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JimG
Guest
I realize that the homily is supposed to relate to the readings, but it wouldn’t hurt to put in a few sentences about doctrine every Sunday. In my youth the homilies were sometimes entirely doctrinal.
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Tolle_Lege
Guest
A whole other topic in its own right, the “noise” that passes off as the “Communion hymn” during Mass. These songs are so self-consciously both saccharine and depressing that I often read through the Book of Lamentations right after to cheer myself up.
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Tolle_Lege
Guest
The Pew page referenced in this article has a 15-question survey. The questions are about all religions. Sadly, even atheists beat Catholics on this quiz with an average score of 9.3 compared to 7.6 for Catholics. So we have a lack of understanding our own faith and don’t know much about anyone else’s either. What an embarrassment.
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godisgood77
Guest
Personally, I do not think that the issue is with understanding the teaching, but instead with acceptance of the teaching.
My opinion is based on my experiences, so admittedly, it is limited to my 40+ years split between the east coast, west coast and mid-west in the US. What I hear most often is that people reject the teaching of transubstantiation and the real presence.
My opinion is based on my experiences, so admittedly, it is limited to my 40+ years split between the east coast, west coast and mid-west in the US. What I hear most often is that people reject the teaching of transubstantiation and the real presence.
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Searching1
Guest
I am 32 years old and I specifically remember around 5th or 6th grade, in CCD, being told by our instructor that “you can believe it is the real body of Christ or just a symbol,” as though it was optional.
The state of catechism in this country is deplorable and has been for years.
There is a difference between form and substance. If I transformed into a werewolf, you would see me grow hair and fangs and claws. My form would change.
Substance is that which underlies a thing and makes it that thing. Substance is the reason you can lose your arms and legs and eyes and ears and teeth and skin and still be a human, because the component parts of a thing do not substantially constitute that thing as itself. It’s an ancient philosophical concept that may be difficult to teach and understand, but it also offers the opportunity to introduce initiates into the Church an experience of deep, burning faith. Faith in the real presence of Christ in the consecrated Eucharist is the best part of Christianity!
The state of catechism in this country is deplorable and has been for years.
There is a difference between form and substance. If I transformed into a werewolf, you would see me grow hair and fangs and claws. My form would change.
Substance is that which underlies a thing and makes it that thing. Substance is the reason you can lose your arms and legs and eyes and ears and teeth and skin and still be a human, because the component parts of a thing do not substantially constitute that thing as itself. It’s an ancient philosophical concept that may be difficult to teach and understand, but it also offers the opportunity to introduce initiates into the Church an experience of deep, burning faith. Faith in the real presence of Christ in the consecrated Eucharist is the best part of Christianity!
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Searching1
Guest
We live in a predominantly protestant society and culture and orthodox catholic beliefs, in my experience, do meet with opposition and confusion many times.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
Actually, all the “Catholics” on this forum taking the quiz have been scoring 14 and 15.
So if you’re trying to make some point about the people on the forum, it’s the wrong group of “Catholics” you’re pointing at.
I suspect the Pew poll is as usual including a lot of “Catholics in name only” who probably never think much about their own religion, let alone anyone else’s.
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phaster
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a score of 14 or 15 is still low compared to what average jews, atheists, agnostics know (according to the pew poll)phaster:
Actually, all the “Catholics” on this forum taking the quiz have been scoring 14 and 15.
So if you’re trying to make some point about the people on the forum, it’s the wrong group of “Catholics” you’re pointing at.
I suspect the Pew poll is as usual including a lot of “Catholics in name only” who probably never think much about their own religion, let alone anyone else’s.
What Americans Know About Religion
Before you read the reportTest your religious knowledge by taking an interactive quiz. The short quiz includes some questions recently asked in the
www.pewforum.org
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maryjk
Guest
The survey was based on the answers from their American Trends Panel.
Problem is, they don’t verify truthfulness of the answers. I could say that I am Catholic or Jewish or Wiccan. And any of those answers would fly. I’m Catholic.
So, for example, my own sister could say that she is Catholic. She hasn’t regularly attended Mass since she was in her early teens. She is in her 50’s now. And of course, she most likely wouldn’t remember any of what she was taught.
