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Posts by Lawrence Torres56

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Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
James Alvarez2 said:So you’re totally fine with forcing your kid into extra tutoring when they clearly hate it... plus you have to write formal apologies because apparently since it's not an official elective, it's somehow your fault. It's your kid we're talking about.
The girls on here are posting about kids that aren't even theirs, just repeating stuff they hear at home.

Same deal?

Why would you even think they care?
Our local clergy who teach religion at the school also show up to Sunday mass at the parish where their students go.

You're totally drawing the wrong conclusion,

And honestly, what does it have to do with anything that the religion teacher attends Mass at the parish where the kids are members?
I mean, the kids aren't even required to attend Mass at that specific parish—even if they technically belong there—since Sunday services can be at 7:30, 9:00, 11:00, or 7:00 PM depending on the church... are you seriously suggesting the teacher attends every single service? Or that they're pressuring kids to show up just because they happen to be there at a certain time?🤔...which isn't how things work in religious education anyway.

And regarding that bolded part, it goes back to what I was saying earlier: someone hears something, adds a little flavor to it, twists it slightly, and suddenly you've got all these wild rumors flying around... personally, I don't judge people based on hearsay, but if you find that kind of gossip entertaining, hey, have at it.
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
James Alvarez2 said:So, basically... 😬

So someone’s out here claiming a teacher was asking for Mass attendance records, and you're telling them that's impossible and they should just report it...

but...

So Sarah Hall53 says there’s no obligation for a kid to go to extra classes, then you turn around and claim your kid absolutely has to be there...? You gonna report that or what...?

People just talk nonsense. They hear a rumor, twist it around, and add their own little spin just to have something to gossip about. It makes it hard to trust anyone when people stay silent on the stuff that actually matters... if there’s a real problem like that, we all know exactly where it is and who’s responsible for fixing it... I’m telling you right now, school teachers have absolutely no business making extra classes mandatory or putting grades on them......

I tweaked Italic a bit... 😬

You're misquoting me; I didn't say it was impossible, I said the teacher doesn't have the legal right to demand it... (there's a massive difference there)... and honestly, if someone finds that problematic, they should feel free to report that teacher, just like I’d probably report a teacher if they were bothering me🍿

Just typical forum drama from people who hunt for every misplaced comma in religious studies and are practically salivating at the chance to attack faith or believers—sorry, but I’m just not taking this seriously... especially when someone brings up that little sticker booklet that's strictly for church activities... you know, the one where the stickers are only given out based on a kid's word that they actually showed up to service...😉
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
Sarah Hall53 said:It’s extra, just like those elective classes—entirely voluntary on the students' part. You can't officially log absences for them, you can't mark them unexcused just because they didn't show up, and you definitely can't stop them from dropping out right in the middle of the school year if they decide they've had enough.
We keep a record that the sessions actually happened, but at the end of the day, the kids aren't required to attend if they don't feel like it.

Regarding that second point, have you actually read what people are saying online? 🤦 Look, there are three of us who KNOW firsthand—from actual experience, having seen the stamped handbooks with my own eyes—that students were getting bad grades specifically for skipping Sunday Mass at their local parish, but hey, you know better than we do. 🤦

Right, then why on earth does my kid have to go to this extra class when she isn't even interested anymore (since she's sitting at a C in math), and why do her absences from it apparently need an excuse... is it just some teacher being a total control freak? I mean, I honestly don't know...

People talk so much nonsense, you know? They hear something, twist it a bit, add their own little spin just to have something to gossip about, so it's hard to take it all seriously—especially since everyone stays quiet right when they should be speaking up. If a problem like that actually existed, everyone would know exactly where to go and who could fix it... I am telling you for a fact that religious studies teachers at school don't have the authority to track who goes to Mass or grade anyone based on it...

