Religion classes in school - Megathread

It’s not that complicated. You either walk into a church and then leave... or you just don't go at all. 🤣

I wouldn't say I'm an atheist, per se... but I have my doubts about the clergy in the church. I mean, if God is everywhere, why do I need to physically step inside a building to find Him? 👎
I struggle with the superstitions and rituals people cling to, especially when so many self-proclaimed devout followers believe in those kinds of things while simultaneously claiming they only believe in God and nothing else... or suggesting that if you just have enough faith, nothing bad will ever happen to you. It makes me wonder what kind of believers they actually are. ☕

I really enjoy decorating the tree and putting gifts underneath it... honestly, that's the best part for me.
I’m not a huge fan of dyeing eggs, though I’ll do it because the kids can be quite persistent; I’ll go through the motions, but I don't do anything overly dramatic for Easter.
I do love the general atmosphere during Christmas, though... that's when I feel most at home. But I don't attend midnight mass or go to church, and I don't really pray. Visiting a church just doesn't feel right to me. My husband would prefer if I joined him, but that's just not something I want to do. 😒

To be honest, when I see how many people head to church, I just see so much hypocrisy... it's everywhere. And the worst part is that the most hypocritical people are usually the first ones there. I just don't want any part of that.

It looks like we’re going to have a bigger group of first graders opting out of religious ed this year, while everyone else stays in class together. 🤣

Here is my actual reasoning for why I don't want my kid sitting through those classes:

1. Atheists can't be good people and they aren't going to heaven.

2. Yoga is basically just an invitation for the devil.

3. The girls in our local parish aren't allowed to be altar servers because we have plenty of boys interested already.

These are the exact same things that rubbed me the wrong way back in the day twenty years ago, and honestly, nothing has changed—not even the teachers. There's a whole list of stuff about the church that gets to me too (like that whole thing about sacrificing the firstborn son, all the talk about Sodom and Gomorrah, or how daughters are supposedly supposed to sleep with their fathers to preserve the bloodline, etc.).

At the end of the day, we all know our own kids best. Mine hears one thing at preschool and comes home with a hundred questions, terrified of some imaginary threat. Other kids? They just let it go in one ear and out the other.

And if you think it’s just two hours a week—it isn't. By third grade, you've got those two hours at school, plus an hour at the church, plus whatever daily activity they schedule, plus mandatory Sunday mass. At least around here.

Honestly, looking through all these forum comments, it feels like there’s this massive wave of conformity among Americans when it comes to religious education in schools..

Everyone’s acting like they aren't religious, or they don't step foot in a church, or they're totally against organized religion—but then they still insist their kid takes the religious studies class just so they don't stand out. They don't want the kid left alone in the hallway or teased by classmates for being different, right?

And that just ends up giving more wind to the sails of the church corporation and its special interest groups. It lets them claim that "the numbers don't lie"—that most kids attend because both the children and parents genuinely want them to, which they then use as leverage to argue that religious ed belongs in the public school system..

If every major industry in America collapsed tomorrow, at least we'd still have the local sheep shearing business to fall back on. That much is certain..

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...

Is this really what people think about yoga? 😂
I was honestly stunned when a friend of mine—someone I thought was a pretty progressive, modern young woman—started spouting some absolute nonsense regarding yoga. I mean, seriously, I’m still trying to process it... she goes to church and is a believer, yet she actually had the nerve to ask me if I was worried about someone casting a hex or a curse on me just by buying secondhand clothes online. I couldn't believe my ears. It was just... well, it was ridiculous. 😂

It’s the same story with the local parish. Ever since the kids reached third grade, it’s been constant involvement in church activities... especially from the mid-year onwards. They hold these meetings for the parents that drag on for at least an hour and a half—honestly, longer than most parent-teacher conferences at the local elementary school. And do you know what they spend all that time debating? How to raise children. You have priests and nuns showing up and telling *me* how I should be raising my own kids...
I never actually attended those meetings myself; I just sent my husband because he wanted to participate in the religious education programs. I told him, "Fine, you go, I'm staying home."
The pressure on the kids is relentless, too. They’re constantly being threatened that if they don't show up for Mass or the religious classes, they won't be allowed to receive Communion, or they might even be kicked out of the program entirely.
And apparently, if you want them to take their First Communion, they have to be enrolled in those religious studies at both school and the church for two full years beforehand.

Patrick Harris5 said:Honestly, looking through all these forum comments, it feels like there’s this massive wave of conformity among Americans when it comes to religious education in schools..

Everyone’s acting like they aren't religious, or they don't step foot in a church, or they're totally against organized religion—but then they still insist their kid takes the religious studies class just so they don't stand out. They don't want the kid left alone in the hallway or teased by classmates for being different, right?

