2nd class & Communion - still a given?

[truthseeker]

I said they would probably hear the terms just like they hear terms like rape, murder or Islamic terrorist.

I know I heard and had explained all the terms like limbo (gone now), original sin, hell, purgatory, eternal damnation, venial sins (are they still about?) and mortal sins.

I dont think giving explaining the meaning of these things to a child is wrong at all. But presenting them as though they are real is wrong. Up to the age of first communion when I was going to be absolved of my sins I was terrified of ending up in purgatory actually, we had it drummed into us how awful it was.

Confession was another disgraceful thing to put a child through. To be sent into a small dark place with an old man and have to confess to sins. What sins did any of us have as children? I used to make them up - Im sure everyone did. "I was bold in school, I spoke back to my mammy, I coveted a doll my friend has". Perfectly ordinary children made to feel guilty over nothing. From a mental health perspective it cant be right.

 

[Teatime]

I don't even know if they do teach or discuss them. Do you? I said they would probably hear the terms just like they hear terms like rape, murder or Islamic terrorist. Or are you saying that kids should grow up with a limited vocabulary to protect them from the scary stuff?

C'mon you're being silly now and making us go in circles. You said quite smugly "I think you will find that they don't teach any of those things". I maintain that it would be difficult to have 13 years of religion without any of these concepts coming up in religion class ("original sin, hell, purgatory, eternal damnation, mortal sins").

 

[Teatime]

Perfectly ordinary children made to feel guilty over nothing. From a mental health perspective it cant be right.

Completely agree Truthseeker. I was trying to make this point to Sunny. There are so many other positive things we could teach our kids.

 

[Brendan Burgess]

Why does everyone automatically assume that a child will be doing communion when they go into 2nd class?

Folks

This is the original topic. Please stick to this topic. Start a new thread for other issues.

Brendan