Educating
in values is a more indeterminate expression than the Roman "bonus pater
families". At the end of the day, we all intuit that a good father of a
family exercises authority without authoritarianism, seeks the physical,
psychological and spiritual well-being of his family, has the capacity for
sacrifice to achieve this end, and governs his family in order to do well.
However, educating in values is an ambiguous term, because it will depend on
what values are those that mark the educational line and what are the
assessment scales. Saying that we educate in values is as empty as saying
that we have a progressive political project, or that we fight for peace and
freedom.
Because
in the words of Saint Thomas, to educate is to "lead man to the state
of virtue." That is, to lead the student in the sense of justice,
prudence and temperance in judgment, and in the search for the Truth that
allows him to locate himself in life. Accompany him on the way to answer his
basic vital questions: who am I, where am I going, what is the meaning of my
life. Because only from the ground of vital certainties is it possible to build
moral certainties. The anthropological reality allows us to know and exploit
the infinite potentialities of our human nature. Intellectual restlessness
makes us become "curious" with the will to advance on the path of
Truth. Control of our will makes us masters of ourselves rather than slaves of
our fleeting desires.
And
more. Only the following of the risen Christ is the Way of Hope, Truth and
Life. Everything else is "rubbish", in St. Paul's terms. Therefore,
it is difficult to understand why we Christian educators insist on
"hiding" the risen Christ in exchange for preaching solidarity,
tolerance or social justice. Deep down, Christians are still billionaires who
live in need.
Because
Christ does not annul the values of solidarity and social justice. On the
contrary, he magnifies them. In the same way that religion does not annul man,
but rather exalts him, it offers him his true dimension because he responds to
our true desires. Because our heart is made for infinite love and is not
content with contingent mediocrities. Only God is capable of satisfying the
deep longings of the human heart. "You made us Lord for You, and our
heart is restless until it rests in You", said Saint Augustine.
Without
a doubt, an ambitious plan, which will remain halfway. Will the family model of
the single contemplate, the one who has decided to live with himself? And the
model of the one who lives with his faithful cat or a dog to whom he leaves all
his inheritance?
In
conclusion, the UN agencies have joined with an enthusiasm worthy of a better
cause to this project of "education in values", which at heart aims
to educate without God and, therefore, without values. By the way, what a
coincidence that those who promote this education in values are the mainstays
of the culture of death. I think the cause is a "weak faith", it is this weak faith that leads educators
to adopt the new secular religion of values. Values from which the
transcendence has been voluntarily taken away in a new attempt to deify man.