And speaking of those kinds of stories, I was actually leaning against my car right across from the church classroom waiting for my little one, just listening to what the instructor was saying (it was a nice fall day with the windows wide open)... then a few hours later, some mom tries to convince me that the teacher was totally losing it and yelling at the kids. I told the woman straight up, "No way," because I was right there listening the whole time and there's no chance I would have missed something like that... but of course, she knows better 😁 than I do, despite me being physically present and telling her exactly what happened, which her own kid confirmed too.
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
Sarah Hall53 said:Extra classes and those electives aren't mandatory—a student can pretty much walk away from them whenever they feel like it during the school year, no big explanations needed.
But once an elective is officially logged in the gradebook at the start of the term, it’s basically a commitment for the rest of the year. Under the new rules, you can't just drop it mid-stream unless there’s some major, unforeseen circumstance—usually something medical.

And honestly, it can be a bit of a headache trying to get clear answers at certain schools. Since there are so many different teachers involved, things stay up in the air until late August when they finally nail down the final headcount for classes and students.

Oh, come on... seriously? Besides, looking at the official gradebooks, there isn't even a specific section for extra credit, and extracurricular or non-academic activities just don't get recorded anyway. 🤦

And I honestly don't get why anyone would even bother asking about this, since going to church has absolutely nothing to do with school requirements and they definitely aren't grading you on it, right?
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
Jason Ortiz5 said:That’s just not true, and honestly, it probably just depends on which teacher you get. This little girl has pointed her finger at people more than once, yelling things like, "You! You! And you over there! You guys don't go regularly!" It was almost like she was trying to trigger some kind of meltdown from the teacher during recess.

Nah, that's the absolute truth, and if I were you, I'd report that teacher immediately. They don't have the right to act like that, especially not in an American religious studies class.
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
Susan James said:That's exactly what I'm saying

It really would be helpful if parents checked in on the teacher's specific requirements early on. That way, they won't be totally blindsided by the demands later, especially since you can't just opt out mid-year. Even if nothing is ever a 100% guarantee, it would at least prevent them from being shocked when a teacher insists that attending Mass is a higher priority than a soccer game—even though the other kids in the club, who go to different schools, seem to manage both school religion classes and their games just fine.

I don't think parents even need to bother asking about the requirements; if a teacher is actually acting like this, they should just report them to the proper authorities. Look, there's a very clear line drawn between public school curriculum and church activities, both for the sake of the church and the government.

And as for pulling a kid out of a program? The rules are the same across the board—you can't just unenroll your kid in the middle of the year, whether it's a formal class or just some after-school club or extracurricular activity... you know how it is.
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
Susan James said:Does decorating pine trees and putting up Advent wreaths on the table and the front door count as part of the tradition too? I've always wondered how far back those customs actually go.

I can definitely see where you're coming from, though I have to disagree on one specific point. In our school system, if you opt into religion classes at the start of the year, that’s a commitment you stick with through the end of the term. It isn't really a matter of being able to just drop out because someone told you Santa Claus isn't real before the holidays roll around. It's also not about wanting to skip weekly services to avoid those repetitive roll calls, or trying to protect your GPA because your grades are taking a hit since you aren't attending Mass. Once you make that choice, you're in for the duration.

Anyway, if she’s really set on bringing up Santa Claus, she might as well say something like this:
I've been thinking about this lately, and honestly, it’s such an interesting perspective to consider. It really makes you stop and reflect on things we often take for granted.

By the way, I’ve noticed that the Christmas holiday logic is being handled directly on the PID controller.
At our local music school, we’ve already started getting into the spirit by singing Christmas carols. It got me thinking—how should we go about celebrating the Christmas season at the Nature and Society Club?
What should we do about "Snowflakes are Falling," that song they play at music class? The Christmas season is getting so close, and I can already feel that Santa Claus magic starting to kick in!

Are we really going to tailor everything just to fit Catholicism, or should other kids have the right to practice their own beliefs too?

I have to agree with the idea that Catholics shouldn't really be believing in Santa Claus. It’s pretty clear-cut when you look at it from a faith perspective—there is only one God, and we aren't supposed to have any other gods alongside Him.
If I remember correctly, back when they were first introducing Catholicism into the schools in places like Chicago, they actually rebranded Santa Claus as "Santa Claus" just to be different. It was their way of sticking to tradition and doing things their own way, I guess. 🥳
So, at the end of the day, does he actually exist or not?

