Catholicism. Wow.

Seren’s school had a concert today, “Resurrection Rock”.  I left feeling rather perplexed.

I understood when registering her that it was a Catholic school.  When being shown round the place, it was a relief to me to hear that they don’t ‘enforce’ religion.  I’m not religious at all and I’m not averse to Seren having beliefs if she wishes – my biggest gripe with religions is the whole shoving it down your throat thing they do.

Should she, when capable of independent and educated thought, decides she wants to believe in God etc then I’m all for it.  I won’t shy away from making my views clear but I will not try to dissuade her.

So, it was a shock to have this concert where it proclaimed love for Jesus in songs (as they do) considering her age and lack of understanding of what faith and religion is about.  That I can live with.  What pushed the envelope, however, was the glee the children had in their voices as they sang and chanted things like “crucify him” yet when the topic was of life, their voices were moribund.

At the age of 3, having something like this being thrown at her, I’m horrified that the message of life is pain and suffering and death is joyous and equates to freedom seems to be OK for kids to be subjected to.

As I was sat there for the hour the thing took place, I couldn’t help but casting my mind back to Dogma.  The whole ‘Catholicism Wow!’ campaign where George Carlin is giving a speech about Jesus not being sent to give us the willies and he came to help us out and the whole Catholics mourn their religion rather than celebrate it.  This concert took that and rode with it to prove that very point.

This further backs up my thoughts in regards to the way religion bullies you into believing because you are exposed to it at a young age that the innocence that age brings means you buy into it without question.  I was the same – I stopped believing just before I entered my teens on the basis that every prayer in assembly never seemed to make a difference – once I opened my eyes to that concept I took on the logical thought process of the fact that no supernatural being is in control.

It’s like the Allegory of the Cave – if you’re around something and have no reason to question it or know any better you will believe what appears to be in front of you.  It’s only when you see/experience something else, or look from a different point of view, that we can truly make our minds up for ourselves.

Seren is still too young to understand the harrowing experience I was subjected to in that assembly hall today but if this is what our kids are being exposed to, it’s no wonder that morals and boundaries are smudged even moreso  these days which is ironic when you consider religion is about being neighbourly, considerate, law-abiding and morally high standing.