by Brandon Jubar

As scary as it may sound, I've been thinking.

And what I've been thinking about is the lady who I mentioned last week. Remember... the one who used the Sexual Misconduct policy to rant about a local Catholic school's choice of literature? Well, if you didn't read it or don't remember, it's right here: <http://www.ParishWebmaster.com/archives/ezine/zine_20020602.htm>

Anyway, her concerns basically came down to this: a Catholic school should not be exposing our children to things such as rape, incest, and vulgarities, whether it be through literature, movies, or other media.

Seems pretty reasonable, doesn't it?

In fact, let me say it again:
A Catholic school should not expose our kids to nasty stuff!

Hmmmmm. Yup. That's what I've been thinking about. Because based on an initial hearing, many people said "yes!", "amen", and "you go, girl!" Or something like that.

The thing is, as reasonable as it may sound on the surface, I don't know if I can agree with that. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I DISAGREE with it. Is it because I don't care about our kids? No -- it's just the opposite.

I'm not so delusional as to believe that I can shield my children from all of the vile, nasty things in this world. I'll try my best -- rest assured of that -- but I know I can't succeed. In spite of my best efforts, they will eventually know what the words "rape" and "incest" mean. And they will most likely be exposed to vulgarity before too long.

The world can sometimes be an ugly place. And you know what? Christ knew that. That's why he commissioned the disciples to go forth, baptize and teach people. And that is why, today, we are called to join the fray. Just as these children of ours will have to do some day as well.

So here's what I've been thinking:
I want our kids to be exposed to the nasty stuff while they are in a Catholic school. I want them to learn about it in a safe, Christian environment. I want them to examine the evil in the world and realize that it isn't cool, or fashionable, or in any way acceptable.

I want our kids to understand what we believe, why we believe it, and what it really means to be Christ to the world. And in my mind, that means examining the ugly side of humanity every now and then -- especially while attending our Catholic schools.

Peace,
~Brandon

Sound off! Tell me what you think!
bjubar@ParishWebmaster.com

Copyright 2002 by Brandon Jubar
This article has been provided by ParishWebmaster.com