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 think the 'racist' comment was in a northern Ireland style - even in England there is some bad blood between catholics and protestants, and I have sat with people saying they wouldn't let their daughter marry a protestant, so I'm sure it works ge other way. Also, my nana thinks Catholics are awful, but that is mostly based on Catherine Cookson and her church telling her so (they think God only loves born again christians, which again was very distressing as a child)

I have no issue with Catholics. I do have an issue with my child being told god doesn't love her.

I don't believe in god, but she does (because of school, and it is a fairly harmless belief in itself, as long as it stays liberal) so of course it is distressing to her.

Yes, because we are God's Holy People :)

Just ask the teacher. Something got misinterpreted.

There does seem to be a strange perception that Catholic schools are better - In general, people seem to equate 'catholic' with 'strict and traditional' which is not necessarily the case.

I teach in a Catholic Primary School in a deprived inner city area. We are a minority catholic school - about 1 third of the children are muslim, most are Christians of other denominations. I would estimate (based on the number of children who take communion at mass) that around a fifth of the school are Catholic (at most).

I am not Catholic, but have to pray with the children and teach RE. I was observed teaching RE a couple of years ago and was criticised for not talking to the children from a personal perspective about the importance of my faith (I am an atheist) - they know full well that I am not a Catholic - many of the staff are not. I explained (as I had when I took the job) that I would teach RE from the point of view of telling bible stories and explaining what Catholics believe, but never promised to deceive the children into thinking I believe the same (I can't anyway - they know I don't take communion at mass, so it's pretty clear I am not a member of the club). As far as I am aware, we never talk about Catholics being God's chosen people or anything along those lines. In fact, the only time I've had any trouble with comments of that kind came when a parent came to see me complaining that his 5 year old daughter had been told by a muslim friend that 'only Allah is God' and that she, as a Christian, was not going to heaven. It's a muddled up place!

If you google 'are non-Catholics damned' then it is easy to see where a catholic might get the idea that you have to be catholic to get to heaven. Popes have made pronouncements that sound very much like that's exactly what they're saying. Apparently Vatican II clarified that it was possible to be a non-catholic and yet be saved if you were in ignorance of catholic doctrines.

Sorry, but your kid's teacher is an absolute nutter and certainly not representative of what goes on in Catholic schools today.

My same age child told me that he had fallen out of a tree into a bush and a squirrel helped him find mummy. Actually he'd been to Tesco with his Dad. I think you need to check what's actually been said...

I think you can be pretty sure that isn't what is being taught! I am Catholic, and today's gospel and sermon was all about Christ welcoming people of other faiths

Sounds pretty fundamentalist stuff to me. Religious schools are definitely not all like that. The one I went to was pretty open and tolerant (woolly C of E).

What Bluegingham said.

I think the fundamental mistake you're making is living in Sunderland

I am s a non catholic, but went to a catholic secondary school for a while, and paryers were said for non-cathloics!! So yes i do believe the OP (sadly).But it is in the bible that Jesus died so that those who believed in him would not perish but pass to everlasting life, so i guess that rules out non christians.

Now that's just mean, hiddenhome

Lol, that could be it, hiddenhome

Catholics have no gripe with evolution.

OP, this sounds a bit odd. Either your child has got the wrong end of the stick or you have a rogue teacher. I have never come across views like this in modern RC schools or churches.

. . . And I am marrid to a Presbyterian and have a Presbyterian son, as well as a RC daughter, so would be appalled if I did come across these kind of views.

don't let her think God only loves people who pray. read her the story of the prodigal son and explain it.

Mean, shmeen, I used to live in Sunderland

She always has had plenty of bible stories, alongside greek myths, poetry, shakespere and so on. I sing hymns, mostly because I know how to play a lot of them. She has been going on tours of cathedrals etc since she was in a sling. She also goes to Durham miners gala every year, sings the red flag an has her own anti tory placard for marches. But I wouldn't want her at an exclusively socialist school.

I thought it might not be too bad, as study of the bible as a cultural artefact i pretty vital to participating in a lot of life. But it just seems to get more and more extreme. Not to mention that a lot of the more contentious stuff only starts to become very relevant as they get older, an I don't think I can trust the school to tackle homophobia etc if they are acting like this now.

They have just had their RE inspection actually, can I see that online like ofsted?

St Bede used to live in Sunderland and he was a Catholic

Seriously, my dcs attend Catholic schools and they're never taught stuff like that. Yours must have a rogue teacher

Hidden, I'm not technically in Sunderland. It is a hostile occupation because they want our car factory

Washington? Hmm, funny people there too

Washington is the arsehole of the world. And that's from a Mackem.

It does sound as if your DD has got a bit of a loon of a teacher and I would speak with the school regarding the only loving Catholics, praying on your knees bits. The rest are just normal.

Praying on your knees is fairly normal. A Catholic Mass has sitting, standing and kneeling.

I do believe the OP.

It sounds entirely consistent with the sort of crap spouted at me as an atheist child at a RC primary 30 odd years ago.

We had a luffley display in the hall made of cardboard tombstones commemorating all the past pupils who'd died as children (enough of them to form a cross which dominated one wall).

The HT often used to make it a feature of assembly - we had to pray to help speed them out of purgatory, & we were told it was jolly lucky they were all Catholic children, or they'd be in Limbo forever instead.

I'd be looking at waiting lists elsewhere & going in to speak to the HT in he mean time.