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WHY ARE OUR CATHOLIC LAITY SO ILLITERATE WHEN IT COMES TO THE CATHOLIC FAITH
Southern Orders ^ | May 31, 2013 | Fr. Allan J. McDonald

Posted on 05/31/2013 2:44:05 PM PDT by NYer

WHY ARE OUR CATHOLIC LAITY SO ILLITERATE WHEN IT COMES TO THE CATHOLIC FAITH--BLAME THE TEXT BOOKS, BLAME THE TEACHING METHODS AND BLAME THE PARENTS, BUT BLAME THE BISHOPS, PRIESTS AND CATECHISTS TOO, BLAME EVERYONE INCLUDING SATAN, EXCEPT NO ONE TEACHES ABOUT HIM ANYMORE OTHER THAN POPE FRANCIS, DON'T BLAME HIM!

Do our Catholic children and most adults know what these images teach?

All of us know one of the elephants in the room of the Catholic Church. Our religious education programs are not handing on the essence of our Catholic Faith, our parents are befuddled about their role in handing on the faith and the materials we use are vapid or if good do not make an impression on young minds. We are afraid of asking for memorization and thus most don't remember anything they've learned about God and Church other than some niceties and feel good emotions.

I teach each class of our grades 1-6 (we don't have 7th or 8th) each Thursday, rotating classes from week to week. For the last two years I have used Baltimore Catechism #1 as my text book. It is wonderful to use with children and it is so simple yet has so much content. If Catholics, all Catholics, simply studied Baltimore Catechism #1, we would have very knowledgeable Catholics.

These past two years I've used Baltimore Catechism #2 with our adult religious program which we call Coffee and Conversation following our 9:30 AM Sunday Mass, which coincides with our CCD program which we call PREP (Parish Religious Education Program).

This #2 book has more content and is for middle school, but upper elementary school children must have been more capable of more serious content back when this book was formulated and used through the mid 1960's because it is a great book to use with adults and not childish at all. We all use this same book as a supplemental book for the RCIA because it is so clear, nobly simple and chocked full of content!

Yes, there are some adjustments that need to be made to some chapters, but not that many, in light of Vatican II and the new emphasis we have on certain aspects of Church that are not present in the Baltimore Catechism. But these are really minor.

What is more important though is that when the Baltimore Catechism was used through the mid 1960's it was basically the only book that was used for children in elementary and junior high school. It was used across the board in the USA thus uniting all Catholics in learning the same content. There was not, in other words, a cottage industry of competing publishing houses selling new books and different content each year.

The same thing has occurred with liturgical music, a cottage industry of big bucks has developed around the sale of new hymnals, missalettes and new music put on the open market for parishes to purchase. It is a money making scheme.

Why do our bishop allow this to happen in both liturgical music and parish catechesis? The business of selling stuff to parishes and making mega bucks off of it is a scandal that has not be addressed.

In the meantime, our liturgies suffer and become fragmented because every parish uses a different resource for liturgical music and the same is true of religious formation, everyone uses something different of differing quality or no quality at all.

Isn't it time to wake up and move forward with tried and true practices that were tossed out in favor of a consumerist's approach to our faith that has weakened our liturgies, our parishes and our individual Catholics?


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Ministry/Outreach; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: catechism; catholic; catholicsects; ignorantprotestants; papalpromotion; traditionalcatholic
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To: BipolarBob
That is claiming a Power that belongs not to any manmade institution but to God alone.

Would culling your posts expose an opposition to capital punishment?

"Judge not lest ye be judged"?

You're having to resort to trotting out the quoting Scripture out of context crutch. You're too proud to admit that you're unarmed in this battle, Robert. There's quite a bit of difference between stoning an adulterer to death and judging behavior. Too bad you don't realize that.

"And why even of yourselves, do you not judge that which is just?" Luke 12:57

"And we charge you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother walking disorderly, and not according to the tradition which they have received of us." 2 Thessalonians 3:6

House arrest over heliocentricity was not just.

That's your opinion, Robert. Galileo committed fraud and in todays parlance breach of contract. Fraud is a crime that's punishable even in our contemporary culture. I doubt Bernie Madoff is living out his live in an Italian villa. It's already been well established that you're in over your head on the topic of Galileo. Quit digging that hole you're in.

