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?

I went to a catholic school fifty odd years ago, can't believe they're still teaching the same old shit!
Man dies and goes to heaven. St. Peter is showing him around. All of a sudden they come to a huge wall, St.Peter says shh to the man and tiptoes away from the wall. Sorry about that, he says, the catholics are there and they think they're the only buggers here!

Old, old joke. Nothing changes.

Bollocks.

LOL at the idea of being "racist against Catholics". Have you explained to your DH that Catholics aren't a race?

Am a bit sceptical at the idea that the DD made it up or misunderstood what the teacher said. DD's report of what the teacher said is "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."

What innocent remark might the teacher actually have made that a 5-year old could then misinterpret in this way?

Personally I would have a word with the teacher and/or the head and/or the governing body. Of course they are a Catholic school, but they are a Catholic school that takes non-Catholics, so they shouldn't be going round telling the kids that non-Catholics make God sad. (They shouldn't do that anyway, of course, but especially not when they have non-Catholic children there.)

I find all this really hard to believe. My DC went to a Catholic Primary and now go to a Catholic secondary. They've never come home and said this. All DC in the school were included in everything. The assemblies were based on religion, of course, as it's a Catholic school, but there was none of the dogma that others are reporting.

Sammy the schools now don't do the teaching for First Holy Communion; it's done out of school time. The reason your DD was not accepted for FHC was because she is not Catholic, but that should not have impacted on her really, or maybe in the way that some DC are invited to some parties and some aren't. My friend's DD wasn't Catholic, but she decided to have her DD received into the Catholic Church. The priest merely accepted her into the Church and she could make her FHC.

OP, whereabouts in the country is this Catholic school? The kind of things your DC are saying seem to be from before even my time at primary school. Honestly, my DC's school has DC of many different faiths attending it and they are included. It's true that religion is the basis of lots of the teaching, but it's mostly to say be tolerant and teaching moral values.

Sammy the schools now don't do the teaching for First Holy Communion; it's done out of school time. The reason your DD was not accepted for FHC was because she is not Catholic,

How do you establish who is Catholic? She was baptised into the Catholic church and although not attending a Catholic church at that time, she had attended every week for the first 6 years of her life and still went occassionally (to a different catholic church) when she was at her grandparents for the weekend. Over her lifetime she had been more involved with the Catholic church than all the hypocrites who went for the few weeks necessary to do first communion and then were never seen again.

At her school classes were done by the priest in the classroom after school. This was around 15 years ago mind.

I am a catholic, my children will go to catholic schools as I did, and my sister teaches in a catholic school. I have never heard something like this said and if it was said to my child I would take it up with the teacher. If your daughter has misinterpreted something, it is well worth getting it sorted out. I suppose it could have been said by an old-fashioned teacher, in which case I think he/she should be challenged and the head should know.

It is true that the only way to be a catholic 'properly' is to be baptised, you need to be baptised to receive the sacraments. But all catholic school classes are a mixture - in my sisters class of 25 kids there are 7 baptise kids. It's not a big deal not to be, if u see what I mean.

Long term catholic here. never heard this as part of Catholic dogma "EVAH". Though, you may have a nutter on your hands there. Worth speaking to the head about. The nuns where I went to school had more issues about you being english than non catholic.
Funnily heard the same sentiments from our muslim neighbours kids who are great friends of DD2, adorable but pumped full of dogman such as...
Muslims go to heaven, no one else.
So in the case of even handedness, this high end arseholery is not the exclusive reserve of the catholics. it is the territory of the rabid orthodoxy. it has no place in a school.

Sammy, if your DD was baptised Catholic, then she is Catholic and can take her FHC.

I think I must have the good fortune to go to quite a hippy Catholic school, it was very much "love everyone maaaan".

I know we were taught to pray every night, but that wasn't a problem for us as we did at home anyway. There were definitely no guilt tactics like 'God won't love you if you don't'

We were definitely not taught that God only loves Catholics either, or any other language like that. Even as a Catholic (which I am not any more) I wouldn't like my child being taught that.

Perhaps arrange to have a word with the teacher to express your concerns?

I think long term committed Catholics can be oblivious to how they come across to other people.

I was brought up a Catholic, my husband was not. Many years ago when expecting our first child we agreed to go to baptism lessons at our local catholic church.

I explained to organiser that my husband was extremely supportive, wanted to be involved in this aspect of his child's life but was not comfortable with joining in himself in the more overt aspects and asked if they could reassure me that he would not be under pressure to take part but allowed to observe and support. They were eager to assure me that of course they would do nothing to make him feel uncomfortable.

So the very first meeting they make everyone speak about what their faith means to them, no exceptions, and then,after explaining the role of baptism oils, said 'wouldn't it be lovely now if everyone took a little oil and anointed their partner with a little prayer?' Awkward enough for a committed catholic never mind a Scottish Presbyterian. They had no idea that was they had done was completely inappropriate.
I was really upset at the complete disregard for his feelings and it coloured my view of the church to this day.

Complain to the head, get your child on waiting list for other schools. My one certainty for my children's education was that they were going nowhere near a church school.

Excuse me. If the only place you can be offered in in a denominational school of a denomination you don't belong to, you've been discriminated against on the grounds of religion contrary to the terms of the Equality Act 2010, I should think (but IANAL).

This is totally made up.

From an atheist who attended a convent school - with your actual nuns - In the early 80s.

Gosh, What, that's horrendous. DH is not Catholic, either. He just signed something when we got married to say that the DC could be brought up Catholic. When the DC were baptised, I don't think DH came with to the lesson. Our parish priest is quite laid back, though, so perhaps it's cos of that.

Narked I am begining to suspect much the same. Has OP added anything since the start of this thread? I may be wrong but unless they have gone to mass, there is a suspicious silence.

You loved the wee nuneens to Narked

In the OP's defence she did say "DD is only 5 maybe she has got the wrong end of the stick" very early on.

I'm a Christian and that is utterly vile, as well as being incorrect - one of the central tenets of Christianity is that God is for everyone. Also, praying 'to be seen praying' is very unchristian - so the school is not only teaching nasty, bigoted nonsense, they also clearly don't know very much about te faith they claim to follow. They're certainly not showing much in the way of humility or love. It's people like this that make me ashamed to call myself a Christian!
If it was my dc, they would be out of that school like a shot. Disgusting.

It also has much less special needs and free school meals, so no excuse

I don't really understand this line of your OP, could you explain please?

Evil German nuns. They shipped them over.

I'm racking my brains trying to remember that prayer we used to have to recite about the Catholic religion being the one true religion. So unless the Pope has changed his mind, it is part of Catholic teaching.

I'd also be furious at this (although not surprised as I went to a strict convent school) but if it is a good school, can't you use them to gain a good education for your daughter, and use this side of the teaching to show her that she needs to think for herself, that not all adults speak sense and that she can form her own opinions? All are valuable life lessons. You only need to look at the number of MNers who were raised catholic and are now atheist to see that indoctrination of small children doesn't work.

pedantic if you frequent the education boards you will see it is an important factor to consider when looking at school results - it's connected to added value scores and is relevant to league tables.

In what way fancy, I still don't really understand?

But what's the "no excuse"???????