Posted on 11/03/2011 2:50:35 AM PDT by markomalley
In addition to handing out cartoon-like publications to kids entering the DI Haunted House and families attending Mass last Saturday, one parent reports that Mineral Wells Junior High English teacher Marsha A. McDonald gave her child and others an anti-Catholic pamphlet at school Monday, during class.
The mother, who asked to go unnamed, said her 12-year-old child showed her the small pamphlet titled “Are Roman Catholics Christians?” Monday night, telling her it came from McDonald during Creative Writing class.
McDonald has been suspended by Mineral Wells ISD pending an investigation into whether she violated district policy.
The mother said this all started Monday when McDonald, of Cool, made a comment about the child’s necklace, wondering what it was, said the mother. She said her child replied, “It’s similar to a rosary.”
“She asked her what religion she was and [the child] told her ‘Catholic’ and that’s when [the teacher] got the pamphlet, ‘Are Roman Catholics Christians?,’ out of her back pocket,” said the mother.
She said her child told her McDonald handed the pamphlet to her classroom aide, a student, to hand to the child. She also, according to her child, laid some similar pamphlets across her desk and said, ‘Take as many as you want’ [to the class]. She asked two Hispanic kids if they were Catholic and then they said ‘yes’ and two more pamphlets were given to the aide to hand to those students.”
But she said her child saw other topics, including one against another religion, too.
“On the back of every pamphlet it has ‘Cool Assembly of God’ with the address and telephone number and ‘Rev. Marsha McDonald, pastor’ and ‘God bless you.’” she said. “The fact that you would hand that to a 12-year-old is unbelievable and very disrespectful. I’m glad my daughter didn’t really read it – I hope not.”
When asked if this was typical at another Assembly of God church, Gary Word, lead pastor at Cityview Community Church of the Assemblies of God in Mineral Wells, called type of activity “outside the box,” but added that he can only speak for his church, since each is autonomous, and overseen by the Assemblies of God.
Handing out pamphlets, like those McDonald reportedly handed out last weekend and in class Monday, is “not something I would condone,” Word said. “For this local Assembly of God church, that’s not something that we do.”
“Our belief is in Jesus Christ, in him being crucified and raised from the dead on the third day,” he said. He added that they teach specifically about this and “we’re not going to teach against another religion.”
Father Balaji Boyalla of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, where McDonald reportedly handed out pamphlets Oct. 15, declined to comment.
“The Catholic Church faces challenges locally and worldwide from time to time,” said Fort Worth Diocese Director of Communications Pat Svacina. “It’s something that goes back to the time of Jesus.”
“Those type of matters we take seriously. We reinforce that we are a church Christ formed, built on the rock that is Peter, and believe that the proper authorities should take action,” he said of cases where people have committed a violation of law or policy.
“We are a melting pot of people – all makes, colors, shades and backgrounds – and have a tolerance of people of a lots of religions,” Svacina said of the demographics of the United States and Texas.
From time-to-time, he said people will see anti-religious information shared.
“We’re seeing it in the religious cycle and see it with all religions. The Mormons are seeing it right now. Others see it too, both Christian and non-Christian religions,” he said. “It’s something that has not gone away,” he added, with a reminder, “The U.S. is more tolerant than any place in world of different religions and beliefs.”
Svacina encourages parents to reinforce their belief in their religion and added, of his, “Catholicism has a rich 2,000-year history and is one of the best recognized religions in the world.”
Boy, when Jesus comes back are we gonna get it...
My Missionary Baptist best friend actually thinks THEY are the original Christians even after I showed her WHO started it and when!!
Protestants have been BRAINWASHED against Catholic.......sad.
Wait.
I thought LDS were the originals.
What happened?
;-)
I have had the privilege and honor of sponsoring two Confirmation candidates. I have told both of them that there is a wonderful symbol during the service... where the Priest/Bishop/etc... tap their cheek. (during my parents time, they actually gave you a bit of a wap). I told them it represents that as a Catholic, you will face harshness/anger/possibly hated in life and to prepare for it. As much as I would like to say that this is no longer the case... it is. How many times even on FR will someone comment that Catholics “worship” statues, or that they believe in all that “devil stuff”. That’s okay... because every time I read something like that... I remember my Confirmation. Just my Thursday morning rant... go back to what you were doing. Mom
The argument is moot. Handing out tracts in general is offensive behavior. Doing it to children is abusive. BTW, the early Christians were Jews, not Catholics.
