Unitarian Universalist Field Trip

[walterfiat]

This is nowhere in the current requirements.

 

[angel12]

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

My “nonchalant” attitude is this: children can learn about these things while they are in their parents’ home, where their parents can discuss it with them and make sure they also know the Catholic positions on any issues involved.
OR - they can be kept in a bubble, and learn about these things after they are out on their own, potentially without parental/church guidance.
If Door #2 is your preference, that’s on you.

 

[1ke]

children can learn about these things while they are in their parents’ home, where their parents can discuss it with them and make sure they also know the Catholic positions on any issues involved.

OR

Age 7 is not the appropriate time for this, developmentally.

 

[stpurl]

Quite right. In addition, the two ‘doors’ are false dichotomies, implying that ‘either’ the OP goes along with the premise and then ‘discusses it at home’ OR ELSE the OP is 'keeping his child in a bubble and not permitting them to learn about ‘other religions’.

The older I get, the more disheartened, but the less shocked, I am at how the quality of debate and discussion has turned, for so many, into this kind of ‘oh but if you DON’T allow X then you are negligent, stupid, intolerant, etc.’

And usually it’s the ones who propose the ‘two options’ scenarios who label people like the OP as practicing ‘black and white’ thinking. HAH. Sorry, but to paraphrase one of the songs from Oklahoma, “With them, it’s all er nuthin’”.

 

[lilypadrees]

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?

I feel the same way you do. My advice is don’t allow your son to take part in it and offer to do something else instead to fulfill he necessary requirements.

 

[Allegra]

That would be a perfectly legitimate reason to make that visit. But that isn’t what the OP is describing. The requirements he’s describing for the badge could easily be completed in their own parish. It just seems weird, and yeah, a little suspicious that the leader is having them go to another religious to learn about “duty to God” rather than their own when this is a parish-sponsored troop. I would definitely have some questions about that too. I wouldn’t have any problem with visiting other houses of worship to learn about that religion, culture, or compare to other religions.