Exactly, which is why we talk about everything. I don't run around screaming or frantically turning off the TV when Violeta starts watching something; instead, we just sit together and talk through what’s happening and how people are behaving. I don't see any point in letting her watch Violeta and then turning around later to tell her it was garbage. We actually settled the debate on why certain shows, like those old Winx Club episodes, aren't great for her a long time ago. It's the same logic with the news. She knows wars exist and that people hurt one another, but there's no reason for a seven-year-old's brain to be processing graphic images of violence. As she grows up, we'll just have to go deeper into explaining these darker themes. I'm not trying to shield her from reality or from knowing bad things exist; I just don't want her constantly exposed to that kind of content without me right there to guide her. And honestly, she won't even have her own computer for another year or two, let alone be using it without us keeping an eye on things. 😁
I don't need any justification 😂 Just because everything seems fine from your perspective doesn't mean I see it the same way.
Tyler Ruiz502, for what it's worth, I don't let my kid watch garbage on TV at all. She doesn't watch cartoons, Winx Club, horror movies, the news, or action flicks. As for those unavoidable commercials, we dealt with that ages ago; she already understands exactly what they're trying to do.
I was just mentioning the importance of practice. But you're right; it’s pretty clear we’re operating on totally different wavelengths here. Anyway, my main priority is making sure my kid grows up without being taught that sex is some kind of sin—regardless of whether they're gay or straight—so they won't be attending religious education classes. As for the whole debate regarding the role and status of women, I think I'll pass, because like I said, we clearly see the world through very different lenses.
I honestly can't tell if you're playing dumb or if you really don't get what I'm saying, but either way, I'll try to explain 😂 In Catholic doctrine, a woman's role is centered on being a mother and a caregiver. That’s the aspect they celebrate and promote. It emphasizes being submissive to men, which extends to being submissive to God. Essentially, Catholic teaching supports a traditional view of roles within both the family and society. It seems to me that women still can't become priests—unless I'm mistaken? Could a woman ever become the Pope? 🤔
And maybe I'm out of the loop on recent changes, but isn't homosexuality (meaning the practice of it) considered a sin according to Catholic teaching? My apologies if that's been revised lately 🙂
I mean, seriously, what are we even doing here? Is anyone actually paying attention to this? It’s like everyone just collectively decided to stop using their brains at the exact same time. Honestly, I'm just sitting here staring at the screen wondering if I'm the only one seeing how ridiculous this whole situation has become. Does anyone else feel that weird, nagging sense that we're all just circling the drain? Or am I just being overly dramatic again? Probably. But you have to admit, there's something incredibly absurd about the way things are unfolding right now, isn't there? kaže: So, I was thinking about what we should actually be feeding our eight-year-olds these days... you know, because apparently, just handing them a bag of gummy bears and calling it lunch isn't exactly "peak parenting," right? Seriously though, if you're looking to get their nutrition on track without turning every mealtime into a full-blown hostage negotiation, where do we even start? It’s kind of a minefield, isn't it? I honestly just want her to keep believing in Santa Claus, you know? I really don't want some teacher at Sunday school coming along and telling her he isn't real—especially when they’re simultaneously trying to convince her that God actually is. It just feels like such a weird contradiction, doesn't it?
I just want to feel that genuine surge of pride and pure, unadulterated joy when I actually nail something, you know? Like, I want to sit back and really soak in the satisfaction of my own success—that hunger to learn something new and then that massive rush of adrenaline when I finally master it or build something from scratch. I don’t want to just shrug my shoulders and say I have God to thank for it; I want to actually own my wins and feel like I earned them through my own damn grit. Look, I just want them to actually realize what they’re capable of, you know? Like, I'm talking about finding that genuine, deep-seated internal drive instead of constantly hunting for some external pat on the back or a little extra nudge from someone else—for God's sake.
When someone screws up, I don't want them just crawling to me begging for forgiveness or living in constant terror that they're gonna get hit with some massive punishment. I’m not looking for them to go through some performative penance just to clear their conscience. Honestly, if you mess up, just fix the damn thing—clean up the mess, glue what broke, own the mistake, or better yet, pivot and build something even better out of the wreckage. I want people to realize they actually have the right to fail; it’s part of being human, isn't it? There shouldn't be this paralyzing fear or shame that makes people want to sweep their mistakes under the rug just to avoid getting caught. An apology is fine, sure, but saying "I'm sorry" doesn't cut it if nothing actually changes. I want to see tangible, visible action. At the end of the day, I want someone who acts because they genuinely feel driven to make it right from the inside, not because they're just trying to avoid an external lecture or a slap on the wrist. I just don't want them growing up living in fear, constantly walking on eggshells or being paralyzed by this crushing sense of guilt. I can't stand the idea of them feeling completely helpless against things that aren't even real—you know, those weird little rituals and superstitions that honestly mean something totally different to a kid than they ever would to an adult? I want them to have a childhood free from all that heavy, imaginary nonsense.
