Book reviews
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Lego Catechism Degrades Our Holy Faith
Review of Catechism of the Seven Sacrament by Kevin & Mary O'Neill, Story Tel Press, 2018, 290 pp.
In our era, the Era of the Child, it is not surprising to see the world turned upside down to serve the fanciful whims of children. We see this in restaurants and schools, among other places: The restaurants cater to children with their "kid’s menus" and colouring books; the schools are reduced to playrooms with cartoon pictures decorating the walls and casual plastic tables and chairs instead of the ordered wood desks and serious ambience of times past. Even in the home, many parents surround their children with books and pastimes that foster the wrong dispositions.
As deplorable as all this is, it is far more grievous to see the Faith and its Truths being colored and even watered down to suit the tastes of the children.
This is, firstly, never the means by which the Church reached souls. She always set before them the Revealed Truth with a sense of solemnity and seriousness that belong to the Faith.
The children were taught to emulate good models; discipline was demanded which developed in them a great respect for authority and naturally fostered maturity. Sadly, the Revolution inside the Church has reduced the learning and practicing of the Faith to just another playtime. The Lego Catechism is one of the many examples we find of this reductionist spirit.
The Lego Catechism of the Seven Sacraments
In this "Catholic" comic-styled book, tilted Catechism of the Seven Sacraments authored by Kevin and Mary O’Neil, children are invited to join cartoon guides Fulton and Cynthia "on a biblical adventure."
Mr. O’Neil was a concerned parent who wished to offer a replacement for the blasphemous “Brick Bible.” The latter themed series, illustrating the Old Testament, New Testament and Bible stories among others was made by the transgender atheist author Elbe Spurling, is an absolutely blasphemous and disrespectful book that should not be handed to anyone, let alone children. It aims not to instil in the minds of children the Catholic Faith, but rather misconceptions and doubts about our Holy Faith.
Mr. O’Neil’s vigilance cannot be condemned; however, reducing a Catholic Catechism for children to a Lego book was not a good idea. When we depreciate the Faith to nothing more than a children’s toy/book, the readers may become engaged for the moment but, schooled by such banal material, many of these children will grow up to leave the Faith behind, as part of the toys and fancies of their childhood.
Legos simply encourage neither seriousness or gravity nor do they inspire reverence or piety.
As if the progressivist reforms have not already reduced the grandness and solemnity of the Sacraments, this book goes further. It predisposes children to see the holiest functions of the Church in the light of play toys and cartoon figures.
For example, the book contains an image of the Crucifixion of Our Lord made out of Lego: How can a Lego Christ ever inspire a child with holy sorrow for his sins that have made the God-Man suffer so much? How can a child even imagine this figure to be God? This image, as well as others, such as Our Lady, St. John the Apostle, St. Mary Magdalene, etc. all present a wrong and watered down idea of the supernatural reality.
Another example, I remember seeing a little girl gleefully playing with a Lego set modelled after a truth of our Faith, the Resurrection. When her mother asked her what Jesus did after He rose from the dead, she responded by saying that He played with His disciples.
The toy had already succeeded in giving her a wrong and childish view of something so sublime and wondrous. The child cannot be held responsible for her superficial attitude toward the holy things of our Faith, it is the fault of the parents.
Watching the Christmas trailer for the said book, we are told that Baptism is the first Sacrament that helps us to receive Jesus. This statement is correct in and of itself, but leaves out the important teaching of original sin.
Throughout the comic-styled book, the doctrine is mostly sound in the text, but the imagery and the spirit contradict the doctrine. For instance, to see the Most Holy Eucharist portrayed as a Lego piece detracts from a true belief in the Real Presence.
In the Rosary preview, we find that they are speaking of the progressivist Rosary, with the Luminous Mysteries included, not the 15-decade Rosary that Our Lady gave to St. Dominic. This predisposes children to accept the progressivist reforms and changes. As with the image of the Crucifixion, the book’s Lego images of Our Lady do not stimulate any reverence or love.
Not only this one book
Sadly, there are many other ways in which the Faith has been degraded and turned into a child’s playground.
Cartoon Saint books, chewable silicone teething Rosaries for babies, Saint dolls: Here also children are being moved towards an indifference towards the Faith.
The chewable products are particularly offensive. Infants are given these silicone Rosaries and other holy images to use as teething toys. The Rosary – which contains a Crucifix and a medal – as a teething toy for a baby to drool over will not make the mother or child more Catholic. Babies have no need of Rosaries and blessed images as they do not understand them yet. It is better to place a real blessed image or Rosary above the crib.
Saint rag dolls are given to toddlers to cuddle, throw around and eventually destroy.
Not only does this remove reverential fear from the heart of the child, he may grow up to view the Saints as he does his other action heroes, just other dolls like his other figurines and toys.
A child who is nourished on such “cute” drivel will feel quite at home walking into a progressivist church where the architecture lacks beauty, the Tabernacle is relegated to a side altar and the images of the Saints are lacking.
Fighting the desecration
There is nothing more we can say of all this. If it is not a desecration at the least it leads to it.
To fight this, we must give children a great appreciation for what is holy, good and marvellous.
As a good religious once said, children like to be taught serious things, they like being taken seriously. We see how, in past generations, the youth – from toddlers to teens – were very much like adults in the sense that they were mature and respectful, took responsibility for their actions and had a great sense of dignity in their behavior. Today’s world fosters the worst in children; silliness, brashness and spontaneity are paraded as freedom, creativity and self-expression and any parent who tries to correct their child is considered harsh and even abusive.
Therefore, any of these baneful and comic “Catholic” resources aimed at educating children should be discarded. They are poisons that will do much damage to the spiritual life of easily impressionable children.