Problem is, they don’t verify truthfulness of the answers. I could say that I am Catholic or Jewish or Wiccan. And any of those answers would fly. I’m Catholic.
So, for example, my own sister could say that she is Catholic. She hasn’t regularly attended Mass since she was in her early teens. She is in her 50’s now. And of course, she most likely wouldn’t remember any of what she was taught.
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Sarcelle
Guest
Parents are to blame.
They are the first teachers of the faith to their children.
They are the first teachers of the faith to their children.
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whatistrue
Guest
14 or 15 questions right out of 15 asked is low? Or are you talking about a completely different quiz?
Tis_Bearself
Patron
The poll was 15 questions long. 15/15 is a perfect score. You are making no sense.
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phaster
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(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)phaster:
14 or 15 questions right out of 15 asked is low? Or are you talking about a completely different quiz?
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whatistrue
Guest
So it’s a different quiz. The link you provided lead to the 15 question quiz that most others on this thread are talking about.
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Tenzin
Guest
A kids-version of the CCC needs to be made. The church needs more PR skills. In Religious ED, the CCC is talked about but not in the picture. For maybe a good reason, it is long and can be “boring” for kids. Some sort of readable reform maybe.
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Mi_Rose
Guest
YouCat is a version of the Catechism written for teens and young adults.
In other news my first grade CCD kiids were told many times that the consecrated bread and wine are really Jesus.
In other news my first grade CCD kiids were told many times that the consecrated bread and wine are really Jesus.
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CatholicELATeacher
Guest
Most likely these same folks don’t understand the Incarnation, either. Which of course means they don’t understand the Theology of of the Body and are therefore okay with contraception, abortion and gay sex too.
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CatholicELATeacher
Guest
There are fifteen questions in the linked quiz here. Scoring 15/15 is easy. Is there some longer version?
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Gorgias
Guest
I remember reading, a while back, a similarly direly-worded report that detailed the fact that Americans’ lack of knowledge of geography was horrendous. (IIRC, around half of Americans couldn’t find the state of New York on the map.)
Maybe the ones who can find NYC are also able to articulate the essence of the argument for transubstantiation, and those who can’t distinguish NYC from LA are also among those who can’t discuss the Eucharist in any great detail.
@1ke nailed it. Still, though, there’s more to the story:
If a student refuses to come to class, and isn’t really engaged in the process of learning when he actually does show up, is that the fault of the teacher or of the student? Let’s face it: for some reason, folks think that, in the context of a 6-9 minute homily, people are going to gain a deep knowledge of Scripture, learn the Catechism, be exposed to the riches of the teachings of moral theology, and be reminded of all the parish activities going on that week! (Let’s not forget to add that only about 25% of Catholics bother to go to Mass each week, and therefore, are the only ones to hear that homily!)
So… no. I’m not sure I’d pin this one on the hierarchy.
There is one point that we can validly make, however, against my viewpoint:
Yep. But, we utilize volunteers, and they’re so scarce, we’re generally ecstatic if we find sufficient numbers of folks whose qualifications are less “they have a solid grasp of what the Church teaches” than “they’re people of good-will who are willing to volunteer”. And even then, we’re talking about a grand total of about 45 minutes/week, 20 weeks a year. (And even then, many parents drop their children off, pick them back up, and don’t even bother to lead their children to Mass afterward.)
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Tolle_Lege
Guest
I know many Parishes are trying the “family faith formation” programs, and this year ours is attempting to do so by requiring parental attendance at “X” amount of classes per year. Not sure how it will work out yet.
This may not be a popular approach, but I think at the beginning of the Religious Education year parents need a presentation by the Pastor that will shock them into realizing how important R.E. is and how today the culture will draw their kids away from their faith at the snap of a finger. No more of just repeating the “we’re all here because Jesus loves us!” routine.
Parents need to know how many kids fall away from the faith by age X, how many more fall away by age Y, etc. Or how many kids think [choose a topic] is moral and ok. How many of them these days are questioning who they like or if they’re even a boy or a girl. How many of them are preoccupied with material goods over spiritual goods, etc.
Either your kids will be Catechized in the faith, by parents and their parish; or by the culture, which in many great respects these days is anything but Catholic.
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