And that just ends up giving more wind to the sails of the church corporation and its special interest groups. It lets them claim that "the numbers don't lie"—that most kids attend because both the children and parents genuinely want them to, which they then use as leverage to argue that religious ed belongs in the public school system..

If every major industry in America collapsed tomorrow, at least we'd still have the local sheep shearing business to fall back on. That much is certain..

Given how much conformity we run into in our day-to-day lives across America, I’m not entirely sure why it surprises you to see it surfacing in a topic like this. And really, it isn't strictly about just following the crowd. It’s more complicated than that. You can't simply leave a seven-year-old unsupervised for two hours every week; while you're busy fighting against social conformity, you might have one kid sitting lonely in a hallway and another wandering off somewhere entirely unexpected...

coppermarlin14 said:Is this really what people think about yoga? 😂
I was honestly stunned when a friend of mine—someone I thought was a pretty progressive, modern young woman—started spouting some absolute nonsense regarding yoga. I mean, seriously, I’m still trying to process it... she goes to church and is a believer, yet she actually had the nerve to ask me if I was worried about someone casting a hex or a curse on me just by buying secondhand clothes online. I couldn't believe my ears. It was just... well, it was ridiculous. 😂

It’s the same story with the local parish. Ever since the kids reached third grade, it’s been constant involvement in church activities... especially from the mid-year onwards. They hold these meetings for the parents that drag on for at least an hour and a half—honestly, longer than most parent-teacher conferences at the local elementary school. And do you know what they spend all that time debating? How to raise children. You have priests and nuns showing up and telling *me* how I should be raising my own kids...
I never actually attended those meetings myself; I just sent my husband because he wanted to participate in the religious education programs. I told him, "Fine, you go, I'm staying home."
The pressure on the kids is relentless, too. They’re constantly being threatened that if they don't show up for Mass or the religious classes, they won't be allowed to receive Communion, or they might even be kicked out of the program entirely.
And apparently, if you want them to take their First Communion, they have to be enrolled in those religious studies at both school and the church for two full years beforehand.

Now, I’m not a believer myself, but I do understand the significance of Mass within a faith community. That’s why it really gets under my skin when I hear people complaining about having to take their child to Mass. If a child is preparing for First Communion or Confirmation, Sunday Mass should naturally become a part of their life. If attending Mass is such a monumental burden in your household, why on earth are you signing them up for these sacraments in the first place? We should probably take a moment to reflect on our own stances and consider what kind of example we are setting for our children. Any bad influence they encounter in a religious ed class can be corrected later, but the negative lessons they learn from us tend to take much deeper root..

northerncobra27 said:Given how much conformity we run into in our day-to-day lives across America, I’m not entirely sure why it surprises you to see it surfacing in a topic like this. And really, it isn't strictly about just following the crowd. It’s more complicated than that. You can't simply leave a seven-year-old unsupervised for two hours every week; while you're busy fighting against social conformity, you might have one kid sitting lonely in a hallway and another wandering off somewhere entirely unexpected...

Now, I’m not a believer myself, but I do understand the significance of Mass within a faith community. That’s why it really gets under my skin when I hear people complaining about having to take their child to Mass. If a child is preparing for First Communion or Confirmation, Sunday Mass should naturally become a part of their life. If attending Mass is such a monumental burden in your household, why on earth are you signing them up for these sacraments in the first place? We should probably take a moment to reflect on our own stances and consider what kind of example we are setting for our children. Any bad influence they encounter in a religious ed class can be corrected later, but the negative lessons they learn from us tend to take much deeper root..

If you're suggesting I should just be a conformist too—just bow my head and do whatever the big church corporation tells me to do—well, it's not happening. Nothing is going to be forced on my kid. They're doing okay for now, along with plenty of other kids, but let's not pretend that makes the situation right.

It’s the exact same thing as if the roles were reversed. Imagine if there was some mandatory hour in the middle of the school day where they taught that God doesn't exist, and suddenly those "other" kids are being pulled away from their classmates... to me, that sounds like an absolute disaster.

When a bunch of fearful adults take this conformist approach, all they're really doing is handing more power to these special interest groups. You know the ones—the groups profiting massively from this, claiming that religious education belongs in public schools. They only look at the numbers to suit their own agenda, painting a picture that everyone is desperate to attend because Americans are such deeply devoted believers! They ignore the fact that many of those people are probably only there so they don't stand out or get labeled. They're just there to question things, or maybe learn something...

Someone who is truly religious—someone who sincerely believes in the Catholic God or any other God—will find enough time outside of school activities to introduce their children to those beliefs and pass on that sense of "unconditional love."

