Comments on: New Catholic Archbishop hits the ground running with more ‘faith’ school garbage http://freethinker.co.uk/2009/06/05/new-catholic-archbishop-hits-the-ground-running-with-more-%e2%80%98faith%e2%80%99-school-garbage/ The voice of atheism since 1881 Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:48:54 +0000 hourly 1 By: barriejohn http://freethinker.co.uk/2009/06/05/new-catholic-archbishop-hits-the-ground-running-with-more-%e2%80%98faith%e2%80%99-school-garbage/comment-page-1/#comment-17324 barriejohn Sun, 07 Jun 2009 20:42:49 +0000 http://freethinker.co.uk/?p=6609#comment-17324 My dad had some strange experiences at school (very similar to this), back in the 1920s, but yours really takes the biscuit I think, Stonyground! Things were not a whole lot better when I was at Grammar School, where we had a "Divinity" teacher who thought it a good idea to send some boys to the library each week to bring all the theology books to the classroom, whereupon we would select one each to peruse! Unfortunately (or, as you say, maybe fortunately), the demented woman`s catchphrase (in a strong Saath Effrican accent) was "Would you just raise your heads a moment?", whereupon she would begin to lecture us on the evils of either failing to wear our caps in public, or "eating in the street" ( a major sin in her eyes), so you can just imagine how much we actually learnt in her 40 minute lesson!! When the school became a Comprehensive in later years she actually said to a friend of mine: "We`re teaching children that we didn`t even know existed"!!! My dad had some strange experiences at school (very similar to this), back in the 1920s, but yours really takes the biscuit I think, Stonyground! Things were not a whole lot better when I was at Grammar School, where we had a "Divinity" teacher who thought it a good idea to send some boys to the library each week to bring all the theology books to the classroom, whereupon we would select one each to peruse! Unfortunately (or, as you say, maybe fortunately), the demented woman`s catchphrase (in a strong Saath Effrican accent) was "Would you just raise your heads a moment?", whereupon she would begin to lecture us on the evils of either failing to wear our caps in public, or "eating in the street" ( a major sin in her eyes), so you can just imagine how much we actually learnt in her 40 minute lesson!! When the school became a Comprehensive in later years she actually said to a friend of mine: "We`re teaching children that we didn`t even know existed"!!!

]]> By: captainjjb http://freethinker.co.uk/2009/06/05/new-catholic-archbishop-hits-the-ground-running-with-more-%e2%80%98faith%e2%80%99-school-garbage/comment-page-1/#comment-17327 captainjjb Sun, 07 Jun 2009 07:37:24 +0000 http://freethinker.co.uk/?p=6609#comment-17327 Sontyground, actually I remember "RE" being great fun at CoE Primary School (early 70's) mostly because it consisted of singing hymns, which I loved (the words were irrelevant to me) and beating each other up at cub scouts. It was the Catholic senior school that completely screwed it all up. Every week I went through three lessons worth of complete drivel, although your experience really takes the biscuit, copying out latin, LOL, great stuff. Sontyground, actually I remember "RE" being great fun at CoE Primary School (early 70's) mostly because it consisted of singing hymns, which I loved (the words were irrelevant to me) and beating each other up at cub scouts. It was the Catholic senior school that completely screwed it all up. Every week I went through three lessons worth of complete drivel, although your experience really takes the biscuit, copying out latin, LOL, great stuff.

]]> By: barriejohn http://freethinker.co.uk/2009/06/05/new-catholic-archbishop-hits-the-ground-running-with-more-%e2%80%98faith%e2%80%99-school-garbage/comment-page-1/#comment-17320 barriejohn Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:20:56 +0000 http://freethinker.co.uk/?p=6609#comment-17320 I nearly said that there`s a rich seam of material for a cartoonist here, but what you`ve directed us to is even better remigius! I haven`t laughed so much for ages (well - not since the "Jesus Light Switch" over on <a href="http://thebeattitude.com/" target="_blank">http://thebeattitude.com/</a> anyways ["Don`t Turn Jesus On"]!! I hope no readers of this blog mised all that - if you did it`s under the "Funny Stuff - A Very Inappropriate Golf Lesson From Jesus" post!). I nearly said that there`s a rich seam of material for a cartoonist here, but what you`ve directed us to is even better remigius! I haven`t laughed so much for ages (well – not since the "Jesus Light Switch" over on http://thebeattitude.com/ anyways ["Don`t Turn Jesus On"]!! I hope no readers of this blog mised all that – if you did it`s under the "Funny Stuff – A Very Inappropriate Golf Lesson From Jesus" post!).

