This is a true story.
Once, a student told my colleague that he was traumatized by the content of some sexually charged films that were shown in class because he was studying to become a Catholic priest and he couldn’t deal with all of that sexuality on the screen.
“I think it is actually very important that you watch these films,” my colleague said. “You need to prepare for all the stuff you will hear in the confessional. If you are flustered by what you see in the classroom, how will you manage to hear the stories of your parishioners in a calm and detached manner?”
The future Catholic priest agreed and thanked my colleague for offering him a very important insight.
I just thought we needed a more positive story about student-teacher interactions on this blog.
Your colleague is brilliant. I’ve got to remember that one for some friends of mine.
Speaking of religion and sex, did you read about this ultra-orthodox chassidic sect called the Gur? They’re so extremely anti-sex it blew my mind:
http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/for-members-of-israel-s-ultra-orthodox-gur-sect-sex-is-a-sin-1.412153
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I wanted to write a pun about that teacher in your post about s/he was going to be fired for inappropriate sexual misconduct, but then nominas article got me distracted and I went all “what the fuck?” on it.
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Yes, religious fanaticism is a terrifying thing. People castrate their own existences willingly because that is the only way they have to allay their overwhelming existential anxieties.
Sad.
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