In a country where only about 20% of people who claim to be religious actually show up to church (and even that number is probably inflated), everything else is just pure conformity. It's just avoiding responsibility, both for yourself and for your child.

northerncobra27 said:Given how much conformity we run into in our day-to-day lives across America, I’m not entirely sure why it surprises you to see it surfacing in a topic like this. And really, it isn't strictly about just following the crowd. It’s more complicated than that. You can't simply leave a seven-year-old unsupervised for two hours every week; while you're busy fighting against social conformity, you might have one kid sitting lonely in a hallway and another wandering off somewhere entirely unexpected...

Now, I’m not a believer myself, but I do understand the significance of Mass within a faith community. That’s why it really gets under my skin when I hear people complaining about having to take their child to Mass. If a child is preparing for First Communion or Confirmation, Sunday Mass should naturally become a part of their life. If attending Mass is such a monumental burden in your household, why on earth are you signing them up for these sacraments in the first place? We should probably take a moment to reflect on our own stances and consider what kind of example we are setting for our children. Any bad influence they encounter in a religious ed class can be corrected later, but the negative lessons they learn from us tend to take much deeper root..

This topic has been beaten to death on this forum a thousand times already.
You can always enroll your kid in religious education later if you notice they're the only one left sitting solo in the hallway during class (and honestly, if their school life is a struggle, it's not worth stressing over that one specific hour), but it’s not nearly as easy to unenroll them once the school year is already underway.
Parents really ought to have that figured out from the start.
So many parents worry about whether their child will "fit in." But let's be real—maybe they won't fit in even if you sign them up. In fact, I’ve actually seen kids who struggled more because they had nobody to talk to about those religious topics at home, either because the parents don't know anything about it or they just don't discuss it. Plus, they aren't going to church on Sundays anyway, so those kids end up feeling isolated regardless. At least this way, they’re "accounted for" during that hour.

The real issue is that enrollment usually happens back in June, right when people have no clue how the schedule is organized, how many other kids won't be attending, or what the classroom vibe will actually be like.

So, to the two of you (@Tyler Ruiz502 😉), please don't just check "yes" on the form now. Wait until the first or second week of school if you're actually giving this some thought.
The worst thing that could happen is having to buy the textbooks yourself (if the school requires it), though that's unlikely.
If anything, you might just get an extra "blessing" for changing your mind last minute. ☕

Then again, you might not even bother changing your mind because having two free periods isn't a bad thing at all. Actually, it can be pretty useful; if the child is in a quiet environment, they can read a book they love, draw, practice their handwriting, or knock out all their homework before after-school programs so they can just play the rest of the time. 😍
Not to mention absences. I knew a little guy who missed two days of school, and on the third day, he used his religious ed period to catch up on work, and even the teacher helped him out.
It was priceless.
I mean, they're at school during that hour anyway.

Patrick Harris5 said:If you're suggesting I should just be a conformist too—just bow my head and do whatever the big church corporation tells me to do—well, it's not happening. Nothing is going to be forced on my kid. They're doing okay for now, along with plenty of other kids, but let's not pretend that makes the situation right.

It’s the exact same thing as if the roles were reversed. Imagine if there was some mandatory hour in the middle of the school day where they taught that God doesn't exist, and suddenly those "other" kids are being pulled away from their classmates... to me, that sounds like an absolute disaster.

When a bunch of fearful adults take this conformist approach, all they're really doing is handing more power to these special interest groups. You know the ones—the groups profiting massively from this, claiming that religious education belongs in public schools. They only look at the numbers to suit their own agenda, painting a picture that everyone is desperate to attend because Americans are such deeply devoted believers! They ignore the fact that many of those people are probably only there so they don't stand out or get labeled. They're just there to question things, or maybe learn something...

Someone who is truly religious—someone who sincerely believes in the Catholic God or any other God—will find enough time outside of school activities to introduce their children to those beliefs and pass on that sense of "unconditional love."

In a country where only about 20% of people who claim to be religious actually show up to church (and even that number is probably inflated), everything else is just pure conformity. It's just avoiding responsibility, both for yourself and for your child.

I’m not making any specific proposals here, nor am I trying to dive into the deep end regarding how anyone else's child is being looked after. It was clearly phrased a bit clumsily; I was speaking in general terms.

What I would say is that parish-based religious education—the kind held at the church to prepare for sacraments—is intended for believers. As for the school version? Honestly, I can't see why someone wouldn't enroll if they wanted to probe deeper into certain topics or learn something fresh.

And finally—expecting conformists to suddenly stop being conformists is just beating a dead horse. That expectation certainly isn't going to move the needle. But hey, the rhino gave some excellent advice👍. We should print it all out on flyers and hand them out in front of the schools during enrollment season.😁

northerncobra27 said:Given how much conformity we run into in our day-to-day lives across America, I’m not entirely sure why it surprises you to see it surfacing in a topic like this. And really, it isn't strictly about just following the crowd. It’s more complicated than that. You can't simply leave a seven-year-old unsupervised for two hours every week; while you're busy fighting against social conformity, you might have one kid sitting lonely in a hallway and another wandering off somewhere entirely unexpected...

