The Real Life Of A Real Catholic

[Cesar624]

[quote name='Ash Wednesday' date='Jul 30 2004, 12:36 AM'] One thing that concerns me about Catholic schools is whether or not they are as unorthodox as the Catholic universities are. If that is the case then how would they be different are they from public schools? If the schools are as orthodox and high quality as they were before the 60s, then I would gladly enroll my kid.

The Catholic universities now, I know, are wolves in sheep's clothing. They claim Catholicity and yet teach that you can still be a good Catholic without "following the rules or letting the pope tell you what to do." I'd just about send my kid to a public college before I sent them to a Catholic university unless it was Steubenville.

I grew up in a public school, no Catholic school in town and my parents would not have been able to afford it anyway. I think the biggest pitfall is the lack of solid catechesis in CCD or whatever they call it now.

My mother's notebook from her Catholic education before her confirmation in high school had notes about marriage being a trinity, being a good child of Mary, the sacraments, spiritual and corporal works of mercy, and that artificial contraception was wrong, among other things.

The average youth group nowdays sits in a circle, lights some candles and talks about how much Jesus is our buddy. Which is fine in bits and pieces, but there are lot of things that I learned not really from CCD, but only because I had a good friend whose family I really looked up to that taught NFP locally. They got me to thinking about my Catholicism. I didn't even know what mortal sin was until I got into college.

I'm less concerned about whether or not my kids are educated publicly or privately AS MUCH as I am making sure that they have a SOLID religious education. So given that the pope would be talking about GOOD orthodox Catholic schools, then I am in agreement. [/quote]
I agree 110%.

[justfran]

Add to that the sad fact that a lot of people who go to Catholic schools aren't Catholic at all. Here in Sydney, especially in the city, Catholic schools tend to be buzzing with the super-rich, and those who want prestige. It's not like that at all where I live in the suburbs, though (still not many Catholics I know of in those schools, but there's less pomp).

[ironmonk]

[quote name='Cesar624' date='Jul 30 2004, 01:05 AM'] Oh, and BTW...not going to a Catholic school doesn't make me any less Catholic than someone who LIVES in a Catholic school...so sorry Pope Leo, I AM A REAL CATHOLIC, and I don't need to go to a Catholic school to reinforce that. [/quote]
Note the bold, you have taken the post out of context way.

A real Catholic cannot seperate the faith from daily life is the point.

God Bless.
ironmonk

[ironmonk]

[quote name='Cesar624' date='Jul 30 2004, 02:20 AM'] That's ONE Diocese in Kansas...what about the poor people in other parts of the country? [/quote]
There are a lot of schools that help people out if they're poor and practicing Catholics.


God Bless,
ironmonk

[EcceNovaFacioOmni]

[quote]I have friends that are Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Protestant, Buddhist, Taoist and even some Agnostics and Atheists...[/quote]
So do I, and I go to a Jesuit school.

[BeenaBobba]

Amen to that! I went to Catholic schools from Grade K through Grade 8, and I [b]loved[/b] it! The education is of a higher quality, and religion and discipline is stressed. We went to Mass on the first Friday of each month, and we prayed each morning. Unfortunately, many Catholic schools aren't too orthodox. In cases where there aren't good, orthodox Catholic schools, I'd recommend homeschooling. Some couples cannot afford to homeschool or to send their children to Catholic schools, so they really have no other choice but to send their children to public schools. Of course, this doesn't mean that their children will turn out really badly (so long as they do all they can to raise them correctly).

There's no doubt about it: Catholic schools are better from a variety of angles. Religion is stressed, and children are held to a higher standard. I went to a public high school, and it didn't hold a candle to the Catholic schools I attended. (I think Catholic schools should have better math, science, and computer programs, though.) In high school, I remember my Honors American Literature teacher pointing me out as an example for my good grammar. "She went to a Catholic school," she'd say.

God bless,

Jen

[1337 k4th0l1x0r]

I think a lot of religious instructors now are too afraid of being boring and therefore won't teach the real important stuff. I don't see English teachers getting worried that their material will bore the kids.

[mom25angels]

[quote name='BeenaBobba' date='Jul 30 2004, 11:02 AM'] Some couples cannot afford to homeschool or to send their children to Catholic schools, so they really have no other choice but to send their children to public schools. Of course, this doesn't mean that their children will turn out really badly (so long as they do all they can to raise them correctly).

[/quote]
I think this is a matter of priorities here, if you want/need to homeschool your children there are ways to do it no matter the finances. There are vast resources for homeschooling out there, much of it [b]extremely[/b] affordable. Having had my dd in a Catholic school at one time I can honestly say that I spent less on homeschooling materials for 4 children(one preschooler, 1st,2nd and 6th) this year than I did on sending one to Catholic school in the past.

[WCC_Catholic]

[quote name='justfran' date='Jul 30 2004, 02:49 AM'] Add to that the sad fact that a lot of people who go to Catholic schools aren't Catholic at all. Here in Sydney, especially in the city, Catholic schools tend to be buzzing with the super-rich, and those who want prestige. It's not like that at all where I live in the suburbs, though (still not many Catholics I know of in those schools, but there's less pomp). [/quote]
that is very true too it is a status symbol

[hopeful1]

[quote name='M.SIGGA' date='Jul 30 2004, 12:15 AM'] I agree with th Pope. I hated my Catholic high school when I went there, but I really appreciate the experience now. The Catholic schools need to do more to help out families that can't afford the tuition. My school was almost $7k/yr and they offered a few scholorships, but that was it; I knew some Catholic families who couldn't afford to attend there, or the other Catholic high schools, and had to go to public schools. They also need good qualified Catholic teachers instead of coaches teaching religion classes, and better pay!!! [/quote]
AMEN TO THAT!!!!!!

[MichaelFilo]

I attend a regular secular high school, but the only regular thing about it is it's secular. It's ranked top in the nation for IB and adv. classes. Do I wish I was in a Catholic school? Possibly. I have heard some not so good things about the one I would go to, from family who attend and some who had finished through it all. So I guess it's not so much as to going to a Catholic school, as much as it is getting a Catholic education. It doesn't sound the local school gives much for education, and the only thing that really called me to my faith was the over-bearing of modern types of thinking at my school, where religion is a seduction of the masses, and the Catholic Church is the teller of lies and that of mis-used authority and power. That started me on my road to Catholicism as much as my call to priesthood. But the point is, the education at the local Catholic Church probably is more religious, but I can get all that from reading, attending mass, and adoration ( I suggest 4-5 hours in adoration, its a test of faith, and if you are faithful and can endure, you'll have such a wonderful time with Jesus, get a good book, any Catholic book will do quite well, and then pray some). I'm getting off topic now, but you get the gist, get the Catholic teachings you need, apolegetics supplements secular schools quite nicely.

God bless,

Mikey