Sunday, March 10

Why Catholic schools can be a waste of money.

Here you have one of the 20th century America's greatest writers, Flannery O'Connor. Here you have one of her stories, "Revelation," which is, essentially, about one racist, classist woman's cosmic comeuppance. The woman thinks and speaks as a woman of her type and time would: like a racist, classist snob. Got it.

But you know - that language offends, right? Even if it's in the service of truth.

So, naturally, a Catholic high school in Louisiana has banned the story from being read.

(This isn't the first time it's happened - I wrote about that previous situation here.

Here's what the Superintendent of Schools, one Sister Immaculata said about this fine, profoundly spiritual story:

"The story goes against everything we stand for and everything we teach."

Oh. You don't stand for the equality of all before God? You don't stand for Jesus reminder that "the last shall be first?" That's what the story is about, Sister.

I'm telling you, when I read that statement, I literally felt sick. If a Catholic school system can't discern the truth in a beautiful, Gospel-rooted story like "Revelation," then the parents who are paying tuition to that school system are getting royally ripped off and should save their money and just put their kids in public schools, or, better yet, educate them at home. Thanks to the Web and e-mail, I'll be firing off some fun letters in the morning.

Thanks to Rod Dreher at The Corner for this one.