I have heard this phrase countless times: “I was raised Catholic, but .”

Here at the University, this admission is common-saying that a person was raised in a Catholic background, but that he or she no longer practices. Some people go even further; they claim that it was their Catholic education and upbringing that actually turned them away from the faith.

This thought disturbs me greatly. Has Catholic education in the secondary and elementary school levels really failed so completely? Are religion classes actually driving people away from the Church, instead of drawing them in?

I did not have to dig very deep to find that many peoples’ experiences with religious education seems more reminiscent of hell than heaven. The majority of Catholic elementary school students, for instance, are taught mostly religious “fluff,” superficial treatments of the most mundane aspects of Catholicism. Students must memorize material by rote, without realizing the depth of the tradition behind it. Don’t misunderstand me, knowing the names of the sacraments is crucial to becoming a good Catholic, but children need to be told more-if they are going to become interested in their faith.

In contrast, Catholic high schools generally discuss religion in greater depth; however, a truly systematic representation of the Church’s teachings is still lacking in many schools. Rather, different subjects are singled out and presented as self-sustaining, which they were not designed to be.

Most schools require students to take a class on sexual morality and marriage, but this class will be almost destined to fail because the students will not have the basic knowledge of Catholic beliefs necessary to make sense of the Church’s position on sexuality. Instead, students will only know what they hear secondhand from any sources they have available. Their understandings will be vague at best, and at worst, plain wrong. When examined, Catholic doctrines on sex, liturgy, family, love and life all reinforce each other to form a vibrant theology that too many people don’t even realize exists.

While these are serious failings, I doubt that they are the root of the problem between students and religion. Can instructors ever teach religion in its most meaningful sense? Can a person’s knowledge be made perfect without her or his heart’s consent?

Both common sense and experience make me answer no to these questions. Students cannot be forced by any class, no matter how outstanding, to become active participants in the Church. Indeed, the students who have the most dynamic faith and get the most out of religion classes are those students who have made personal commitments to their religious beliefs. Students who endure religion classes and attend Mass simply because of parental or school pressure will always view religion negatively. This suggests to me that the entire emphasis of religious education needs to shift.

One way to improve the quality of instruction in religion classes would be to change them from mandatory, one-size-fits all classes into an individualized and flexible opportunity for students.

Currently, most schools have a set of religious classes that all students are forced to follow. However, this means that the classes themselves are overcrowded because everyone is forced to take them. Also, the majority of the students think that the material is being crammed down their throats-not the most constructive learning environment.

Clearly, students should still be required to take religion courses (if only to prevent the term Catholic education from becoming a misnomer), but why should they all be forced to take the same ones?

Most educators would laugh if it was suggested that all students be put into the same math or English classes. A system where one could choose from different religious electives would allow students to feel a sense of ownership about their religious education, creating a more constructive atmosphere about the classes.

Adopting a more flexible course schedule will not revolutionize the way most students practice their faith. Too many factors – like family environment, service experience and personal maturity – play a part for there to be one quick fix. Therefore, many other initiatives should be investigated. The situation is too stagnant and widespread for us to ignore. De-regimenting religion classes could be an essential step towards allowing students to commit to their faith. We must remake the face of Catholic religious education before it can become effective.

Chris Schroeder is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences.