December 2009 Newsletter
Back to Main Newsletters Page"Different men seek after happiness in different ways and by different means, and so make for themselves different modes of life and forms of government."
-- Aristotle (384 - 322 B.C.)
People who are unfamiliar with Healing the Culture's pro-life curriculum are sometimes surprised when I tell them that the very foundation of our teaching approach is a discussion of the "Four Levels of Happiness."
But as Aristotle readily understood (see quotation above), happiness is foundational. How we define happiness will determine how we seek it. In turn, our culture, our government, and our laws will predictably take on whatever shape is necessary to protect this "happiness seeking" - regardless of whether the happiness being sought is healthy or not!
In October, we shared the message of the "Four Levels of Happiness" with 1,100 students at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in Mobile, Alabama. You may already be aware that McGill-Toolen was chosen as one of the first testing sites for our new "Principles and Choices" curriculum that we plan to introduce to thousands of schools across the U.S. and Canada.
The first lesson focuses on happiness, and teachers at the school taught this content over a one-week period. I was present all week to observe the teaching, and also to interview the students and teachers after the fact. Both students and teachers alike were transformed by the message, and quickly understood the emptiness that comes from living exclusively for materialism and ego-gratification (Levels 1 and 2).
Even more remarkable was how the instruction affected their perception of pro-life issues. The particular lesson we tested did not include any material specifically discussing abortion or euthanasia. (Those issues will be addressed in later lessons). But when we asked students to tell us what they thought about abortion and euthanasia in light of what they just learned about happiness, their answers can only be described as phenomenal. Without any prompting, every single student concluded that if you want to be a "Level 3 or 4 person," you've got to be pro-life:
- "I think people that are for euthanasia are stuck on Level 2." (Male student)
- "People that are against euthanasia, they're usually at Happiness Level 4 or Level 3." (Male)
- "Everyone should be pro-life because everybody deserves to live a life." (Female)
- "To say that handicapped people can't reach the same happiness we can is completely wrong." (Male)
- "I think it's wrong to have an abortion." (Female)
The students also found the "Four Levels of Happiness" to be a revelation that made intuitive sense:
- "It taught that the happiness that the culture out there is teaching us isn't really the best happiness that's out there." (Female)
- "I want to make others happy too, and I don't just want it to be all about myself and making myself happy." (Female)
- "I think everybody needs to learn this information." (Male)
The last student's comment really drives home the point for me - every student really must learn this information. But to make that dream a reality, we need your help. Let me share with you what we hope to accomplish in the coming months with the "Principles and Choices" curriculum...
- We are in the early stages of designing a massive, interactional website for teens, which will help them study the material and will help their teachers by providing classroom resources and teaching tools. You can check out the early draft version of this website at www.principlesandchoices.com.
- We are hard at work writing the next three lessons in the curriculum, which will be tested at our beta-sites next year.
- Lessons are being recorded as "audiobooks" for students who learn better by listening, and for easy access while traveling.
- We are in the "talent gathering" stage for production of an audio scripted dialogue on abortion between a young man and a young woman. We hope to complete production of this piece by the end of January.
- The Four Levels of Happiness lesson is currently being tested in 7th and 8th grade classrooms for future adaptation to a younger audience.
We believe that the "Principles and Choices" curriculum, once completed, will be the most powerful educational tool ever developed for inculcating students with a pro-life philosophy. It will give students a pro-life commitment that is enduring because it is set on a rock-solid foundation.
Your continuing support of Healing the Culture allows us to move forward on this pioneering effort which will leverage the greatest amount of cultural change for the dollars invested. Thank you for your commitment to this essential mission!
Camille Pauley
President
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