Argh!!!!!

[PioMagnus]

I'm going to rant for just a moment, so please forgive me.

Alright, here goes.

My Novel/Writing 4 teacher is disgusting. He infuriates me. Mr. H is a "Catholic"--I see him at church sometimes, but thats it.

From time to time he says very derogatory things about the Church. Every time he says something like that it makes me angry, but I still haven't confronted him about it.

One time he said that the Catholic Mass is boring--that nothing happens, and that by time a Catholic is in the third grade he knows all about the mass... In stead of saying anything to him I stewed about it for awhile before writing an angry essay about trivializing the mass, saying something like "How can a Catholic say that God coming down to us, in physical form, and residing WITHIN us is boring?....One can not know 'all about the mass' by the third grade. Scholars study the mass constantly, constantly finding new things that they had never noticed before, or discovering new significance to the words of a prayer, or how the mass corresponds to scripture. Not only can no one understand the mass by third grade, in one's entire lifetime you will not discover the full significance of the mass."---I never turned it in to him.

Today he said, "I like to mock my faith." And then proceeded to talk about how mass is the same thing over and over again, and that you never see anything new.--This, is very much a good thing--continuity, direct relationship to the earliest masses...but that isn't what he sees. Instead of pointing out to the class how the tradition of the mass is beautiful, he proceeds to ridicule it. Shaming the mass in front of a class that knows nothing about it is not only disrespectful, it's dispicable(sp?).

ARGH!!!!

Well, thank you for listening to my rant.

Pio Magnus

 

[Rising_Suns]

Do you get to choose the topics of your writings in that class? I would take every opportunity to explain the faith to him through your assignments.

 

[PioMagnus]

Not particularly--Autobiographical Essays are the only type of things we've done so far.

 

[Wiffey]

That is so sad! I don't blame you for feeling frustrated. He really has no business using a writing class to grind his axe. He sounds like he is going through a BIG spiritual dry patch. Sadly, that is common in academia where faith is shown very little respect.

 

[Irenaeus]

PioMagnus,

If this is mid-year for you, and you're 19, and you're only doing Autobiographical essays for English....

Not only are you being intellectually cheated, but you are being taught by a school district which seems to have swallowed whole sale the modern, dehumanizing gospel of self-esteem, which makes stupid, spoiled brutes out of of people, rather than human beings.

Are you learning the classics, or even modern plays, poetry, the best in the very deep treasurehouse of English literature?

I am not so much disturbed as to what your teacher said (though it is blasphemous) than I am that a class where you are supposed to learn is virtually a monologue by this know-nothing who talks a whole lot of hot air, and no one profits by it, save entertaining the stupid and banal among men, who hate knowledge and have made their bellies their God, as Peter warned us not to; not that reason is an absolute, but that it is part of the image of God which makes us fully human.

This reminds me of the book Dune when the Reverend Mother (a wicked woman herself) tested the protagonist Paul Atredies with the gom jabbar, a single prick of which contained a poison that "killed only animals". (thus inferring animals are those who cannot control their passions and reflexes with reason) He was told to put his hand in a box or else experience certain death. He was made to feel as if his very hand was on fire, baking off, and his flesh dropping off, black and charred. By exercising great self-control, he passed the test, without withdrawing his hand from the box, with his life. There is also a similar story to this in Roman exemplaria, where a certain Roman spy/soldier thrust bravely his hand into a fire before the enemy general; the enemy was so convinced of this one soldier's bravery, the whole army retreated, and that young man was lauded for his fortitude.

Modern man is failing the test. We are grooming the future to be like animals, not like men. The Western Civilizations, founded upon the greatness of at least the natural virtues of arete, is rapidly crumbling from its foundations.

Pray for your teacher. And be faithful. And LEARN! Education is such a gift. It is a shame so many are putting it to waste in exchange for monologues and cheap "postcard" education.

 

[Michelina]

Whether this is a public or Catholic school, this matter should be reported to the administration, for this reason:

"... he proceeds to ridicule it. Shaming the mass in front of a class that knows nothing about it is not only disrespectful, it's despicable."

 

[Irenaeus]

I agree with Michelina. Especially if this is supposed to be a "tolerant" public school system, such bashing is not only ignominious, it is a travesty.

If it is a Catholic school, I have only sadness and proper indignance.

 

[ukok]

If he were ridiculing Islam you can bet your life that he'd be given a good talking to by the Principal of the School/college...i say, go over his head and report it.

God Bless.

 

[Rising_Suns]

I agree. Every such situation is an opportunity to act on our faith. Take what you feel is the most effective course of action here.

-Davide

 

[Caedmon]

Report his actions to Administration, whether that be the Principal, Dean, etc. If that doesn't work, report him to the school system Superintendent, university President, etc.

 

[RhetorTheo]

The general understanding is that it's okay to "ridicule" your own race, gender, religion. A muslim could say something negative about muslims and get away with it.

 

[PioMagnus]

PioMagnus,

If this is mid-year for you, and you're 19, and you're only doing Autobiographical essays for English....

Not only are you being intellectually cheated, but you are being taught by a school district which seems to have swallowed whole sale the modern, dehumanizing gospel of self-esteem, which makes stupid, spoiled brutes out of of people, rather than human beings.

Are you learning the classics, or even modern plays, poetry, the best in the very deep treasurehouse of English literature?

I am not so much disturbed as to what your teacher said (though it is blasphemous) than I am that a class where you are supposed to learn is virtually a monologue by this know-nothing who talks a whole lot of hot air, and no one profits by it, save entertaining the stupid and banal among men, who hate knowledge and have made their bellies their God, as Peter warned us not to; not that reason is an absolute, but that it is part of the image of God which makes us fully human.

This reminds me of the book Dune when the Reverend Mother (a wicked woman herself) tested the protagonist Paul Atredies with the gom jabbar, a single prick of which contained a poison that "killed only animals". (thus inferring animals are those who cannot control their passions and reflexes with reason) He was told to put his hand in a box or else experience certain death. He was made to feel as if his very hand was on fire, baking off, and his flesh dropping off, black and charred. By exercising great self-control, he passed the test, without withdrawing his hand from the box, with his life. There is also a similar story to this in Roman exemplaria, where a certain Roman spy/soldier thrust bravely his hand into a fire before the enemy general; the enemy was so convinced of this one soldier's bravery, the whole army retreated, and that young man was lauded for his fortitude.

Modern man is failing the test. We are grooming the future to be like animals, not like men. The Western Civilizations, founded upon the greatness of at least the natural virtues of arete, is rapidly crumbling from its foundations.

Pray for your teacher. And be faithful. And LEARN! Education is such a gift. It is a shame so many are putting it to waste in exchange for monologues and cheap "postcard" education.

The class is writing 4--I read American Classics in Novel, and other classics throughout my education--By the way I LOVED Dune.

I think the action I will take is talk to Mr. H about it, and then after that I will document when and what he says. If it continues I will report it to the administration.