Coronavirus spreads. But don't panic! (topical thread)

[Dom]

Only thing I don't like is that because it's a catholic school one of his classes will be religion, I just hope that at least they do what they did last year where they taught about other religions in the class as well as Catholicism.

In some communities the Catholic system is of higher quality and they are generally restrained about indoctrination.

I used to live in SW Michigan when my daughter was entering grade school and I put her in the Christian Reformed school system there, which was pretty much the same deal, particularly in our neighborhood. The public school she would have gone to was noticeably grimy / gritty and a bit ominous, and the price for the private option wasn't bad. It went well and there was never any religious indoctrination beyond some incidental grousing about the erosion of local blue laws, which unlike the Catholics, was a big deal for that particular denomination.

I had a client in the same 'hood at the time who presided over a Hindu family from India and he used the Christian Reformed schools for the same reasons. He was devout enough to have a Hindu officiant come over to his office to perform incantations and ceremonies one time I was there (I nearly choked on the incense -- kind of distracting when you're trying to write code), so I doubt he had any complaints about indoctrination either.

We switched to home schooling when we later moved out to a more rural setting, but the main driver for that was my first wife, who by that time was becoming increasingly paranoid and not mentally well. My religious convictions were already melting away so they were a distant 2nd consideration.


Like you probably are, I was semi-vigilant with the religious school but never had my hackles raised. Hope it works out well for you too.

When I was 10 and it became time to switch schools, my parents let me choose. I chose the catholic school, actually because I had to take a bus and tram to go there, and the station where I switched transport was by a park with lots of squirrels in it. I used to feed them and take little strolls in the park. This was before kids were considered unable to travel alone in public transportation. Nothing ever happened to any of us kids who did.

Anyway, that transfer to a school run by nuns probably was the reason for my early deconversion, instead of reading little bible assignments I read the whole darn thing and decided it was a bunch of made up stories, and not very good ones.

Much, much later I found out that both my parents were closet atheists. They never spoke to me about religion in any way and let me find out for myself. It did work out well in my case. They did nurture my curiosity.... for which I am still very grateful.