Look, during Catholic school religion classes, the teachers honestly couldn't care less whether a kid actually shows up to mass or not, let alone if they're calling kids out or docking their grades for it...
if you actually know of a teacher doing something like that, you should totally report them.
Besides, that doesn't even happen in Sunday school because the whole point of religious education isn't to force some kid to sit in a pew, right? It's about introducing them to faith and the service if they're actually interested.

but if I recall correctly, back when they were pushing religion into the public schools, they renamed Santa Claus to "Santa Claus" as some sort of local, traditionalist twist, didn't they?🥳
so, does he exist or what?

This has nothing to do with local politics; the whole rebranding of Santa Claus was just a political move because under the old regime, it was always the old-school Santa giving gifts, so anything tied to the former government was automatically labeled "out," while everything Western was deemed "in."
Actually, back in the day, the old-school Santa used to give kids gifts for New Year's, whereas the Western Santa Claus shows up on Christmas Eve, or rather, at Christmas...
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
says:
but wait, if believing in Santa Claus is considered BELIEF, then isn't Catholicism basically just the study of belief? (I mean, that's literally what the word implies). So, shouldn't they be teaching about the belief in Santa Claus in religion class too? Or is this strictly limited to Catholic religion classes (and where exactly does it say that?)

Look, Santa Claus is all about marketing; he's got absolutely nothing to do with actual faith or any kind of theology😉
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus

Sarah Hall53 said:It’s not just the whole "Santa isn't real" thing—it’s also the fact that parents are basically the ones sneaking the gifts under the tree and calling it a day.
Just in case the first part of that sentence didn't already completely kill the Christmas magic for you.

Christmas and Santa Claus aren't even in the same universe; Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus, whereas Santa Claus is just some character cooked up to drive consumer spending...
and honestly, once people stop trying to link every single little thing to Christmas, I doubt religious instructors are going to be out here ruining anyone's holiday vibes.
And speaking of "ruining someone's vibes"—what's that supposed to mean? Are we saying the police shouldn't step in when some unstable person starts attacking someone because it might ruin their "magic"?🤣

Sarah Hall53 said:We’ve probably gone over this for ten pages by now—honestly, I think we have—but look: just move Catholicism into the same scheduling blocks as those other two electives, and you'll see that whole "cultural identity" argument melt away faster than an ice cream cone in a Chicago summer.
And besides, parents really only weigh in during that very first enrollment—usually back in first grade—and after that, kids just stay enrolled in whatever elective they took the year before, unless a parent actually goes through the trouble of filing a formal written request to opt them out.

So, where is the actual issue there? Why should teachers and staff be bogged down every single year with unnecessary paperwork just because some parent finds it too much work to write a quick note to the school before the new semester starts, letting them know their kid won't be attending religion class anymore?🤣
Do you seriously think someone who signed their kid up for religion class just "because everyone else is doing it" is actually going to go out of their way to unenroll them?🤦
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
hiddendriver34 said:I honestly wish this could be taken literally—like, maybe Santa Claus shouldn't even be mentioned during a religion class in the first place.

My kid is in second grade. But hey, he still believes in Santa Claus. And man, this whole post really threw him for a loop.

If consumerism hadn't basically hijacked Santa Claus and tethered him to the holiday like some kind of marketing gimmick, wouldn't Christmas have drifted in a completely different direction? I mean, think about it—if we hadn't turned the whole season into this massive, endless shopping spree, would even the church or the most devout believers ever bother bringing him up at all?
I mean, honestly, you can't really go blaming a religion teacher just because they're out there standing their ground and defending their faith during class, right? Like, what else are they supposed to do?
You really have to sit a kid down and make them understand that when it comes to faith and the whole church thing, Christmas isn't actually about the mountain of presents under the tree, or those flashy light displays on the neighbors' houses, or even the fancy cookies we bake. It’s none of that stuff you can just go out and buy with a credit card, you know? It's more about that internal shift—something deep inside us that we have to cultivate ourselves. It’s about actually being a better version of yourself and treating everyone around you with a little more grace and kindness. Isn't that the whole point?
My little brother is still at that age where he actually believes in Santa Claus, you know? And man, he was absolutely losing his mind over this post.

