Saturday, October 25, 2008

"Let's Play the Candy Game" - USCCB Educate? Our Kids on Charity & Justice.

Dear Advocates for Life (Who Wonder What's Going On), It seems even our children aren't safe from the inadequate, confusing, and in my opinion, quasi anti-Catholic "Faithful Citizenship" propaganda in our Churches. According to the Archdpdx this is the only material allowed in the churches when questioned. Concerned Catholics just want to educate their brothers and sisters in Christ about the the moral issues that are very much in jeopardy during this election. What's going on when good Catholics are treated like intruders in their own parish? When Vatican documents and pro-life material l is unwelcome in a Catholic Church? When staff suddenly acts uncharitably towards Church teachings and their messengers? Who are these people? What are they doing to our children? Is this what the Catechism teaches? Part of the Truth is Not the Truth it is brainwashing. We have to question these "games". BEFORE YOU GET TO THE CANDY GAME......REMEMBER... Here are some activities that Catholics can attend for relief. Catholics for McCain/Palin meets: * SUNDAYS from 1 - 3 pm at the Washington Co. GOP Office in Beaverton...3800 Cedar Hills Blvd. #272. The last meeting had a large group of "almost" 20 awesome Catholics who believe in the Teachings of the Church, without excuses. Contact - Kevin Hoar -503-644-6075 * TUESDAYS at 3pm. There is a rosary for Life...this is held at St. Cyril's Catholic Church in Wilsonville..All are welcome, this is NOT a Catholics for McCain group, but centered on prayer for Life of the Unborn. Contact Karen Duchien - for more info * SATURDAY, November 1st. at 10 am "MARY".. Rosary for Babies and for Peace! Outdoors, so dress accordingly. 13011 NW Springville Rd. Portland. Contact Olive and Herb Plep - 503-297-2459 for more info. ******************************* http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org/teachers/games/candy Do you See the Face of Christ in this Game or Political Brainwashing? *********************************** Justice, Fairness, and Changing the Rules: Candy Game _ TEST Learning Objectives * Understand the difference between charity and justice. * Identify the key concepts of social justice. * Understand that we should share our gifts with others because God created us all and has blessed us with gifts. * Affirm that God has distributed talents equally. * Understand that as a result of God's creation, each person enjoys special dignity. The purpose of this introductory activity is to provide students with background knowledge of social justice, and to understand that there is a difference between charity and justice. Preparation 1. Prepare the materials for the lesson. You will need: * A deck of playing cards * 12 small bags of bite-sized candies, with 36 in each bag (Note: It is also possible to play the game with beans or any other small object that can be put in the bags in place of the candies.) * As many envelopes containing prizes as there are face cards being used (Prizes can be real prizes, like movie tickets, a cool gel pen, or snacks like cans of soda or candy bars. You could also use fake prizes, like a picture of a bicycle, but using real prizes will make the game more realistic for students.) * A bag with a number of candies equal to two times the number of number cards being used * An empty bag 2. Count out the playing cards, one per student. 3. For a group of twenty or more, use ten face cards (which will be given to ten students) and number cards for the rest of the students. 4. If you have fewer than twenty students, use only eight face cards, and number cards for the rest. 5. If you have fewer than fifteen students, use only six face cards, and number cards for the rest. 6. Copy the homework assignment. 7. Meet with the outside presenter (if applicable) to touch base on the lesson. The Lesson The teacher should begin the lesson by introducing the outside classroom presenter, and telling the students that he or she wants to play a game with them. Allow some time for each student to introduce him or herself to the presenter. You may want to consider having the students wear name tags. (If no outside presenter is available, the game can also be facilitated by the teacher. However, having an outside presenter may help the students enter the new reality and rules of the game.) Instructions for the Presenter 1. Pass out a playing card to each student, giving the following instructions: "I am going to give each of you a card and you may not look at it until I tell you to." 2. After you have passed out the cards, tell the students to look at their cards. Then arrange the desks into two rows so that those with a face card are on one side of the room, and those with a number card are on the other side of the room. 3. Tell the students that those with face cards are "the royalty" and those with number cards are "the lowly number people." 4. Initiate discussion. For example * "What is it like to be a poor person?" Amplify and affirm responses. For example, if a student says, "They probably don't get many toys at Christmas," respond by saying, "That's a good answer. Our parish does a toy drive each year for kids who otherwise wouldn't get any toys." * "What do you think of when you hear the words 'poor person'?" Amplify and affirm responses. Anticipate that students may describe a dirty, drunken, homeless man. 5. Pass out the candies. Give two pieces to each poor person, and a whole bag to each rich person. Tell the students not to eat the candies or open the bags until you tell them to. 6. Tell the students about the prizes: "Each of these envelopes contain a prize. You can buy these prizes, or 'gifts' from me today." Tantalize the students by telling them the contents of some of the envelopes. Help them picture themselves enjoying the gifts. After they see the value of each gift, ask the students what they think they will use to buy the gifts (the correct answer is "the candies") and how much they think each gift will cost. 7. Explain the rules of the game: * Each gift costs 18 candies. * Since the lowly people have only two candies, tell them they will have a chance to get more candies by asking the royalty to share with them. "Don't worry, you'll get a chance to get more candies. You will be asking the royalty to share with you. You need to start thinking of reasons why the royalty should share their candies with you." * Tell the royalty, "You can do whatever you want with your candies. You can eat them, take them home, share them or use them to buy prizes. When they, the lowly numbers, come begging, it is up to you to decide whether you listen to them or not. * When the lowly numbers ask the royalty to share, they must get on their knees. (This simulates the indecency of poverty.) * Explain that gifts cannot be split between the lowly and the royalty. (It's possible that someone on the poor team is a good friend of a person on the rich team. They may say, "Give me yours and we'll split the gift certificate to the movies." However, in the real world, the rich are not taking the poor out to a movie.) * The rich team may buy a gift at any time. Explain: "You don't have to wait for the poor people to beg you for candies. Buy what you want, when you want." 8. Tell students not to open the envelopes until all the gifts are purchased. 