Posted on 02/26/2008 2:24:28 AM PST by markomalley
London, Feb 26, 2008 / 03:45 am (CNA).- A committee in the British House of Commons will investigate Catholic schools following the Bishop of Lancaster’s instructions to schools to place crucifixes in every classroom and stop “safe sex” education, the Independent reports.
Patrick O’Donoghue, Bishop of Lancaster, had circulated a 66-page booklet instructing Catholic schools to stop “safe sex” education. Bishop O’Donoghue wrote, "The secular view on sex outside marriage, artificial contraception, sexually transmitted disease, including HIV and AIDS, and abortion, may not be presented as neutral information."
Additionally, he told the schools not to support charities that support abortion. He singled out Amnesty International, which recently renounced its neutrality on abortion and now favors the abortion of children whose mothers were raped in war zones.
The government’s investigating committee is chaired by Labour Party member Barry Sheerman, who is reportedly concerned the Church is adopting a “fundamentalist” line.
"A lot of taxpayers' money is going into church schools and I think we should tease out what is happening here," he added. "We seem to have a shift in emphasis on the ground despite what the reasonable voices of the leadership are saying,” Sheerman said.
"Two years ago, it was possible to set up an inter-faith academy in Liverpool (jointly run by the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England)," Sheerman recalled.
However, a similar attempt in the area that Sheerman represents was abandoned after a letter was read in all area parishes before a meeting dedicated to discussing whether politicians were trying to dilute Catholic education.
“I just want to know why it is not now possible to set up an inter-faith school," Sheerman said.
When it happens over there, how long 'till it happens over here?
ping for your lists!
I think it’s wonderful that the bishop is doing this. I would assume that the school gets state money, as do most European private and religious schools, and that’s always poisonous. Accepting money from the state essentially gives it control (although I don’t see the British government doing anything about Muslim religious schools, which most certainly will be teaching things that are opposed and even violently so to the very concept of Britain).
It’s my theory that many parents would be more than happy to support a Catholic school that does NOT accept state money and therefore is free to teach and live Catholic doctrine. But we have truly sold our birthright for a mess of government pottage, and people have become accustomed to having government intervention - er, I mean money.
Will they do the same “investigation” of Moslem or Arabic schools? No? Cultural sensitivities trump only for certain cultures? I see...
Sans an American style “Bill of Rights,” all public and private behaviors are subject to arbitrary influences by powerful ideological interests.Sadly,the UK has no such document in their constitution.
We do and our rights are assaulted as well—but at least the left have to be sneaky about it and often fail.
God bless the brave bishop and keep him strong.
“I just want to know why it is not now possible to set up an inter-faith school,” Sheerman said.
Maybe because the church of England broke away from the Catholic Church in the first place on the issue of divorce?
Sadly, not often enough :-(
The problem is not the government, per se. It's the people in those Catholic communities who will scurry to go along with the demands of the authorities. The Muslims always have the same answer, "Too bad, it's our religion." Then they turn out a bunch of bums in dirty nightshirts to have a noisy demonstration with threatening signs. Matter dropped.
But while there are some Christians who echo the Muslims in saying it's our religion, there are more than enough who gladly capitulate and sell out the rest. And money talks.
Post-Christian = Pre-Islamic
“God bless the brave bishop and keep him strong.”
I stand in agreement with you. God bless this very brave man.
IIRC it’s worse than that. I don’t believe a school in the UK has to be receiving State money in order to come under the State’s thumb.
There’s an important error of fact in this report. This is not a ‘government’ committee. It is a parliamentary select committee including members from all parties. The select committees are standing bodies which scrutinise the work of government departments, as well as considering wider policy issues which may affect those departments in the future. They tend to be adversarial, more often than not critical of current government policy.
“Will they do the same “investigation” of Moslem or Arabic schools? No? Cultural sensitivities trump only for certain cultures? I see...”
Two reasons — the left is trying to maintain their hold on the immigrant vote and second, they are scared of Muslims.
Why would the Catholic Church even want to share a religious school with the Church of England?
“...instructions to schools to place crucifixes in every classroom and stop “safe sex” education...”
Satan and his minions will be very upset!
Yes, God bless Bishop O’Donoghue.
Take gov’t $, they will want your mind. Give the gov’t your mind, it will want your soul.
That's a very good question...
Actually, while this bishop is obviously one of the good guys, there are other British bishops, including the Archbishop, who are awful. Fortunately, I believe Archbishop is coming up for replacement soon, and rumor has it that his replacement will be much more orthodox.
I didn't realize that. I guess there's always bound to be some state interference in curriculum, in any school (including in the US), but this sounds as if it's going way beyond reasonable limits, such as simply ensuring that the kids learn how to read and write, for example.
PRIVATE Catholic Schools cannot put a cross in each classroom and eliminate teachings that are against their faith?
What part of PRIVATE do they not get?
Coming soon to a private church school near YOU!
I can see why US parochial schools are using the slogan “Free to be Catholic”- apparently this is not a freedom politicians are willing to allow in Great Britain.
They're not private! 'Church schools' (mostly Anglican and Catholic) have a special status within the English educational system. Although managed and in many cases owned by the church concerned, they're also an integral part of the state education system which provides most of their funding. They're subject to the regulations of that state system for curriculum and other general educational matters. In this they're quite different from 'independent' schools which are wholly privately funded. To confuse matters, many of these independent schools are also run by the Catholic and other churches, and are not subject to state regulation (although most of them choose to follow the national curriculum). Also see post 14 for an explanation of the status of the Committee mentioned in the article - it's nothing to do with Government.
btt
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Ugh...
Is this why vouchers for private schools in the US is a bad idea? Those private schools start taking money from the government and they are suddenly beholden to them?
?
Their complaints about Catholic teaching are akin to being “stoned with popcorn” (to use the late Archbishop Sheen’s words on another matter) compared to what the proponents of sharia law want to teach their young impressionable minds.
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