I mean, let’s be real—just like any other kid growing up in America, I probably spent half my life absolutely spiraling, terrified that I wasn't going to get anything for Christmas. 😁
Look, once he actually gets his hands on it, that whole sentence won't even matter to him anymore. It’ll be old news. But what you’re saying right now—how you choose to break it down for him and frame it—that's the real kicker, isn't it? That’s what’s actually going to stick. You're basically planting the seeds for how he's going to see things from here on out, so you've gotta be careful with how you play it.
Honestly, does it even matter if he ends up becoming a believer or not one day? It’s totally irrelevant. What actually matters is that he learns how to grasp the idea that every single person carries their own truth and their own perspective—and just because someone holds a certain view, it doesn't automatically mean they're a saint or a villain, right?
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
I can't believe I'm even seeing this username floating around here again. Honestly, what is the deal with some people? Is there a specific reason why certain handles just refuse to die out, or is it just some weird cosmic joke being played on us all? Seriously, it’s like looking at a ghost from a thread that should have been buried months ago. Why does it feel like we're constantly tripping over the same old relics? kaže:
So, what exactly do you think I've got sitting around here? You really believe I'm just out here making stuff up for the hell of it, or do you actually think I have some kind of hard evidence to back this up?
So, you take a look at the enrollment numbers for religious education classes across different school districts—I mean, you’ve got certain classrooms where the attendance is sitting at a perfect 100%—and then you lay that right next to the statistics on peer-to-peer bullying and violence in those same schools... doesn't that just make you wonder what kind of connection is actually hiding in plain sight?

Look, I’m not some fragile little thing that needs to be wrapped in bubble wrap, okay? Please, just stop twisting my words around and putting things in my mouth that I never actually said.
Look, I’m not saying that having religious studies in our schools gives anyone a free pass to act out or get violent—I'm absolutely not justifying any kind of violence just because religion exists in the classroom. 😕I mean, I’m just sitting here scratching my head, trying to wrap my mind around how on earth that’s even possible, you know? Like, how does someone even end up in a spot like that, especially when it's a place where every single kid in town is heading off to their religious studies classes? It just doesn't add up, does it? 🤔

Look, if religious studies aren't actually having any real impact—and I mean zero, or at least pretty damn close to it—on what kids are learning once they get home, then why are we even bothering? If it’s just some isolated thing that doesn't connect to anything else in their lives, isn't it basically just useless filler?
Honestly, it’s just a massive, blatant waste of taxpayer money to be lining the pockets of these high-priced consultants, isn't it? Just throwing hard-earned cash down the drain to pay for people who basically exist just to tell us what we already know.

Look, I feel like I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve laid this out right here, but honestly, can we just finally admit it? Parents—no matter how much they love their kids or how smart they think they are—just aren't equipped to teach high-level math or physics at home. It’s just not happening. You can try to sit there with a textbook and some coffee, but when you get into the heavy stuff, you're basically flying blind, right? That’s exactly why schools exist in the first place. We need specialized teachers and actual classrooms for this kind of content because, let’s face it, trying to DIY a calculus curriculum is just a recipe for frustration for everyone involved.
I mean, let’s be real for a second—if someone is actually preaching religion, they should at least have the decency to follow through on the most important part, right? It’s one thing to spout all those lofty ideals and moral lessons from a pulpit, but if you aren't actually living out that faith in your day-to-day life, isn't the whole thing just kind of hollow? Like, what's the point of talking a big game about devotion if your actions don't back it up when it actually matters?

If religious education doesn't actually have any kind of moral impact on a kid who’s already wired for aggressive behavior—you know, if they just end up picking up bad habits that their family couldn't even drill into them—then I really have to wonder: what's even the point? Like, seriously, what's the actual purpose of sitting through all those lessons on religious doctrine for kids who are already part of faith-based families? If they're already getting everything they need from their parents at home and then heading off to church every Sunday, isn't all that extra schoolwork just redundant? 🤷

Look, for an accusation that malicious, I’m gonna need to see some actual, credible proof before I even consider buying into it...
Statistics aren't exactly your best friend here, are they? I mean, if you look at the raw numbers, someone’s over there just gnawing on a plain piece of Wonder Bread while another person is sitting pretty with a plate full of high-end prosciutto, but according to the math, everyone's out here enjoying a perfectly balanced, gourmet deli sandwich. It's kind of ridiculous when you actually think about it, right?