9. Be ready to begin handing out the envelopes as students come forward with 18 candies. Give the class a signal to begin. Have a bag ready, as students will "pay" for a gift by placing 18 candies in the bag. 10. After all the gifts have been purchased, ask the students to return to their seats. Tell them, "That's the end of the game." Then, initiate discussion: * Ask, "What were the messages of this game?" Listen for: "People only share after they get what they want, not need." "God decides which families we are born into." "It hurts to beg." "Some have more than others." "The rich have easier access to gifts." "It's a game about sharing." "It's a game about greed." * Ask the students to describe the type of sharing that did take place. What you are listening for is a description of "leftover sharing," that is, we tend to share with the poor after we have made sure all of our needs and wants have been fulfilled. Tell the students that "leftover sharing" is often how adults share. People usually do not donate to the point that they no longer have enough money to go to the movies or out to eat. "Leftover sharing" describes what probably takes place when schools or parishes conduct food drives. * Ask the questions: 1. "Should those with more share with those who have less?" Most students will say "yes." 2. "Why should those who have more share?" Note: This is a critical question. It is disarmingly simple, but even adults can have a hard time answering this question. 3. This question is looking for motives of giving. Many people, when pressed for an answer, will disclose their motive as one that is self-serving or in their self interest. For example, some have said, "It makes me feel good to give." Or, "I might be poor one day, and if I help a poor person now, maybe someone will help me." Another motive for giving is religious in content. For example, "God made us all." "Because Jesus said we are to share." "We are all brothers and sisters in the eyes of God." 11. Throughout the program you will want to emphasize with the students the proper motive for sharing or helping others. Unfortunately, in many of our schools we teach children to do the right thing but for the wrong reason. For example, we conduct a food drive in our school, but the children are told if they bring in food, they can wear jeans on Friday. That is teaching them the motive of self-interest and not the motive of other-interest professed in the Gospels. We should bring in food for the poor because they are our brothers and sisters. 12. Ask the children to hold up their cards. "See how we are different? Some of you are black fours. Some of you are red sevens. Some of you are kings and queens." 13. Talk about social differences. Racial and economic groups tend to "hang around" their own kind. We often judge by appearances. 14. Direct the students to show the back sides of their cards. "What do you see?" Listen for "We are all the same." "God doesn't see color or rich or poor. He only sees sons and daughters." 15. Ask the students who you represented at the beginning of the game when you passed out the cards. They should guess, "God." And that's right. Explain that passing out the cards at the beginning of the activity symbolizes that God decides where, how, and to whom we were born. None of us gave God input as to the station of our birth. 16. Ask the students "What were the rules of the game?" You might even write them on the board. Then ask, "Were the rules fair?" They should say, "No." Ask, "How could the rules be more fair?" Listen for: "Change some of the rules." "Give everyone the same amount of candies." 17. Explain and emphasize the two ways the Church says we can help people * Charity. Direct assistance, such as giving the poor people more candies. Explain how charity is like a food drive. * Justice. Changing unjust rules, such as lowering how much the prizes cost or redistributing the candy allotment so that those with the fewest have more. * Explain that this program is about justice, about learning how to help people change unjust rules. 18. Pass out the homework assignment. Ask the students to illustrate the three concepts from this lesson. The three concepts are: (1) a poor person, (2) an act of charity, and (3) an act of justice. Anticipate that most students will have a hard time illustrating an act of justice, because it is a concept that most Catholics are not familiar with. You might need to brainstorm some ideas with the students: Justice is helping to change the laws in some way to make all more equal. What can students do to help change laws they think are unfair or could be better? ***************************************** We have to question what the motives and agendas of those in charge at this level of authority in the Church. Faithful Citizenship.. JustFaith... Quest... Renew....Praesidium (sex education in our Catholic schools and churches) Theology on Tap, Office of Justice and Peace, and Catholic School Curriculum is a partial list that needs lay investigation because of the increase of "progressive spiritual" thinking. These various shades of gray do NOT promote Divine Justice or the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth...but man thinking he is God. God Bless you and yours, Carolyn Justice - "It is a moral quality or habit which perfects the will and inclines it to render to each and to all what belongs to them ." Catholic Encyclopedia Jesus Christ says: "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's render unto God what is God's." and "You cannot serve Two masters." We belong to Christ and have the indelible marks to prove it. It is TRUE JUSTICE to listen to Christ, who died for our us. Quid est Veritas? VOCAL www.vocalnews.org Voice of Catholics Advocating Life PO Box 458 Sublimity, OR 97385 503-769-4767 Member of the Catholic Media Coalition "In line with the Church, on-line with the World"