Now, I’m not a believer myself, but I do understand the significance of Mass within a faith community. That’s why it really gets under my skin when I hear people complaining about having to take their child to Mass. If a child is preparing for First Communion or Confirmation, Sunday Mass should naturally become a part of their life. If attending Mass is such a monumental burden in your household, why on earth are you signing them up for these sacraments in the first place? We should probably take a moment to reflect on our own stances and consider what kind of example we are setting for our children. Any bad influence they encounter in a religious ed class can be corrected later, but the negative lessons they learn from us tend to take much deeper root..

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....

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, a child who still has a few years before they hit high school is old enough to understand that when you're sick, nobody expects you to show up for church or religious ed—just like nobody expects you to drag yourself into public school with a fever. Sure, I'll concede that there might be some intimidation happening via rhetoric about "mandatory attendance" or whatever, but I also believe a child is mature enough to process things if the parents actually bother to explain them properly.
Don't get me wrong; I am firmly against putting any kind of pressure on a child regarding religious classes. However, when I enrolled my child, I viewed it as a commitment we made together—both as parents and as a child. If I view it as a commitment, then I tell my kid that we intend to honor that obligation. Of course, obviously not when they're genuinely ill and physically unable to go, but we make the effort.

We never experienced anything inappropriate in our religious classes (at least my little one never complained about anyone forcing or threatening them), though there were a few bizarre moments we had to clarify for her (honestly, why on earth would you mention Leopold Mandić's severed hand to a second grader? That was completely unnecessary), but we also maintained the stance that if she wanted to opt out, we would allow it (at the end of the school year, naturally).

Edit: I absolutely condemn any indecent behavior from teachers, priests, or anyone else attempting to terrorize children under the guise of religious education. They can set requirements for receiving sacraments, certainly, but they have no business using fear tactics on kids. If you don't meet the requirements, you don't receive the sacrament. Period. Beyond that simple fact, no one should be coerced into attending.

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.

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

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.

I don't feel any personal need for my child to receive the sacraments, but my husband does, so he’s the one handling all of that... not me!
Personally, I don't have an issue with it as long as my child isn't being forced into it. It never really occurred to me to attend those pre-communion meetings myself...
I’ve simply shared my own experience, and that's that. You all can continue your own research into how things work if you wish... A question was asked for an opinion, so I gave mine based on how I actually experienced things during those years of religious education. To be honest, I haven't the slightest clue what they even teach in those classes because I’ve just never been interested... it always seemed incredibly tedious and uninspiring to me...
My little girl would go to religious ed if she actually expressed an interest in it, but she hasn't... She was at church with her father for the first time, and she found it boring; she kept sweetly begging me not to make her go... I decided to listen to her. If she had wanted to go, I wouldn't have stood in her way, just as I don't try to control everything a small child does...

As for me, I was baptized when I was just an infant... They wanted me to take my First Communion and Confirmation later on, but I didn't want to. In my eyes, there was nothing interesting to be found there. And now, imagine—I am married in the eyes of the church without having had those sacraments. Quite something, isn't it? Honestly, I didn't even want to get married at all; I wanted to live a more bohemian, free-spirited life. But my husband fell in love with me, and I fell for him, so I agreed to marry him for the sake of love. Truthfully, I was just counting down the days until that whole pro*** was over.

As you can see, none of this interests me, but I certainly don't want to deny anyone else something they feel they need... just because we don't share the same views. Everyone finds their own happiness... if someone enjoys it, more power to them.

And to northerncobra27, please stop insulting me and my child by suggesting what she might learn from me... maybe you should ask yourself what your own children will learn from you, especially since you actually have the option to choose.☕
Because my child certainly does!

Lawrence Torres56 said: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?

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.

The service was delivered and paid for.
Where is the receipt?
Was it properly taxed?
How much tax was actually paid?

And here we go again with the same old routine.
Yesterday, they dragged everyone into religion class under the guise of being "guests" just to watch some cartoon about us.
The propaganda machine is clearly working overtime, setting the bait for next year.

What's the kid saying? You thinking about going next year? 😁

Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't go.
Honestly, thank God (no pun intended) he finally realized what's actually going on.
He just told me recently that the whole thing is total nonsense and that his best friend basically had his "brain washed by those religious studies classes."
I asked him yesterday if he gets that it’s all just fairy tales and legends—that the cartoon is really just a cartoon—and he said he knows.
He thought it was funny, like, hey, I watched the show, but that's where it ends.
Anyway, I'm filing this episode away in my memory bank so I can bring it up with certain people at exactly the right time.

My little guy believes in everything, even after what he's been through. 😢
I wouldn't bother sending him to Sunday school.