Look, I’m sorry, but what am I even tripping over here? Seriously, just take another look at what you actually wrote and you'll see exactly where you're coming from... it’s just so... I don't know, off. Are we really going to go around throwing shade at religion classes just to provide some kind of convenient cover for bullies and school violence? Is that really the angle we're taking now?😢
Wait, how on earth is that even possible? You actually got an answer from me already? Seriously? Well, fine, if you really need me to go over it all again, I’ll just repeat myself for you—I guess I don't have much of a choice, right?
You know those types of people—the ones who are just straight-up toxic and live for the drama? The kind of folks who basically survive on nothing but lies and spreading rumors? It’s honestly pathetic. They’ll go out of their way to sign their kids up for religious education classes at school, even though they don't believe in any of it and couldn't care less about faith if their lives depended on it. Why do they do it? Because it gives them all this juicy little ammunition to gossip about and use as fuel for their endless, petty little schemes.

Look, you know this is true just as well as everyone else on this board does, but I guess it’s just too damn hard for people to actually admit it out loud, isn't it? The real issue here isn't some debate over religious studies or theology; the actual problem is the ideology driving the whole thing. We've reached this point where it's apparently "better" to let some aggressor off the hook—someone who's perfectly fine giving us a metaphorical spanking if it keeps the peace—than to actually stand up and allow someone who isn't bothering anyone at all to just live their life exactly how they want to? It's wild, really.

Look, before you go jumping down anyone's throat or passing judgment on what’s actually worth what, just do me a favor and check out these links, alright? Seriously, take a second to read through them first so you actually know what we're dealing with before you start throwing accusations around.
http://www.os-pkanavelica-korcula.sk.../vjeronauk.pdf

I was just digging through this PDF link—it’s basically a breakdown of the grading criteria for these school assignments—and honestly, looking at all these specific requirements makes me wonder if we’re actually teaching kids how to think or just training them to be world-class bureaucrats? I mean, you look at the way they weigh certain rubric points versus others, and it feels like there's more emphasis on following the exact formatting structure than actually having an original thought, doesn't it? It’s that classic academic trap where if you nail the font size and the margin width, you get the A, even if your actual argument is a bit thin. Does anyone else feel like this kind of rigid standardization is kind of killing the creative spark in the classroom before it even has a chance to catch fire? It’s such a heavy lift for students to juggle all these technicalities on top of the actual subject matter.

I mean, seriously, what’s stopping a parent from just sitting down and teaching their kid some physics or math? Is there some unwritten rule out there that says you need a PhD from MIT just to explain basic algebra or how gravity works? Honestly, I don't see the problem. If you've got the patience and you actually know your stuff, why shouldn't you be the one guiding them through it? It’s kind of wild to think that we assume only a classroom setting counts as "real" learning, right? 🤷 I mean, look, the guy actually went through the whole grind and finished his degree, right? He put in all those hours, hit the books, survived the exams—so he’s clearly got some actual knowledge under his belt. It's not like he just woke up one day knowing how things work; he actually did the work.
Look, if you skipped out on religion class back in school, don't expect to be sitting in the pews on Sunday morning... I mean, honestly, does it even matter if they know a single thing about faith at this point?
So, what’s the move here? Are we really going to strip this guy of his rights just because you or some other random person finds religious studies a bit too much to stomach? Is that how we're playing it now?
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
Susan James said:You didn't actually answer my question.
🥳

I'm not getting into the "why" behind parents enrolling kids in religion classes, or whether a Catholic is defined solely by attending Mass versus living by the moral values of the Ten Commandments while perhaps not attending church regularly (or at all).

