Colleen Perfect is at it again!
Standing up for the truth.
Colleen Perfect of Catholic Parents Online doesn’t let anything get by her. This wonderful Catholic woman is once again leading the fight locally to keep our Catholic schools and universities Catholic. LifeSite News has a report on her current efforts:
Catholic parents of students at a Catholic college in Minneapolis are outraged that their children will be forced to read the sexually explicit and anti-Christian novel, A Handmaid’s Tale by Canadian author and far-left feminist Margaret Atwood. The English Department’s faculty at the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, Minneapolis, has voted to use the book in all sections of freshman English as this year’s “common text”.
Colleen Perfect, president of Catholic Parents Online, told Catholic journalist Matt C. Abbot, that a group of concerned parents has informed the university of their objections and been ignored. The group has formed to convince the university administration to drop the “sexually offensive” book and reform its English curriculum in favour of more serious literature. - LifeSite News
A year or two ago, Colleen had been in the forefront of opposing inappropriate sex education materials used in our local Catholic schools. She keeps a sharp eye out for anything that could erode the sound doctrine of our Catholic faith, affecting children and families in the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis. What follows is a synopsis of the book CPO wants eliminated from the required reading list at St. Thomas.
The Handmaid’s Tale
by Margaret Atwood
The story of A Handmaid’s Tale revolves around an oppressive right-wing Christian totalitarian state in which women are forbidden to be educated, work, hold property or vote. They are separated, according to their fertility and social status, into three classes: wives, domestic servants and “handmaids” who are used as breeding stock for the ruling class of white Christian men. The story follows the adventures of “Offred” a handmaid who is given as a state benefit to a member of the elite and ritualistically raped to produce a male heir. Handmaids who attempt to resist or escape are publicly executed as enemies of the state along with abortionists and homosexuals. - LifeSite News
President of the University of St. Thomas, Fr. Dennis Dease said he would not intervene in the matter.
UPDATE 10/14: Thank God Fr. Zuhlsdorf agrees that the book is not appropriate. Read his take on it here.
October 11th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
I read that book years ago. It’s the only Margaret Atwood book I have ever read. It’s a twisted tale of feminist ideology, and Margaret Atwood is one of the biggest feminists in Canada. Needless to say, (but sadly so), she is much respected and touted as a great Canadian author and political activist.
October 11th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
The problem is, it starts at much lower grade levels. Parents need to sit down and read whatever is assigned, first.
October 11th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
I don’t have a problem with it. The reality is that this book is out there and it should be studied and explained from a Catholic perspective.
The description alone shows to any idiot that it’s not about Christianity; it’s about a twisted idea of Christianity written by a rabid feminist who suffers from the same disordered love we all have suffered since the Fall.
I would be upset if this book were being read at a Middle School or maybe some High Schools, but college? There is far worse being read there outside of an academic setting.
I’m not for banning books, and in fact, it’s a book I want to read at some point because I’ve heard so much about it that I feel that I’m culturally deficient because I have not had the opportunity to study it.
It should be handled from the perspective of a well-formed conscience, but that formation sometimes needs exposure to what is twisted and wrong (to some degree) in order to see the revealed truth that we already have.
We can’t deal with anti-Catholicism or immorality head-on without the educated perspective. We cannot “fight” the enemy of fait without knowing what it is.
October 11th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
HA! I read The Handmaid’s Tale in my feminist days and loved it. (I came to my senses many years later.)
October 11th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Ah, another reason to be a proud alum. In fact, UST just called tonight and asked for money. They spoke to my husband who simply said we don’t have money to spare because he is working on his grad degree at said Catholic university or if I had spoken to the person soliciting funds, they might have gotten a slightly longer explanation about why we can’t support a CINO university.
Colleen Perfect you have my prayers, admiration and DONATION.
October 11th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Adoro - I pretty much agree with your point - we of course don’t know the study plan, and after all, what are universities for? I still admire the tenacity of Mrs. Perfect.
I also don’t mind the fact that Starbucks plays/sells the work of that has-been, Joni Mitchell. As any idiot knows, it’s all about free speech in a market economy.
October 12th, 2007 at 10:19 am
I agree with Adoro. I was approached to get on the bandwagon of the protest against the book early on and I chose not to for many of Adoro’s reasons.
I also would add that the book presents many opportunities to argue FOR Catholic teachings on contraception, appropriate sexuality, and balanced relationships.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Julie, Cathy, and Terry; yeah. I read that book years ago, and no, it didn’t rock my faith. It was obvious that the author had a pretty screwed up world-view. It actually dissed the Evangelicals worse than the Catholics. I agree that it is appropriate for college students to read some things that challenge their faith, that is part of conscience formation.
October 12th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Well said, Adoro. I was happy to see your post…and am glad that yours seems to be the consensus position.
I am helping publish a wonderful book of essays by a South Carolina English teacher called Notes from a Classroom: Reflections on Teaching.
“Notes” is not a Catholic book (the author is the wife of a Presbyterian minister) or even overtly Christian. But I’ve personally found it to be profoundly spiritual.
The author’s stories about teaching literature to her high school students are really a call for all of us to reflect upon our own assumptions and prejudices, to ask ourselves the great questions…and to examine how patient and loving we are to the persons in our charge.
I’m hoping “Notes” finds an appreciative audience among Catholics. It certainly deserves it.
But Kay McSpadden argues strongly that older students shouldn’t be sheltered from controversial or challenging books. Instead, they should be trained to read all literature critically.
I’ve wondered if this robust defense of free inquiry will keep many Catholics from reading “Notes.” Your post gives me confidence that it won’t.