]]> By: barriejohn http://freethinker.co.uk/2009/06/05/new-catholic-archbishop-hits-the-ground-running-with-more-%e2%80%98faith%e2%80%99-school-garbage/comment-page-1/#comment-17321 barriejohn Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:20:56 +0000 http://freethinker.co.uk/?p=6609#comment-17321 I nearly said that there`s a rich seam of material for a cartoonist here, but what you`ve directed us to is even better remigius! I haven`t laughed so much for ages (well - not since the "Jesus Light Switch" over on <a href="http://thebeattitude.com/" target="_blank">http://thebeattitude.com/</a> anyways ["Don`t Turn Jesus On"]!! I hope no readers of this blog mised all that - if you did it`s under the "Funny Stuff - A Very Inappropriate Golf Lesson From Jesus" post!). I nearly said that there`s a rich seam of material for a cartoonist here, but what you`ve directed us to is even better remigius! I haven`t laughed so much for ages (well – not since the "Jesus Light Switch" over on http://thebeattitude.com/ anyways ["Don`t Turn Jesus On"]!! I hope no readers of this blog mised all that – if you did it`s under the "Funny Stuff – A Very Inappropriate Golf Lesson From Jesus" post!).

]]> By: barriejohn http://freethinker.co.uk/2009/06/05/new-catholic-archbishop-hits-the-ground-running-with-more-%e2%80%98faith%e2%80%99-school-garbage/comment-page-1/#comment-17322 barriejohn Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:20:56 +0000 http://freethinker.co.uk/?p=6609#comment-17322 I nearly said that there`s a rich seam of material for a cartoonist here, but what you`ve directed us to is even better remigius! I haven`t laughed so much for ages (well - not since the "Jesus Light Switch" over on <a href="http://thebeattitude.com/" target="_blank">http://thebeattitude.com/</a> anyways ["Don`t Turn Jesus On"]!! I hope no readers of this blog mised all that - if you did it`s under the "Funny Stuff - A Very Inappropriate Golf Lesson From Jesus" post!). I nearly said that there`s a rich seam of material for a cartoonist here, but what you`ve directed us to is even better remigius! I haven`t laughed so much for ages (well – not since the "Jesus Light Switch" over on http://thebeattitude.com/ anyways ["Don`t Turn Jesus On"]!! I hope no readers of this blog mised all that – if you did it`s under the "Funny Stuff – A Very Inappropriate Golf Lesson From Jesus" post!).

]]> By: barriejohn http://freethinker.co.uk/2009/06/05/new-catholic-archbishop-hits-the-ground-running-with-more-%e2%80%98faith%e2%80%99-school-garbage/comment-page-1/#comment-17323 barriejohn Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:20:56 +0000 http://freethinker.co.uk/?p=6609#comment-17323 I nearly said that there`s a rich seam of material for a cartoonist here, but what you`ve directed us to is even better remigius! I haven`t laughed so much for ages (well - not since the "Jesus Light Switch" over on <a href="http://thebeattitude.com/" target="_blank">http://thebeattitude.com/</a> anyways ["Don`t Turn Jesus On"]!! I hope no readers of this blog mised all that - if you did it`s under the "Funny Stuff - A Very Inappropriate Golf Lesson From Jesus" post!). I nearly said that there`s a rich seam of material for a cartoonist here, but what you`ve directed us to is even better remigius! I haven`t laughed so much for ages (well – not since the "Jesus Light Switch" over on http://thebeattitude.com/ anyways ["Don`t Turn Jesus On"]!! I hope no readers of this blog mised all that – if you did it`s under the "Funny Stuff – A Very Inappropriate Golf Lesson From Jesus" post!).

