Ignorance?

[Pug]

**

Yes I am ranting becuase these people that go against Church teaching or pick and choose what they want to follow are in many cases the ones that teach CCD, RCIA etc. I am asking how people who pride themselves on going against church teaching can still consider themselves Catholic?

**

Let’s grant that they are willfully and pridefully defying Church teaching. Let us grant that this is a sin on their part. Okay, so why do you expect sin to make sense? Sin is fundamentally irrational and senseless. Sin hurts people, those around us, whatever. If they are irrational, then you can’t expect them to make sense, not completely. So how can they really be explained if they are irrational?

Or is it that they are hurting your children so you want to make some sense of it, so you want to know why? That’s a tough one! I’m so sorry your kids are involved, how stressful! I don’t have children, so I’m not sure what to say. I would be distressed if they were being taught lies, and I would make an effort to remove them from the situation if feasible, or else counterbalance it somehow. Do you mean the CCD program? Can you school them at home? You can do this at our parish, so maybe you can at yours?

 

[Karin]

LSK:

One of the things you can do is find out where the materials that are being used in RCIA and CCD are from - and what kind of training the teachers of RCIA and CCD are getting. The better the training and the materials, the better the Catechisim instruction. I found that oft times the teaching is lousy and the information is lukewarm because the materials are outdated and/or the available teachers have not been adequately trained. Now this could be due to a variety of reasons - one of which could be an absence of funding. Another could be a lack of enthusiasm in the Parish itself.

You might look into the possibility of firing things up a bit around there. Contact your Parish Events Coordinator and see if there is a possibility of booking a speaker…someone from Catholic Answers or Father Corapi to come to your parish and get the people excited about being Catholic. The more people find themselves happy and excited about being Catholic, the more they will want to learn…and the more they want to learn, the more they will demand of their teachers.

One great resource is EWTN series done by Father John Corapi. His website is www.fathercorapi.com.

LSK
Thank you. This is great advice…I will try it along with looking at the info you sent me perhaps I can get things changed (for the better)!
But then as I am not Catholic…I doubt much can be done! It seems that only Catholics can change things for the better!

 

[kamz]

Karin:

Kamz-
So what does me not being Catholic have to do with anything???..I like you am standing up for my Catholic kids. I am sure that you as a Catholic would not tolerate this stuff being taught to your kids.
Actually what I find sad is that finding a Parish that actually preaches what the Church teaches is so hard to find.
I could be quite happy where I am, if I did not care…but unfortunatly I do care-perhaps that is the sad part!!!

what I meant was, not being Catholic, I now understand why you felt like you couldn’t say much to the priest but…being that your kids are Catholic and you attend Mass with them, you do have a right, you need to ban together with other parents who feel the same at your parish or is it possible to go to another parish?
I’m serious, if I saw this happening at my church I guarantee my kids would be taught religious education at home, thankfully I have never seen it but if it ever did, no way are my kids staying, but first, I would be a thorn in my churches side, I would confront them over and over, the squeaky wheel gets the oil and I would probably be a real pain in the behind but I would still do it, I would feel like I had to at least try, or I would be unhappy with myself for at least not trying. Pray about it and ask God to help you to know what you need to do and ask him to help you know what words to speak, you have every right to stand up and do something, your childrens future is involved in this, my mom has always told me (if you don’t stick up for your kids, who will?) and I live by that

 

[Karin]

Pug:

Let’s grant that they are willfully and pridefully defying Church teaching. Let us grant that this is a sin on their part. Okay, so why do you expect sin to make sense? Sin is fundamentally irrational and senseless. Sin hurts people, those around us, whatever. If they are irrational, then you can’t expect them to make sense, not completely. So how can they really be explained if they are irrational?
OK this makes sense…i did not know this or better yet it was not explained as you have explained it so the simple person can understand it!
Thank you!