I asked a very clear and direct question.
How is it possible for an entire class to take Catholic religious education, yet bullying in the classroom continues? How can violence increase after seven years of religious instruction, especially right before First Communion?
If it were just one student, that would be one thing, but we see this happening with at least one child per generation—if not per class—in every single school... so do the math.
It would be interesting to see the data on the kids causing trouble in middle school who have completed eight years of Catholic education and received every sacrament available to them.

If the argument is that these values are taught at home, then please, make sure those Catholic teachings actually stay within the family.
Thanks.

Do you actually have any proof for these claims of yours?

Or are you just trying to use religion to justify violence—using an elective subject as a way to wrap up bullies in cellophane and sell them to us as victims?

And hey, no offense intended... but seriously, violence comes from the home; it has nothing to do with faith or religious studies. Honestly, after reading a post like this, the only thing I can do as a decent human being is fight to make religious education mandatory, with strict grading criteria based on sincerity, honesty, and respect. Then, when some kid fails because they aren't living up to those standards, maybe their parents will finally take a hard look at how they're raising them. That way, the fake believers won't be able to hide behind their various masks anymore, and if people are going to criticize the church, at least let them do it for a legitimate reason.
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
Jason Ortiz5 said:When you've got kids, especially during those crazy teenage years, home life isn't the only thing shaping them. I'm not trying to excuse parents who say one thing but do another—which, let's face it, happens a lot—but I just wanted to bring up that old saying about how it takes a whole village to raise a child.
And since the whole argument for religious education is that it instills these specific "moral" values, then yeah, it's pretty clear it's failing its main mission.

You're kidding, right? Too many cooks in the kitchen just leads to a messed-up kid... especially once puberty hits.
Back in the day, maybe a hundred years ago, when everyone basically looked out for themselves and the church held way more sway over people than politics ever did, puberty was just about physical maturity. The whole concept of an "adolescent crisis" didn't even exist back then.

Plus, kids learn about morality throughout their entire education; you can't just single out religious studies because it doesn't sit well with your personal views.😁

And besides, if a subject's scheduled hours aren't enough for students to actually master the material, what do you do? You increase the class time, you don't just kick the subject out of the school entirely, 😉 because cutting it out is just going to trigger the exact opposite effect.
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
nosorog,
look, you’ve got it all wrong. kids pick up a second language if they’re actually hitting the books at home too, not just sitting through classes, because let’s face it—any decent parent is going to make sure their kid stays on top of the curriculum. but how many of them actually bother to make sure their kid keeps up with religious studies if they aren't strictly enforcing it?
I mean, think about it: in math class, you're taught to rely on your own brain and your own skills instead of just cheating off a neighbor, right? in social studies or even during playground time, you learn about being a decent human being and respecting your classmates... you learn it, so why on earth would you take those negative behaviors—things that really start at home—and try to pin them on a school subject?

and honestly, don't blow things out of proportion here; having some kids hanging out in the hallway isn't some deep-seated psychological crisis for the students themselves, it's more like a massive headache for the parents who can't seem to manage their own households properly...
and most of those exact same parents will dutifully sign their kid up for religion class, totally ignoring the fact that there’s always going to be a group of kids stuck in the hall during that period, meaning their child won't exactly be the only one left out.

if people weren't so hypocritical, dishonest, and frankly, a bit malicious, religious education would either be the very first thing on the schedule or the absolute last. no principal or teacher in any American school wants a bunch of restless kids under their watch who might get into trouble in the halls, so why wouldn't they just move the class? but instead, people direct their little revolts toward the subject itself, even though they turn their backs the second it's time to actually stand up for what they claim to believe in... you can't exactly ask believers to renounce their faith just to satisfy a grudge, because if they did that, they wouldn't be believers in the first place, would they? 😉😉
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
Susan James said:Let’s stick to the topic of religious education in our schools, okay?