A laudable alternative
A worthy alternative to these "Catholic" toys and books is to have a family altar in the home. This could be the place where the family gathers to pray, enthrone the Sacred Heart, celebrate special feasts days, etc. This would be a much better way to introduce children to sacred things than to portray those holy things to play toys.
If the home altar is serious and sacral, as it should be, the necessary respectful distance is maintained, which will impress in the child’s heart the importance of the holy objects on their family altar. The children should also be taught to place flowers and garlands on the altar and to keep it neat and tidy.
Our Lord warned that those who scandalise little ones were better off being cast into the sea with a millstone tied around the neck. That is a frightening warning, and parents should consider whether this is, in fact, what they are doing when they give their children today’s silly toys and books.
Parents do not need to give their children these “resources,” but rather an edifying example of an ardent love of God, a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin and a zealous militancy to fight for the Catholic Church. The parents who consecrate their children to Our Merciful Mother and inspire them with tender love for her will do the best thing they can for their children, since this Good Queen will never be surpassed in generosity.
An advertised ‘kid-friendly’ upscale restaurant
This is, firstly, never the means by which the Church reached souls. She always set before them the Revealed Truth with a sense of solemnity and seriousness that belong to the Faith.
The children were taught to emulate good models; discipline was demanded which developed in them a great respect for authority and naturally fostered maturity. Sadly, the Revolution inside the Church has reduced the learning and practicing of the Faith to just another playtime. The Lego Catechism is one of the many examples we find of this reductionist spirit.
The Lego Catechism of the Seven Sacraments
In this "Catholic" comic-styled book, tilted Catechism of the Seven Sacraments authored by Kevin and Mary O’Neil, children are invited to join cartoon guides Fulton and Cynthia "on a biblical adventure."
Reducing Our Lord & the Apostles to Lego cartoon figures
Mr. O’Neil’s vigilance cannot be condemned; however, reducing a Catholic Catechism for children to a Lego book was not a good idea. When we depreciate the Faith to nothing more than a children’s toy/book, the readers may become engaged for the moment but, schooled by such banal material, many of these children will grow up to leave the Faith behind, as part of the toys and fancies of their childhood.
Legos simply encourage neither seriousness or gravity nor do they inspire reverence or piety.
Christ's Baptism becomes this silly scene
For example, the book contains an image of the Crucifixion of Our Lord made out of Lego: How can a Lego Christ ever inspire a child with holy sorrow for his sins that have made the God-Man suffer so much? How can a child even imagine this figure to be God? This image, as well as others, such as Our Lady, St. John the Apostle, St. Mary Magdalene, etc. all present a wrong and watered down idea of the supernatural reality.
Another example, I remember seeing a little girl gleefully playing with a Lego set modelled after a truth of our Faith, the Resurrection. When her mother asked her what Jesus did after He rose from the dead, she responded by saying that He played with His disciples.
The toy had already succeeded in giving her a wrong and childish view of something so sublime and wondrous. The child cannot be held responsible for her superficial attitude toward the holy things of our Faith, it is the fault of the parents.
Hardly an image to inspire contrition & sorrow at Christ's Passion
Throughout the comic-styled book, the doctrine is mostly sound in the text, but the imagery and the spirit contradict the doctrine. For instance, to see the Most Holy Eucharist portrayed as a Lego piece detracts from a true belief in the Real Presence.
In the Rosary preview, we find that they are speaking of the progressivist Rosary, with the Luminous Mysteries included, not the 15-decade Rosary that Our Lady gave to St. Dominic. This predisposes children to accept the progressivist reforms and changes. As with the image of the Crucifixion, the book’s Lego images of Our Lady do not stimulate any reverence or love.
Not only this one book
Sadly, there are many other ways in which the Faith has been degraded and turned into a child’s playground.
Holy images for babies to slobber over
The chewable products are particularly offensive. Infants are given these silicone Rosaries and other holy images to use as teething toys. The Rosary – which contains a Crucifix and a medal – as a teething toy for a baby to drool over will not make the mother or child more Catholic. Babies have no need of Rosaries and blessed images as they do not understand them yet. It is better to place a real blessed image or Rosary above the crib.
Grinning faces of the Apostles & Christ at the institution of the Holy Eucharist
Not only does this remove reverential fear from the heart of the child, he may grow up to view the Saints as he does his other action heroes, just other dolls like his other figurines and toys.
A child who is nourished on such “cute” drivel will feel quite at home walking into a progressivist church where the architecture lacks beauty, the Tabernacle is relegated to a side altar and the images of the Saints are lacking.
Fighting the desecration
There is nothing more we can say of all this. If it is not a desecration at the least it leads to it.
To fight this, we must give children a great appreciation for what is holy, good and marvellous.
A calm & serious Catechism class of days past
Therefore, any of these baneful and comic “Catholic” resources aimed at educating children should be discarded. They are poisons that will do much damage to the spiritual life of easily impressionable children.
A laudable alternative
A worthy alternative to these "Catholic" toys and books is to have a family altar in the home. This could be the place where the family gathers to pray, enthrone the Sacred Heart, celebrate special feasts days, etc. This would be a much better way to introduce children to sacred things than to portray those holy things to play toys.
Simple home altars that inspire reverence & respect
Our Lord warned that those who scandalise little ones were better off being cast into the sea with a millstone tied around the neck. That is a frightening warning, and parents should consider whether this is, in fact, what they are doing when they give their children today’s silly toys and books.
Parents do not need to give their children these “resources,” but rather an edifying example of an ardent love of God, a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin and a zealous militancy to fight for the Catholic Church. The parents who consecrate their children to Our Merciful Mother and inspire them with tender love for her will do the best thing they can for their children, since this Good Queen will never be surpassed in generosity.
Posted September 4, 2023
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