Posts by silentraven6

Rentals, to start with, at least until you're absolutely sure they’ve actually got staying power.

Brenda Doyle5 said:People have already brought this up before. They claim you can't organize anything else during religious education hours because then the kids in those classes would be discriminated against... or some nonsense like that. ☕

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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.

I honestly don't get it, Richard Perez3, why are you putting up with this.

Watching cartoons and visiting museums is one thing, but you’re listing off things that are totally unacceptable here. You're still letting your kid get put into awkward positions just because you're hesitating.

On top of that, you're just feeding your own resentment toward some idiot who needs to be told—very clearly and very firmly—that if they keep trying to have these "serious talks" with your child, the next step is the principal and then the Department of Education. You have a constitutional right to your child's free upbringing.

And then you just stay quiet again. For God's sake.

It’s the same mindset you see from parents who raise their kids to believe they’re headed straight to hell, or from women who act like miscarriages are some kind of high-stakes crime.

Everyone here knows I’m a fierce opponent of this kind of religious instruction in public schools. My stance is pretty clear: either get rid of it entirely, swap it out for something else, or at least teach something that isn't just straight-up catechism. But I would never, ever let my kid be told that someone else's faith is nothing more than brainwashing. If we take that path, what's actually the difference between us and those religious fundamentalists?

If there's a specific issue, you should pull the teacher aside and give them a polite heads-up immediately.

Look, you can't really escape religious themes in the environment where you live. It’s woven into the entire fabric of our culture and serves as a foundational element in almost all canonical literature.

I know the social climate right now is absolutely toxic, but I honestly think we need to rise above all this garbage.

James Hall68 said:Good grief, comparing this to a library is a completely different ballpark.
Has anyone here even looked into children's rights?
By "forcing" a child to attend or skip religious education, you are actively violating one of their fundamental rights.
How can you possibly draw a parallel between a library and this? Honestly, give me a break!

Look, since most parents have the constitutional right to raise their kids according to their own values—whether that means raising them in a faith or as an atheist—this whole thing should be straightforward.

The solution would be easy if they just offered a genuine alternative course, but then we’d finally see what people actually want for their kids, and I bet those religious extremists wouldn't like that one bit.

To me, it feels wrong to force kids to learn things that neither they nor their parents believe in. We're talking about specific denominational instruction here, not just general religion. It's a set of values held by certain communities, so let the kids choose—either go with a specific faith or stick with secularism.

Tyler Davis2 said:My nine-year-old is about to start music school, focusing on the guitar.
I’m trying to figure out what kind of guitar we should actually pick up for that first year of lessons.
Should we go with an acoustic? A classical? And when it comes to strings—steel or nylon?
Also, since they're still small, what size should I be looking for, and where in the D.C. area can I find smaller models that actually fit a kid?

Honestly, just give the school a call and clear everything up with them. Guitars are super popular right now, and sometimes they can't even fit everyone into the programs.

If I remember correctly, most kids start on a classical guitar, but I don't know much about sizing. Let me ask a buddy of mine and I'll get back to you, but I really think you should check in with the school first.

It looks like my kid probably won’t be taking communion, even though we’ve talked about it quite a bit. He just isn't interested, and honestly, I don't have the heart to go in and get into a heated debate with the local priest about why he isn't attending religious studies class at school.

I actually did have the energy for a while—I really thought I was going to stand my ground and fight for what I believe is right—but his hesitation is the deciding factor for me. I just don't think a child should be forced into something they don't fully grasp yet, purely out of a sense of obligation or just to follow the rules.

To be honest, I think he might be leaning toward atheism, which I’m perfectly fine with; it's his choice to make. He'll still have plenty of opportunities to see how people practice their faith and hear the teachings, so let him decide whenever he feels a genuine, sincere desire to participate.

Look, I wasn’t out here rambling or acting like some conspiracy theorist; I’ve been following this show since the very first episode aired. I’m asking that my post be restored because there isn't anything controversial about it. I was simply sharing my thoughts on the show, how prepared the crew seemed, and my honest take on Friday's broadcast.

I’ve also been keeping up by both watching and reading the discussions.

I honestly don't get why everyone's so obsessed with knowing who's involved or why someone would choose to put things on hold... and more importantly, how does any of this actually impact a single person on an individual level?

People come here looking for actual advice, not a lecture or a moral high ground.

Look, I’m right there with you. I’m against all the smiley face stickers and the constant sticker charts—everything about how they handle rewards through the end of elementary school. It should be mandatory to stop this stuff.

I just want a school system that actually teaches kids how to think. One that prepares them for the future by encouraging them to see the big picture behind the numbers, rather than just memorizing formulas.

We need real external evaluations. Not just for the students, but for the teachers, the principals, and the entire administrative staff...

But honestly? That sounds like a total utopia.

I wouldn't even dream of touching anyone if the way these savings accounts are structured was any different.

Seriously, not a single soul.

And honestly, nobody would care if they lost their damn minds if these assets weren't being graded and scrutinized like this.

