Letters

Melbourne RE texts (letter)

Barbara Chigwidden

Contents - Apr 2001 - Buy a copy now Editorial: 'If Christ is not risen, then your faith is in vain' - Peter Westmore John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family to open in July 2001 - AD2000 Report News: The Church Around the World Former Townsville Bishop's admissions on liturgy practices - Bishop Raymond Benjamin Is Townsville the model for Ballarat's priest shortage? - Michael Gilchrist Archbishop Curtiss on implementing the theology 'mandatum' - Archbishop Elden Curtiss US parishioners more outspoken about church "renovations" - Zenit News Service Thomas More Centre Summer School 2001: "Building a Culture of Life" - Michael Daniel How to avoid banal, superficial liturgies - Bishop Kevin Manning Rights of unborn are inalienable - Archbishop Barry J. Hickey Tanzania's Father Winfried makes return visit to Australia - Martin Sheehan Letters: Melbourne RE texts (letter) - Barbara Chigwidden Letters: Sponsorship (letter) - Barry O'Brien Letters: Legal action (letter) - Chris Joseph Letters: Inaccuracy (letter) - Fr Michael Kalka PP Letters: Ambiguities (letter) - Valentine Gallagher Letters: ACU Syllabus (letter) - John Kelly Letters: Stations of the Cross (letter) - Charles Bignold Letters: Good responses (letter) - Hyacinth Morel Letters: Dress code (letter) - Raymond de Souza Review Article: A 'silly book' from ACU professor of theology - Frank Mobbs Books: Keeping The Faith: Making a Difference by Wilson D. Miscamble - Michael Daniel (reviewer) JESUS - Jubilee Edition Video - Johanna O'Farrell (reviewer) Books: 'Contraception: The Hidden Truth' by Christine de Stoop - Katie Forster (reviewer) Books: The Apostles' Creed, Defend the Faith and other apologetics topics - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: 'The Atonement Child' by Francine Rivers - Mary-Jane Donnellan (reviewer) Books: The Seven Cities of the Apocalypse, by Roland J. Worth - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Reflection: Giving witness to the Gospel of Life - Rebecca van Rensburg

Anthony Cappello's praise of the new Melbourne RE Texts (February AD2000) was over-the-top. As a primary school teacher and religion teacher, I find the artwork generally unattractive. While there are some very good parts in the texts, some of the questions at the end of the chapters are far too vague and the activities are of little educational value.

Further, in Level 3A in the section on prayer, an Aboriginal Our Father is given. It is not the prayer given by Our Lord and some of it changes the meaning. The part about forgiving others is so changed as to be a perversion of the original prayer.

If readers are expecting bonanza texts in secondary school, they will be very disappointed to find that the Year 9 text begins a chapter on the Bible by recounting an Aboriginal Creation Myth.

BARBARA CHIGWIDDEN
Ganmain, NSW

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 14 No 3 (April 2001), p. 14