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Original poster

To christen DS Catholic or CofE?

120 replies

TinaTop · 11/04/2018 12:57

I was christened Catholic and DH is CofE. We got married in our lovely village church which is also CofE, and we attend occasional services there e.g. Easter and Christmas.

We'd love to have DS christened in our village church but have the inevitable concerns about school admission. The best schools in our area are Catholic, therefore it would be better for DS to be christened Catholic at the (big, modern, soulless) church in the nearest town (which we will never attend again).

I'm torn between wanting a lovely little ceremony in our village church that we actually attend, and wanting DS to have the best educational opportunities in the future... WWYD?

OP posts:
TheHumanMothboy · 12/04/2018 12:28

What matters is that they have aware, involved parents who raise decent kids.

Which describes the majority of people everywhere!

To be completely honest, the most dishonest, most venal people I've ever come across claim to be religious.

ReversingSnail · 12/04/2018 12:28

troublemakers from disadvantaged families

Biscuit Hmm

ILikeMyChickenFried · 12/04/2018 13:25

ilikemychickenlying is a venial sin, usually, but can be a mortal sin, therefore lead to eternal damnation. What is thefor? These are matters that Catholics take very seriously!

Because I am a Catholic and your mocking tone isn't very well hidden.

LIZS · 12/04/2018 13:44

"Troublemakers" as defined by...? Schools tend to place children in care or who have been in care Looked After Children) and those with Special Needs and Disabilities (SEND) ahead in priority for admissions. A proportion of children admitted to a local RC primary are from non native English speaking families and the nearby social housing estate. Not sure if that fits your definition of disadvantaged families but any of these children, or those from more advantaged RC families , even your ds, may subsequently turn out to have behavioural issues at some point.

ILikeMyChickenFried · 12/04/2018 14:39

Something I forgot to mention earlier. Our local secondary priorities children of other non-Christian faiths above CofE. No idea why...

Bechetdiagnosed · 12/04/2018 15:40

OP you may think you are rich in choice and decisions but you are not rich in faith, love or understanding.

As a Christian I am sickened by you. You are mocking the very faith you follow.

Baptism is a sacrament, not a pawn to use in your pathetic game.

SoupDragon · 12/04/2018 15:56

Whereas Catholic kids are more likely to go to school exclusively with other Catholic kids who've been raised with discipline.

And the children of parents who have lied and cheated their way into the school.

grasspigeons · 12/04/2018 15:58

see all these Christians judging the OP

I am judging all these church schools with closed admissions

I think they are a disgrace on the church

The CofE school in our village has 'open' admissions and the vicar is very vocal about maintaining them. They just use the standard admissions criteria and faith doesn't come into it.

BertrandRussell · 12/04/2018 16:03

“Our local secondary priorities children of other non-Christian faiths above CofE. No idea why...”

Presumably because it’s a Catholic school?

SoupDragon · 12/04/2018 16:04

Go for the catholic one.

Mostly for the outrage when you discover it doesn’t make you catholic enough for the really good schools.

BertrandRussell · 12/04/2018 16:04

Sorry you said “non-Christian”........

Are you sure?

PatriarchyPersonified · 12/04/2018 16:13

This thread is a perfect example of why faith based school selection is complete nonsense.

To the OP who claims they would set themself on fire to get their kids ahead in life, most decent people (religious and non-religious alike) would set themself on fire to show their children the right way to behave.

What you are actually doing is showing your children a good example of disingenuous lying purely to game the system and get some kind of perceived advantage over others.

Good luck with that.

Once they are grown up, finished education and moved into their adult life, they might have a grade or two higher in a few GCSEs or A Levels (might being the operative word here), but what kind of people will they be?

jellycat1 · 12/04/2018 16:19

Troublemakers from disadvantaged families

Wow! Now I'm just laughing at you.

ILikeMyChickenFried · 12/04/2018 16:41

*Sorry you said “non-Christian”........

