Aibu to be v annoyed at 'God only cares about Catholics'

[BrittaPerry]

WT actual F?

Dd1 is 5, and in year one of a Catholic school against my will (only school with a place, despite us waiting till summer on 8 waiting lists, and I was too ill to HE)

DH persuaded me to let her go because he assumed it had better academic results and that she would learn Latin

Anyhow, the latest Ofsted and league tables are 'satisfactory' and only the forth in the area for level five and above at year six. It also has much less special needs and free school meals, so no excuse. Not that all that is the most important thing, but DH doesn't have that to hide behind.

Now, I have no problem at all with other people bringing up their child how they like, as long as we are allowed to do the same. I do think that views that aren't inclusive and suitable for all need to be kept away from state provision, however. If you need more than Sunday school, or after school madrassa, or whatever, go to private or HE.

I wasn't happy up to now anyway, but my FIVE YEAR OLD CHILD has just told me that her teacher said she has to pray every night, on her knees, so that God cares about her. God looks after people who love him only, and he only likes Catholics. Everyone else makes him sad, apparently, and he doesn't like them or look after them.

Can I add that they have already had homework saying that the only way to be Catholic is o be baptised? DD is not baptised. She also attended her parents wedding.

I told her that, if I believed in God, I would think that he would be friendly and love everyone.

DH has reluctantly agreed to look at other schools, but he says all schools teach the same kind of thing, because of the 'collective worship' in assembly.

When she started, they told me that all they o is pray at the start and finish of the day, and sometimes have events in church.

This is a whole new level.

Aibu to be wanting my child out of there asap?

YANBU - get her out!! Hideous hideous hideous.

I would tell her that a god that only looks after one group of people wouldn't be a loving god, that god is not a bigot and loves everyone, although he might not always approve of their choices. A bit like a parent always loves their child, even when they do something naughty.

(note - I am atheist, and I think she is very very wrong for saying that)

And yes, I would move her to a new school. Not all schools are like that!

YANBU. I would have my child out of there in a heart beat.

Bloody hell Get her out of there!!

An ex of mine was from a Catholic boarding school, and had no idea how to use a condom... I was shocked they hadn't at least TOLD them about them!

Wrong , my dds are catholic I am not and I don't recall ever hearing the pope saying anything like that at all... I also think a word with the teacher or head is needed .

I am shocked and Iam a Christian. This a load of bollocks, she obviously does not know her gospel at all well. god and Jesus love everybody. I would complain to the head about this, totally unacceptable. It's up to individuals how they pray silly woman. This is exactly what gives Christianity a bad name

Do we think it is worth going in to ask for their side? I know kids get the wrong end of the stick sometimes.

Or would they just tell me it is a Catholic school and to get over it?

Yes the god i believe in loves all, everyone.

Not in an aggressive way, but YABU to expect no Catholic dogma at a Catholic school!

Personally (I'm agnostic) I couldn't countenance my child being exposed to that sort of crap, no matter how good the schools results, which is why she attends a nondenominational state primary. It's down to you whether you can, I guess.

I don't know that I could resist the temptation to crash assemblies yelling "it's all a fairy tale!!!". Or send the teacher a note asking why God didn't like the little Catholic children abused by their priests who were given protection by the church. Or present them with end of term DVD gifts of Tim Minchin performing "Fuck the Motherfucking Pope". But I'm kind of aggressive in my contempt of the institute of the Catholic Church.

Blimey. Well, all I can say is that your experience is very much at odds with my experience of catholic schools. My children don't attend one, but I did and friends' children do.

But you aren't a catholic unless you're baptized. That's true...

I would speak to the teacher first to get their side, kids do tend to exaggerate. But I would also be looking around for another school!

My daughter said something like this when she was at a Catholic primary school too. She was a baptised catholic but we went to a free church, and were probobly the most active Christians in the school. Because of this they wouldn't allow her to do first communion classes. She came home one day and said "Mummy, why does Jesus love the other children and not me?"

Atm, it is this school or HE, and Dh refuses point blank to consider HE.

