Posts by Lawrence Torres56

rowdypanther12 said:So, if a kid ends up traumatized because they were called fat or anything else like that, does that mean the parents also dropped the ball?

It’s almost like victims of bullying and abuse are somehow to blame just because it gets to them.

Henry Gonzalez67 just hit you back with a reply.

So, at the end of the day, isn't it really up to us to decide which path we’re steering our kids toward? Are we going to raise them to be hypersensitive to every bit of aggression and low-brow nonsense they encounter, or are we actually going to teach them how to hold their heads high and be proud of who they are, without letting themselves get bogged down by everyone else's bitterness and malice?

nimblelynx7 said:They won't "maybe" say it; they definitely will. Besides, even if someone doesn't fall for it, they'll certainly pass those same lines down to their kids. That's where the sudden passion for social activism really kicks in.

Back when I was in school, the local public schools and churches worked hand-in-hand on religious studies. They practically swapped attendance records for sacraments effortlessly. Mass was always scheduled right at the start or end of the school year, and missing them resulted in unfair absences...

Look, we aren't raising kids to live and die by what everyone else thinks; we're raising them to build their own damn perspectives.
And honestly, if a kid ends up traumatized just because someone suggested they skip religious studies class, then the parents really dropped the ball here, don't you think? They ought to take a long, hard look in the mirror and ask themselves what they actually did to themselves and their own kid to leave them that vulnerable.

mistydrifter55 said:Look, if religious education wasn't even an option in schools, parents who want to opt their kids out wouldn't have to deal with all this social stigma. They wouldn't feel judged, shamed, or like outsiders just for making a choice. Why does it have to be such a thing?
🍿

Look, parents who act like they’re having some deep moral crisis over this? They aren't actually struggling because of religious education classes in school; they're doing it because of who they are at their core. Honestly, even if you wiped every single theology course off the curriculum tomorrow, their little "feelings" wouldn't go away. They'd just find some other scapegoat to blame for their own internal mess. It's always something, isn't it?

Look, you’ve actually got a choice here, and honestly? You should be counting your blessings that you even have one to make.
Look, I’m someone who tries to stay completely out of the political fray—I really do—but at this point, I feel like I don't even have a choice in the matter. How am I supposed to shield my kid from all this heavy-handed political nonsense when they're basically spoon-feeding it to them in the classroom?

nimblelynx7 said:Because you’ll be branded a traitor, not an American enough, or even worse—a Mexican.

Look, those are just excuses, not actual reasons,
so what if someone "might" say something? It's a big deal, right? 🤣
If we follow that logic, does someone just jump off a skyscraper because some random guy on the street tells them they should?
Or, are we really any better than the people who would supposedly "label" us, considering we basically think anyone from a different background is somehow less important, so we're just terrified of being lumped in with them? 🤔

Matthew Young35 said:Why is that?
Why does it feel so uncomfortable to publicly stand up against religious education in our schools?

Who’s to say it’s about "discomfort" and not just straight-up human stupidity?
That weird human urge to just gossip around and stay silent when we actually ought to speak up... it's just a sign that these people are more interested in following the herd than actually forming their own thoughts.
It’s like what Gustave Le Bon said way back when:
"The ease with which certain opinions become common stems from the inability of the majority to form their own opinions based on their own reasoning."

silentraven6 said:These are just my impressions from parents of the kids in religious studies. It was easy enough to shut them down since I’m a believer myself, even though my kid doesn't attend and won't be attending.

The truth is, there's simply no budget for something like this. The school district explains that it's impossible to organize due to the fixed scheduling—everything is set in stone. When I suggested running a poll to see how many people would actually sign a petition for an alternative elective—assuming we could get enough kids in each grade to make it viable, and then redirecting the funding meant for religious studies toward this new option—I got hit with a fundamentalist, right-wing email from one of the parents. Honestly, I am 100% certain that if an alternative were actually provided, at least half the parents would drop the religious studies requirement immediately. ☕

And that is exactly what they are afraid of.