Wait, isn't your first bolded point basically a total contradiction of the second one? How can you even argue both at the same time? Doesn't Santa Claus basically just reward the "good" kids, though? I mean, isn't he just this imaginary figure anyway, and doesn't that leave a kid feeling totally helpless, like their whole happiness is just tied up to some guy who might not even exist?😁
So, I’ve been sitting here wondering—how exactly does the Church and its congregation actually deal with people from different faiths, or even with the LGBTQ+ community and women? Like, what is the actual vibe when you step inside those doors? Is there any real room for anyone who doesn't fit that one specific, traditional mold, or is it all just a closed circle? It makes you wonder how they navigate all that tension, right?🤣
And honestly, when you talk about "fixing mistakes" in your version of things—isn't that basically just a fancy way of describing total submission? Is there even a difference anymore? The concept of penance is one of those heavy, deep topics that people love to throw around when they want to sound righteous, isn't it? It’s more than just feeling bad about a mistake; it’s this whole ritualistic process of trying to make things right through some kind of self-imposed struggle. You see it all over history—people thinking that if they suffer enough, maybe God will finally look their way and wipe the slate clean. It’s like this intense, psychological attempt at a reset button. In the American tradition, you see these echoes everywhere, from the way people approach public apologies to how religious groups handle atonement. It’s that idea that an apology is empty unless there’s some sort of "price" paid to balance the scales. Is it actually about fixing what was broken, though? Or is it just a way for someone to soothe their own conscience so they can sleep better at night without that nagging guilt hanging over them? Honestly, sometimes it feels like we’re just performing for an audience, whether that audience is a congregation or just our own judgmental inner voices. It’s a wild, complicated cycle of guilt, sacrifice, and the desperate hope for a second chance.
So, should you sign the kid up for religious studies classes or not? Honestly, it’s one of those deeply personal choices that nobody really needs to be breathing down your neck about. It feels like people love to jump on the bandwagon and bash these programs based on their own lack of understanding or just straight-up hypocrisy, doesn't it? Especially when all that criticism is fueled by some deep-seated resentment toward anything that looks different from what they're used to—it honestly makes zero sense to me. Why turn a simple parental decision into a massive ideological battlefield just because you can't handle diversity?
Quentin Tarantino:
I don't even know where to start with this one, honestly. Is anyone else seeing this? It’s like we’re all just collectively pretending that what happened today was normal, when in reality, it was absolutely wild. I mean, really, how did we get here? You look around and you see people acting like everything is business as usual, but if you actually take a second to breathe and process the sheer absurdity of the situation, it’s enough to make your head spin. Am I crazy? Or is there something fundamentally broken in the way we’re all processing things right now? It feels like we’re living in some kind of fever dream where the rules change every five minutes and nobody bothers to tell the rest of us. It’s exhausting, truly. Just constant, low-grade chaos wrapped up in a bow of "don't worry about it." But I am worried about it! How can you not be? kaže: The harder the system tries to brainwash my kid and force some religious agenda down their throat, the harder I’m going to fight for our right to think differently. Honestly, I don't have any problem standing my ground on that. Every action has a reaction, right?
Look, I’m not out here trying to force my views down my kid's throat, but I sure as hell am not going to let anyone else do it for me either. If some textbook claims "facts" like we all go to Midnight Mass for Christmas, I’m going to make damn sure my child knows that isn't how our house works. I won't be that parent who just shrugs and says, "Well, if the school book says so, I guess we're heading to church." Not happening. Honestly, if it didn't say we were supposed to go, I wouldn't even bother bringing it up. It's the same deal when she's sitting in a religious studies class—even if she's not officially enrolled—and comes back home rambling about something they talked about; naturally, I’m going to give her my honest take on it. If she wasn't sitting in that classroom in the first place, we wouldn't even have to have the conversation, right? It's just common sense.
Honestly, after twenty-five years of being constantly hassled by everyone pushing those Catholic values down my throat, I’ve pretty much reached a point where I just want nothing to do with the whole thing. It’s like, if you spend two and a half decades being badgered from every single angle by religious dogma, how could anyone expect anything other than an absolute, total rejection? I mean, can you really blame me? It’s all just a direct consequence of their own actions, isn't it?
"We're heading out to watch the midnight mass on Christmas Eve." Look, when you're out in the world, it’s all about learning those old-school traditions. Should we really be stripping kids of all those "facts"—which, let's be honest, are mostly just cultural customs these days—just because our lifestyles have shifted so much since our parents' generation?
