Could you fake following a religion to get your kids into a better school?

[justoh]

What do you see my attitude as? I understand how some people see religion in school as a big plus. I don't care to associate with those people for the most part. I see religion in school as a bigger negative than having Chris Benoit as the wrestling coach.

My son already goes to church every other Sunday with his mother. He is being exposed to religion, or at least christianity (out of the 4000+ known religions and thousands of gods, they know that's the right and true religion, afterall... good thing that is situated). I won't do anything to help that a long. I think it is evil and don't want anything to do with it. I'm not naive and ignorant, my position is what it is because quite the opposite, I'm informed.

Would you send your kids to a muslim school or satanist school to have him/her exposed to other views? I wouldn't. I also would much prefer my kid didn't go to a christian school. It is a personal decision, everyone is free to do as they want. That is my stance on it for my child, your position very well may be different.

I'm a little confused. Why is your son going to church if you care about him or his environment, or your own?

 

[Newell Steamer]

Yes.

I went to a Catholic high school (I am Christian Orthodox) and my grades improved rather well. My social skills improved even more so.

 

[Eug]

I'm a little confused. Why is your son going to church if you care about him or his environment, or your own?

Everything is about compromise.

Like I said earlier, I'm an athiest, but my daughter is baptized. My wife and her family are historically Catholic and wanted her baptized so I said whatever, knock yourselves out. I made the baptismal party a non-religious event though, basically a nice catered backyard party.

Ironically though, she was baptized as a Protestant. The Catholic church wanted both parents to attend church classes for 6 months, and I said not a chance in Catholic Hades. So, we found a Metropolitan Community Church which had no such requirements. Also, ironically, they're heavy supporters of the gay community, a group to which the Catholic church historically hasn't been as welcoming.

 

[SlowSpyder]

I'm a little confused. Why is your son going to church if you care about him or his environment, or your own?

I am divorced with 50/50 shared placement of my son with his mother. She is free to do whatever she would like with him, she likes to take him to a 'church' that was held in a hotel meeting room and is now held in someone's basement. On her weekends that is what she chooses to do with him, that is her right, I have no say in it.

When we were married she took him alone every Sunday. You have to pick your battles and compromise. She wanted to have him exposed to religion in her words. I asked about exposing him to other religions and it started a fight.

 

[justoh]

Everything is about compromise.

Like I said earlier, I'm an athiest, but my daughter is baptized. My wife and her family are historically Catholic and wanted her baptized so I said whatever, knock yourselves out. I made the baptismal party a non-religious event though, basically a nice catered backyard party.

Ironically though, she was baptized as a Protestant. The Catholic church wanted both parents to attend church classes for 6 months, and I said, not a chance in Catholic Hades. So, we found a Metropolitan Community Church which had no such requirements. Also, ironically, they're heavy supporters of the gay community, a group to which the Catholic church historically hasn't been as welcoming.

You compromise on the rituals and religious influence, either for your wife's sake or for the sake of her parents, or both, but substitute a non catholic baptismal and non cath church attendance. Interesting. What do her parents think about that? It's usually quite important for them. Is your wife actually religious as well, or is she also doing it for the parents? If you don't mind me asking.

 

[justoh]

I am divorced with 50/50 shared placement of my son with his mother. She is free to do whatever she would like with him, she likes to take him to a 'church' that was held in a hotel meeting room and is now held in someone's basement. On her weekends that is what she chooses to do with him, that is her right, I have no say in it.

When we were married she took him alone every Sunday. You have to pick your battles and compromise. She wanted to have him exposed to religion in her words. I asked about exposing him to other religions and it started a fight.

who you gonna call?

 

[Eug]

You compromise on the rituals and religious influence, either for your wife's sake or for the sake of her parents, or both, but substitute a non catholic baptismal and non cath church attendance. Interesting. What do her parents think about that? It's usually quite important for them. Is your wife actually religious as well, or is she also doing it for the parents? If you don't mind me asking.

They're not overly religious, which isn't a surprise considering they like me and I'm an athiest.

They're the type of catholics who love family tradition like big family Xmas dinners and Easter get togethers, but who don't go to church every single Sunday.

Plus my wife was turned off a bit by her Catholic school. She went to one run by nuns. A little too strict.

 

[mmntech]

If they're getting results, why not. As long as they're not teaching anything too wacky, like creationism. You do whatever you can to get your kids a leg up in this world. Frankly the quality of education at the public schools is dog poop.

 

[Raizinman]

Faking a religion is not just for the benefit of a better school. I was involved in a heavily litigated divorce where the mother brought her kids into a religious (cult) which wanted the kids. The religious cult got their members to lie and commit perjury for her which won her the divorce (lots of kids and money). Once she won, instead of giving over the kids and money to the cult, she with kids broke away and left the cult. This is becoming very common practice as most courts are too afraid of violating church and state to call any new or radical religion a cult.

 

[SlowSpyder]

who you gonna call?

I don't understand your reply to what I said. Who am I gonna call? For what?