The schedule is rigid. Every single classroom has its allotted time for religious studies carved out. Any new program would be breaking the legally mandated hourly requirements, and the missing hours from non-participants don't count toward anything. I actually called the school district personally; we tried to push for an initiative once before.

Look, speaking from experience here, I’ve gotta tell you—it wouldn't actually happen like that.
Parents love to grumble and whisper behind people's backs, sure, but when it comes down to it and they're actually standing in a school meeting having to speak up? You won't get a single quiet moment from them; they'll be shouting from the rooftops.

Richard Perez3 said:Ugh, give me a break. Why are you getting all worked up over me? 😁
🤣
Honestly, both of those things are dealbreakers for me. The visit, the cartoon, the "serious talk," and then throwing religious materials at me?
Why am I putting up with this? Let’s just say I’m a polite, tolerant person who prefers to think things were just misunderstood or poorly timed before jumping to conclusions. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt.
That’s exactly how it went down at first with that conversation and the religious stuff, so I spoke up.
And then everything went quiet.
Then suddenly there’s this visit involving a cartoon.
Now I’m sitting here wondering if I’m actually losing my mind or what.
Look, obviously I’m not going to go nuclear and start threatening to call the Department of Education immediately—I can't just be a total wreck. 😁

But seriously, I went through something almost identical with the school uniforms, so take it from someone who's been there: this whole thing will keep happening until you actually show up at the school and tell them, in a firm and serious tone, that you aren't okay with it and that it's becoming an unnecessary burden on the kid.
I mean, look, there's a real chance the teacher just wasn't there in the moment, or maybe she's a decent person who honestly had no clue, or even just plain forgot... but once you set that boundary, they'll definitely both be more careful moving forward.

Linda Price5 said:I think you're missing the point entirely. Religious education classes aren't designed to teach history, nor are biblical stories presented as literal myths.

It is fundamentally a parent's right to refuse to let their child be told in school that Noah was a flesh-and-blood historical figure. Though, perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea to show a child—following their cartoons—the sheer chaos and cruelty of a deity who commits genocide via a flood, or to bring up figures like Hitler and a half pot. ☕

Oh, sure, because scaring a little kid like that isn't traumatizing at all, right?😁
It's clearly much better to terrify a child with stories about Hitler than to just say, "Hey, some people believe in God and all that stuff, but we don't."
And why not just smother them with your own senseless hatred from day one instead of calmly explaining that these beliefs have nothing to do with them?

And hey, don't worry, I get more of this than you think,
I get that people are rightfully pissed off when something is shoved down their kid's throat against their will, and I get that they lose it in the moment, but I just don't get these posts about an evil god coming from people who claim they don't even believe in God; I don't get these "parental protection" attempts when a movie is shown at school, but certainly not when it's happening at home.😉

Btw, are you actually aware that by acting like this, you're basically insulting people you don't even know, encouraging your own child to hate, and probably spitting on your own ancestors in the process?

Richard Perez3 said:I don't really care.
Nah, I wouldn't go to the principal about it because...
Because honestly, that feels like a total last resort.
Plus, the school year is basically over anyway.
And look, I’m trying to avoid getting my ass kicked if I can help it.
Besides, I could use the break from this forum too. 😁

Alright, so you haven't totally lost your mind yet, then.😁🎉

Patrick Harris5 said:When my kids at home watch cartoons with biblical themes, they treat them exactly like they treat munjevit Jurić, Ice Kingdom, or any other fairy tale... Basically, they know it's just a story..

In school, 2+2=4 isn't a fairy tale. Similarly, in Catholic religion classes, they aren't taught that these stories are myths or fables—they're taught they are literal historical facts. And if you don't believe it, you're going to burn in hell!? It's wild. Even though schools teach Greek and Roman mythology, there's always an emphasis that those are just myths and legends... unlike, say, Noah, who supposedly reflooded the entire flat Earth with just a couple of animals..

If schools actually taught about all the world's religions and beliefs—focusing on the good as well as the very bad that faiths have done throughout human history—then maybe we could actually consider letting kids take a class like that..

