Don't blame the churches

Rob Siegel [Why Sunday School hurts America, 9/13/96, YH] has publicly joined one of the most popular bandwagons in the U.S.: the blame-the-church protestors. After all, it's the safest choice. Who really wants to blame political groups or media moguls or anybody else with decent funds and defenses? Sure, lay it all on the Sunday school teachers. They're not going to come after you. They couldn't afford a lawyer without divine intervention.

Take a look at the proposed situation. A kid goes to Sunday school. When? On a Sunday morning--one of seven days. This continues. Then BAM! The kids wakes up and says to himself, "Let me apply what I am not learning from my Sunday school teachers." And he shoots up the local post office.

This just does not happen. The lessons taught in Sunday school should constatly be introduced and supported in a child's daily environment, especially by parents or mentors. If Sunday school was the single source of moral guidance in our society, each of us would be running around with masks on.

Finally, on the topic of Iceland--children in Iceland, on the average, wake up to other Icelanders. No one, as far as I know of, has ever said, "Honey, let's move to Iceland. All that opportunity out there...." It's also cold there. And really dark. If the people there were to fend only for themselves, who knows what madness would erupt? All these factors are in definite contrast to America's multicultured population and rabid, easy pursuit of wealth and glory. Not only is there not as much desirable beachfront property in Iceland, but there aren't as many different backgrounds or histories either. What would gang wars in Iceland possibly center around?

Sure, Sunday school might have stirred up a desire to aim spitballs at the endlessly droning pastor, but there are much larger problems to contend with than an uninteresting Sunday school curriculum. The instilling of values and morals does not take place for two hours on a Saturday morning, and hopefully never will.

--Mary Hong, MC '00