Pug:
Or is it that they are hurting your children so you want to make some sense of it, so you want to know why? That’s a tough one! I’m so sorry your kids are involved, how stressful! I don’t have children, so I’m not sure what to say. I would be distressed if they were being taught lies, and I would make an effort to remove them from the situation if feasible, or else counterbalance it somehow. Do you mean the CCD program? Can you school them at home? You can do this at our parish, so maybe you can at yours?

No one is directly hurting my kids…but the way I see it is that by seeing and hearing about things that are wrong against church teaching in Church they are beign hurt indirectly…hurt becuase as they get older they may think that these things are acceptable.
I would love to remove them from teh situation…but the problem is the Church/Parish so how do I remove them and cause a greater sin…that they do not attend mass etc.
As I am not Catholic I am sure that the Parish would not be keen on my homeschooling them on Catholic Teaching at home…in regards to my eldest I am not too worried he gets his religion lessons at school…very strict teachings but my youngest will be going to CCD soon and this worries me!

 

[kamz]

**

**Let’s grant that they are willfully and pridefully defying Church teaching. Let us grant that this is a sin on their part. Okay, so why do you expect sin to make sense? Sin is fundamentally irrational and senseless. Sin hurts people, those around us, whatever. If they are irrational, then you can’t expect them to make sense, not completely. So how can they really be explained if they are irrational?

Or is it that they are hurting your children so you want to make some sense of it, so you want to know why? That’s a tough one! I’m so sorry your kids are involved, how stressful! I don’t have children, so I’m not sure what to say. I would be distressed if they were being taught lies, and I would make an effort to remove them from the situation if feasible, or else counterbalance it somehow. Do you mean the CCD program? Can you school them at home? You can do this at our parish, so maybe you can at yours?

that is what I was thinking, if possible, teach them ccd at home, if all efforts fail to change things, then that is what I would do, I would try to make things change but in the mean time, I would teach my kids ccd at home until things improved, send the church a clear message that you will NOT tolerate this.

 

[Karin]

kamz:

that is what I was thinking, if possible, teach them ccd at home, if all efforts fail to change things, then that is what I would do, I would try to make things change but in the mean time, I would teach my kids ccd at home until things improved, send the church a clear message that you will NOT tolerate this.

Kamz-
I owe you an apology…I thought you where being nasty becuase I was not a Catholic…I see that was not your intention.

Yes, CCD at home I did this once when my eldest was going through 1st Holy Communion /Confession and the Priest at the Parish was rather impressed with his knowledge & understanding:thumbsup: …alas this was a different Parish and our current Parish is not to nice to non-Catholics that want to teach their kids CCD.

I would love to find another Parish so if anyone knows of one in Northern NJ (near GWB) let me know I will check them out!

 

[kamz]

Karin, that is so awful, I tought my kids at home ccd classes while I was pregnant with my fourth child, I was just so sick there was no way to take them to the classes so that year I taught them at home and I really liked it, my kids liked it and the parish was awesome about it and our parish is totally for anyone who wants to teach at home and gives them much support.
I will pray that you can find a different parish that will be so much better and not where you have to drive a bunch to get to it either.

Remember, you are the most important teacher to your kids and stand tall and proud, don’t let anyone bully you, make it clear that you will not tolerate this from your parish, obviously nobody has stood up to them before or has given up. Pray about it and ask God to help you know what to do and he will, he always answers our prayers.
I will keep you and your kids in my prayers, it is very obvious that you are a very loving and concerned mom, that is something to be really proud of and your kids are really lucky to have a mom who loves and worries about them so much, I wish all children in the world could have a mom like that, so many do not

 

[Pug]

Karin:

No one is directly hurting my kids…but the way I see it is that by seeing and hearing about things that are wrong against church teaching in Church they are beign hurt indirectly…hurt becuase as they get older they may think that these things are acceptable

I see why you are concerned! I hope some of the resources the others have posted will help. Since you mention that you were involved with 1communion for your other son, you know the basics so you can reinforce them with your younger son at home. Best of Luck! I wish I had the answer for you. Trust your own judgement about what is best for your son. Try prayer, of course!