You're totally overstating it,
kids in that school are going to learn about plenty of stuff that happened in history that's way more intense than this, so how are you even going to explain all that to your kid?
In third grade, if you live in a place like Chicago, the kid is going to go on field trips and hear all about peasant revolts, historical uprisings, and whatnot... isn't that much darker and heavier than some cartoon about Noah?

Richard Perez3 said:I officially opted my kid out of the religious studies classes.
Then, behind my back and without asking me, she goes and has this whole "serious talk" with him.
After that, she starts shoving religious quizzes and songs in his face.
So, I went to the teacher and made it crystal clear: stop doing this. I can't stand it, and I'm telling you right now, don't take this approach with my kid.
And then, this happens.

Now, you tell me—does that sound problematic to you?
Because from where I'm sitting, it definitely does.

Why don't you just go straight to the principal if this keeps happening despite you saying "no" multiple times?
I totally get why you're seeing red, but posting about it here isn't going to solve anything—which you already know—so I don't quite get why you aren't just heading down to the school and putting an end to this if it's bothering you this much?

Richard Perez3 said:The first parent-teacher conference isn't until sophomore year.
So basically, just push it off until then.
Man, I honestly can't decide if that's a good call or not. It feels like such a long way out just to bring this up at a meeting.
I mean, the teacher can't really do anything about it anyway. I'd have to take it up with the private tutor directly, and if I'm being real, I’ve got a few other things I’d want to throw at her too.

Look, just take a breath and walk it off. Personally, I’m all for having religion classes in school, but I am totally against these slippery, pushy tactics used to force stuff onto kids that they clearly aren't feeling.
And it's not like the teacher is powerless in this situation—she can actually do a ton if she chooses to, way more than the priest ever could.
Besides, if you don't feel like making a scene at the school right now, you'll have plenty of chances to speak your mind during report card pick-up, or even once the semester wraps up when the principal is around.

Tyler Ruiz502 said:What kind of dresses are we even talking about for these little crisis-makers? That just wasn't a thing back in my day. We used to actually get dolled up—full makeup, hair done, wearing our best outfits. And those first pairs of high heels... 🙈

And who even needs a DVD recording anymore? It’s just throwing money $27 straight out of your pocket.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy A31 using Reddit

It’s pretty much the same vibe as what the little ones do for their big day,

Man, there are seriously tons of people hunting down those DVDs, just like how there's always a crowd hovering around the altar trying to snap photos and make a huge scene...
Usually, you get one DVD with the full mass recorded, and then maybe others with all the photos if someone wants to go all out on custom prints.
Is it just a way to throw $27 money down the drain? Honestly, I haven't a clue... but either way, at least fewer people are turning the church service into a circus with those rented cameras.

Patrick Harris5 said:Just wanted to back up what was already said here.

And get this—Father John had this to say about the whole thing:

""I honestly don't know which parents are complaining; nobody has even approached me. I held a meeting with all the parents involved and handed out a flyer explaining everything. If any of these dissatisfied parents want to reach out, they should come to me directly. No one has contacted me or complained about the cost yet. Tell them to feel free to reach out if they're struggling financially—we'll just give it to them for free so they don't have to worry about paying," says Father John."

It’s pure conformism. Just keep your head down, stay quiet, pay up, and don't ask any questions...

Yeah, it's total conformism, but not even in the "keep quiet and pay" sense; it's more like everyone's whispering behind people's backs because that's just how things work at church nowadays.🙄

We had our First Communion ceremony this year, and the price was $67. The priest was actually really nice about it, laying out exactly what the fee covers and asking if anyone had concerns or needed clarification... out of maybe 100 people there, not a single soul spoke up. But then, later on, you see certain individuals outside the church spreading all these stories... He also made it clear that if someone can't afford it, they should just come to him privately. He asked that people shouldn't use their kids to pass along messages, because you don't want to put children in an awkward spot in front of their peers. But of course, what is a mom or dad going to say to a priest when they're broke? It's much easier to just send the message through the kid and act like they're all so enlightened and wise while standing out on the sidewalk.