It was brutality and don't quote any Catholic writings saying he was well cared for.

Those are Galileo's writings that I quoted and he felt his treatment was so brutal that he wrote to others about how well he was treated.

Given the choice between believing you and Galileo, I'm believing Galielo.

You'd be better off sitting in the corner in your jammies reading a Dan Brown novel.

301 posted on 05/31/2013 7:49:13 PM PDT by A.A. Cunningham (Barry Soetoro can't pass E-verify)
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To: Former Fetus

Same experience for me too!

In 12 years of Catholic school I never saw a bible read any where in school. We never read the bible in religion class.

The only time we were exposed to scripture were the several verses read at church. I assume our religion class books did have some verses, but anyone carrying a bible would have been looked at very oddly.


302 posted on 05/31/2013 7:50:06 PM PDT by bkaycee (John 3:16)
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To: knarf

Which means they must go to Confession and receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily and do the penance before they can receive Communion worthily.


303 posted on 05/31/2013 7:52:44 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: NYer

I agree with your one word analysis: parents.


304 posted on 05/31/2013 7:54:23 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: VermiciousKnid
Or here on FR:

The Baltimore Catechism: Part Three: The Sacraments and Prayer, Prayer
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Three: The Sacraments and Prayer, The Sacramentals
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Three: The Sacraments and Prayer, Matrimony
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Three: The Sacraments and Prayer, Extreme Unction and Holy Orders
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Three: The Sacraments and Prayer, Temporal Punishment and Indulgences
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Three: The Sacraments and Prayer, How to Make a Good Confession
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Three: The Sacraments and Prayer, Confession

The Baltimore Catechism: Part Three: The Sacraments and Prayer, Contrition
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Three: The Sacraments and Prayer, Penance
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Three: The Sacraments and Prayer, Holy Communion
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Three: The Sacraments and Prayer, The Sacrifice of the Mass
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Three: The Sacraments and Prayer, The Holy Eucharist
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Three: The Sacraments and Prayer, Confirmation
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Three: The Sacraments and Prayer, Baptism
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Three: The Sacraments and Prayer, The Sacraments
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Two: The Commandments, The Commandments of the Church;The Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Commandments of the Church
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Two: The Commandments, The Commandments of the Church; First and Second Commandments of the Church

The Baltimore Catechism:Part Two: The Commandments, The Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Commandments of God
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Two: The Commandments, The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Commandments of God
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Two: The Commandments, The Second and Third Commandments of God
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Two: The Commandments, Honoring the Saints, Relics, and Images
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Two: The Commandments, The First Commandment of God
The Baltimore Catechism: Part Two: The Commandments, The Two Great Commandments
The Baltimore Catechism: Part One: The Creed, The Resurrection and Life Everlasting
The Baltimore Catechism: Part One: The Creed, The Communion of Saints and the Forgiveness of Sins
The Baltimore Catechism: Part One: The Creed, The Marks and Attributes of the Church
The Baltimore Catechism: Part One: The Creed, The Catholic Church

The Baltimore Catechism: Part One: The Creed, The Virtues and the Gifts of the Holy Ghost
The Baltimore Catehcism: Part One: The Creed, The Holy Ghost and Grace
The Baltimore Catechism: Part One: The Creed, The Redemption
The Baltimore Catechism: Part One: The Creed, The Incarnation
The Baltimore Catechism: Part One: The Creed, Actual Sin
The Baltimore Catechism: Part One: The Creed, The Creation and the Fall of Man
The Baltimore Catechism: Part One: The Creed, Creation and the Angels
The Baltimore Catechism: Part One: The Creed, The Unity and Trinity of God
The Baltimore Catechism: Part One: The Creed, God and His Perfections
The Baltimore Catechism: Part One: The Creed, The Purpose of Man's Existence

305 posted on 05/31/2013 7:55:16 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Comment #306 Removed by Moderator

To: RPTMS
the universe is quite a bit more than 6000 years old

How long were Adam and Eve in the garden, before Satan showed up? After all, they did have access to the Tree of Life, didn't they?

Personally I don't think they were there for billions of years. I think it is more likely that, just as God created adult human beings, He probably created an "old" earth and universe. He could have done it, couldn't He? Anyhow, I consider myself a scientist (PhD in molecular biology, published research...) yet I believe in a literal interpretation of Genesis.

