The Catholic Message Board

The latest is Texas, and it is a growing movement. I strongly oppose this unless these are strictly "Blble as Literature" classes with no religious instruction or content. And I'm not sure I would support even a "Bible as World Literature" requirement.

Let's remember that historically, Catholics have opposed both Bible instruction and prayer in schools because these measures were historically introduced to try to "convert" Catholics to "Christianity." It was precisely to get away from these requirements that Catholic schools were created.

In 2024, a high school "Bible Class" will likely be one of two things: a skeptical class led by an unbelieving or even atheist teacher trying to indoctrinate against "religion" (as many college Bible classes are) or taught by a fundamentalist trying to convert everyone to his beliefs. There is very little chance that there will be any middle ground between these two extremes.

Back before the earth cooled, when my son was in high school, one of his AP History classes did a semester on the "Three Monotheistic Religions: Judaism, Islam and Christianity". All of the Christianity study was Fundamentalist, including the expert guest speakers (Southern Baptist and Non-Denom ministers).

I have zero doubt that this new push will be fundy and anti-Catholic.

As a student, the younger me would have taken the class and be an intentional thorn in the side of the teacher.
The "old" me, couldn't be bothered.

I envision this would be a good companion course for English. First, more kids would be drawn to read the Bible instead of the insipid works that pass for literature, thanks to DEI hires among the faculty and the committees who choose the literature. House on Mango Street instead of Macbeth? Puh-LEEZE!!!

If you're in a better school with a beefy reading list, there should be lots of cross-references. English teachers ought to be 100% behind this.

Riverboat wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2024 7:09 pm
If you're in a better school with a beefy reading list, there should be lots of cross-references.

At the time, I had wished mine was less beefy. On the one hand, reading things like Beowulf in the original Old English was torture. On the other hand, if I had known then what I know now (Catholic themes), I would have paid more attention.

More and more states? I noted Texas. "States are trying..."; meaning the State itself has an effort underway to introduce such classes? Or are some voices, not speaking for the entity of the State, only advocating such?

Other States? Efforts underway within the structure of the State's governance?

anawim wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2024 7:14 pm...reading things like Beowulf in the original Old English was torture. ... if I had known then what I know now (Catholic themes), I would have paid more attention.

Even the Canterbury Tales. Yes, it ranged from horrible to mildly interesting. Those ancient texts did provide a window into the culture and perceptions and priorities of those who were pretty much like us.