]]> By: barriejohn http://freethinker.co.uk/2009/06/05/new-catholic-archbishop-hits-the-ground-running-with-more-%e2%80%98faith%e2%80%99-school-garbage/comment-page-1/#comment-17319 barriejohn Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:06:23 +0000 http://freethinker.co.uk/?p=6609#comment-17319 I think you`re right in every respect there Stonyground. (I know - it`s boring having someone agree with you all the time, isn`t it?) When I was a boy, the Plymouth Brethren had an organization for boys called "Crusaders" (it may still be going for all I know, though "Covenanters" was later much more popular, being less elitist). The unashamed object of this organization was to ensnare INTELLIGENT young boys, by means of innocuous activities like sport, games and outings, and indoctrinate them with evangelical beliefs. As soon as it became known that I had been selected for grammar school, an evangelical colleague of my father`s got me inveigled into the "Crusaders" on the pretence that I would greatly benefit from the activities and opportunities that it provided for boys like me. Nothing was said overtly, but it was quite clear to me from the very outset that Secondary Modern "oiks" (as you so rightly put it) were most definitely NOT welcome!! "Plus ca change" as they say! I think you`re right in every respect there Stonyground. (I know – it`s boring having someone agree with you all the time, isn`t it?) When I was a boy, the Plymouth Brethren had an organization for boys called "Crusaders" (it may still be going for all I know, though "Covenanters" was later much more popular, being less elitist). The unashamed object of this organization was to ensnare INTELLIGENT young boys, by means of innocuous activities like sport, games and outings, and indoctrinate them with evangelical beliefs. As soon as it became known that I had been selected for grammar school, an evangelical colleague of my father`s got me inveigled into the "Crusaders" on the pretence that I would greatly benefit from the activities and opportunities that it provided for boys like me. Nothing was said overtly, but it was quite clear to me from the very outset that Secondary Modern "oiks" (as you so rightly put it) were most definitely NOT welcome!! "Plus ca change" as they say!

]]> By: Stonyground http://freethinker.co.uk/2009/06/05/new-catholic-archbishop-hits-the-ground-running-with-more-%e2%80%98faith%e2%80%99-school-garbage/comment-page-1/#comment-17318 Stonyground Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:42:41 +0000 http://freethinker.co.uk/?p=6609#comment-17318 Captainjjb. This reminds me for some reason of RE classes at primary school. The school was nominally a CofE school but back in the sixties that didn't really mean anything and they had no teachers that were qualified to teach RE so the local vicar used to come in once a week to do it. The lesson used to consist of a hour spent copying out religious tracts in latin. I have often wondered, was he so utterly incompetent in the art of bringing young souls to Jesus, or was he perhaps a vicar who had seen the light and being trapped in the vicar job was doing his best not to. I would love to believe the latter but I suppose I will never Know. Captainjjb. This reminds me for some reason of RE classes at primary school. The school was nominally a CofE school but back in the sixties that didn't really mean anything and they had no teachers that were qualified to teach RE so the local vicar used to come in once a week to do it. The lesson used to consist of a hour spent copying out religious tracts in latin. I have often wondered, was he so utterly incompetent in the art of bringing young souls to Jesus, or was he perhaps a vicar who had seen the light and being trapped in the vicar job was doing his best not to. I would love to believe the latter but I suppose I will never Know.

]]> By: Stonyground http://freethinker.co.uk/2009/06/05/new-catholic-archbishop-hits-the-ground-running-with-more-%e2%80%98faith%e2%80%99-school-garbage/comment-page-1/#comment-17317 Stonyground Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:27:12 +0000 http://freethinker.co.uk/?p=6609#comment-17317 It should be noted that this is the kind of person that rises to positions of power within the Catholic Church. A thoroughly unpleasant lying hypocrite makes the best Catholic. It should be noted that this is the kind of person that rises to positions of power within the Catholic Church. A thoroughly unpleasant lying hypocrite makes the best Catholic.

]]> By: Stonyground http://freethinker.co.uk/2009/06/05/new-catholic-archbishop-hits-the-ground-running-with-more-%e2%80%98faith%e2%80%99-school-garbage/comment-page-1/#comment-17316 Stonyground Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:18:31 +0000 http://freethinker.co.uk/?p=6609#comment-17316 What people appear to want is selection. They want to get their kids into a school that has no obnoxious, disruptive little oiks in it. These used to be called grammar schools but most of them were abolished as they were discriminatory. The advantage of the faith school is that it can discriminate while pretending not to and those that don't get in are spared from the stigma of the reason that they didn't being that they are too thick to qualify. At least grammar schools discriminated honestly. The upside to all this is that by selecting kids of above average intelligence they are probably raising the next generation of active freethinkers. I would be very surprised to find that the majority of commenters on this blog were not people of above average intelligence who have had an above average amount of god imposed on them during their childhood. What people appear to want is selection. They want to get their kids into a school that has no obnoxious, disruptive little oiks in it. These used to be called grammar schools but most of them were abolished as they were discriminatory. The advantage of the faith school is that it can discriminate while pretending not to and those that don't get in are spared from the stigma of the reason that they didn't being that they are too thick to qualify. At least grammar schools discriminated honestly.

The upside to all this is that by selecting kids of above average intelligence they are probably raising the next generation of active freethinkers. I would be very surprised to find that the majority of commenters on this blog were not people of above average intelligence who have had an above average amount of god imposed on them during their childhood.

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