Honestly, I don't really care how often someone steps foot in a church. What actually keeps me up at night is seeing whether people truly live out their faith and act in accordance with those values when they're out in the world.
For instance, if a kid is being violent in seventh grade despite attending religious classes since first grade, then I feel certain that it isn't just a failure on the parents' part—it's a failure of the Church too. I’m not interested in the reasons why a child was enrolled in these classes in the first place, but if they’ve been attending twice a week for seven years, you’d think they would have picked up at least ten of the Commandments by now. And clearly, they haven't.
I know this is just one example, but it’s a heartbreaking one. And unfortunately, it's happening all over the place.

To clarify my point: I’m not worried about how Catholics plan to clean up their own house. I’m concerned about the quality of the teaching itself. It should be rooted in the core teachings of Jesus, like "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" or "love your neighbor as yourself."
So why does bullying still happen? 🤔

I won't even go there regarding kids who aren't in religious education; I'm talking about the bullying that happens between the students themselves. How does it even get to that point?
They are supposedly being taught these values from the very first grade. 🥳
How is it possible that they still haven't learned them? 😕

Think about it—seven years of forty-five-minute sessions twice a week—how exactly do you expect that to undo fourteen years of being raised in an environment where they're learning a completely different set of rules twenty-four hours a day?
And why did the Catholic Church fail here?
If anyone dropped the ball, it’s strictly the parents who are setting a terrible example for their kids...
I mean, how can you seriously expect a child to listen to a lesson about loving others as themselves in class, only to head home and see nothing but "every man for himself" from their own parents?

Bullying doesn't stem from true believers or atheists; it comes from the people who flip-flop between the two whenever it suits them.
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
Sarah Hall53 said:shadowcrane91, look, I'm not exactly claiming passionately to be Catholic or anything. I’m just asking—if I weren't, how am I even supposed to identify myself? And honestly, what Larry Walker24 said hits the nail on the head—most of us who call ourselves Catholic are basically just "cultural Catholics."
And it’s not just a Catholic thing, either. I know plenty of Calvinists who only step foot in a church maybe twice a year, and even Muslims who were told once they were Muslim and just rolled with it, identifying that way even if they don't pray or fast at all...
I get it, people might think we're a bit lukewarm when it comes to actual practice... but just because we aren't super intense doesn't mean our identity isn't real. 😉

You identify based on who you actually are, how you live your life, and what you actually stand for....
Besides, I've seen people on those census lists claim they're Klingons, 😁 though I highly doubt any of them have ever actually been to outer space.😉

And there is absolutely no reason why me or any other Catholic would find your existence—or anyone else's—to be "lukewarm." What's actually lukewarm is the hypocrisy of people pretending to be something they aren't while simultaneously spitting on themselves and everyone else who actually lives out their identity and stays true to who they are.

By the way, is it not "lukewarm" to you when someone here trashes religious education in public schools, claiming they only send their kid to class just so the little one isn't sitting alone in the hallway, only to then go on about signatures and stickers that are exclusively handed out to kids attending church-based religious ed?
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
Honestly, I can totally get where those people are coming from—the ones who call themselves Catholic but only show up for Christmas and Easter. My mind immediately jumps to the folks working Sunday shifts just to make ends meet... and look, purely from a human perspective, I can't really judge them for choosing to spend that one precious free Sunday a month with their families instead of sitting in a pew.

What actually gets under my skin, though, are the people who show up to Mass every single week while simultaneously spitting on the Church and everything it stands for... you know, the types who religiously enroll their kids in religious ed classes at school and at the parish, but then turn around and play the "devout believer" or the "poor victim" depending on which crowd they're hanging out with, spinning these tall tales about how they're being forced into it.😢

In my kid's class, there are two kids who don't take religious ed at school, but everyone else does—and this year, they even started going to the parish classes too. You’ll see a bunch of parents standing outside the church every single time, practically tripping over each other just to squeeze into a seat, but then the second they get home, they turn their backs on their wives and trash the Church and the faith in ways that are honestly just sickening to hear.
And do you really think those people are more faithful than the ones who attend Mass whenever they possibly can and actually raise their children with those values in their hearts? I wouldn't bet on it.
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
Michael Jackson10 said:This post is honestly so arrogant, rude, and irresponsible that it makes me want to...

