Gaudium et Spes explains how Christians have a duty
to, “recognize and satisfy the right of all human and social culture in
conformity with the dignity of the human person without any discrimination of
race, sex, nation, religion, or social condition.” This duty has been upheld in
US education and specifically Catholic education throughout Catholic schools
and public CCD classes. Catholic education has been made accessible for every
student wishing to receive this education. The Catholic Church recognizes that
not everyone has an opportunity to attend a Catholic school, so programs have
been established to teach and allow students to come together and practice
their faith. The Church is therefore satisfying this right without any
discrimination. Therefore, academic and spiritual growth is valued by the
Church.
This faith-based education involves the formation of
the whole person and promotion of the common good. The common good involves
even those who are not Catholic. Although not a perfect system, general education
in the US has developed as modern culture becomes more tolerant. We see how
attitudes have changed as schools become more equal, accessible, and inclusive.
Just as Gaudium et Spes warns the faithful to, “live in very close union with
the other man of their time and strive to understand perfectly their way of
thinking and judging, as expressed in their culture,” the US educational system
has eliminated barriers between students. Students come from diverse
backgrounds and cultures. Teachers must understand their student’s background
and cultures. Classrooms should be environments where students and teachers can
interact and learn from one another successfully. This is very important to
keep in mind as many Catholic schools may have students who are not Catholic. These
varied demographics reflect how the Church understands, interacts, and works
with other cultures.
As you wrote about the basics of Catholic schools, and the benefits of such, I appreciate how you did not discriminate between parochial schools and public schools (i.e. Catholic schools produce smarter, more faithful, and more distinctive students). As a product of public schools, I think you’re message can certainly be adhered to by all schools – understand, recognize, and value different beliefs, values, and ideas!
ReplyDeleteThis post has a huge overlap with intercultural dialogue, which is what I wrote about. People learn so much about tolerance and respect when dealing with people of other cultures. This logic also applies to Catholics and other religions. While Catholic children should learn about Catholicism and learn that it is the only truth, there is no harm in them learning about other cultures. It could even help them understand Catholicism even more. For this reason, Catholics are in no way obligated to send their children to a religious school.
ReplyDeleteThis a well written post comparing culture and Church through education, which makes up 12+ years of your life. I think people who are Catholic (or not) and have the ability to send their children to private school is a very fortunate experience and I'm sure has many benefits. However, I do not think one way of schooling is better than public schools, as Matt said. I think one benefit I received from going to public school is that I was able to meet so many people of many different cultural and religious backgrounds. I think that is a great experience because, as Kelsey said, intercultural dialogue is extremely important.
ReplyDeleteI have been going to Catholic school my entire life! I always knew that kids would come and have a religion class at my school every Monday night. My parents were fortunate enough to have the money to send me to a Catholic school for the religion and education aspect. It is important for the Church to make these efforts to let anyone learn and hear about God's Word in any setting. Wealth, status, location should not deter anyone from following their religion, and I think a CCD program helps with that.
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