Catholic school but we are devout atheist

FFS, why can’t people just live and let live?

I suppose that depends on whether you’re happy with the state peddling faith-based doctrine.

Its time for some…

Why? It doesn’t sound bigotted to me, just someone stating their belief.

Just because its a belief doesn’t mean it’s not bigoted.

“obstinately or unreasonably attached to a belief, opinion, or faction, and intolerant towards other people’s beliefs and practices”

“I’ve got strong feelings about homosexuality and would consider myself anti-homosexual”

“I’ve got strong feelings about BME populations and would consider myself anti-BME groups”

I suppose that depends on whether you’re happy with the state peddling faith-based doctrine.

Read the rest of my post. By all means, work for change; that’s what our political system is for. Just don’t be a dick about it.

It’s really not that difficult…

I wonder whether the OP has already indoctrinated his child in the cult of another omniscient, bearded figure who watches over them at all times.

Like most (tory) politicians are much better than the vicars and priests of the world…

And yet people grow up and see how ridiculous father christmas/easter bunny/tooth fairies are, yet the idea of a god is infinitely more preposterous, and adults still believe in it..

Thank you all for your comments, i will try not to get drawn into a discussion about catholic values and the validity of the teachings.

As i also attended a CofE primary and secondary i understand the comments above.

When we viewed this school it was heavily religion orientated and takes up a number of hours that i fell would prefer spent on education, furthermore when i asked about science and in-particular evolution they said they dont have a specific science class as they allow children to discover through play. im not even sure what that means but its a stark contract from the other local schools that teach the children structured science, which in my view makes the other schools a better school.

im off to meet the head of the school now and shall report back

Take your daughter on a trip to the Vatican.
When she has gazed for while in wonder at what is probably the largest accummulation of valuable art on the planet, inform her how many Catholics are starving in the world.

Congratulations! You’ve just created an Athiest or a Protestant.

Read the rest of my post. By all means, work for change; that’s what our political system is for. Just don’t be a dick about it.

No-one’s being a dick. If my daughter was placed in a faith school (say because all the other options were oversubscribed)then I would have some serious concerns I would want to discuss with them. That seems to be the position of the OP.

when i asked about science and in-particular evolution they said they dont have a specific science class as they allow children to discover through play

It sounds like the problem is not religion so much a them being completely flaky.

EDIT: @ransos

Sorry, I’m not accusing you – or anyone on here – of being a dick. Just being a bit emphatic about what I wish none of us were.

As I said, people are welcome to beleive whatever nonsense they want, I’ve no problem with that. It’s the organisations of religion that are evil, set up to indoctrinate the young and prey on the weak, vulnerable and stupid. It’s not the people I hate, it’s the organisations.

Absolutely! The teachers at my daughters catholic primary school may think they’re fooling me, and others, with their shameless masquerading as well-rounded, decent caring professionals, but I know that beneath the thin veneer they’re up there with Hitler or Pol Pot. They are the living embodiment of distilled evil!

when i asked about science and in-particular evolution they said they dont have a specific science class as they allow children to discover through play.

As long as the lesson isn’t on the evolution of the venom gland in snakes…

Does sound a bit woolly. Are there any parents of children already at the place you could talk to?

It comes down to the alternatives really. It’s quite possible that this school, even allowing for wasting time on religion, remains the best option for your kid.

Chances are a heavily religious curriculum would turn the child off Catholicism, especially if the home is full of alternative viewpoints. Presumably you just want him/her to grow up with a questioning mind, rather than a carbon copy of your own belief system.

Absolutely! The teachers at my daughters catholic primary school may think they’re fooling me, and others, with their shameless masquerading as well-rounded, decent caring professionals, but I know that beneath the thin veneer they’re up there with Hitler or Pol Pot. They are the living embodiment of distilled evil!

It’s not the people I hate, it’s the organisations.

HTH

It’s the organisations of religion that are evil, set up to indoctrinate the young and prey on the weak, vulnerable and stupid.

Not doubting the historical validity of that.

Meanwhile, back in the real UK world, if we assume that these type of primary schools are there for this purpose, then the overwhelming view of those of us who have experienced them ourselves, or for our own children, is that they are failing catastrophically in their aim. And are therefore nothing to worry about.

Unless you have an underlying concern that your kids are weak, vulnerable and stupid, which is a separate problem. Which from the views expressed on here, I’m guessing isn’t an issue, as their parents are obviously capable of advancing the opposing arguments to religious indoctrination.

Though if a strict RC upbringing turns people off religion, I’d be worried that a strict non-religious standpoint might also have the opposite effect to what was intended.

@unknown What like the stationery and shit? pretty sure organisations are made up of people.

So let me get this right unknown? What you’re saying is that the teachers are like German concentration camp guards? Vee are only following orders, ja?

Put it this way, I’m not a big fan of the current UK government. That doesn’t mean I have a problem with each and every civil servant in the country.

I went to a C of E middle school. I never understood why because there was a perfectly good normal school the equal distance from home and neither of my parents are remotely religious thanks to their own upbringings 🙂
The assemblies were mind-numbingly boring and the church visits weren’t much better. The Jewish, Muslim and JW kids managed to avoid that and we were quite jealous of them for being treated favorably. Them having crap salad nearly every day in the canteen (save Fridays which was fish) evened things out a little, but they still didn’t have to put up with the rector’s visits, the lucky gits.
The supposedly non-denominational comp wasn’t that much better due to a deeply religious headteacher. Despite his efforts, we learnt a fair amount about most of the major religions, but the RE teacher happened to be an ex-nun and her POV still had a biased slant towards the glory of JC.