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I went to the web page and started reading the rules and objectives and could feel the steam coming out my ears! What garbage!

Anonymous said...

Good evening, Carolyn. Thank you..
I'll read this in a day or two.. no time now.
HOWEVER... Bishop Vasa has a program suitable for education of the parents and helping children????
He worked on it, wanted it, we sent funds to help publish it.
What happened? I know the NCCB was hot under the collar at him,.
Night..
God bless.

Anonymous said...

Do I understand when you say - ‘According to the Archdpdx this is the only material ("Faithful Citizenship") allowed in the churches when questioned’ - you mean that’s an actual policy and we are not to have signs such as “Vote Pro-Life” with a picture of a baby and the usual things like that? Is this in writing somewhere or did you talk to someone in Portland or what? If so, our duty is clear to disregard this unjust “policy” of the archdiocese, we have a moral obligation to our fellow Catholics, (“instruct the ignorant”), and to the babies being murdered daily, to do so. There is a higher authority than even AB Vlazny, called God’s law and the Magisterium. We are loyal to our bishop but if he forces us to a choice between him and the Truth of Mother Church, we have only one choice to make, and must not be afraid of the consequences.

Did you see the Arch’s letter and new “Code of Conduct” for parish volunteers? Do you know about the nonsense seminar (“Train the Trainer”) at Mt. Angel at end of October? Might be mandatory for every priest to send someone, not clear on that yet. No agenda or details, but it’s from the Child Protection office, so probably more helpful Christian guidance on how to teach our young religion students to say “penis” and “vagina”.

Sorry to be blunt. I just realized in past few months the severity of this Archdiocese problem, and that we have to start being honest to the point where it hurts, where people cannot ignore it, where is does stir up controversy and argument so the truth can come out in the battle.