It's not just dangerous; it completely ignores the fact that these kids aren't even attending the religious studies classes in the first place! Look, the way it works is that the school exists for the sake of the church, not for the kids. Sure, it's risky to leave a child in a religion class they have zero interest in—especially when their parents don't even want that kind of education (since "religion class" in practice is basically just Catholic indoctrination)—but at least they're safe in a classroom. Instead, we let them wander the halls or hang out off-campus because the principal doesn't want them in the library or hasn't provided a supervised spot for them to go. Makes sense, right?

Why not just move those elective religion classes to the very last period of the day (which I know the Church fights tooth and nail against!)? And can we please stop stigmatizing the kids who don't take it? Now people just confidently and ignorantly claim it doesn't even happen. Stop bundling school religion classes, church rites, and sacraments into one mandatory system where you have to turn in attendance slips just to prove you were there. If you did that, you'd see how uninteresting and useless it is for kids to be forced by some authority figure to sit there coloring comics about saints while being told "professionally" that everything else they learned during those other four or five hours of school was total nonsense...

Yeah, it's totally arrogant and rude to tell the truth, and it's seriously irresponsible to teach kids from such a young age not to be ashamed of who they are and what they want.😲 It's much better to just teach them hatred, lies, hypocrisy, and how to divide people whenever it suits them, right?

And if anyone is actually stigmatizing children here, it’s the people who spit on religious education while simultaneously forcing their own kids to show up to it...
It's supposedly "better" to force your kid into something they hate, disrupting the flow for the religious kids because God forbid they sit in a hallway with a kid whose parents are atheists... why should that kid have any social life in the hall? Why shouldn't the school just form a separate group for the non-religious kids? Apparently, it's just easier to either fake it or act like a jerk depending on which crowd you're hanging out with at the moment.
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
Sarah Hall53 said:just so we don't end up stuck in some hallway for two 45-minute stretches every single week without anyone actually watching over us.

Look, this isn't just a pathetic excuse—it’s actually pretty dangerous if someone is seriously sending a kid off to religion class just to dodge supervision.
Religion classes in school - Megathread in Students & Teens ·
Michelle Nelson4 said:I suppose that's just what happens when you try to fight nature by seeking unnatural medical fixes. Some people just can't grasp that a child isn't something you can simply demand; perhaps it's better to accept fate and move on without children... ☕
But honestly, everything has already been said. For some reason, even the non-believers seem to follow and remember the local church teachings better than the actual faithful here...

They aren't even following along that well, let alone remembering anything😁...they’re just really good at throwing shade and making insinuations😉
because they don't get that from the perspective of the church, it's not about a "right" to the institution, it's strictly about the rights of the child.

@8472
Kids who haven't been baptized can absolutely participate in religious education classes at school, and yeah, even at the church itself.
The doors to the church are wide open to everyone, really, so the real question is why would someone even bother walking through those doors or signing their kid up for Sunday school if they don't actually believe in God?
Complaint regarding Moderator Rhino in Feedback & Suggestions ·
Susan James said:Both Frupy and you deserve a ten-point penalty for this whole debate.
Honestly, you probably deserved even more, but I decided to just wipe out the thread since it had gone totally off-topic and turned into nothing but a petty back-and-forth argument.

Rhino, please, don't do this…
This entire mess actually kicked off from my post (from a day ago), which had absolutely nothing to do with Frupy

which Frupy then jumped on with this

the follow-up was in my previous post…

In the meantime, you were posting on the thread and Frupy’s post wasn't considered "off-topic" enough to punish or delete, nor did you just react with a few red warnings (if you actually thought things were heading toward a fight)…. but suddenly, my response a day later—after which I left the thread and the whole forum entirely—was "off-topic" enough to warrant a penalty and deletion? It was literally just me trying to clarify things and stop the conversation from devolving into those personal attacks she keeps attempting for the millionth time.
(If it helps, I really don't mind linking the posts that show exactly who keeps being so persistent about jumping down someone else's throat.)

And look, if you still think the whole point of this appeal is strictly about that one single post where I dared to try and explain myself to her—after she spent forever sniping at my posts like she doesn't care about me as a person (just like any other user here)—then I truly feel sorry for you.