Unitarian Universalist Field Trip

  • Thread starter Thread starter walterfiat
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
W

walterfiat

Guest
On Monday we received an email from our son’s second grade (Wolf) den leader about the meeting plan for this weekend. In order to work on their Duty to God adventure (specifically these requirements: 1. Discuss with your parent, guardian, den leader, or other caring adult what it means to do your duty to God. Tell how you do your duty to God in your daily life. 3. Offer a prayer, meditation, or reflection with your family, den, or pack. 6. Visit a religious monument or site where people might show reverence. Create a visual display of your visit with your den or your family, and show how it made you feel reverent or helped you better understand your duty to God.), he plans to take the boys to a Unitarian Universalist church. While there, they will be given a tour of the UU sanctuary, given an overview of the UU beliefs and sources, our den leader will talk about duty to God and lead a prayer, and they will do a science experiment that UU kids would do in Sunday school in order to point out that point out that “the use of science and reason are one important aspect of” UU.

Our pack is chartered by our Catholic parish. Our pastor and parochial vicar are both solid. Our parish definitely leans mainstream/traditional. The den leader and his family are members of the parish. He even spent a year in the seminary before discerning the vocation of marriage.

Our family will not participate in this stunt. I have asked many questions and with each answer my level of alarm goes up even more. I am shocked by the apathy and ignorance of the people in the den/parish with whom I’ve discussed this matter. The very evil of relativism which I’m objecting to is the overall attitude of most concerning this field trip. “The kids aren’t really going to understand anyway.” “It’s just a basic introduction to religious tolerance.” “They’re going to discuss Christian values.” 😳 and on, and on, and on…There seems to be little grasp of the fact that there are so many better (and more convenient—the UU place is on the other side of the city) ways to teach these requirements, especially as the boys prepare for their First Holy Communion.

Here is my question for the forums:
What should I do? I have already brought this to the attention of the pastor. He is unfortunately out of town this week. And also he does not like to appear to micromanage the different organizations around the parish. I’d like to formally voice my objections to the pack leadership. I just fear it will fall on deaf ears or be misunderstood. Not that those are compelling reasons to avoid the truth. What’s the prudent course?
 
Honestly, what is wrong with touring a building and doing a science experiment?

Would you react the same way if they were visiting a Synagogue? First Presbyterian?
 
As I mentioned, they will also be learning about the syncretic faith. Maybe you don’t know anything about UU and that’s why you don’t understand the danger here?

The field trip does not match the stated lesson purpose.

Would we take our children to a Baptist Church to learn about the Eucharist? After all, they celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

Would we take our kids to a mosque to learn about Mary? After all, she is mentioned in the Quran more than in the New Testament and is one of the most important and righteous women in Islam.

Would we take our kids to Planned Parenthood to learn about the birds and the bees? After all, they’re “experts” in the biology.

Why would we ever take our children to a UU church to learn about our duty to God, prayer, reverence, and Christian values?

There are so many better, more practical, more authentic, actual, true ways to fulfill the requirement.
 
Last edited:
So, you answered my question. You do not want this field trip to be anywhere except a Catholic parish building, and that is your prerogative.

Follow up question, are all of the kids in the pack Catholic?
 
You’re uncomfortable with this and given that the kids are in second grade and this is a parish troop, I can see why. It seems like there are a lot of ways this “adventure” could be fulfilled without requiring the troop members, who are very young and not at the teenage years where they might be comparing religions for a class project, to go to some other church for a tour. I agree that it tends to send a message to kids that young that “one church is as good as another as long as we all worship the same God”.

As I see it, you have a couple options:
  1. Tell the leaders you’re not letting your child go on this field trip and offer to do a different activity if necessary to fulfill whatever requirement this is supposed to meet. This shouldn’t be a big deal - when I was in Girl Scouts parents refused permission for their kids to go on field trips for one reason or another frequently, although it generally didn’t involve religious beliefs.
  2. Alternatively, let your son go, but you go along, take note of what is said, and discuss it with your son later to make sure he doesn’t get any wrong ideas.
 
