Outside the faith there is no salvation

[twoangels]

Ok, I’m teaching 3rd grade CCD, and we’re using the Sadlier’s “We Believe” books for the students. For the most part what has been bothering me isn’t what its been teaching. What has been bothering me is what its’ been omitting. However, I’m able to deal with that. I’ve been able to use the text pretty effectively I think considering. However, I’ve been paging through and am noticing that there is an upcoming chapter that takes the “many roads up the same mountain to the same God” route. It outright tells kids that Native Americans call God “the great spirit.” I mean, I suppose you could argue that religion stems from us seeking God, even if people haven’t yet found their way to worshiping the one true God. But by stating that “its all the same” and speaking of Christian unity and ecumenism as just rejoicing and respecting our cultural diversity and unique ceremonies that all legitimately and authentically worship God equally seems problematic. I know its basing its instructions on paragraph 839 and forward. I mean the order in which what religions are identified and briefly discussed is the same. Some of the wording is directly taken from the Catechism, with sections of the sentence omitted. Well, 3rd graders would never understand what’s been omitted but by omitting them, the concepts that the Catechism teaches are misconstrued. Granted of course the actual Catechism doesn’t say like the Sadlier book says that the Native Americans call god the great spirit.

So I think I need to supplementary material. Does anyone know any resources that cover respecting other people’s faith but still reaffirming our one true Catholic faith that could be understood by a 3rd grader? Honestly I feel like even trying to explain other faiths to 3rd graders is overwhelming for them. My mind gets into complex concepts such as the differences between panthesism and polytheism and theism, etc. I feel like my tendency would be to give too much information so I’d really like some guidance. Thanks.

 

[waterbrook]

The traditional Hindu story of the blind men and the elephant might serve you well here , with a bit of further explanation to get your message across. In the story all feel a different part of the elephant and come to a different conclusion as to what an elephant is like. You could add: that dialogue can give each of them a better idea and that one who can see however, has a full idea - link to the fullness of revelation in the catholic church.

 

[fred_conty]

Ok, I’m teaching 3rd grade CCD, and we’re using the Sadlier’s “We Believe” books for the students. For the most part what has been bothering me isn’t what its been teaching. What has been bothering me is what its’ been omitting. However, I’m able to deal with that. I’ve been able to use the text pretty effectively I think considering. However, I’ve been paging through and am noticing that there is an upcoming chapter that takes the “many roads up the same mountain to the same God” route. It outright tells kids that Native Americans call God “the great spirit.” I mean, I suppose you could argue that religion stems from us seeking God, even if people haven’t yet found their way to worshiping the one true God. But by stating that “its all the same” and speaking of Christian unity and ecumenism as just rejoicing and respecting our cultural diversity and unique ceremonies that all legitimately and authentically worship God equally seems problematic. I know its basing its instructions on paragraph 839 and forward. I mean the order in which what religions are identified and briefly discussed is the same. Some of the wording is directly taken from the Catechism, with sections of the sentence omitted. Well, 3rd graders would never understand what’s been omitted but by omitting them, the concepts that the Catechism teaches are misconstrued. Granted of course the actual Catechism doesn’t say like the Sadlier book says that the Native Americans call god the great spirit.

So I think I need to supplementary material. Does anyone know any resources that cover respecting other people’s faith but still reaffirming our one true Catholic faith that could be understood by a 3rd grader? Honestly I feel like even trying to explain other faiths to 3rd graders is overwhelming for them. My mind gets into complex concepts such as the differences between panthesism and polytheism and theism, etc. I feel like my tendency would be to give too much information so I’d really like some guidance. Thanks.

“Universalism” is a belief in a universal deity, that is different ideas of Gods in faith beliefs are all pointing to God. That is an error because the Holy Spirit would be only one of many in this kind of belief. This is one of the errors taught in Masonery.

I think you are right in disregarding this complicated idea and teach them about Jesus.

Good thinking on your part.