|
Jan 24
2010
|
 |
My son is eight. Our normal bedtime routine is to read chapters from great novels and have short discussions on them before turning out the light. We recently finished up Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo. The book deals with a lot of grown-up topics, and we used it as a springboard to discuss all kinds of issues, but especially the nature of crime, punishment, and torture.
In the book, Esméralda is accused of killing Captain Phoebus and of witchcraft. Since she refused to confess, she was taken to the dungeon to be tortured into confessing.
Knowing that she was just a young girl, my son sat up and asked, “Dad, who is going to torture her?”
“They’re Catholic priests,” I replied.
“They can't be real priests,” my son replied, “Real priests couldn't do that.”