In a set of guidelines for religious education released this week in England, teachers have been instructed to avoid frightening children with certain explanations of religious practice, such as describing the Eucharist as becoming the blood and body of Christ, because this could suggest that Christians are cannibalistic, or any mention of the spooky phrase “Holy Ghost” whatsoever. The guidelines, intended to help avoid insults to world faiths in schools, also advise teachers to avoid showing pictures of Muslims holding swords or Kalashnikovs, or emaciated, mud-caked Hindus, lest the kids think that Hinduism is “‘for weirdos and masochists.'”