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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Catholic Primary Education - do i want this for DS

94 replies

YokoOhNo · 26/09/2011 09:49

DH is a practicing Catholic and went to Catholic school. I was baptised and went to church as a child, but I'm basically agnostic, although I do appreciate the Christian message of "love thy neighbour" and the church as something that binds the community.

Briefly, the local Catholic primary school is excellent and DH wants DS (7 months) to be baptised Catholic so he can do there. I have been to a few services at the church with DH and DS, which is very friendly and the priest is lovely and, obviously, I am keen to get DS into a good school, but I'm hesitating.

While I have no problem with a Christian ethos in education, I have a issues with many of the formal teachings of the Catholic church on homosexuality, contraception, priestly celebacy etc, and what I feel are the more hocus pocus aspects such as pilgrimages to Lourdes etc (I don't mean to offend, just state my view). DH says I'm being daft, that he is RC, that DS's education is too important not to baptise him and "hardly any Catholics believe half that stuff anyway" and that I should get over my concerns.

DS was an IVF baby and we want to be very open about that with him, but the Catholic church is critical of assisted conception. His lovely aunt is a lesbian. I would hate him to feel criticised or upset.

I suppose what I'm asking is, are my doubts rediculous? Do Catholic primary schools mainly teach the "Jesus is love" message and have nativity plays and carol services, or does it go much deeper into some of the more controversial aspects.

OP posts:

wantadvice · 26/09/2011 22:58

I guess we live in very different parishes then as without early baptism in mine you're not going to get into catholic schools.

festi · 26/09/2011 22:59

the scriptures say nothing of IVF anyway.

wantadvice · 26/09/2011 23:00

But the catholic church does and we are talking about being a catholic not a Christian.

wigglesrock · 26/09/2011 23:00

sorry should be a not in there. A tad tired - dd3 not the worlds best sleeper

festi · 26/09/2011 23:01

then that is about school admissions and parish politics and nothing to do with faith or level of comitment to the wider church or message of the scriptures. it has nothing to do with practicing or not practicing.

wantadvice · 26/09/2011 23:03

No, it's about being a catholic. If you are practising then you have to follow the catholic churches teachings. If you dont you may claim to be a practising catholic but in reality you're not. Cant be arsed to dig it out but canon law is pretty specific on early baptism.

festi · 26/09/2011 23:04

getting off topic now with the ivf thing, but it is not a refection of how practicing he is. It is acceptable to not agree with some of the values rules coming from the vatican to still be considered a practicing catholic.

festi · 26/09/2011 23:06

I dont agree with what you are saying one little bit and im a practicing catholic, the point is that it is my faith, my values and my judgement. Someone elses may be diffirent but that does not make me a lesser catholic than anyone else.

wantadvice · 26/09/2011 23:07

We'll have to agree to disagree then. IVF goes against basic catholic ideals and the chuch speaks out strongly against it. personally I have nothing against it but I completely disagree you can claim to be a practising catholic yet still go against it's teachings on such a huge issue.

wantadvice · 26/09/2011 23:09

Of course it's your faith but not the catholic one. What on earth does being a practising catholic mean then?

wantadvice · 26/09/2011 23:10

You're not meant to have your own values!

festi · 26/09/2011 23:11

could argue that one for ever and a day. There is no wrong or right is the point Im trying to make. I think you would be hard pushed to find many catholics who hold your opinion on that one.

wantadvice · 26/09/2011 23:12

My mother is twice divorced, was excommunicated years ago by her local priest, isnt allowed to recieve communion and still calls herself a catholic. The catholic church doesnt.

wantadvice · 26/09/2011 23:12

I dont hold that opinion, the catholic church does and you'd be hard pushed to find evidence that they dont.

TheFallenMadonna · 26/09/2011 23:13

ROFL at "there's no right or wrong".

You sure you're a Catholic?

wantadvice · 26/09/2011 23:14

The catholic church is pretty dogmatic and definite about what is right and wrong.

TheFallenMadonna · 26/09/2011 23:15

Whereas my mum is divorced and still receives communion.

wantadvice · 26/09/2011 23:16

Our local churches periodically remind you in the newsletters that if you are divorced then dont accept communion.

wantadvice · 26/09/2011 23:17

I guess it also depends on whether she had a relationship with someone else as in teh eyes of the church she would still be married to her husband.

festi · 26/09/2011 23:17

because my relationship with the lord, jesus, the virgin mary and the saints, my interpritation of the scriptures and the dialogue I have with the "church" and my priest is a personal and evolving one and ever changing. I do not need to agree and accept every ruling to be a practicing catholic.

TheFallenMadonna · 26/09/2011 23:18

She lives with someone else!

Do you live in England? I have never seen that on a newsletter.

wantadvice · 26/09/2011 23:19

festi - I really couldnt care less what you call yourself but it's daft to make out that the catholic church is perfectly okay with IVF when it simply is very much against it regardless of your personal beliefs.

TheFallenMadonna · 26/09/2011 23:19

I think you have that in common with many catholics festi, but it doesn't mean that the church thinks it's a good idea.

Quintessentialist · 26/09/2011 23:19

I dont think you are supposed to have a relationship with any of those, Festi, I think the Father is supposed to be the go-betweener. That is one of the key differences between the Catholic and the Protestant church. With the Catholic church you confess your sins to the Father. In the Protestant Church you approach God, Jesus, Mary direct yourself.

wantadvice · 26/09/2011 23:19

Yep, in an area with very popular catholic schools.

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