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Importance: SEMASSU.EDU was changed to UMASSD.EDU on Aug 10, 1991
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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
Date:         Mon, 13 Apr 1992 13:26:00 EDT
Comments:     A VAX cluster with VMS V5.4-2, PMDF V3.2-19,
              JNET V3.5 & UCX V1.3A
From:         LIZ MOREAU <EMOREAU@UMASSD.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: Parents' rights (WAS Re: Feminist theology/little god
              movement

>First, it is the teaching of the Catholic Church that parents have a RIGHT
>to choose their children's education.  The people whom you mentioned are
>violating that right.  They are not the only ones who are doing that.
>A lot of people think they know better than everyone else, better than
>parents, better than parishoners in general, better than the pope, and
>(it seems) even better than God.

Marty, this is encouraging and all well and good, BUT how can the
parents exercise that right if what they are seeing being brought home
in their kid's textbooks is not what is actually being taught.  There
is no way any law can protect this one.  Teachers are totally in
control, especially with the younger children who don't know better.
For example, that same year I had the 7th grade class, my son was
enrolled in a first communion class.  I found out about one of the
exercises they did only because I was questioning these things.
Otherwise I never would have known and I must admit I blew up over
this instance.  The kids were led through breathing exercises to clear
their minds and then told to focus on the center of their beings and
were 'led' (in their minds) into an elevator and down floor_by_floor
till they reached the bottom and the doors opened and they met
'Jesus'.  The teacher assured me that they were 'brought out of this
slowly.'

>  One of the organizations working to
>promote orthodoxy has taken on the task of using canon law to protect
>the rights of ordinary, orthodox Catholics.  I will post its address
>tonight.  You can write for information such as the specific provisions
>of canon law that assert the rights of parents and papal documents that
>have affirmed them.  You can then go to your pastor again, and if he
>still does not correct the situation you should write to your bishop
>asking him to act to protect parental rights and to prevent the
>teaching of false doctrine, which the Bible explicitly says it is
>a bishop's responsibility to do (1 Tim 1:3).

My parish leaders don't see anything wrong with these things at all.
To them, I'm the crazy one!  I had thought about going to the Bishop,
but didn't because in our dioceses they hold a CCD conference once a
year.  All religious ed coordinators, teachers, and Catholic school
teachers are invited/required to attend.  All of what I object to was
listed as topics of lectures to be given.  It is just not my church,
but the whole diocesan area.  Just to double check, I called the youth
director (whom I know) at another area church.  She advised me that
she sees nothing wrong with this and has been using these techniques
for many years with the youth group!

Thanks for checking out those addresses for me.  I will certainly
write and see what happens.

                                        Liz
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