I've never had any dealings with Catholics before. Well, I went to a Catholic sixth form college. There was a chapel and priest, for if you wanted them, and they did fundraising for CAFOD etc. It was also the only local place apart from private that did Latin and Religion A levels. But that was it. I went on a couple of trips to places like beaches, for a session of silent prayer/meditation/chilling out in silence. But there was also a muslim prayer room, and if we didn't want to join in with ny worship things, we didn't have to.

I went to a normal primary, where we were taught that evolution is impossible but at least that was the local evangelists coming in for a separate lesson, and they weren't the people also telling us that 1+1=2

DH says I am being racist against Catholics. I'm not, am I?

Don't forget the petition against gay marriage that was circulated around catholic schools by the catholic church for the kids to sign.

That doesn't happen in other schools, even with the ofsted requirement for collective worship.

I used to teach in a catholic school - you do get the occasional nutter teacher who is a religious obsessive and who is kept well away from any RE for that reason. They generally think that the way religious education is being taught in the school is wrong and not Catholic enough - they then try to wriggle their strange views into other lessons (in one school I taught it was a music teacher). The only way the school gets to hear about this and deal with it is when parents tell the head.

I would gently find out what your dd thinks she's been told, write it down in a very coherent way, build up a bit of a dossier over the course of a week or so and then make an appointment to see the head. Hand it over and say that you were not aware that those views were the official teachings of the Catholic church, and that if they are then there should be more public awareness of this. Could she please let you have a copy of the syllabus which is used for teaching religious education in the school? Say you assume that as it's such an important subject the teachers have been trained in catechetics (pronounced cat - a - ket -icks) you will sound very knowledgable

Unless the head is a nutter rather old school RC then s/he will probably be horrified.

My kids go to a catholic school and I HATE it.

But its the only school in walking distance thats decent.

The nod and smile in school but they know its all bullshit.

I get so angry, DS1 has had nightmare about lepers and floods because of the shit they tell them.

I'm nearly 30 now and despite being a complete athiest I still have 'catholic guilt' from the years of it being drilled into me.

How do I frame my question to the teacher? (Who, btw, I have never even seen, she sends the TA out with the kids)

Plus, it could take a good while to get to the top of a waiting list elsewhere. I don't want to mark dd out as trouble.

Then again, marking her out as a nasty heathen might be good.

I agree with thefallenmadonna, I teach at a catholic school and it isn't like that! sounds odd homework for a 5 year old
We do attend Mass and RE is an important part of the curriculum but it is based on valuing everyone. I imagine further up the school it is easier for a non catholic to feel left out as they prepare for confimation etc

I would have a word with the school, especially as it seems you've no choice but to keep her there. Just to find out what their side of the story is.

I was brought up Catholic, and I have to say it did upset me at an early age that only Catholics could go to hevean (as we were taught then, I don't know, maybe they still teach that as part of catechism).

You might want to find out a bit more about catholicism maybe, if you DD is going to stay there. Catholics don't worship in Latin (and are no more likely to teach it than any other state school), and generally have no issues with evolution.

It is true that you have to be baptised to be an official Catholic - your DD is not one. And hence it is all the more important to go into school and challenge the "God only cares about Catholics" BS (or get them to explain to your DD that she's got the wrong end of the stick if appropriate).

She's five. Are you sure she's reporting verbatim, or is this her take on what was said?
5 year olds have been known to either wildly misinterpret things, or to embellish things deliberately. I wouldn't take it as gospel (pun not intended).

I think you and DH should have an equal say in how your dd is educated.
First, put her on the waiting lists again. In year 3 (if you have to wait that long) there is a better chance of admission as more children tend to move then. Also is it worth getting advice on appealing to one of the full schools? Children should have the right to a state education that doesn't teach bullshit as the truth.

You'll find religious loons in every school. At my sons school, the RS teacher is a non believer (despite a masters in philosophy) and takes the piss out of anyone with any faith. . it is non faith school.

Move your daughter if she is unhappy but it is an upheaval, transferring schools, losing friends and routine and forever being the new girl