Thank you so much for your information.

Pax

AMDG

Anonymous said...

Hi, Carolyn - just a cursory peek at this program leads me to believe that it is a mishmash of Sol Gordon (enter new reality) and other theorists of the 70's.... the kids are manipulated into covetting and class envy, as well as phoney statements of "fact"... indeed, it is brainwashing. You hit the nail on the head when you simply looked up the definitions of the words, justice and charity. The teachers reveal their bias by labeling the kids as "royalty" and "lowly number people". (judgemental, tsk, tsk.) Then there are the false statements, such as "God distributes talents equally". what God does is CREATE equally. It is also distasteful for the teacher to promote groveling, such as having the "lowly number people" kneel on the floor to show indecency of poverty ????? Now, that is stupid. Kneeling is not "indecent", is it? After all, we kneel to show respect -- to our God. It is the position that the Western world takes during prayer to the Almighty. (now can you see why there is such a push to have people at Mass STAND during the most holy part of the Mass?) There are other laughable tidbits in the program, but suffice it to say that I have reviewed this stuff before, and it is nasty. By the way, justice is not changing laws so that everyone is equal. Rubbish !!!!! barf bag award.
Oremus !

Anonymous said...

Carolyn,


I finally read this email. I agree. Nothing but propaganda. I grew up quite poor, but we didn't even know that we were poor. It would have been insulting to us for someone to presume they were better off than us to give us anything other than a job or an opportunity to make our own way.


This "share the wealth" is socialism.

Anonymous said...

I’m just passing this along for you to look over. After finally getting around to reading it I have to agree with Carolyn.

How many of you grew up in modest upbringings? Our family did not have a lot of material things, at Christmas many of the gifts were to be shared like a pogo stick or a trampoline. We did each get some special new sweater or skirt or other clothing. Mother made all of our clothes (we eventually grew to a family of 8 children). But we bought what we could afford and never really felt left out. We lived in a neighborhood with similar families so there were not extreme differences in our presents at Christmas. Isn’t it a sin to covet what someone else has or gets? Where is that taught today? That is what we were taught way back then. We needed to learn to be happy with what we had.

I will never forget observing one Christmas that a new family which had moved into our neighborhood across the street seemed poorer than us. It did not appear that they celebrated Christmas and I remember “feeling sorry” for the little girl. I went to my mother to express my sadness that they did not get any toys. My mother suggested that I give her my older doll since I had gotten a new one for Christmas. So, I dressed my previous doll in nice new clothes and gave it to the girl. That afternoon, I found it dirty and in the ditch. I was hurt, because I loved that doll.

What did I take away from that innocent experience? I guess I determined that unless you really want something enough to work for it, hope for it, wait for it, then you probably won’t appreciate it when you do get it and maybe that person never even wanted it in the first place.

I also learned that it is a bit presumptuous for me to think that I know what other people want and need. It is also presumptuous for me to think I am better off than someone else and that I have anything that they want.

I know that I would have been insulted if someone had come up to our modest home and presumed to think that we were poor and needed a “hand out!” Perhaps that is what the little girl across the street felt about my gift.

All we ever wanted was an opportunity to learn and to advance in knowledge and skills and an opportunity to compete and to make our way in the world by either finding a job or perhaps starting our own business. My father worked as a large equipment mechanic all of his life and my mother worked office jobs and eventually started a cotton candy business (which proved quite lucrative for her). By the end of my father’s life, he came to see the Union for what it was and he did not care for the Union at all. He saw the Union advancing and protecting many who were unqualified for the jobs they were doing. My mother had always had conservative, Republican leanings and my father eventually “came around.” My father had only a 6th grade education coming from a large family and having gone through the Depression. I thank God for both of my parents, they provided me with a very well-rounded education in life and attitudes. I also thank God for my father- and mother-in-law for what they gave me. Both came from modest upbringing but through education, discipline, effort, hard work – they attained a very comfortable life – though they always lived modestly in comparison to others in their circle of life.