Anyway,
$23paying $120 for a dress that’s basically headed straight to the dry cleaners just so we can wear it once is insane,
$27and the cost for two DVDs and three photos is also a total rip-off, especially when we're already paying $17 for a handful of tiny passport-style photos.
Then there's the church renovation fund $10—which costs about the same as two roses... and so on, and so forth.

Or maybe the real issue is these $13 donations for the church, which clearly aren't even covering the basic costs for the kids whose parents actually *can't* afford it and are too embarrassed to say so?

coppermarlin14 said:I don't have any issue with anyone; I’m an open-minded person and I respect everyone's choices... which is exactly why I allowed my child to attend religious education and everything else, and why I tolerate my husband's views... 😂
But I absolutely will not tolerate using intimidation against a child by saying, "We’re going to pull you out of the program and you won't receive your sacraments if you don't show up for Mass or class." It breaks my heart to see a child who has been up all night taking Ventolin and struggling with a fever, crying because they feel forced to go to church just to avoid being kicked out of the group...👎 They don't realize that these people are essentially brainwashing them by forcing their hand... they don't understand that the child is actually sick and physically cannot go... they just cry because they are terrified of the consequences of missing a service...🙄
That is why I want to withdraw them from religious education now; I don't want them going through the motions for a Confirmation that isn't even happening for another year...
And what has all this achieved? All it does is result in fewer kids attending classes and, eventually, fewer kids receiving the sacraments altogether....

Look, if you call out of school and tell them your kid is sick, you have just as much right to call the parish office or take a stroll down to the local church to sit down with someone and explain exactly what kind of health issues the child is dealing with.
But honestly, trashing the church and calling priests brainwashers just because they aren't meeting your specific expectations? That’s really not okay.

The sacraments actually mean something, right? If someone doesn't respect those traditions, why on earth would they feel the need to have their child receive them in the first place?
So, who’s really at fault here—is it the parents who push for sacraments through religious ed classes that aren't even mandatory, while refusing to admit they don't actually believe, or is it the clergy and the Church for expecting people who claim to be believers to actually act like it?
Just give it some thought.

Sarah Hall53 said:So, look—in some schools, principals and their admin teams send out these little surveys every single school year for every grade level. A principal at my friend’s school used to do this all the time, but her IT director and the German teacher actually had to step in and threaten her with an audit. (The thing is, a lot of parents are way too lazy to write a formal request, but if they just have to circle a "NO" on a sheet of paper, suddenly their kids will write it faster than you can say "ironing board." It was causing a massive headache because teachers were losing hours of instruction time just dealing with parents trying to suck up to the principal and bypass the actual rules.) I mean, it's not even about having a wild imagination... some schools really just operate totally outside the regulations.

Exactly! It’s like principals and school boards totally disregard the law when it comes to any other elective subject, but the second religion classes come up, they aren't just following the rules—they go way overboard by demanding consent from both parents just to cover their own backs and risk their jobs. And honestly? The state inspectors turn a blind eye to stuff like that 100% of the time.🙄
And you're spot on, this isn't about being imaginative; it's just pure human corruption.

Larry Walker24 said:Parents at John F. Kennedy High School in Chicago just got their paperwork to pick electives for the upcoming school year. Specifically, this is hitting parents of seventh graders.

One parent from the Central Park area took to Facebook to vent about the notice they received, saying: "So this is how the religious reform actually works in our local schools. Computer science or Spanish? Who cares; you can drop those in a heartbeat—no signature required. But Religion? Yeah, that's a whole different ballgame..."

To opt out of religion classes, both parents have to sign a formal waiver, whereas for electives like computer science or Spanish, you just leave the box unchecked. It's hard to say why tech and languages suddenly seem less important than religion in this setup.

It leaves you wondering—what happens if a kid doesn't want to take religion, but only has one parent's support? Or what if they're in a single-parent household?