A boy in jr high once acted shocked that I was Catholic because he said Catholics have such a big alter for human sacrifice. After I finished laughing, I realized he thought this was true! I corrected him on the matter and then pointed out the 30% of our class that went to Religious Ed with me. He was shocked! But he grew up to be a nice guy, saw him at a wedding in a Catholic church years later and pointed up to the alter. He just smirked and shook his head!
This is the level of intelligence and discernment I’ve come to expect from public school teachers. Not surprised at all to see a mentally challenged heretic with a government job.
Serious question— how were early Christians Jews? I mean, I understand it was a group of Jews that first believed Jesus was Jesus Christ, the Messiah, but then at that point didn’t they cease being Jews? Or is it generally accepted they were still Jews that believed the Messiah had come? Or that they were still ethnically Jewish?
The teacher’s First Amendment Rights have been violated!
As always, Mom, an interesting post. I’m trying to think if I was tapped during my Confirmation. I can’t remember so I’ll ask my husband. He has a better memory for the old Catholic rituals. Just a tyical altar boy who would get smacked on the head by the priest after Mass for goofing something up.
I just can’t help but add in another little story here. I grew up Catholic but my dad and his side of the family were Protestant. My dad really wasn’t a practicing anything, but definitely a Christian.
My great Aunt always wanted me to attend church with her, and my mom didn’t mind, every so often, as she said we all believed in the same God. One Sunday I went to church with my Aunt, she was elderly and it made her happy. But at home there was a little “discussion” going on amongst the relatives that maybe I didn’t want to be Catholic. I was a typical kid, I hadn’t really voiced my opinion. So I ended the little disagreement by telling everyone of course I was Catholic, I attended regularly, went to my Confirmation classes. One of the relatives asked why I attended the Congregational church with my Aunt twice that month. I rolled up my skirt to my knee and showed them where I had slid into second base playing softball and cut my knee. I thought, at least I ‘m going to church but I couldn’t take the kneeling! My mother looked at me a little angry but then we all laughed. So while I have definite Catholic convictions, I can discuss disagreements with other Christian groups civilly because I remember how I almost left the Catholic Church over a skinned knee, so who am I to judge minor differences?!
I had to laugh out loud about your husband getting “smacked on the head by the Priest after Mass for goofing something up”. My SIL’s brother was actually thrown out... or I should say he was nicely fired. He had a tendency to faint when he was an alter boy. I have no idea as to why but in the middle of mass.. CLUNK BOOM! It would scare the mass goers to death! Finally, after about ten straight Sunday fainting spells... the parish Priest had a nice “sit down” with him. We still sort of laugh today about it.
When I was little, I was given copies of similarly stupid tracts to hand out to my friends (I was Baptist in a 90% Catholic community).
I knew better as an elementary school STUDENT and threw them away.
On a related note, I am Eastern Orthodox which is course around since 33 AD but there was this split in 1054 between us the Roman Catholics. I remember about 30 years ago talking with a friend who was a “born-again”, like the teacher in the article and like your friend. He said “Orthodox Church ... isn’t that the one that keeps the bodies of dead people in church?” I literally had no idea what he was talking about! He must have read an article about some church in Europe that is a shrine, like for example the Basilica of St. Nicholas in Bari, Italy. But how he could extend that to every church, I’ll never know. I can only speculate, but you never know what people are thinking.
Oh, I know all about fainting altar boys. In Hugh Leonard’s wonderful memoir “Home Before Dark,” he relates fainting during EVERY mass.
I was once thrown out of Confession for stumbling around with my answers until the priest lost his temper at me and shouted me out of booth. I can only imagine what others thought when I made my exit: a tiny, knock-kneed child of about 8!
McDonald, of CoolNot Guilty!
You simply cannot convict The McDonald of Cool!
I’m glad my daughter didn’t really read it – I hope not.Gee thanks, Mom, for expressing your faith in my ability to read something and think about it for myself.
HAHAHAHHAHA!!!
Doing it to children is abusive.Oh, come on. Get a grip. It's against the rules, yes. And I suppose it should be, to forestall religious pamphlet wars on school grounds.
But abusive.
Give me a break.
I remember myself at 12. I think I could handle a religious tract without being abused.
Man, either your kids are wet noodles or you're trying to raise them to be so.
I feel sorry for them.
My kid is made of sterner stuff than that... I'm proud to say. (And he's only 3.)
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