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{"id":473,"date":"2012-01-23T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-01-23T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/2012\/01\/would-the-baltimore-catechism-be-effective-today.html"},"modified":"2012-01-23T23:00:00","modified_gmt":"2012-01-23T23:00:00","slug":"would-the-baltimore-catechism-be-effective-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/2012\/01\/would-the-baltimore-catechism-be-effective-today.html","title":{"rendered":"Would the Baltimore Catechism be effective today?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

In my previous post<\/a> I promised I\u2019d discuss the effectiveness of catechisms such as the 1918 Catechism of Christian Doctrine which I presented in my previous post<\/a>, and the much better known Baltimore Catechism. <\/p>\n

Susan commented on my previous post that this type of brief and direct question and answer format served her well. \u00a0\u201cThose basic questions have served me well, especially when I was studying theology and it would be way above my head! \u00a0Those simple questions and answers came back to me immediately and re-centered my addled brain\u201d <\/p>\n

This is the greatness of this type of question and answer catechism. \u00a0The handing down of the faith to the next generation becomes uniform and solid, easy to memorize. \u00a0The answers are compact, clear and meaningful. \u00a0There are currently hundreds of thousands of Catholics catechized before the 1970s that when asked, \u201cwhy did God make you?\u201d they will respond without hesitating, \u201cGod made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next.\u201d \u00a0This is the power of the Baltimore Catechism. <\/p>\n

By the end of the 1960s the Baltimore Catechism was put aside. \u00a0The catechizing of children was modified, and has in many places, resulted in the poor handing down of the faith to the next generation. \u00a0Some blame the discontinued use of the Baltimore Catechism and speak of its reintroduction as the solution to poor catechesis. \u00a0But is this the solution?<\/p>\n

I suspect children today would be unsatisfied with the methodology of the Baltimore Catechism. \u00a0The doctrine it teaches must certainly be taught to the next generation, but not necessarily in the same fashion. <\/p>\n

The 1918 Catechism of Christian Doctrine proudly notes that the answers given are very brief and the words \u201cso simple as to require little explanation from the teacher.\u201d \u00a0I sense that would not go well with today\u2019s youth. \u00a0I once opened up for questions at a retreat for sixth graders. \u00a0The first question was, \u201cI have a Jewish friend, will he be able to go to heaven?\u201d \u00a0That\u2019s a heavy question coming from an eleven year old! \u00a0When speaking to eighth graders, many questions emerged about annulment and remarriage in the church. \u00a0A second grader asked me about one year ago, \u201cwhy have astronauts not brought back a picture of God?\u201d<\/p>\n

I am not saying present-day children are more intelligent or more astute than children in the past, but I do believe that today\u2019s globalized, free-flowing information and sometimes dysfunctional society presents children with difficult questions that in the past children did not have to consider. <\/p>\n

Memorizing answers from a catechism is instrumental to attain a sound foundation in the faith, but it will not give you faith. \u00a0I wonder how many present-day, fallen-away Catholics only remember the Baltimore Catechism and equate the faith with an empty, repetitive, babbling question and answer game to be played to avoid Sister from hitting you with the ruler? <\/p>\n

I do not offer a solution to this\u00a0dilemma, yet it is one of the greatest challenges of our times. \u00a0How do we ensure the safe passage of our faith to the next generation? \u00a0All it takes is one generation not to be handed down the faith for the faith to be lost! \u00a0It is so fragile.<\/p>\n

Is a catechism based on the Baltimore Catechism method the solution? \u00a0Perhaps we must look to Youcat<\/i>, the recently published youth catechism, which uses a question and answer method to tackle some of the challenging questions facing the youth today?<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"