I used to hang with the UU’s - they aren’t a bad bunch.
 
But of course, that isn’t the point.

The point is that the leader of a group of children, most of whom are NOT members of the UUs, is using that one particular church to do ‘all’ the activities under the ‘religious’ umbrella.

I would have a problem as well.

Why is it not possible, since it is getting close to Lent/Easter, to arrange for the children to go to an interfaith service (most communities have them) where the children will see representatives from a variety of faiths?

Why go for one group which doesn’t even recognize the Trinity, with a group of students who are, at age 7, in preparation for reception of the Eucharist? Isn’t it just a tad, oh let’s just say it, STUPID to be teaching children about the Trinity, about Christ and His sacrifice, about the Real Presence, about confession, etc., and then having them be taught–and they will be–by a denomination that pretty much rejects all these things?

Not to mention the hidden messages. . “.look at all these nice people, their church looks pretty much like ours, the people are pleasant and kind, the things they talk about are the things that teachers in the school uphold as ‘the right things’, the ‘right opinions’, but my dad, or my priest, 'won’t let them receive communion which I am being taught is the best thing in the world. Why not? It doesn’t seem fair. Just because they aren’t Catholics, but they are so nice! I think it’s the Catholics who aren’t nice and fair and tolerant and welcoming. . .”

For kids of that age, fairness is everything. To them, ‘unfairness’ is the biggest sin one can commit. And just WHO will come off looking like the mean bad guy here?
 
I think it’s worth mentioning that the standard in Boy Scouts is always that “no more, no less” can be required. It is understood that if we don’t participate in the stunt we can complete the requirements on our own (at the cub level, it’s more about family involvement than individual participation). In any case, the field trip to the UU “church” does absolutely nothing to fulfill the requirements about the kids’ duty to God, etc. (none of the boys in the pack are UU).
 
TheLittleLady said:
You do not want this field trip to be anywhere except a Catholic parish building
Click to expand...
That’s not what I said at all, however there is an argument for that position.

I was pointing out that it doesn’t make sense to go someplace that teaches less than the fullness of truth when trying to teach young children about their faith.

Remember, the requirement is not about ecumenism or exploring different faiths.

Also, not only do the UU not worship the same God as us, they are each encouraged to explore and discover their own God (they don’t worship the same God as each other).
 
I REALLY doubt that an outing/presentation for a bunch of early primary school kids is going to be anything more than “be kind to everyone, love other people, do good”.
 
And why at a place where none of the children (according to the OP) actually worship, across the entire city, and, as I mentioned, to a group of children who are preparing for First Communion AND who are psychologically in the developmental stage where their thinking is concrete, black and white, and ‘fair or unfair’ is what is most important to them?

You don’t think that 7 year olds aren’t going to be thinking about the nice people they met who are so happy and nice but who, unlike them, aren’t going to be able to ‘get’ something as vital to their lives as communion, and be thinking that isn’t ‘fair’?

I guess you don’t have 7 year olds in non-Catholic schools or in Scouting, Camp Fire, etc.

I do. And I’m seeing a real ‘push’ for the kind of diversity and tolerance and ‘fairness’ that is having kids asking an awful lot of “Why can we have X but my best friend/the nice lady at school/the nice people we met” NOT have it?"
 
walterfiat said:
What should I do? I have already brought this to the attention of the pastor. He is unfortunately out of town this week. And also he does not like to appear to micromanage the different organizations around the parish. I’d like to formally voice my objections to the pack leadership. I just fear it will fall on deaf ears or be misunderstood. Not that those are compelling reasons to avoid the truth. What’s the prudent course?
Click to expand...
Children should not grow up ignorant of other faiths. None of the activities planned for Sunday are objectionable.
Really, the only thing objectionable here is your repeated use of the word “stunt.”
 
