@Jacob Harrison:
Come now, I should say that percentage of assholes-in-charge is statistically the same both in Catholicism and in Protestantism. As for RCC clergy being batshit insane in Poland, oh, boy. Oh, man. Let's just say this: I was mostly spared this shit because I grew up in a parish run by Dominicans and in schools run by ladies with spines, so our religion teachers were either normal or were reined in every now and then. Why yes, that was a public [EDIT: 'public' as in 'state-run', not in British sense!] school. And yes, religion is a bona fide subject, pardon the pun.
I repeat: in Poland schools are obliged to organize religion classes. Theoretically it's opt-in. In practice it's opt-out... IF the headmaster is reasonable. And if you and your children are ready to put up with ostracism. It's easier in large cities, but not by much. By the law, parents of students, should they feel the need, petition the headmaster to set a time and place to organize such lessons. In practice, Catholic Church organizes everything, curriculum, books, teachers, everything. Nothing is subject to any public review whatsoever. And teachers (named by local bishop) are paid from public purse. On the eastern border Orthodox Church gets a piece of the action as well. Other denominations need not apply.
And just what happens during these lessons? That depends entirely on the teachers, their professionalism and zeal. I for one remember videos about, I shit you not, ritualistic murders in USA. Satanic panic, bitch! In my elementary school. Towards the end of the '90s. After two movie seances like that, however, our headmistress stomped down her foot and Sister Anne toned it down a bit. Thankfully, the rest of my teachers were either friars from the monastery (these guys were and still are cool - I mean one of them got me hooked on Robin Hobb and that's how I ended up an avid fantasy reader; another one introduced my younger brother to Metallica and punk rock) or, in my high school, a Th.D. who realized that evangelizing a band of teenagers with a couple better things to do was beyond her paygrade. So we, the happy few interested, got an intro to religious studies, in hope that should we stray from Holy Mother Church towards waters uncharted, at least we'd be able to articulate our grudges and our differences; everyone else did their homework for other classes.
So, I was lucky. I mean, sure, religious retreats were organized by school (no, we did not go to church, they were held at the gym hall), there could be no school parties during the Advent, the Lent or on fridays and there were crosses in every room (usually above White Eagle, our national coat of arms), but I was spared the worst.
And what was (is and forever shall remain...) the worst? Shouting. Verbal abuse. Physical altercations. Yeah, that's something that happens. I mean yes, it's a margin, the worst 1% or so... Say, however many schools are there in Poland? And I repeat, religion teachers can not be removed without bishop's decree. Theoretically a particularly brave headmaster could call the police or something, but good luck proving anything. Also, they would be labeled godless heathens; and in Poland even avowed atheists know better than to irritate the clergy. Especially in small towns and villages, where parson is THE man.
Beyond that... Oh, boy. Harry Potter can very well be the work of the devil or it may be innocent escapism, not unlike Narnia. Depending on the whim of the priest. Halloween may be a foreign, pagan ritual, a danger to the souls of innocents, or it may be an import from the Irish, fellow Catholics, and let's be honest, more than a few our Easter and Christmas customs have pagan roots. Depending on the whim of the priest. Masturbation may be a grave danger to the world, worse than atomic weapons (bishop-approved, official schoolbooks!), or it may be an unsavory habit, but it simply happens, try harder next time, cold showers, no porn on the internet, Elizabeth from your class is out of your league anyway, ten Hail Marys as pennance, next please! Depending on the whim of the priest. Feminism may be a foreign plot to destroy our families and our culture, or it may be women trying to gain well-deserved equal footing in our society, our Church should take their side, get on with the times. Depending on the whim of the priest. Every cultural or pop cultural phenomenon (anime, pokemons, video/computer games, hard rock, weed, tatoos, even black clothes, Chrissakes!) may be teens being teens... Or it may be the sign that you child brinks on the very precipice of damnation. And you'll never hear the end of it.
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In our schools this does not happen everyday... Once a year, at most...
Oh, and DON'T get me started on neodarwinian evolution. 90% of our clergy understands it and accepts it. But heavens forbid you get one of those who don't get it as your teacher... Flat-Earthers, thankfully, are nonexistent. For now. And as for abortion, homosexuality (and general queerness; hey there, Skide!), contraception and other... Issues... I was fortunate enough to have teachers who agreed to debate such subjects if someone opposed the official line. And the debates were civilized and honest enough. But most often anyone who does not toe the line pays for it. Dearly. There is a myriad ways a priest can turn your school life into purgatory. And a million ways they can make your adult life harder, unless you're willing to leave for a big city. And even there you are not quite free from the power of our bishops. For they own a frighteningly large ammount of our MPs, and an even larger percentage of local politicians.