This “strategy” mentioned in Faithful Citizenship is nothing more than socialism – it is Obama’s “share the wealth;” he has taken it straight from “progressive” Catholicism and in my opinion the people running much of the Church are taking their marching orders from Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals and Liberation Theology.

Anonymous said...

Actually, that "game" is quite in keeping with the Catechism. We are supposed to be differential to the poor, after all....this isn't exactly liberation theology where the government hands out the candy.

VOCAL said...

Hi,
I disagree with you..This is all about a "charity" based on guilt and from the "outside in" instead of true Charity from knowing the Lord which would be from the "inside out" and forming a bond with the Creator and not through silly anti-Catholic Games.

It's brainwashing, pure and simple to me. Carolyn

Anonymous said...

True charity *should* be based on guilt. We should feel "guilty" for taking 40x what everybody else in the world gets- stealing from the poor. That "guilt" is God-given motivation to give charity.


Jesus didn't hang out with rich bankers the way McCain and Obama do. He didn't ask for a "tax cut" for anybody. He hung out with the poor, and needy.


Justice has always been about the Judge of Elijah giving to the widow; changing the laws to make men more equal- it's been that way for 6000 years.


This isn't anti-Catholic- it is pro-Christ. It's fair to ask those to whom much has been given, to give to those who have little.


Christ wasn't a capitalist. I think the Pope made that *very* clear this week when he criticized the first world for hoarding food.

Anonymous said...

Hi Carolyn,
I appreciate your zeal for the Church. However, when you refer to the letter (Faithful Citizenship) of the US Bishops (who were all appointed by the Pope) as "quasi anti-Catholic... propoganda" you put yourself outside of my relm of interest, so please delete me from your email list.
Thank you, and God bless you.
Fr. Don Gutmann
St. Peter Church, Newberg

VOCAL said...

Father Gutmann,

The Holy Father is not honored by this document created by a committee OF the US Bishops, in fact many Bishops and Cardinals are very displeased by Faithful Citizenship.
It seems your problem not with the anti-Catholic teachings towards your flock. Hopefully this is not the case and you know your responsibilities as a servant of Christ to not lead the little one's astray.

I hope that you will follow the Holy Father's teachings to a T, now that you have defended his other choices. You must since you feel so strongly about his choices of Shepherds.

You have three indelible marks on your soul that I care about and the devil is excited about, so if you follow the Vicar of Christ who HE Choose I'm happy...no need to worry about you.

God Bless and may you have Holy Boldness upholding Church teachings during this election where so many you hold the Divine Responsibility for the souls of so many.

Carolyn

Anonymous said...

At long last we have a statement from the USCCB to clarify their long and ambiguous document "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship." It is good to oppose the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), which is probably ready to send to the President as soon as we have one who will sign it. Obama has said that he would sign it as the first thing he would do as President, Read the Freedom of Choice Act here. http://www.nrlc.org/FOCA/FOCA2007S1173.html
(For analysis go here and be sure to click on the two links in the center of the article.
http://www.nchla.org/actiondisplay.asp?ID=263 )

However, wouldn't the most effective way to help in the fight against abortion and all its evils be to promote the election of pro-life candidates for any office.

Unfortunately there have been relatively few bishops with the courage and concern for there individual flocks, to circumvent the impression in "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," to allow voting for a pro-abortion candidate under some conditions. Even the most uneducated citizen can understand that the right to life of an unborn child does not compare equally with concerns about our economic problems. same-sex unions, food and shelter, education, and a host of other "Social issues."

It is one thing for the USCCB to produce a 42 page (pdf) statement that boggles the mind of even the most astute reader, and that most people will never hear of, let alone read. Oh yes, the bishops have discharged an important duty to teach. But on the other hand, wouldn't a simple one page document that cuts to the heart of voting for, or against one of the gravest evils the world has ever known, then distributing such a document in all parishes, be a far better way of looking out for the salvation of voters' souls, as well as the lives of countless unborn children?

Read this late document here.

http://www.zenit.org/article-24052?l=english At the end of this article is a link to the full document.

Anonymous said...

To educate, we must focus on the basic principles of the subject, and understand how students think. See "Teaching and Helping Students Think and Do Better" on amazon.