What to Do When Assigned Literature Contradicts the Catholic Faith

Graphic transgender and gay-themed books in school libraries have been in the news. What this special agenda's takeover in (many) schools means is that children are being drawn into the cultural wars without proper representation. As a former elementary teacher, I cannot stress enough how parents need to inspect any books their children bring home from school.

Literature has always been a means to push agendas. Literature is a mechanism for social change. Sometimes this is a means to a great good. But other times, it can confuse or even frighten children if the book's agenda conflicts with their family's religious faith. Parents must understand their children are the prize in the culture wars. As Catholics, we have a moral duty to protect children from immoral agendas.

If your child brings home a controversial library book, the easiest answer is to return it unread. Assigned novels are a little trickier to deal with however. The least confrontational way to protect your child from those who do not share your religious beliefs is to check over every book that is assigned for them to read. If there is any doubt about the book in a parent's eyes, the parent should ask the teacher for an alternative assignment. It is common practice for teachers to accept a parent's request for another book to read if the parent expresses any misgivings. Parents have a lot of power in this regard. When discussing alternative book assignments, be sure to ask for a book from the school list that is approved and in line with Catholic teaching. Many modern books do not align with Catholic teaching. Even in Catholic schools, there are teachers who assign inappropriate books for students to read.

If in doubt about which books will be better reads, I find older books are safest. Books written before the 1920s have a moral code of the day, or at least mask the controversial parts in symbolism which would not be understood by kids.

Parents must not be naive. Some teachers have agendas. Most teachers follow national guidelines that have agendas. The ultimate right to decide how your child is educated is yours. Parents have a right to demand your child's religion is respected. This comes into focus especially with high school-aged children who still need a parent to help them in difficult situations. Teens still need parents to run interference for them. They don't have the strength to fight their teachers and the school administrators, let along special rights groups who took over the school curriculum years ago.

Children and teens want to fit in, but they do not understand psychological warfare. As parents, we must advocate for them and demand schools respect Catholic values and teachings.

There are many ways to save your children from the well-entrenched, anti-Catholic world view. I have asked for alternative literature assignments. I have used controversial books as teachable moments to explain why some moral beliefs in the novel are sinful. I have instructed my children to skip certain pages or even chapters in books that conflict with our Catholic faith. I have kept my children home from school when the classroom discussion of the day was going to conflict with our faith's tenants. I have enlisted my parish priest when the controversial novels were in my child's Catholic school. And I have left a Catholic school which would not back me up in my rights to raise my child as I saw fit.

Some of the books I objected to: The Kite Runner (advocating for IVF which is against our Catholic morals, and a subtle but still graphic chapter about a child rape); Speak (chapters about a boy raping a classmate and a theme that all boys were capable of becoming rapists which disturbed my then eighth-grader), Go Ask Alice (Gay sexual themes, drug use, and disturbing imagery), and The Bell Jar (suicide attempt). If these novels were assigned to a college-aged person, I would have not necessarily objected. But for a child, certain books are not appropriate. Children cannot reason on an adult level. As well, children are in their moral formative years, as those with a controversial agenda targeting children's literature well know.

When I was in the seventh-grade the novel Forever by Judy Blume was in my public school's library. One girl passed it around the reading table during class and pointed out the “dirty parts.”As a Catholic kid, I hung my head down after I read it. The “agenda people” should not be allowed to corrupt our kids any longer.

The old argument against “banning” book has worked to silence parents. Yet, with millions of excellent literature books available to read, it is not possible for a school library to hold all well-written novels on their shelves. It is not censorship to chose books without controversy to fill those shelves. Anyone may purchase a book they feel is worth reading and give it to their child. The censorship argument is voided by this fact.

If a parent is strong in his convictions, the moral teachable moment will have a lasting impact on his children. Today's culture is evil for the most part. It is time to battle carefully for the soul of your child.