Look, for any kind of elective course, there’s a specific procedure you have to follow if you want to opt out....
The way I see it, when a kid signs up for an elective for the following school year, you just don't check the box next to it... 😁so really, this parent has a pretty wild imagination, and frankly, they're saying way more about their own biases than they are about the clergy they're trying to take a swipe at. 😉

Anthony Perez9 said:The school curriculum overhaul hit a wall specifically because of attempts to indoctrinate kids with the Christian God.
Check out 29:07 where we finally get the real reason why this fell through—conservative religious types are terrified that kids might actually start thinking for themselves instead of having "God" shoved down their throats by modern education.

Tiger Woods: "Exactly! They want schools to say there's no God..."

Just not mentioning God is what triggers them... They feel they have to force the Bible on every kid... 🤦

Look, telling stories against God isn't actually encouraging "free thinking" in kids; you're just swapping one "ideology" for another, aren't you?

And honestly, if the curriculum reform stalled because of that, then so be it... I've had enough of the same old crap being repackaged in our schools... if we're talking about the kind of education these kids actually want, then let's just give it to them.

Susan James said:Sorry, but how am I supposed to ask a preschooler if they want to take religious studies if they've never even heard of it before starting school?
Especially if neither they nor their parents ever go to church?
What kind of message does that send—asking them about religion but not asking if they want to take History, Art, or Math?

My personal take is that the subject doesn't really belong in the public school system.
A lot of what is taught feels pretty outdated. Plus, I'm not a fan of the current administration or the various interest groups pulling the strings, and I don't want to support that by enrolling my child.
However, since it is an option at school, choosing *not* to enroll them provides a great opportunity for a child to learn that it's perfectly fine to be different and not just follow the crowd.
It actually works out well; she often mentions that it’s her favorite period of the day...

After seeing how things went this time, if I were to ask her again for second grade, she’d probably say she doesn't want to go...

If a kid has never heard of religion, never stepped foot in a church, and their parents don't go either, then there's clearly no need to even bother asking if they want to take those classes.

Our own personal desires and ideologies are a totally different story, which still doesn't mean we have the right to deny others what they actually want.
Besides, once a significant number of students stop showing up for religion class, the actual demand for it in schools will just vanish.

Olivia Brown7 said:It won't cause damage, per se. It’s really just a question of whether the school board will actually approve it.🙂

Oh, they definitely will... at the end of the day, getting that doctor's sign-off is the whole game when it comes to a postponement.

David Vaughn75 said:So, if nobody actually matters more than anyone else, I guess you won't mind being reincarnated as an anteater next time around, huh? 😁

Look, we didn't come into this material world just to mess around; we came here to actually build something meaningful with our lives. ☕

I don't have😉.....if I need to go through some rough patch to learn a lesson, why on earth would I be against it?

And let's be real, we didn't come to this material world to screw things up; we actually showed up just so this material world could screw us over instead😁...you know that old saying, "blessed are the takers"?

David Vaughn75 said:Look, you can move forward, or you can slide backward. It's that simple.

If you kill someone just to grab their cash, you’re acting exactly like a predator in the wild, and yeah, you're basically hitting the reverse gear on your evolution. But if all you're doing is eating, sleeping, breeding, and defending your territory? Honestly, how are you any different from a dog?

Real progress happens when you actually gain spiritual insight—that's the only way you truly level up and earn the status of being "human."

Look, an animal out in the wild never kills out of pure greed or malice, right? They do it because they're hungry, and that's actually how nature keeps everything in balance.
And as for a dog—sure, they eat, sleep, and breed, but they also guard the house and keep their owners happy... there's more to it than that.

In that whole chain of life, nobody is inherently "better" or "worse" than anyone else; everyone plays their part, so this whole idea of "progressing" versus "regressing" honestly feels pretty hollow when you think about it.
Trying to put yourself above everyone else isn't some sign of spiritual enlightenment, is it? To me, it just looks like ignorance and an ego that's desperate to be the alpha.😁

Michael Gonzalez77 said:Look, even if we set aside survival skills—where animals operate on raw, unconscious instinct that functions autonomously without any self-awareness—humans are still at the top of the evolutionary ladder when it comes to nervous systems, consciousness, and creative potential. The issue is that humans fail to use that intellect and creativity in harmony. We lack that deep connection to the underlying intelligence driving nature because we're too caught up in our own self-made illusions. It’s a uniquely human struggle. But even with all our flaws, an animal doesn't have the capacity we do: the ability to achieve true self-realization at our level of evolution.

