How to respond anti-religion comments after you tell someone your kid goes to a religious school?

[Anonymous]

When I read about all the abuses over the years that were done by the Catholic church organization and wonder how people justify supporting them - this is how. Just bury your head in sand and keep moving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I read about all the abuses over the years that were done by the Catholic church organization and wonder how people justify supporting them - this is how. Just bury your head in sand and keep moving.

That’s like saying you’re going to become Canadian bc of all the horrible things the US govt has done. Feels reasonable when just saying it, but not done in reality.

[Anonymous]

“I’m sorry you had a bad experience”

That is all you say. And btw, I don't think what your neighbor said was so bad. Typical of an elder to not have much filter. She was sharing and doubt your son needs to be sheltered from some comment so mild.

However, for other people and what they might say -- now you know. If they aren't on the same page as you, now you know. Accept it. You are choosing to separate by your school choice. You are. Sorry if they are rude. They shouldn't be. There are some fundamentals, though, that you don't have in common. Make sure you don't keep testing them. Make other acquaintances/friends.

[Anonymous]

I think this might be a dry sense of humor -- and a bit self-deprecating. I've heard similar things from relatives for all sorts of things -- their schools, sports teams, travel, first jobs, church/temple, scouts, etc. I'd give her some grace. She's probably used this line hundreds of times in her life to friends and classmates, and gotten a good laugh.

[Anonymous]

Tell her that the Lord works in mysterious ways and s**t happens.

[Anonymous]

I’m sorry OP. Our kids go to Catholic school as well. I have a co-worker who says rude things all the time. It surprises me every time.

I’m from another part of the country and I’ve never heard anyone put down a family’s religion or educational choices until I moved here.

I’d say, “Sorry to hear that/that you feel that way. We think St. xxx school is great.”

[Anonymous]

Sometimes I just stare, with a “are you ok?” look on my face. People are rude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure that’s an anti-religion comment. It’s more about what a lot of Catholic schools were like.

My mom went to Catholic school in NYC in the 1950s and 60s. They were told, among other things, that if they bit the communion wafer, Christ’s blood would spurt out in their mouth.

She’s the first one who would say there was a huge amount of guilt.

If she was told that, it was by older kids teasing younger kids. The teachers would not risk that level of sacrilidge, especially if they were nuns, priests, brothers, or monks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about families that attend a religious school and make anti-religion comments like “we believe in science, not God”. Why send your kids to a religious school then?

What? Catholics "believe in science" too. Why are people so ignorant?

[Anonymous]

Just ignore it.

There are a lot of people who openly talk about their negative experiences at Catholic schools or their parents'. Sometimes I wonder if it's exaggerated. I'm sure most of it isn't but it's become folklore--the knuckle-rappimg nuns, etc.

People openly talk about being "recovering Catholics" too.

I would say nothing. Or ask what happened, let them tell you and move on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the reality is older people did have some really negative experiences at some religious schools. My Dad and his sisters were transferred from Catholic school to public school back in the 60s due to the nuns aggressively hitting the kids. My FIL in a different state also had a similar experience.

Most places are way better now, fortunately.

To be fair, most Catholic schools were not like that back then either (none of the elderly in my family experienced that at all), but many schools of all kinds did use corporal punishment, especially in the South, and it was legal. Corporal punishment was fairly standard with parents and with schools, including public schools.

Corporal punishment is still legal in public schools TODAY in ~18 states. The practice was held constitutional in the 1977 Supreme Court case Ingraham v. Wright, where the Court held that the "cruel and unusual punishments" clause of the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution did not apply to disciplinary corporal punishment in public schools, being restricted to the treatment of prisoners convicted of a crime. Since then most states have outlawed the practice.

[Anonymous]

So your a non-Catholic at a Catholic school?

You know that was a joke right?

Are you another denomination of xian?

[Anonymous]

If you’re gonna become part of a community like Catholicism, you’re gonna have to understand the inside jokes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure that’s an anti-religion comment. It’s more about what a lot of Catholic schools were like.

My mom went to Catholic school in NYC in the 1950s and 60s. They were told, among other things, that if they bit the communion wafer, Christ’s blood would spurt out in their mouth.

She’s the first one who would say there was a huge amount of guilt.

If she was told that, it was by older kids teasing younger kids. The teachers would not risk that level of sacrilidge, especially if they were nuns, priests, brothers, or monks.

She told me it was from the nuns. This was a Catholic school in Queens in the 1960s. What can I say?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure that’s an anti-religion comment. It’s more about what a lot of Catholic schools were like.

My mom went to Catholic school in NYC in the 1950s and 60s. They were told, among other things, that if they bit the communion wafer, Christ’s blood would spurt out in their mouth.

She’s the first one who would say there was a huge amount of guilt.

If she was told that, it was by older kids teasing younger kids. The teachers would not risk that level of sacrilidge, especially if they were nuns, priests, brothers, or monks.

She told me it was from the nuns. This was a Catholic school in Queens in the 1960s. What can I say?

Please Google “Catholic guilt”… it’s a joke, it’s a thing.