I have some problems with the religion schoolbooks in my country

[cristyd]

There has been some controversy in my country about the way religion is taught to our children and i tend to agree a little with it. The books show dramatic stories like children who were hit by cars or getting sick, paralyzed as punishments from God for sins like playing in the street, trying to steal eggs from a birds net or missing mass.
There was also a lesson in which children were told that if they get lost in a mall they should stop and pray to God for their parents to find them instead of asking for help from the shop assistants or guards. And another story about a little girl who won the chess competition because she prayed the nigh before the rest lost it because they didn’t pray.I agree that it is important we teach the children to pray but in my opinion this lesson teaches a bad idea about prayer.
Also there was a scandal because at the Christmas party the children in one school had to take part in a play where a martyr and his sons are beheaded. And the whole killing scene was really morbid to me.

I would like to hear also your oppinions

 

[nodito]

Is this happening in a particular Catholic school or all of them? Is it a Catholic country and so they teach religion in all schools? Where is the bishop and what does he say about it?

 

[1ke]

Strange, indeed.

 

[cristyd]

Is this happening in a particular Catholic school or all of them? Is it a Catholic country and so they teach religion in all schools? Where is the bishop and what does he say about it?

it’s not a Catholic school, these are the official books from which all the children learn. It is not Catholic country but all the children who study religion, including catholic ones will study from this books.

 

[nodito]

What country is this?

 

[St_Francis]

The stories sound Protestant to me, and thus are giving children erroneous ideas. The problem with that is that their discovery that this is wrong too often leads them to reject Christianity altogether.

 

[cristyd]

I prefer not to say which country, but there is an option to refuse the religion lessons so i am wondering if in this case it is not better for my children not to attend them.

 

[nodito]

I prefer not to say which country, but there is an option to refuse the religion lessons so i am wondering if in this case it is not better for my children not to attend them.

Sounds like that might be the case. I’d rather teach my children religion at home than have them learn incorrect information in school. Or you could look to see if there are any Catholic schools in your area; presumably they would not be using these same problematic text books.

 

[Tigg]

I prefer not to say which country, but there is an option to refuse the religion lessons so i am wondering if in this case it is not better for my children not to attend them.

Yes, you must exert your parental authority to do the very best thing for your children. To keep them from harmful influences and teach them the correct way.

 

[pianistclare]

Did you just have a thread where you and your boyfriend rented a room from a lady and it went badly?
You have CHILDREN living there too in the same room???

 

[midori]

Use it as an opportunity to talk through it.

“Do you think that’s a good idea? Do you think the fastest runner is fastest because he prayed to God to be fastest? Or do you think God gave him gifts, which he practiced, and turned into the fastest runner? Do you think that you’re not the fastest runner because you don’t pray hard enough? Do you think it’s good to pray that you’re the fastest runner, or do you think there are other things that are more important to pray about? Do you think it will make God happy if you’re the fastest runner, or do you think God looks at other things you can do that will make him happy?”

Luke 13:1-5
Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

John 9:1-5
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”