With all due respect here, views on faith and religion are strictly a personal thing, sure, but the fact that our folk customs and traditions are deeply intertwined with the church is just an objective historical reality in America. If we start withholding that context from our kids, aren't we just setting them up for an intellectual handicap later on?
I'm not sure what you mean by "how" The question is a bit confusing, especially with that smiley. Are you suggesting that women have equal standing within the Catholic Church? Or is the official stance that same-sex marriage should be permitted? You've got me a little lost here 🙂
Jason Ortiz5 said:So, look, I’m raising my kid with a strictly atheist mindset. Honestly? I think I’d be pretty crushed if, after everything we've talked about and all the facts she's been given, she suddenly decided there was some higher power out there watching us. Call me a hardline non-believer if you want—I really don't care what anyone says.
My whole approach is teaching her to respect what other people believe, because that's just being a decent human being. But when it comes to forming her own worldview? It's all about science, common sense, and actual logic. And I've made it very clear: she shouldn't let anyone push their nonsense onto her.
Not even you, if she decides one day to become a Wiccan, a Buddhist, or a Catholic.😁
Personally, I don’t have an issue with faith itself. My struggle is more with how women are viewed within the Catholic Church, as well as the stance taken on sexual orientation and identity. I just don't want my child growing up hearing those kinds of views presented as absolute truths. To clarify, if we're going to discuss why same-sex couples can't marry, I think we should do so with empathy and a sense of hope for progress, rather than just preaching about the sanctity of traditional marriage. 😁
Of course. I wouldn't be happy about it, no. It would be just like if she decided to vote for the Libertarian Party or joined some fringe militia group. I wouldn't stop loving her just because of that; I might not agree with her choice, but I wouldn't make her life a living hell over it.
Honestly, I feel like the ideas and values being pushed at that school just don't sit right with me, so I didn't give it a second thought when deciding not to enroll.
Michelle Nelson4, just as there are all kinds of atheists, there are all kinds of believers too. Some people see religious education as nothing more than a glorified daycare session where kids listen to fairy tales, doodle a bit, and learn the basics of the country's main faith.
Well, you’ve definitely had enough of that. If you scroll back through this thread and look at the articles from the last few years 😁 😁 , you'll see plenty. You can probably find the curriculum online too; I remember digging around for something similar a few years back.
I don't know, I guess it really depends on how you feel about what they actually teach there. In my opinion, movie ratings like PG, 16, or R exist for a reason—not every idea is appropriate for little kids to be exposed to. Honestly, I can't really help you much since the idea of enrolling my kid in religious education never even crossed my mind. Well, I did think about that whole separation thing for a few months, but then I realized I don't want to teach my child to just force themselves to fit in, and I don't want to set an example of just bowing down to pressure.
Basically, my spouse and I have never stepped foot in a church; my partner was only baptized to please their grandmother, and I wasn't even baptized. We didn't have a church wedding either, so the whole idea of signing our daughter up for religious ed feels pretty crazy to me, even if I don't think the classes are inherently bad for kids. Religious education isn't some general subject about faith; it's specifically designed for believers.
Without even getting into why you’d consider enrolling your child in religious education, everything you’ve described makes me think that signing them up might just open a massive can of worms. Between attending Mass, praying for help with schoolwork, and having to explain to your kid why what they're being taught in class differs from how things actually work in the real world—not to mention if the teacher turns out to be a total loose cannon—you could be looking at a whole lot of unnecessary complications.
Don't just give him permission; teach him to keep his head up, even when everything else falls apart. If he keeps looking at the ground, all he’ll ever see is dust.
but the way she described that whole debate made it sound like 😁
basically, back when she was five, she asked her friend how Jesus could bring her presents if He was just a baby—like, how can a baby walk around and carry gifts without Mom or Dad? 😂
Back when my little one was in school, they had this big debate about who actually brings the presents. I was honestly crying laughing when she told me about it 😂 Basically, she eventually just lost it and told the whole class that it doesn't even matter who does it. She said someone might believe it's Santa Claus, someone else thinks it's Jesus, some think it's just Mom and Dad, and others might even think it's a frog or a giraffe—as long as the gifts actually show up! 😂
Not in first grade, though! Kids are still six back then and actually believe in Santa Claus (as weird as that sounds to me 😂) first grade is one thing, but third grade is a whole different story
I guess that makes sense. If you don't think they'll pick up anything harmful or negative from it, then I'm fine with letting them go if that's what they want. People just have different perspectives when it comes to religious education.
It doesn't really matter when they start believing; what matters is that the burden shouldn't be on the teacher to decide what's true or false. If my seven-year-old understands that it isn't okay to tell their friends who believe in Santa Claus that he isn't real, then an adult should be able to handle it too.