Would you/have you started going to church to get child into a good church school?!

CAM everybody chooses the parts of a religion thats suit them and I think this especially applies to Christianity which has descended into a pick and mix faith.

For example how many of us think that we should give away all our money so we can enter the kingdom of heaven? How many of us believe thatdivorce is wrong unless it is a amn divorcing his unfaithful wife? How many of us think that sex only belongs within marriage?

Referring back to DC people must select parts of the religion which suit them the mostif myself, the pope,Tony Blair and George Bush all believe in the same religion.

I ahve to admit I am basing my assumptions on Christainity and politics on Romana Catholics as they are the circles I move in and I know very feew Roman Catholics who vote or at least admit to voting tory.

INterestingly our local C ofE vicars son is standing as a tory councillor but he is a very underhand deeply unprinicpled man.

Does/should that make a difference? Yes, I know the Queen is the head of State and the head of the Church, but I can't see how that automatically equates to faith schools being state schools. If we were a Republic would we be more likely to be a secular state? I don't necessarily want that - I don't want to abolish churches.

That's because they don't have a monarchy

If you go back to when we set up state schools in the 1800s(?) part of the aim was to ensure the children of the poor took on the Christian faith (C of E). That's just continued. Religion I think for years was the one subject you HAD to each in school (before the nat curr). Secular state schooling in US and France etc is the opposite and prohibits religious teaching with state funding.

I don't think any schools should be faith schools.

Extra lessons about faith at should be taught at home/church/mosque/synagogue and be part of family life.

schools have enough to teach with the curriculum without weekly visits to a place of worship - that can happen outside of school time. RE classes are great and should teach about all faiths.

also, faith schools should not receive state funding - it is ridiculous. there are so many religions now in the uk that it is impractical to have schools for them all.

our local catholic girls school is funded partly by the state but does not accept non-catholics - how can that be appropriate?

donnie, you've surely got to be able to take a joke. Most Christians I know can, and most atheists have to put up with quite a lot of ribbing too.

I'm glad your children enjoy Sunday school. I'm interested in the idea that they have "religious interests and feelings". How old are they, and where do these come from?

i agree with DominiConnor's last post!

[faints!]

What a bonkers post Xenia

You might if you join us, CAM. I think a take over dressed up as a merger was mooted recently. I'd quite like to get back the Catholic lands that were robbed from us too may be with an apology as well just like we're giving for slavery etc.

Yes, the Conservative party used to be strongly CoE, and vice versa. That's because the Labour and Liberal parties did stuff like legalise divorce, allow women the vote, stop putting gays in prison, and allowing these nasty coloured people into the country.

The Labour party now of course has a strongly Christian leader, and has an agenda to the right of not only every right wing party in europe, but to the right of parties that think of themselves as right.
The tipping point was when ultra right wing tory Michael Howard found himself attacking Labour policy as inhumane. This was after immigration thugs had killed a black woman whilst throwing her out of the country, and had adopted a policy of using force to separate illegal immigrant children from their leally here parents.

When Michael ("something of the night") Howard says you've gone too far, be afraid...

Yes the Duke of Norfolk (seat Arundel Castle)is Roman Catholic, don't see what point you're making Xenia?

Also, C of E is catholic, just not Roman Catholic (ie we don't follow the Pope)

Duke of Norfolk? Catholic. Mind you he might be left wing for all I know. In areas of shortage of pupils religious requirements for entry are lax. In some areas the church schools are the best and in demand and then it's harder to get in so theyneed to look at things like mass attendance, contribution to the church and interview the parent and child.

I don't know what a fairer system is. Perhaps abolish state schools and give everyone a voucher. Or abolish state funding for religious state schools. Or reintroduce grammar schools around the UK.

That's interesting dc because the C of E has always been known as "the Conservative Party at prayer"

Perhaps you are referring to RC ?

Donnie you should hardly be suprised. We live in such an intolerant society the Christians were bound to be next.

'as they would do on mumsnet'.

I said ' end of' ,unquiet dad because this thread has as usual descended into abuse and offensiveness , like your comment about people taking communion - which is actually a very holy and meaningful experience - and dominiconnor's earlier comment about ' all religious people being mentally ill'.

Similar comments applied to Jews or Muslims would be deleted but it's clearly ok to slag off Christians.

Anyway since you asked my dd loves sunday school , church and her CofE school which her sister will now automatically get into. Their religious interests and feelings will be nurtured and explored, not belittled or scorned as they would do on.

Which I have no problem with at all.

I don't know of any statistics, but amongst people I know, nearly all the Christian ones have left wing/labour views, or at least they did until they got an actively Christian prime minister who built relationships with other world leaders who were committed Christians, like err George Bush.

Speaking of communion, dd age 10 was confirmed last week and had her first taste of wine. Her verdict? "It tastes slightly bitter in the mouth but once its gone down it feels really nice"

I'll have to introduce you to my father then, twinset&pearls, he doesn't "choose which parts of Christianity he'll believe in to fit in with voting Conservative", he's first and foremost a Christian who also has a vocation and calling for helping people.

no although they don't all taste the same, it is more a sherry than a red wine. I am always getting my host stuck in the roof of my mouth. Trying to pray and think serene thoughts isn't always easy when you are scraping the body of Christ from the roof of your mouth with your tongue.

Can remember once sneezing out my host and being seen by the mother superior and feeling certain I was going to hell. Was also sent home from school once for having a water fight with holy water.

Does anyone ever worry at Communion that they might forget where they are, think for a moment they are at a wine-tasting and swill it around before spitting it out?

Just a thought.

we only drink the Blood of Christ here anyway.

next on here
"Christians would never dare use Fruit Shoots"
"Christians don't let their dogs foul the footpaths"

joking btw!

right we have fallen out over politics and religion shall we move on to breastfeeding now. How about I don;t understand how Christians can bottle feed?

I am joking by the way I am at my brink of musnetter wrath, am going tot he gym to try and work of my frustrations!