Why is there no real Catholic adult religious education?

Getting to know more about a particular group

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
polonius
Prodigy
Posts: 3904
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2015 3:03 pm
Location: Oregon
Been thanked: 1 time

Why is there no real Catholic adult religious education?

Post #1

Post by polonius »

Traditionally, the Catholic Church has run many elementary schools in which the Catholic faith is taught to children. But there are far fewer Catholic high schools which are rather expensive so high school level religious education is taught by the churches usually for only a few hours weekly. And because there are not too many Catholic colleges and those that exist are very expensive, Catholic education beyond the secondary level is rare among Catholics.

To emphasize the importance of adult religious education, the American Bishops issued a pastoral plan titled Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, claiming that “adult faith formation must become our chief catechetical priority.� But evidently it wasn’t and the plan soon folded.

More recently, the United States Catholic Conference started a program titled “Disciples Called to Witness: the New Evangelization� in which practicing Catholics were evidently expected to evangelize non-Catholic and Catholic who have defected.

�Join us in a journey to rediscover the faith or answer questions about reconnecting with the Catholic Church� I checked a number of various parish bulletins and inquired of one pastor of a large parish. I found it just didn’t happen.

And a new initiative is “A Jubilee Year of Mercy.�

A Fr. Larry Richards writes that:
"We must feed the hungry or be damned. Now you must be thinking: “OK, OK, I should start to do something.� But thoughts and good intentions are not enough—you need to turn these thoughts into reality. So what are you going to do?"

Perhaps, he ought to ask the bishops that question. The spiritual works of mercy are being emphasized. I wonder if providing religious instruction (one of them) will be included or again avoided.

Elijah John
Savant
Posts: 12235
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 8:23 pm
Location: New England
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 16 times

Post #2

Post by Elijah John »

Seems your question for debate is contained in your topic title. And it is a good one. One would expect a Church that is so into uniformity to have a systematic program of apologetics and evangelization.

My Mom is a retired CCD teacher, and she says individual parishes have their own various adult education programs and Bible studies, but she would like to see these more centralized too, and more systematic. Incuding "referesher courses" for adults.

Sad to say, many Catholic do not seem to understand the theology of their own Church, and in come cases could use a little more Bible learnin'.

There is a wonderful organization here in the Boson area called the "Daughters of St. Paul" that runs the Pauline Book and Media centers...(I think they have locations in other areas too)

That chain (and order) certainly does it's part to satisfy adult hunger for knowledge of the Faith.

But you're right, more can be done, and most Catholics (including my Mom) would agree.
My theological positions:

-God created us in His image, not the other way around.
-The Bible is redeemed by it's good parts.
-Pure monotheism, simple repentance.
-YHVH is LORD
-The real Jesus is not God, the real YHVH is not a monster.
-Eternal life is a gift from the Living God.
-Keep the Commandments, keep your salvation.
-I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior.

I am inspired by Jesus to worship none but YHVH, and to serve only Him.

User avatar
rikuoamero
Under Probation
Posts: 6707
Joined: Tue Jul 28, 2015 2:06 pm
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: Why is there no real Catholic adult religious education?

Post #3

Post by rikuoamero »

[Replying to post 1 by polonius.advice]

Just to let you know, your OP is not true at all here in Ireland. Here, practically every school is associated with a church of one denomination or another. I myself went to three different Catholic schools. I am not lying when I say I literally cannot think of a single primary/secondary level school (the ones before college) that I know for a fact isn't religiously affiliated in some way.
Image

Your life is your own. Rise up and live it - Richard Rahl, Sword of Truth Book 6 "Faith of the Fallen"

I condemn all gods who dare demand my fealty, who won't look me in the face so's I know who it is I gotta fealty to. -- JoeyKnotHead

Some force seems to restrict me from buying into the apparent nonsense that others find so easy to buy into. Having no religious or supernatural beliefs of my own, I just call that force reason. -- Tired of the Nonsense

User avatar
bluethread
Savant
Posts: 9129
Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:10 pm

Post #4

Post by bluethread »

A good many of the colleges in these United States were established by the Jesuits, a RCC sect. If one wishes to study RCC theology there are plenty of places one can go. So, I think that your premise is not true.

Post Reply