FSTDT is still making me smile a little...

[desertvixen]

 Not as much as previously, due to what's going on in my life.  But it can still be worth a snicker or two.

OHNOES CRITICAL THINKING

What you want to avoid are:

* Materials that encourage the student to challenge biblical authorities. Typically, critical thinking materials urge children to ignore the teaching of parents and church authorities. They call this "thinking for yourself." But this is not real thinking, simply knee-jerk rebellion.

* Materials that encourage general confusion and skepticism. Eighth grade is not the time or place to ponder the nature of reality.

* Materials that dwell at length on a particular view of the future -- typically, one in which Christianity is irrelevant and a one-world government will solve all human problems.

* Materials that introduce "closed" dilemmas. The most famous is probably the story of the hapless husband who doesn't have money for needed medicine for his dying wife. Is it OK for him to rob the pharmacy to get her medicine? When Christian students try to point out in their public school classrooms that the husband can always pray, and that God can either heal the wife directly or bring in unexpected money, the teacher tells them that this solution is impermissible. Only choices that leave God out of the picture are OK. But in real life God is always in the picture, so we never have to face this kind of phony dilemma.

I'll give them one point - eighth grade is not the time or place to ponder the nature of reality.  Especially if it's during algebra class.

Hopefully, people start thinking before eighth grade.

ANTI-CATHOLIC WANK

Catholicism is not Christianity. Catholicism is a cult that teaches a false gospel of works ("sacraments") that leads to eternal hell (Galatians 1:6-9).

Catholicism cannot save. Only Jesus saves.

The only way to go to heaven and not to eternal hell is by believing in this life that Jesus, who is God, died for our sins on the cross and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Believe this and you are saved!

Please pray now: "Jesus, please forgive me of my sins. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins and You rose again. Thank You for eternal life!" You will be in heaven with Him forever when you die :)

I know, oldie but goodie.  It's like a Chick tract, with no pictures.

DV

Comments

[garpu.livejournal.com]

I love how they use smileys. "You're going to hell!:)" See? It makes it better.

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

It's sort of like when little old Southern ladies say, "Bless (x's) heart". Not actually nice, but sounds good.

DV

[garpu.livejournal.com]

Yup. Or as my grandmother would say, "Well bless him/her, but..." and the shit would fly.

[kishiriadgr.livejournal.com]

Asking questions = simple rebellion. I was about to say I hope these kids never become scientists, but given that they are headed for a fine career in fast food after this quality of homeschooling, we don't need to worry about that.

[norabombay.livejournal.com]

I always wonder about the anti-catholic stance. You would think the fundies would have the sense to perhaps put on a face of solidarity to the public and go on sniping at the catholics in private.

But no.

And saying stupid things about the catholics does tell a good chunck of the population about the nutters they are dealing with.

[cynthia1960.livejournal.com]

And what I continue to not get is why the non-lapsed Catholics put up with this? I'm way lapsed, but this attitude still burns *me* up.

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

I think the idea is to be more dignified than they are.

Not sure... I seem to be working towards a lapsed state as well.

DV

[cynthia1960.livejournal.com]

Heh, n00bs think they have all the answers. They need to be around for a couple of millennia ;) or get a nice divine dope slap of humility.

[cynthia1960.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I have been soooo tempted to find a full Penguin-style nun's habit (think the Blues Brothers) to break out when the Witnesses come a-bothering.

Either that, or sic the California Province of the Society of Jesus on them ;).

[norabombay.livejournal.com]

That is the thing I don't get? Maybe they just don't know how mcuh of it is out there? Because you would think that there are enough Catholic's in the US to throw a huge fit about being called the whores of babylon.

I don't know what to suggest. But I see a point where the fundies and the catholics can't be friends- no matter how much they may agree on other issues.

[cynthia1960.livejournal.com]

It might very well be a case of blessed ignorance on many folks' part. Unfortunately, I've read enough history to know that if the most virulent fundamentalist Protestants managed to get their pet theocracy established here that Catholics (even if they voted along with them for whatever reason) would get thrown up against the wall as idolaters and whores of Babylon after the votes were counted and the new regime takes charge. Theocracies are only useful if it's your particular belief system in charge, and that triggers a major run away! impulse in me. Sheesh. People have no sense of history (why did the various US colonies take the forms they did?).

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

Picking on the Catholics has a long history in the US.

Nowadays, I think some of it has to do with the fact that the majority of Hispanics (there's a growing Protestant minority) are Catholics. Oh noes, the brown people are coming and they're going to overrun us!!! Sort of similar to when it was the Irish and Italian immigrant waves.

DV

[cynthia1960.livejournal.com]

Oh sure, this goes all the way back before the Know Nothings in the 1800s, probably even before Maryland was formed.

[norabombay.livejournal.com]

Even given the long history? I'm still amazed by the things that they say- as a hint? It's a good idea to not piss off half the country when trying to do something

[cynthia1960.livejournal.com]

Doesn't matter. They've got a monopoly on the truth, and history is irrelevant.