To summarise:
Dragging kids off to church services during school hours doesn’t make them future churchgoers, it’s more likely to put them off for life.

they allow children to discover through play

OP – my understanding is that this is the approach taken by all schools when kids first start. They don’t expect 4-5 year olds to sit at desks and learn set subjects, they get suckered in to learning stuff in a slightly more academic setting than pre-school.

The more academic focus kicks in later on, though other than literacy and numeracy, our kids school just covers topics and then pulls out science, history, geography and whatever as part of the topic. Currently on rain forests this term – obvious geography, environmental, science and history aspects, last term was WWII, same again.

Put it this way, I’m not a big fan of the current UK government. That doesn’t mean I have a problem with each and every civil servant in the country.

Oh God! Are the civil servants evil too? Maybe not all of them? Do you have an approximate percentage? Or is it more a thing about levels of evil?

I’m really starting to fear for the safety of my children now.

Are the civil servants evil too? Maybe not all of them?

Not HMRC.

Being evil would require a degree of intelligence, organisation and planning that they simply don’t possess.

Oh God!

I knew you were one of them…

Morning.

Not going to get involved in this, but my kid’s school seems to teach a reasonable amount of God stuff despite not being a church school. We’ve already had to handle a few questions.

MUHAHAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

My wife did her A-levels at a Catholic school. She’s not an athiest but CofE but moderate rather than an extremist. She nearly got expelled a few times arguing with teachers brainwashing kids about the evils of using contraception and other such silly things. So if you’re the sceptical argumentative sort then it might not work. On the upside she got a few days off each year when certain kids were deemed to be possessed by the Devlil and they got someone in to do full on exorcisms. Not sure who you call these days for an exorcism?

Not HMRC.

Being evil would require a degree of intelligence, organisation and planning that they simply don’t possess

Oi! I resemble that remark!

Not sure who you call these days for an exorcism?

It’s OK, they’ve got an App for that now.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jdmdeveloper.exorcism&hl=en

On the upside she got a few days off each year when certain kids were deemed to be possessed by the Devlil and they got someone in to do full on exorcisms

I’m pretty easy going on this subject but WTAF?

Could they not just have an inset day, or a snow closure day like a normal school?

She nearly got expelled a few times arguing with teachers brainwashing kids about the evils of using contraception and other such silly things.

On the upside she got a few days off each year when certain kids were deemed to be possessed by the Devlil and they got someone in to do full on exorcisms.

I went to a RC school and never witnessed or heard of anything like that.

Never got “brainwashed” about contraception and never heard of any child being exorcised.

Where did she do her A levels? Central America?

On the upside she got a few days off each year when certain kids were deemed to be possessed by the Devlil and they got someone in to do full on exorcisms. Not sure who you call these days for an exorcism?

I call bullshit.

It’s called exorcism, and there are no circumstances under which it would be administered in the way you describe. None whatsoever. And I don’t mean that just on a technicality; what you say is not even close to true.

My son goes to a non denominational school,but he still seems to get some religious nonsense. He came home the other day telling us jc could walk on water, so I showed him the you tube video of dynamo walking across the Thames. I said next time his teachers talk about jc he could ask them whether dynamo is related to him.

We used to get exorcised most days at my school. Football at lunch time and PE on Friday evenings.

I said next time his teachers talk about jc he could ask them whether dynamo is related to him.

Because I’m sure they’ve never heard that one before.

Why can’t these things just be discussed and explored in thoughtful, intelligent terms? I mean, if you see it as simple myth, then fine; but do you sit down and make sub-par jokes about Odysseus?

Someone will make one now, just wait and You’ll (e) see (s)

She nearly got expelled a few times arguing with teachers brainwashing kids about the evils of using contraception and other such silly things.

The brainwashing about contraception is a nightmare. Every one of the families at my daughters catholic school have got 10, 11, or 12 kids. If only people could see past their unquestioning religious ideology and consider the alternatives

The Catholic religion puts great store in education, that is why the best schools are often Catholic and in general standards are high.

OP if you don’t want your child to go there you should reject the place, as stated above there will be many who would take her place.

I am an atheist. I’d not want my kids at a school openly affiliated to RC. I’d be happy with C of E/Quaker/Sikh. Not sure about Islaam.

If I may say so this is a bizarre postion, athiest and anti Catholic but content with other religions inc CoE which is a different flavour of Christianty

Contraception. Most modern Catholics in the UK/Europe accept contraception as a reality of modern life. They certainly do in Ireland where sex before marriage is as common as anywhere else. Quite intersting the anti-Catholic views here are you the same posters who would “beat the sht” out of anyone who came near your 16yr old daughter ?

but do you sit down and make sub-par jokes about Odysseus

Seems like a sense of Homer failure to me.

Saxonrider welcome to the internet… people are allowed to disagree with your views and make jokes… and you seem to be being a teensy bit judgmental today 😉

but do you sit down and make sub-par jokes about Odysseus?

Alright Chuck? Scylla ‘ere! Surprise Surprise!

The Catholic religion puts great store in education fiddles their application procedure (which is already biased towards pushy middle class parents), that is why the best schools are often Catholic and in general standards results are high.

FTFY