To think some Catholics don't understand their own faith

[zombiegames]

Okay I admit a thread about a couple of other threads.

I was brought up Catholic, but am not one now - but I do understand how the way you are brought up as a Catholic gets under your skin. But it does make me angry that other people here who say they are catholics, appear to have so little understanding of their own faith.

The pope is not just someone whose opinion you can dismiss if you are a catholic. He is christs representative on earth and he is infallible - that means he can't be wrong. This is an absolute key part of the one true faith. It is not a side belief that can be conveniently ignored.

So when the pope says for example that gay marriage or using condoms is wrong, that is a belief of the catholic faith and can't just be dismissed. If you say this is wrong, you are saying that the pope is not infallible and thus you are questioning an absolute key part of catholicism.

Why does this anger me? Because a lot of people who are not and have never been catholics don't really understand catholicism as can be seen on here when non catholic parents who send dcs to catholic schools froth on here about what their dcs are being taught. Posters who post about being catholic and non homophobic, are misrepresenting catholicism to those who don't understand it. If the pope says something, then that is part of the catholic faith and is what catholics should believe.

And sorry I probably ABU as I know this is a bit of a rant, even though it is true.

northey please tell men you are stringing me along here? You can't, surely, mean what you're saying?

Why not?

Catholics built these schools to provide a catholic education. It is legal. They are not doing anything wrong. Whyever should they stop? If you want your child to go to one, then convert and apply. If you don't, then don't. Children are entitled to a minimum standard of education in this country and that is what the LEA has a duty to find for your child. If you want to go to the catholc school instead of what the LEA offers, then I really question why.

Northey - would you be happy if the state withdrew all funding from Catholic schools in order to build non-faith alternatives nearby? Because that's what, in an ideal world, in the interests of fairness, I think should happen.

If parents want a Catholic education for their child then fair enough, but they, or the Catholic church, should pay for it.

Yup, the catholic schools in France are private. So if parents want their kids to have a catholic education they have to pay for it.

I could appreciate the argument for doing so.

Bamboo they already do pay for it through contributions. The LEA covers the educational costs of teaching the curriculum.

Do education authorities have to use faith school providers?

I'll tell you what. The State should withdraw all funding from Faith schools, and put the money into non faith schools accessible to all by fair and open admissions criteria. How about that?

"Do education authorities have to use faith school providers?"

I don't know, but presumably one of the main reasons the system is the way it is is because the state couldn't afford to replace the school premises which the churches own. Which doesn't make it right.

And private education should be abolished too

"Bamboo they already do pay for it through contributions. The LEA covers the educational costs of teaching the curriculum."

Okay - but how is it fair that state resources are the preserve of only certain religious groups? Would you deny people fair access to the NHS because they weren't the 'right' religion?

State funding isn't the preserve only of religious groups. It's open to anyone to apply to start an Academy, I believe.

"State funding isn't the preserve only of religious groups. It's open to anyone to apply to start an Academy, I believe."

Well that's another can of worms

But Catholic schools aren't the preserve of Catholics! There are many Muslim and quite a few Jewish families in my DC's school. (I'm in Scotland, it might be different up here though!)

Would you deny people fair access to the NHS because they weren't the 'right' religion

For interest - the Home for Aged Jews in N London receives state funding.

Ah, right. You are are stringing people along. What a waste of time.

"But Catholic schools aren't the preserve of Catholics! There are many Muslim and quite a few Jewish families in my DC's school."

Is that a good thing?

Why wouldn't it be?

Bamboo and Seeker, from what I have read, you seem to oppose current education provision which is ultimately the LEA's responsibility. Have you contacted them regarding this and what was their response?

The non-Catholic pupils are presumably either

a) excluded from parts of the school day or

b) have to sit through large doses of religion which isn't even their own religion.

This situation exists in C of E schools as well, of course.

I know what the LEAs policy is. What I am interested in is how "the ordinary Catholic in the street" sees it.

And certainly on here, the OCINS seems remarkably hard to pin down!

a) Not really- 2 RE classes, the majority of which are about other faiths or debates on moral issues. This is probably more of a problem in primary school.

b) yes, well I suppose that is a problem- as it is for the atheists and agnostic pupils. But their parents feel that a Catholic education is preferable to a secular one.

That should be 2 RE classes per week, sorry.

And certainly on here, the OCINS seems remarkably hard to pin down!

Possibly because we are all individuals with our own points of view.

I think that catholic consensus on this thread is that catholic schools are a good thing. Not at all hard to pin down.

All I want to know is how you justify state funded schools that provide priority admission to a particular group, when, by common consent ( on this thread anyway) there is no reason that that group should have a separate education. I honestly don't think I've had a straight answer to that question!