A diocesan priest writes about the survey in a bulletin for priests and says he didn't want to believe what was reported but after studying the issue he determined that the procedure and organization were worthy of credence.
56% of high school students were willing to go to prison for a year for a million dollars, 39% of middle school students and 17% of elementary school. The older the student the more attractive was the money.
In 2013 they asked the same question. At that time 47% of high school students, 33% of middle and 16% of elementary students saw no problem. In 2012 the same questions: high school 44%, middle school 28% and elementary 12%. The older the student and more recent the survey-- the attraction for money increased.
What would be the results if adults were asked the same question? Would the results be better than those shown by the students? Another question was included: regardless of the difficulties of my neighbor I need to take care of myself. 45% of high school,30 % of middle school and 19 % of elementary school agreed.
The director of the survey said the results show we have a distortion of the capitalist system: the coldness of materialism and individualism, the movement towards competition and success all at the expense of honesty.
Can we blame the children for this situation? Children are the mirror of the adult world and this is what they have experienced. Money is needed if we want to be treated as human beings. Without money, we will be treated like dogs and pigs.
With the candle processions in the big cities, we see a clearing of the skies. The crowds want to see a new beginning. Respect for all no matter where they are in society and not to center all our hope on money and power. We have made a world in which young children enter and become infected with our ways of doing things. We need more candles burning for a better world.