David Vaughn75 said:Look, if you honestly think being a wild animal sounds better, I’m sure merciful God will be happy to grant that wish and drop you straight into a beast's body. 🙂
But let me tell you—you aren't going to enjoy it one bit.

The truth is, any kind of life lived without God is going to suck. ☕

Listen, guys, you really need to wrap your heads around this: metempsychosis is coming for you, and there’s absolutely no escaping it. 😁

Tyler Cruz32 said:I have never actually practiced meditation, though I suppose I have experienced certain... unusual occurrences, if one could call them that.

When I first met my ex-boyfriend, these strange occurrences began to manifest, though they only appeared within my dreams. I had this one vision where we were both in some rural township, working in the mines over a century ago—we were even wearing period-accurate clothing. There was some sort of war going on, and he ended up saving me; his mother was there too, the exact same woman who is his mother in this life. We all looked identical, and I even had the same hairstyle I wear today. In the end, I managed to escape while he stayed behind, eventually reuniting with his mother on a vast meadow. Looking out at the rolling hills and the endless green fields ahead of us, I asked her if there was any way for us to survive. She simply replied that we would make it, provided we could cross the border out of the ______ region.

Even after I woke up, that name she mentioned kept echoing in my head, along with that image.
I immediately searched on Google, and when the first image finally popped up, it was that exact scene from my dream—that specific view from the top of the hill looking down. I found myself wondering if I’ve lost my mind or if everyone else is just delusional. But I'm not crazy; that place actually exists, it's called that, and that is precisely what the picture shows. It turns out the area is famous for its mining operations from the turn of the last century, and there were conflicts there because of its position right on the border near Finland.

I told you to be smart. 😲😲😲

I have always had this tendency to experience vivid premonitions where I can see exact glimpses of what is to come—the specific clothing someone will be wearing, identical scenes playing out, or even the precise words that will be spoken.

I once had a dream about a complete stranger—an attorney, specifically—including his full name. Upon waking, I decided to Google him, only to discover he was a real person, an actual practicing lawyer.

I once experienced an astral projection where I observed my astral self hovering near the ceiling of my room. She possessed the exact same hairstyle as mine—and since I am quite obsessed with that specific look, I suspect there is a much deeper significance to why all my various "versions" share it.

There is more to consider, though I suppose it is difficult to say who will actually remember it all.
Basically, this phenomenon occurs and persists, though I suppose one can only speculate as to what truly lies behind it.

I knew from the very first moment that he was the one for me; there was this immediate sense of connection, an intuitive feeling that we were cut from the same cloth and that he held a truly unique place in my heart. However, if one looks at this through a more long-term lens, I suppose being with someone because of a bond from a previous life—or even just within this one—might simply suggest that you are caught in some kind of unfinished karmic cycle.

So, I was thinking about some of these theories floating around, and honestly, it makes a weird kind of sense—what if we aren't just spinning in this same circle of souls because of all those messy, unfinished karmic ties? Like, sure, maybe we're stuck together because of old business that never got settled, but what if there's a more purposeful side to it? What if we’re actually circling back to one another just to act as a sort of cosmic support system, purely to help each other navigate and lighten the load of these crazy lifelong lessons we're all forced to learn? Isn't it possible that we're basically just celestial study buddies helping each other pass the ultimate test?

David Vaughn75 said:Nah, you've got it wrong.
We spent millions of lifetimes cycling through all sorts of beasts before we finally landed in a human body.

We weren't born smart—we basically had to work our way up to intelligence one slow step at a time.

But hey, maybe you've got a point there.😁

The whole idea of "intelligence" is pretty subjective, though, right?

I mean, who's actually "smarter"—some guy obsessed with chasing wild conspiracy theories and letting them dictate how he lives his life, or some wild animal out in the woods just doing its thing, finding its own food and figuring out how to survive the winter on its own?