307 posted on 05/31/2013 7:56:32 PM PDT by Former Fetus (Saved by grace through faith)
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans
Here, I shall give you something so repulsive, so horrible, so nightmarish in its teachings, that if you do not similarly agree, then become a Roman Catholic immediately.

That is extreme but unsurprising as RCs have great liberty to make Mary part of the Trinity - almost. Though she is holy and is to be notably revered in regard to her person and place, as certain others are, she is rather marginal in the gospels and what Catholics attribute to her goes way beyond what i written (cf. 1Cor. 4:6). But RC doctrine is not dependent on Scriptural warrant.

308 posted on 05/31/2013 7:58:05 PM PDT by daniel1212 (Come to the Lord Jesus as a contrite damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save you, then live 4 Him)
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To: BipolarBob

We have told you this before, I’m sure.

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit were all present at the creation of the world. Read Genesis.

In advance, they saw Mary — remember there is no time with God — and she was picked as the mother of God the Son when he would become human. She was protected from original sin at that time.


309 posted on 05/31/2013 7:58:08 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

There ya go! Right here on FR!

Regards,


310 posted on 05/31/2013 7:59:22 PM PDT by VermiciousKnid (Sic narro nos totus!)
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To: BipolarBob
Catholic Scripture Study Bible - RSV Large Print Edition


"We are compelled to concede to the Papists
that they have the Word of God,
that we received it from them,
and that without them
we should have no knowledge of it at all."

~ Martin Luther




311 posted on 05/31/2013 7:59:24 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: A.A. Cunningham

How do you know the interpretation of 2 Pet 3:15-16?

Rome has not infallibly interpreted it. Don’t tell me your using your private interpretation!


312 posted on 05/31/2013 7:59:52 PM PDT by bkaycee (John 3:16)
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To: RPTMS
the universe is quite a bit more than 6000 years old.

Yep, more than a couple of centuries older. It is about 6,245 years old, give or take a decade or two, according to my preacher.

313 posted on 05/31/2013 8:00:23 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious!)
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To: batmast
CATHOLICS WROTE THE BIBLE!

So, what you are saying is that Moses, Isaiah, Daniel, John, Paul... were all Catholics?

314 posted on 05/31/2013 8:02:56 PM PDT by Former Fetus (Saved by grace through faith)
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To: bkaycee

You are always a Catholic. Come home.


315 posted on 05/31/2013 8:04:09 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

AND the papists received it from The early church.


316 posted on 05/31/2013 8:05:04 PM PDT by bkaycee (John 3:16)
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To: verga

And many other converts!


317 posted on 05/31/2013 8:05:05 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Longbow1969

One of the things de Tocqueville points out is the connection between the policies of America, individualism and freedom and with the foundation of the family. He tracks the growth rate of the American population through the years, and uses the argument of their large sizes that the Americans valued freedom above the other things.

It’s why he argues for American exceptionalism in opposition to Malthusian ideals in Europe.

As the US has taken on a more European living standards, we’ve seen the introduction of income tax and the massive outgrowth of socialism in the last 100 years.

Again - look at the names cited in Lambeth. They single out a specific American (and they aren’t dumb about this), who counters de Tocqueville’s argument the same way you do here - that a low birthrate is beneficial to the economy. No, no, it’s not.


318 posted on 05/31/2013 8:05:44 PM PDT by JCBreckenridge (Texas is a state of mind - Steinbeck)
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To: bkaycee

It’s oddly convenient that all the ex-Catholics have this same background where the Nun magically ‘snatched the bible away’.

I’m sorry, I just don’t believe that to be the case. I teach for a Catholic school. We have bibles available and I teach with them throughout. I’m looking at the history and there’s no evidence of any concerted movement let alone nuns removing books from the schools.

I’m sorry, I just don’t see evidence that supports your observations.


319 posted on 05/31/2013 8:09:29 PM PDT by JCBreckenridge (Texas is a state of mind - Steinbeck)
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To: Former Fetus

Are you saying John and Paul were all Presbyterians? Perhaps they were the Church of England.


320 posted on 05/31/2013 8:10:27 PM PDT by JCBreckenridge (Texas is a state of mind - Steinbeck)
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