There's always going to be a few unstable types running around, no matter what.

Regarding all this drama surrounding grading... you might actually be surprised by the fact that kids aren't so dim that they can't grasp what a 1-to-5 scale means without their parents holding their hands through it.

They end up measuring themselves solely by these raw numbers from day one, yet very few of them actually understand what those digits represent. Why? Because teachers spend way more time talking about grades and test scores with parents than they ever do with the students themselves.

The reality is that kids don't have a clear sense of why they’re even learning any of this stuff. They’re treated like empty vessels—things to be filled with facts, stripped of critical thinking, and given no real purpose behind the curriculum.

Just ask a kid why they need to memorize music theory pieces or what the point of certain art techniques is, or why they're being judged on how many strikes they missed in a drill.

They haven't a clue.

It just keeps going like this, where they learn to chase numbers instead of focusing on actual achievements, skills, or developing an opinion.

The whole system basically encourages conformity. It forces them to accept being treated like a blank slate, as if they don't already come to the classroom with their own lived experiences.

Honestly, looking at everything I can find online, that Pinocchio picture book is just bottom-of-the-barrel garbage.

Wasn't the whole point of that big push to be including more graphic novels and comic books in the required reading lists? Maybe I just got carried away and started taking it for granted.

I know Greg reads them too, and my colleague even assigned Persepolis to her high school students.

They've got comics, sure, but comic book techniques actually show up in all sorts of other teaching methods too, so they aren't really missing out on anything.

Check this out—this kid actually had an assignment to put together his own comic strip for second grade.

Jessica Kelly4 said:It comes down to two things: first, both parents and the child need to actually understand what the sacrament represents—since the Church views these as unchanging milestones—and second, they have to actually live out the faith. Living the faith means being part of the community. Since school religion classes were introduced, parish-based instruction has shifted its focus entirely. They complement each other, sure, but they aren't the same thing.

School religious ed isn't a prerequisite for the sacrament of marriage. My kid is going to take communion without attending those classes, and honestly, anyone trying to block someone from receiving a sacrament while living in sin is, according to our faith's own rules, headed straight for hell.

It’s not like I even believe in hell.

As for why someone would want to receive a sacrament without attending the formal school sessions—especially if they don't attend Mass or participate in the community—only someone with a truly pure heart can judge that. And the people judging us? They aren't even close to being pure.

Back in the South, none of my grandmother's ten children ever took formal religious classes, but faith was lived at home and the sacraments meant something real. It means the same thing to me, and no modern American inventions are going to change that. There's going to be an uproar heard all the way in Vatican City.

shadowcrane91 said:I don't get it.
What exactly do you expect a preacher to say when someone asks if Santa Claus exists?
Or when they start getting all hyped up about Christmas ????

Let them prove Santa doesn't exist, then let them prove that God exists.

It's actually pretty simple.

Early morning services are hands down the most beautiful masses and the most incredible experience a child can have when it comes to their spiritual life.

Back in my day, the masses were held in a way where kids were treated with genuine respect—they were actually the foundation and the whole point of it all. I used to attend them even in years when I hadn't even taken my sacraments yet.

Nobody ever made anything conditional on me receiving my sacraments, but once they started, that kind of pressure became the first turning point in how this whole institution began to shift. As a First Communicant, I still held onto my faith, and by the time I was a Confirmation student, the whole thing felt ridiculous to me because my connection to faith and attending mass was always based on my own choice and the pure joy that this way of life brought me.

I went to an early service again recently, after a long stretch of years where I just felt this heavy sense of falling short during the Adventure season, and honestly, I was so disappointed by the sermon and the way they approach the congregation, especially the children. To me, that isn't delivering the Good News; it’s not celebrating a holiday that is, above all else, meant for children, by children, and for children. It feels more like political propaganda and ideological garbage in a desperate attempt to mold a cult-like community of mindless followers.

Now, I’d much rather head out for a walk at 6:00 AM in the biting cold. I get that same feeling I used to have—that internal warmth from the joyful anticipation, even while the darkness and the chill sting my face.

Kids who are raised with faith through religious education shouldn't need some sort of "participation trophy" system or a checklist to actually feel joy. They should be taught that anticipating a holiday means looking forward to hope for a better world, just as the One we celebrate intended. We need a world of rebellious kids who push back against rigid systems; a world of mischievous little ones who run away from their parents just to go challenge the adults in the temple; a world of questioning and refusing to blindly accept Pharisaical distortions; a world of tearing down temples and living by the commandment of love.

No amount of words can truly describe how full your heart can feel after a mass like that.

shadowcrane91 said:Ripped it down??? He probably just took them down, honestly I'm not even surprised. Religion class and Halloween?
Since when do those two things go together in any Catholic community in America????
Teaching about God while celebrating witches????

And then—the religion teacher removes a Halloween poster....
The same guy who's supposed to be teaching these kids to follow God instead of witches????
Oh no..... what a tragedy he's caused......

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A school isn't a Catholic parish.