SEL vs. Christianity
What is YOUR truth?
by Sue Greenwald, MD
The Cliffs Notes version of what you should understand about Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is that it teaches Marxist ideology, i.e. doing the wrong things are correct if they are done for the right reason. “Truth” is personal and mutable. This is otherwise known as Relativism or Moral Relativism.
Relativism claims there is no absolute truth, but in doing so, it makes a claim for something absolute — that there is no truth. If there is no God, then reason itself is erroneous. If there is no truth, then truth is determined by the powerful rather than discovered by the mind.
For this exercise it is vitally important that you click on the hyperlinks, especially this first one, and the others from The Federalist. (a free daily news organization that I highly recommend subscribing to), and the Epoch Times article from Alex Newman (which can also be found on multiple other sites if you hit a paywall)
Globalists Gain Control
Pope Benedict XVI resigned on Feb. 28, 2013, a little over a month from Obama/Biden being inaugurated for their second term on Jan. 20, 2013.
The respected Pope was soon replaced by Pope Francis, who has been shown to be a friend to the socialist/globalist movement. If I were a conspiracy theorist, I might be a teensy bit concerned about the timing of those events, now that we understand the Obama/Biden/Great Reset agenda from the luxury of hindsight. Relativism is the religion of the globalists.
https://leohohmann.com/2020/10/09/pope-francis-unleashes-demons-of-globalism-on-unsuspecting-church/
https://garykah.org/pope-francis-facilitating-the-globalist-agenda/
SEL and Relativism
The problem with SEL is that it inculcates into students the philosophy of moral relativism rather than moral absolutes. Pope Benedict XVI understood Relativism as referenced by the quote from this article:
The former pope also constantly spoke about the need to clarify the truth and fight against what he called the dictatorship of relativism. The definition of truth is the correct correlation between one’s mind and reality. Relativism is the doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context and are not absolute. Benedict consistently noted that this is the root of all of the issues of modern culture and society.
In his book “Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures,” he says: “it is the expression of a consciousness that would like to see God eradicated once and for all from the public life of humanity. … [I]n this way, relativism … becomes a dogmatism that believes itself in possession of the definitive knowledge of human reason.”
Relativism claims there is no absolute truth, but in doing so, it makes a claim for something absolute — that there is no truth. In doing so, relativism is defeated by its own definition. Benedict knew the illegitimacy of this false logic, but he also knew its dangers. If there is no God, then reason itself is erroneous. If there is no truth, then truth is determined by the powerful rather than discovered by the mind. That logic has placed our country in a lot of trouble. We need to rely on truth like Benedict did, even when it puts us at odds with what people feel and even when it makes us sound intolerant.
Truth exists outside of one’s feelings because the evidence is meant to be examined objectively. The former pope always desired to ponder the church’s teachings on morality through the lens of objectivity because that is why God gave us reason — He wants us to use it.
The Consequence of Complacency
The globalist shift of both the Church and the government has had far reaching consequences, the direct result of the NEA, the Dept. of Education, and the Biden administration doing everything in their power to force neo-Marxism into our children’s schools in the forms of Critical Race and Gender Theory, and Comprehensive Sexuality Education, through the previously accepted vehicle of Social Emotional Learning (SEL).
image is courtesy of Jennifer McWilliams Consulting. Her website is a good resource.
https://www.jennifermcwilliamsconsulting.com/blog/sel-a-spiritual-transformation
Everywhere we look in America’s current culture, we see negative consequences of Relativism.
https://thefederalist.com/2022/12/29/only-spiritual-brotherhood-can-save-men-in-the-job-crisis/
If you speak to a high school student or a college grad today about anything remotely political, they will most likely loudly proclaim that you are a hater if you do not endorse “their truth.” There is no actual “truth” since morality is whatever each person “feels” it should be. This generation can not defend their views intellectually or spiritually, because they are not being taught to seek truth either intellectually or spiritually.
The students ARE being taught to question and reject the morality learned at home or at church. For instance, the entire premise of Comprehensive Sexuality Education, which is the radical sexualization of even the youngest children, is that sexual pleasure is in inalienable right from the time of birth. Within that framework, pedophilia is just another lifestyle choice.
SEL Is Everywhere
Comprehensive Sexuality Education and Transgender Ideology, along with lessons in activism and Critical Race Theory, have been seamlessly worked into “Transformational SEL” which was introduced in 2020.
In case you think this doesn’t affect your Nebraska kids. Yes it does.
In case you think it isn’t in your small school district, yes it is. Do you have something called Second Step or Panorama? It might be called “counseling time” or “(insert your school mascot) time.” If it is CASEL compliant, it is SEL. Parochial schools are also jumping on the bandwagon, so parents can not assume anything.
Moral relativism is leading to behavioral chaos in the classroom, which the educational experts are promising to solve with greater penetration of SEL. Harried teachers are grasping at anything to maintain order, and fear that things will get worse if they don’t have it. SEL has genius marketing.
I have previously expounded on these topics Here and Here.
Alex Newman is a national expert on the topic of SEL. For deep diving, follow his series at The Epoch Times, (well worth a paid subscription).
https://www.theepochtimes.com/trading-academics-for-far-left-social-emotional-learning_3466722.html
What About The Church?
The Church is doing nothing to stop it. In fact, Catholic Schools are now embracing the Marxist teachings of SEL. I’m looking at you Lincoln, Nebraska. Contrary to the marketing, there is no “good” SEL.
As Pope Benedict XVI warned us, moral relativism is the opposite of Christianity, or any religious teaching for that matter, which relies on moral absolutes to guide the affairs of humans in relation to one another.
When Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” I’m not a biblical scholar but I don’t think He meant “Your Truth.” I think He meant “THE Truth.”
The Ten Commandments have never been the Ten Suggestions.
Christianity, or the moral teachings of any religious faith, can not co-exist with Relativism in the same space. Marxism in the guise of SEL is anti-religion. People of faith need to understand this and treat SEL like the existential threat that it is.
The author is a retired Pediatrician and a co-founder of the Protect Nebraska Children Coalition