[AtLast]

Originally Posted by dreadgeek

While I agree that the archdiocese is wrong in their decision, I think that ultimately they are doing this child a long-term favor. NOT going to a Catholic school they will not be exposed to a belief system that is anti-queer and anti-woman. They may learn to think rationally and to have the courage of their convictions to follow it all the way up and all the way down, no matter how uncomfortable that might be.

I was raised in the church (AME) and while I am glad that I learned the Bible as a piece of literature, almost nothing I learned in church that was specifically religious in nature has been of any real use to me as an adult except as a negative example of how NOT to treat other people and how NOT to think.

What's more the archdiocese is being entirely consistent with their beliefs. I understand that some queer people would like Christianity, in its current, American formulation, to be a different religion than what it is but it isn't. The Catholic church just is what it is. Part of what it is is homophobic.

Cheers
Aj

I am very troubled by this decision and what is behind it. I have to say, however, that I find many myths concerning just how much actual religion is taught within specific faith-run schools. Also, as a Catholic growing up, I did hjave parents that pointed out where the church was wrong. My mother was very clear about the facty that there were world religions and none of them could claim being the true, faith. She leaned over to me weekly during mass and wispered that part isn't true about many things being said. And both of my parents were very clear that sin was bullshit, especially concerning children.

Also, parents do make decisions about the quality of schooling for their kids and frankly, many religious schools do offer better education. I would rather this not be true, but it is. And the main reason I want the tax exemptions that organized religions get to be revoked. That money should be put into the US public education systems.

Yes, as an adult, I needed to transform my spiritual beliefs as Catholocism just wasn't going to cut it. But, I am glad I was raised within a religious home because it did give me a path to to completion as a human within a spiritual context... a foundation to figure out how I could integrate spirit in my life. And no thgere is no old white guy with a beard up there to me. I simply need this in my life, it is a positive energy force for me.

I absolutely go nuts with the influence of church & state in the US and wing-nut fundamentalists (actually that would be world wide), and think all religious organization should not be exempt from taxation.

Yup, no church involved with state matters. But, I embrace the concept of freedom of religion/spirituality (including athiesim) and have to say that I do get tired of all religious and even spiritual belief systems being put into one negative box.

I feel that this lesbian parent should fight this if she really wants her child in this school. This is a step toward combating the homophobia in Catholocism. Just as many Reformist Jews combat sexism (and homophobia) within Judism.