One of the most commonly expressed concerns about religious schools is that they shortchange critical thinking and autonomy. This criticism reflects in part the stereotypical Catholic parochial school of the 1800s and early 1900s, where students were expected to memorize set answers to religious questions and where the schools were designed to “protect” children from outside influences and to teach them to submit to the authority of the bishop. The Baltimore Catechism, first published in 1891 and used for many decades after, warned Catholic children in no uncertain terms about the costs of believing in another religion:

“The Roman Catholic Church is the . . . only true Church.”1 Recognition of this fact is critical for salvation.