Christening Children for Schooling purposes

Not news but being Christened appears to open up options for primary schools in our area. Neither my wife, I, or our families are religious in the slight but we are thinking in getting the little ones christened to keep options open in a few years. How many other parents on here will admit to being hypocrits when it comes to this and have you / your children been struck down by lightening, or the similar ?

you know you have to renounce evil ?

🙁

Will they really christen your kids if you can’t show that you’ve at least been to church a few times?

I wouldn’t and won’t do it.

shirley thats discrimination on religious grounds?

We considered this but to get in the good local school you also now have to prove that you attend church as places are in such short supply.

Yup and no lightening yet, although now I think about it I did have a flight delayed by a couple of hours last week due to an electrical storm, maybe that was it…..

Do it. Why should any school be allowed to discriminate on the grounds of religion anyway? About time this practice was outlawed if you ask me. School is for education, not indoctrination. I have no problem with anyone who chooses to follow a path that feel happy with, but if you want to bring your child up a Christian, Muslim, Jew or Zoroastian, then do it at home. Children should be educated in schools to have an open mind, and be able to make their own choices when they are ready to themselves, not have ideology thrust upon them.

Bang. Go.

Jeez, Fred post a reasonably wordy reply and there’s not a single bit of it I disagree with. In fact, I feel just as strongly about it, it seems.

School is for education, not indoctrination

While I agree loosely, it’s not as if there’s no other school to go to, is it?

Got no problem with the lying or hypocracy. But I dont know if id want my kids at the sort of place that would insist.

Keep your dirty heathen kids and ideas out of our nice schools

A friend of mine ‘s got a 10year old kid who was refused to go to some certain school simply because he wasn’t prepared*. Now his mum forced him to study attend and learn religion so next year he would be allright to join.
As I am about to become a father think it was about time to go to church and cover ourselve in this department.

CharlieMungus – Member
Keep your dirty heathen kids and ideas out of our nice schools

While I know you’re just trolling, sadly I’m sure that there are people stupid enough to think that way…

CharlieMungus +1

I’d rather my kid went to a sh1tty school than got christened!

Dezb – But then they won’t go to heaven.

Why should any school be allowed to discriminate on the grounds of religion anyway?

They can, though. Voluntary aided schools (faith schools, basically) can effectively discriminate on grounds of religion, and that right is protected by acts of parliament and stuff. The test is ‘confirmation of regular attendance at a place of worship’, but it is basically discrimination according to religion, and I suspect you’d have a very hard time arguing against any faith school that refused you on those grounds.

As a parallel, we got married before the big ‘licencing of wedding venues’ thing. So our choice was between the local registry office (ground floor of 70s tower block) or local church (good for photos). So we got married in church having told the vicar that I was an atheist and Mrs Higs holds some sort of wooly belief that if we’re all nice to each other, everything will turn out all right and surely there’s got to be more to the universe than this???

It didn’t trouble me in the slightest but then I wasn’t asked to state a belief in god as part of the service.

So thinking about it, I probably wouldn’t have kids christened as an atheist myself just to secure them a better school, simply because I don’t like lying. Although I do understand that people do some very odd things for the (perceived) benefit of their kids.

I don’t think it’s so much that they aren’t allowed to go. It’s that there is a pecking order. It makes sense to me that catholic kids should be given first chance of going to a catholic school. The ‘unfairness’ only seems more apparent because church schools tend to outperform their environment. But this appears to be related to the fact they are church schools. If the discrimination was removed, the school would become like every other and you wouldn’t be so bothered about whether or not your kid went there or not.

Basically, it becomes a good school because it discriminates, so you want to send your kids there but can’t because it discriminates. Well, go figure.

I’d rather my kid went to a sh1tty school than got christened!

That way they have fewer chances in this life, and the next.

Christians are **** evil. They’re not getting my kids!

Find out what the school admissions policy is and how it is funded.

My little devils will be going to a school that is C of E influenced but is not C of E funded so their admissions policy is based on whether the child has any sibling already in the school or your proximity to the school. Other schools in the area are C of E funded which means that you have to attend church.

You should be able to get the list from the local council or off t’internet. We did.

Don’t forget, all schools have to teach religion in some form, so sending them to one school or another makes no difference in that respect. I’ve got the same dilemma, all bar one of the primary schools near me are church schools (and the one that isn’t is a drive away, and is quite frankly, sh*t). My nearest school is 100yds away, but distance from the school is the lowest priority on the admission schedule. Just seems to beggar belief frankly 🙁

What to do?!

[naive]Don’t forget, all schools have to teach religion in some form, so sending them to one school or another makes no difference in that respect.[/naive]

GW – care to expand on that? It’s certainly true, so what’s the problem?

GW – Are you Muslim

Basically, it becomes a good school because it discriminates

Because it’s allowed to be selective, not because it’s religious…

Because it’s allowed to be selective, not because it’s religious…

No, it is non-selective in the sense of academic record. Selection is based on religion.

2, almost identical responses to my post. One sarky, and one not?

Join here: http://www.jedichurch.org/

Elfinsafety, I *gulp* agree with every word (I hope you weren’t just trolling)

well, mine was sarky, I dunno about the other

DezB – I’m not a sarcastic, I’m a Catholic. How dare you.

Most catholic priests won’t baptise a child if the parents don’t attend regular mass.

I think they’re right not too

our local schools require 1, christened 2. 2 year regular attendance at church 3. proof that you do more than just attend (run sunday school, sing in the choir etc)

Bloody hell, we can put a man on the moon, but still have schools that require religious belief. FFS why are we putting up with this medieval crap ?

I dont blame anyone for wanting the best, but its a shame we have to put up with it.

but still have schools that require religious belief. FFS why are we putting up with this medieval crap ?

you don’t have to. You are free to send your kids to schools which don’t.

I don’t really see the issue. If you think it is all rubbish, then send them to a different school. Why are you trying to get them into this school anyway?

It must be a local thing.
My daughter attended a C of E grant maintained Primary and there was no requirement to be baptised/attend church, she then went to a C of E secondary, again no requirement for any religious stuff and the Arch Bishop of York is governor in that one.

On the other hand a mate of mine and his wife once attended church regularly and he even played drums in the church band so he could get his kids into the local C of E school. As soon as the kids were in he left the band due to “musical differences” and curtailed all god Bothering activities shortly afterwards.

Bloody hell, we can put a man on the moon, but still have schools that require religious belief. FFS why are we putting up with this medieval crap ?

Because the church is paying for it.

If they were entirely privately funded it’d be up to them, but it’s a bit rich isn’t it?
We were in the fortunate position of being able to disregard the Churchy/Christian schools, although the leanings of the one we do (which sadly isn’t as good) still irritates me.
At least our little girl has a healthy attitude to all the foolery. -Kids won’t be indoctrinated all that easily!