Are you sure?*

Very much so. Does that not quite fit into the world according to Bertrand or Something?

BertrandRussell · 12/04/2018 16:49

“Very much so. Does that not quite fit into the world according to Bertrand or Something?”

Just surprised and interested. Is it a Muslim academy?

PurpleDaisies · 12/04/2018 17:08

But the only option available to me for a selective school is Catholic school. I don't want DC in a class with troublemakers from disadvantaged families, which is more likely at a mixed school.

Nice Christian attitude there...

Walkingdeadfangirl · 12/04/2018 17:46

I would literally set myself on fire to give my DC a chance at a better life.
Has Diane Abbot had more children?

I don't want DC in a class with troublemakers from disadvantaged families

So the title of this thread is misleading, it has nothing to do with religion. Its just pure naked cut throat bigotry. Getting ahead by walking on the backs of disadvantaged scum children.

That's religion for you.

corcaithecat · 12/04/2018 17:48

My DS attends a Catholic school as it's the local village school and it's within a hundred yards of where we live. I'm an aetheist and DS hasn't been baptised, christened etc. so it probably depends where you live. The nearest secular school is probably an hour away.

Assuming the school you want is likely to be heavily subscribed, it probably makes sense to get them baptised as a Catholic. Also, factor in that if you don't attend the attached church regularly, you might find mild discrimination when it comes to them being chosen for extra curricular activities etc. (That's been my experience but I just let it go as it's only primary school, after all.)

As a total non believer, it wouldn't have bothered me to have DS baptised as a Catholic if I had to, to enable him to attend the local school because the whole religious aspect of it is meaningless to me.

Apart from the little girls dressing up as Brides for their first Holy Communion, which does seem a bit erm, creepy.

Walkingdeadfangirl · 12/04/2018 17:49

I would suggest as with grammar schools, selection to a 'faith' school makes no difference to the results a child achieves at GCSE. All it does is avoid the great mass of unwashed plebs.

Buxbaum · 12/04/2018 18:32

In many cases the teachers have only been baptised Catholic in order to work in a school with well behaved pupils.

This is utter rot. I can assure you that some of the worst and most extreme behaviour I have ever witnessed took place in a Catholic school.

I don't want DC in a class with troublemakers from disadvantaged families, which is more likely at a mixed school.

One of the least Christian sentiments you could possibly express. I think you need to examine your own faith before making any decision for your child.

AnnieWaits · 12/04/2018 18:37

In many cases the teachers have only been baptised Catholic in order to work in a school with well behaved pupils.

I don't even know where to begin with the many many ways in which this is wrong, except to point out that you do not have to be a baptised Catholic to work in a Catholic school - simply willing to uphold the ethos and teachings of the faith.

Not everyone has such a venal approach to religion as you appear to have.

ICantCopeAnymore · 12/04/2018 18:47

Have you ever been to a Catholic school? I have, for ten years. Behaviour was horrific. It was a naice, public school too.

C0untDucku1a · 12/04/2018 18:55

You need to check the admissions policy of the school you want and also look at the last three years ‘last child admitted’ info.

isittheholidaysyet · 12/04/2018 19:06

Check the schools admissions policies.

But if your child is a baby be aware that these could change before your child gets to the right age. It just needs the school to become an academy or change academy trust, or a whole lot of people from a Catholic country to move to the area, or to leave the area, or even a baby boom in one particular year at the church, for it all to change.

As you don't seem that bothered by religion though, might you not find a Catholic school a little hard to stomach?

Many Catholic school were built in poor deprived areas. Many of them are still there.

elQuintoConyo · 12/04/2018 19:22

I'm in a country that is 98% Catholic. I have taught children in after-school clubs for years, ages 8-18. There is nothing well-behaved or disciplined about the Catholic kids, nothing better about their parents, none have stronger morals, their education (even in the private schools) is no different.

It is such a steaming pile of horseshit to suggest otherwise.