Dacinom said:
Usually volunteers don’t pile on a bunch of extra work for themselves for no reason.
Click to expand...
Usually. But not this leader. We have been dealing with him in this capacity for over six years and he is known for piling on extra requirements, reports, trips, etc., all unnecessary.
 
So you, too, find nothing objectionable about taking 7/8 year olds to a church to learn about a religion that is based entirely on moral relativism? Are you familiar with moral relativism? Pope Benedict XVI called it tyranny. Pope Francis called it “the spiritual poverty of our time.” (Especially when the requirements could more appropriately be fulfilled at our Parish.)

Moral relativism is likely one of the greatest evils in our world today because it denies the reality of universal Truth.

I just am shocked by the number of people who share your nonchalant attitude toward this.

I want to say help me understand it. I don’t know that I can, though.

Catholic Answers has a lot of good resources about relativism. I wish more would read/listen to them.
 
walterfiat said:
What should I do?
Click to expand...
Become the den leader?

I can’t believe they don’t even understand that UU are NOT Christians. What do they think “uni” in Unitarian means? Our religion begins with “tri”… Trinitarian

And yeah my kids would NOT be going to this either.
 
Last edited:
I get it. I wouldn’t let my boys participate in a field trip like that either. I would let my feelings be know to the den leader and the priest.
 
I don’t think I would do this trip either. I also think it sounds suspicious that a den at a Catholic parish would drive across down to visit this other church to learn about “duty to God”. I would have a whole lot of questions. I would think that a Catholic den would specifically learn about the teachings of the church on what a Christian’s duty to God is. I wouldn’t mind my kid going on a tour of some other religions’ sacred buildings and learning about what they believe, but this doesn’t sound like a “religions of the world” or “comparative religions” assignment.
 
1ke said:
Become the den leader?
Click to expand...
Yes! As the Committee Chair for the Cub Scout pack chartered through the Catholic Church where my kids attend the parish school, and where I was confirmed and married…we always need volunteers to lead dens!

When my oldest was a Wolf, the den leader arranged for a tour of the local Episcopal Church. One family in the den was interfaith, mother is Episcopal, father is Catholic. I have a feeling I will be the Wolf leader next year for our second son. My wife is a Reform Jew and is on the board of the Synagogue. Might be an easy one to arrange.

So yes, please, step up, I’m sure you would have a lot to offer the Den and Pack! Maybe you could even be the Popcorn Kernel - it’s the most important fund raising effort for the Pack, which allows the Pack to fund the Pinewood Derby, Blue and Gold, campouts and other fun events.
 
It’s been a few years and I don’t have a Wolf book handy, but if I recall one of the requirements was to visit a different religions place of worship and notice any similarities and any differences between the two.
 
I brought my kids to a UU church when they were that age because it is also an historically significant building here in town, and we were there because of that. While there, I checked out some of the literature and my kids and I, along with my wife, had a conversation about the differences between what they believe and what we believe. Another time, my nephew was married in a UU church where the minister referred to God as a female, which my son, then 7, thought was weird.

Both of the kids survived these experiences just fine, and remain staunch Catholics, grateful for their own faith. The power of critical thinking will not develop in a vacuum; in an area exempt from any influence that might challenge a belief. Goodness knows they are bombarded with ideas that are contrary to their faith all day from school teachers, friends, media etc. Better for them to be equipped for these ideas by having been guided through these minefields early on by their parents.

Not to describe the UU’s as being a minefield, mind you. As another poster said, the ones I know are really nice people. All the better to stress with the kiddos that we should judge the idea, but love the person holding the idea.

I’ve been a den leader and filled many other volunteer roles, and having been on that side, it would have to be a high crime (and not a misdemeanor) before I question the volunteer’s decisions. If I were in your position, I would not regard this situation as a high crime, even though I might do it differently if I were in that role.

By the way, and you may already be well aware, there two Catholic medals for Cubs, Light of Christ and Parvuli Dei. I did these with my son along with our parish priest, and he received the medals during a Mass. There are other medals for other faiths as well.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top