 

[DrPizza]

Having taught for a year in a Catholic high school, I don't think I'd have an issue with my own kids going to one. (Well, if they were younger again; fortunately, here, public education is fairly good.) There were plenty of kids who weren't Catholic; but they did learn to simply be respectful toward other kids' religious beliefs. I suppose though, that this is simpler with Catholics than with, say, Fundamental Baptists who believe nutty things like there were triceratops alive 4000 years ago. (see link above)

To summarize the problem with that professor, first of all, his bachelor's degree is from an unaccredited university. His peer reviewed publication of his findings did NOT include his personal editorial on it. After publishing, he distorted his findings and made further claims which are not supported by his evidence (this part was not published in a peer reviewed journal, namely that the remains are 4000 years old and support the creationist point of view.) What he did is akin to me finding a smooth polished stone in a creek, publishing my findings on that stone - just how smooth it was, a measure of how spherical it was, etc. Then, after that true data was published in a scientific journal, coming out and saying that my data was published and my data proves that aliens visit the earth because my group believes that it would take too long for natural erosion to make the stone that smooth, so aliens had to do it. Either way though, he wins in court. If he wins, he wins. If he loses, he gets to elevate himself to the status of poster child for the misguided people who believe science is covering up any evidence that proves creationism is true. In all honesty, if his evidence proved a 4000 year old triceratops, he's in line for a Nobel. But, just like if I got fired for "aliens," it would be for my non-scientific assertions which have no basis in the evidence, rather than to stifle me.

 

[justoh]

I don't understand your reply to what I said. Who am I gonna call? For what?

Oh. that was meant for another reply in the ghost thread. sorry.

 

[Scarpozzi]

My wife attended a private university that was affiliated with a religious denomination that she didn't belong to.... They wanted her $35k/year for tuition, so they let it slide.

 

[sandorski]

The alternatives would have to be very crappy in comparison and if the Religious School required Active Members, then I could probably fake it.

If the Religious School was only slightly better, I would rather stick with the lesser school and supplement my childs' education at home through educationally beneficial Hobbies, outings, and such.

 

[alkemyst]

FYI: Catholics believe in evolution and the Big Bang. They've seen the light & have advanced out of the dark ages.

QFT, most have absolutely no clue either about the religions nor religious schools they slam.

 

[purbeast0]

QFT, most have absolutely no clue either about the religions nor religious schools they slam.

Yeah it is very obvious reading this thread and pretty much every other thread dealing with religion.

 

[SlowSpyder]

QFT, most have absolutely no clue either about the religions nor religious schools they slam.

I know they have accepted reality. I've mentioned it before when arguing with creationists, that even the catholic church (not known for embracing change) had to accept reality when they had their scientists look into these things. The evidence is overwhelming.

That's fine and all, but to me the christian dogma is still evil and bigoted. I don't want any part of it and have a hard time imagining a scenario that I'd willingly fake faith to get my son into their school where he'll take christianity classes. Just not for me, or my kid if I can help it.

 

[edro]

Do religious universities require you to have faith in their religion?
Catholic schools? (Notre Dame, Holy Cross, etc)
Other religious schools?

I assume not. However, they probably discriminate on the application process.

 

[trmiv]

I went to a Lutheran elementary school for about three years, and my parents are FAR from religious. I don't think my dad has ever been to church. But it was the best school in the area at the time, so that's why I went. There wasn't a ton of religious stuff that I remember, but we did have to attend church every Thursday. I also remember these religious trading cards they gave out one time.

I would not send my daughter to a religious school though.

 

[Imp]

I want to say no, but it's probably yes.

I knew someone who went to Catholic school and she is now an atheist. Her parents are practicing Catholics though. It wouldn't be an issue unless they shove it down your throat and try to do stuff like "pray away the gay". Jesus is a huge part of western society so it'd be a good idea to know the basics -- I knew a few people that didn't know the bare bare basics like the Great Flood and Moses. Mommy is religious and tried to beat it into us...

 

[gorcorps]

QFT, most have absolutely no clue either about the religions nor religious schools they slam.

On the flip side, many assume that just because their local religious schools have proper & modern education, then that means the same religious school across the country is just as good... and that's just not true. You certainly can't say "Catholics and Catholic schools don't teach evolution", but you also can't definitely say "all Catholics and Catholic schools have a modern understanding of science". Either way depends on the individual school or area.

 

[Babbles]

On the flip side, many assume that just because their local religious schools have proper & modern education, then that means the same religious school across the country is just as good... and that's just not true. You certainly can't say "Catholics and Catholic schools don't teach evolution", but you also can't definitely say "all Catholics and Catholic schools have a modern understanding of science". Either way depends on the individual school or area.

My educated understanding on this is that Catholic schools do teach a common curriculum and standards. As such you can have reasonable expectations to have similar education across the country. Obviously every single teacher is going to be different, but my guess is that the Catholic schools across the country are far more standardized and similar with each other than public school systems across the country.

I'm not certain what a "modern understanding of science" really means, but I do suspect that Catholic schools teach the most relevant and up-to date information they can. Obviously we shouldn't say "all this" or "all that" but I think we can be certain to have reasonable expectations that for the most part the Catholic curriculum does, in fact, have a 'modern understanding' of science.

 

[Babbles]

Who said anything about being beat up?
I remember many kids getting made fun of and ostracized for believing in Santa.

Also, your signature is laughable in the context of this thread.

Metaphor, perhaps?

I don't remember any kids getting made fun of and ostracized for believing in Santa. I suppose we can put this into the anecdotal evidence category. My inference, though, is that as the vast majority of American society is composed of otherwise well-adjusted adults who likely believed in, at one point, some fairy tale that there is in fact no long-term ramifications for a fleeting belief in tall tales.

Finally, life is complicated. There are a lot of things to understand. Some of it is the physical laws on the universe. Some of it are the more mystical natures of the mind and belief. If you choose not to understand the complete picture of mankind - the physical and spiritual - that is obviously your choice. I think the reality is we are pretty complicated people with complicated things to find out.

 

[Ruptga]

There are reasonable expectations for a Catholic school, since they enforce conformity. But since we're talking about any religious school, the possibilities are just about endless.

 

[Golgatha]

FYI: Catholics believe in evolution and the Big Bang. They've seen the light & have advanced out of the dark ages.

God or no God, a miracle happened. Something came from nothing.