What is the image of the counter-culture to you? It’s not a marijuana joint in the mouth of a raging hippie anymore. It’s a pacifier in the mouth of a screaming baby.
Counter-cultural is no longer the Harley roaring down on an open stretch of highway at 90 mph. It’s the van parked in a church parking lot. Now, that’s counter-cultural.
As evidence I’ll bet you see a lot more hippies on television than you will families with 5,6,or 7 children. Let’s face it, Catholicism is the true counter to the pervading culture of death.
But one motto of the hippie counterculture still rings true. When Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young implored people to “teach your children well,” the counterculture of the 60’s and 70’s took it to heart. Not so much with us. And that’s a problem…
Continue reading at the National Catholic Register.
February 2, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Great article. Success with the transmission of your values isn't assured by your typical Catholic school, however. You have to find the ones that offer some authentic vision of Catholicism. Or homeschool.
For college, I almost think it is less harmful to send a child to a secular school if a decent Catholic school cannot be afforded. At least she'll confront the wolf plainly instead of a wolf in sheep's clothing, hoping to take her for a fool.
Now, I only wish we could homeschool seminary…
February 2, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Yah, we wanted unique, non-mainstream names for our children, so we named them John and Mary. How's that for counter-cultural 🙂
February 2, 2010 at 6:09 pm
In order to teach your children well, you have to have them in the first place.
Catholicism 1, CSNY 0.
February 2, 2010 at 6:48 pm
I guess it depends on what "culture" you are referring to. To me, the US is still overwhelmingly Protestant. So "counter-culture" is anything that trends against this "culture" of Protestantism (i.e. I like THIS church because it's closest to MY beliefs…today). So, Catholicism is still very counter-culture to me regarding the US. And pretty much anything you can think of belief-wise that the church supports (i.e. anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, anti-promiscuity, anti-euthanasia etc) goes against mainstream culture at present.
February 2, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Great points! Loved the article! Maybe that is the reason for this recession? At the end of the day, is God trying to pull us from our addiction to material goods to recognize our real values? To see the greatness in our children rather than what our money can provide for them? To see the greatness in our Faith, rather than just dropping that check into the basket every weekend, and then going out and doing whatever the Hell we want? I don't know, just my two cents (it's all I could afford…Hahahah!)
February 2, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Homeschooling is not enough. Family bonding and attachment is really the key. And, I'll be frank, as a homeschooling mom of soon-to-be ten children, its a little hard to connect with every child every day. Homeschooling forces us moms into the role of "teacher" constantly, and often the nurturing, playful "maternal" side of us just gets pushed aside because it doesn't get the schoolwork done, dinner in the oven, the van lubed, or the laundry done. I've talked to a lot of moms- we WISH we had decent Catholic schools to help us shoulder the responsibility of educating our large broods. We want to be more motherly- with play dough, reading time, discussions with our teens. But we are mired in lesson plans, explaining algebra, correcting grammar papers, helping to write college application essays, changing diapers. "Relating" and "attaching" to or kids is hard to find the time to do. But its the LOVE in the home that convinces kids to follow the culture of life…. not the homeschooling.
February 2, 2010 at 8:47 pm
In terms of passing on the Catholic faith the choices seem to be 1) Catholic School 2) Homeschool.
But there is another possibility: semi-homeschooling.
Put your kid in public school or Catholic school, but in the evenings have Family Evenings Together, a fun time of a) reading good secular literature (Chronicles of Narnia, etc) for 30 minutes; b) reading a book length life of a saint together for 30 minutes; c. doing (memorizing) Baltimore Catechism for 20 minutes. Start as young as possible. Four year olds can do this- LOVE to do it.
February 2, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Great point, Early Riser.
February 2, 2010 at 11:27 pm
Sorry, Lee, we tried that for a semester at the local public school (husband is an administrator for the district) and the amount of HOMEWORK schools send home (yes, even in 1st grade!) to keep the children busy (I.e: intrude on family time!) is atrocious! At any rate, homeschooling or not, its about connecting with your kids, making them want to be like you. Thats the key.
February 2, 2010 at 11:28 pm
As Our Lord pointed out, even a fine father can raise two prodigal sons – young and elder (Lk 15). I have the same number and know that at times all a father (and mother) can do is love, wait, scan the road for the wayward one's return.
How Our Lord told us the Father responded to the younger son's return – as well as how he "went out" and tried to coax the elder to come to the party – is our template, too. Cheers/blessings
February 17, 2010 at 5:53 pm
I believe it is not a parent's job to make the children be like them (the parent). I do believe that connecting is the key — and that starts with respecting who each child is, individually. Any school situation has it's positives and it's negatives. Our children have had private religious school, homeschool and public school; so we have walked on all sides of the fence. Our child is now thriving in a public school.