reasonable as there are many other ways in which a student can demonstrate what she’s learned. Some of the remarks on this thread seem like some posters are uncomfortable with this girl* not *dressing up like a Greek goddess and giving her presentation in a bed sheet.

I am all for students learning to do difficult things, but really how hard is it to throw a sheet around oneself? It would seem to me that speaking up to ask the teacher for another assignment might be more difficult and uncomfortable for many students, yet she did that. And how far do we allow some teachers to take some of these creative dress up assignments in history or literature or some other class before people of other cultures or underrepresented group find such things offensive?

The teacher permitted this girl to do an alternative assignment. I don’t know what the particular assignment was, but I can think of some far better ways to demonstrate what she learned about the ancient Greeks and their mythology beyond dressing in a costume.

In the end I think we all agree the teacher ended up being reasonable. And I sympathize with being a teacher in today’s PC world. But I also think that we as Catholic Christians have a right and expectation to feel that we are taken advantage of and we are the ones who must bow to other’s sensibilities. And like it or not where religion is concerned the secularists have made it quite clear that God has no place in the classroom. I would expect the same sensibilities of others might be harmed if they had to dress up as Mohammed, Rah, A Klansman, or a Nazi. We would be reading on the news if someone required kids to dress up as an apostle or Jesus for a class.

It is only fair that if the secularists wish to protect the sensibilities of everybody that it would include a Catholic being free to not dress up as a pagan god if they did not feel comfortable. While I think no harm would come of it and it is a nice project for the class. It is only fair that she be allowed to refrain from going against her religious beliefs.

And I doubt there are any “scruples” involved here, just some young vibrant and perhaps misguided cause. Which we all had at her age…

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

It is only fair that if the secularists wish to protect the sensibilities of everybody that it would include a Catholic being free to not dress up as a pagan god if they did not feel comfortable.

Doesn’t learning more often than not come at the expense of somebody’s sensibilities?

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Doesn’t learning more often than not come at the expense of somebody’s sensibilities?

Usually yes. Sadly most of the time everyone’s feelings are considered worthy of sidestepping an issue on except the modern Christian. That seems to be fair game…

Honestly from what I got from the OP was that the DD is engaging in the culture wars, and while you and I might not die on this hill, she is “taking a stand” It is as much a rite of growing up as learning to shave.