The Devil in the Common Core Details

"For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacence of fools destroys them;
But he who listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of evil."  Proverbs 1:32-33 (RSV-2CE)

As I prepare this post, the war over the so-called Common Core Curriculum is raging in the various states and school districts (public and parochial) throughout the country.

The protagonists tout the curriculum as being "more vigorous," (which seems code for "more controlled"), less "general," (also code for "more controlled"), and as an instrument to "prepare students for college and careers" (supposedly a novel idea; no curriculum has done this previously?).

The antagonists, unfortunately, are all over the map with their reasons for opposing the curriculum.  They typically point out an objectionable included book here, a politically left-leaning lesson plan and/or assignment there, and other such pieces of the pie which they find -- for one reason or another -- unpalatable.  However, what most do not do is to point out the proverbial devil in the details of the Common Core Curriculum.

The Common Core Curriculum is firmly based in the educational philosophy of John Dewey; empiricism.  In this educational philosophy, the thing of most importance is one's personal experience -- even at the expense of classical and long-tested lessons.

To illustrate, if Hamlet were to be read in a Common Core lesson, the things to be learned would not center on the long accepted moral lessons of this great work of Shakespeare.  
The emphasis would be on the individual student's experience of reading Hamlet.  An assignment might be to imagine you are Fortinbras -- and write a brief essay describing your experience of death in Hamlet.

Obviously, with several or more students, there would be several or more essays describing several or more experiences.  Under Common Core each experience will be affirmed as valid (or true) for that student.  An inescapable conclusion is "my experience is true for me."

The devil in the details of Common Core is that empiricism is the identical twin of moral relativism; "your truth is true for you, and my truth is true for me."  My personal experience, and your personal experience become the dictators of our personal morality, personal ethics, personal values, and personal norms.  There cannot really be any societal norms, nor any cultural mores.  Indeed, there can be no objective truth; personal experience trumps all.

The classics are not studied for their own merits in the Common Core.  The long held moral lessons enshrined in the classics are either ignored or severely downplayed.  After all, it would be wrong to force these preconceived ideas on children -- they must be taught to think critically -- or at least to do so according the definition of the Common Core Curriculum.

Complacence in the face of empiricism will destroy us.

The Hidden Dangers of the "Pieta Prayerbook" ~ It's not as "Innocent" as it looks....

I know that some of my Facebook Friends and some of my In Real Life Friends will find this difficult to read.  Please know that I am a former devotee of the "Pieta Prayerbook" as well.  Since my return to the Catholic Church in 2007, I have been extremely vigilant against anything that may sew the seeds of disobedience or rebellion.  Most such things are subtle; that is how Satan often works.  He leads us astray with things that seem good, innocent, even holy.  Sometimes, these things look so good and so holy that we "cut them some slack" if they're just a "little bit disloyal" to the Church.

The Pieta Prayerbook exists in direct violation of a decision rendered in 1954 with the approval of His Holiness Pope Pius Xll, that the so-called 15 promises made to St. Bridget are not of supernatural origin, and are not to be published nor disseminated.  

As if this were not reason enough for faithful Catholics to avoid this book, it also contains unapproved private revelations presented as facts.

So "What's the big deal?"  The acceptance and use of this book breeds disloyalty, disobedience, and rebellion.  It introduces confusion among the faithful.  It is the responsibility of the Teaching Authority of the Church to rule on matters of faith and morals; and this is for an important reason: Satan is out to destroy the Church - cf: Revelation 12: 17.  He will do this by trying to separate the sheep from the shepherd.  To separate us, he will teach us to trust our own judgment over that of our shepherd.  He will teach us first to disregard, then to disobey, then to rebel.

Please read the following carefully.  I offer this out of serious concern for the souls of many of my Catholic friends who are innocently being led astray by the use of this so-called prayerbook.  Feel free to contact me directly with any questions.

               ACTA APOSTOLICAE SEDISSUPREMA SACRA CONGREGATIO S. OFFICIIMONITUM

In aliquibus locis divulgatum est opusculum quoddam, cui titulus "SECRETUM FELICITATIS - Quindecim orationes a Domino S. Birgittae in ecclesia S. Pauli, Romae, revelatae", Niceae ad Varum (et alibi), variis linguis editum.

Cum vero in eodem libello asseratur S. Birgittae quasdam promissiones a Deo fuisse factas, de quarum origine supernaturali nullo modo constat, caveant Ordinarii locorum ne licentiam concedant edendi vel denuo impremendi opuscula vel scripta quae praedictas promissiones continent.

Datum Romae, ex Aedibus S. Officii, die 28 Ianuarii 1954.Marius Crovini, Supremae S. Congr. S. Officii Notarius

(Translation into English)

                                     Acts of the Holy See  Congregation of the Holy Office  Warning

In some places, a certain little work has been disseminated called the "Secret of Happiness: 15 Prayers Revealed by the Lord to St. Bridget in the Church of St. Paul at Rome", published at Nice and various other places in several languages. Since it is asserted in this pamphlet that God made to St. Bridget certain promises, whose supernatural origin in no way stands up, let local ordinaries take care not to grant permission for publishing or reprinting pamphlets or other writings which contain these aforementioned promises.

Given at Rome, from the offices of the Holy Office, 28 , January 1954 Marius Crovini, Notary of the Supreme Holy, Congregation of the Holy Office 

Some recent publications of the promises (cf: the “Pieta Prayerbook”) have made various claims about past popes approving their publication, however, such claims are quite false. No authentic records of such approvals of the promises themselves exist. It should be noteworthy that it is for this very reason that the “Pieta Prayerbook” does not now, and cannot, carry either the Imprimatur nor the Nihil Obstat.

THERE IS A GOOD, PROPER AND APPROVED BOOK! The book titled “The Magnificent Prayers” is published by TAN publishers. The inside front pages provide an explanation as to why TAN published THIS book, and why they do NOT carry the “Pieta Prayerbook.” Click the link below to learn about and/or order the Magnificent Prayers:

https://tanbooks.benedictpress.com/index.php/page/shop:flypage/product_id/210/keywords/magnificent+prayers/

Good to be Home Again....

On one of John Denver's early albums (yes, albums existed in that near-stone-age era prior to CDs, 8-Tracks, and Cassettes), he sings "...it's good to be back home again...".  And, of course, there's the famous line which Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz repeats after Glenda the Good Witch, "There's no place like home..."

I have been away from what most would call normal life since April 25th, 2012.  I have posted and deleted some entries here of which I have thought the better; even though they explained away some of the mystery regarding my absence from the blogoshpere.  In reality, very few likely noted my absence, and less likely cared one way or another.

Suffice it to say that I found myself in a place very much unlike what I had previously imagined it to be.  With the help of God and some dear comrades, I and they extracted ourselves and returned to the "outside world."

Those who know me very well likely already have custody of sufficient facts of the matter to which I allude.

This said, I shall simply return to my occasional Chestertonian ramblings here in the Small Shoppe.

God is good; and His Angels do a wonderful job!