Anonymous wrote:We are at Norwool School in Bethesda, and we never ever have any issues because of background and ethnicity.
My son's best friend is Jewish and i am very happy we live in this area and everyone are so welcoming.
Do not worry!!

HA! A quarter of Bethesda in that area is Jewish!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The anti-Catholic folks always need to chime in on any forum about any religion. Get a grip

I'm not being anti-catholic. There's nothing closer to Catholicism than Episcopalianism. I'm merely pointing out that at a young age, kids parrot their parents' religious beliefs, don't always get it right, and often are too rigid. As a kid I got grief from a fellow Christian and my son gets grief from a fellow Muslim. It's nothing more or less than that.

I don't think that the poster understands just how much "Episcopalianism is like Catholicism" idea raises the hackles of Catholics.

You may think that's true. The Catholics I know an I can't see it. Episcopalianism is just another Protestant sect.

Oy. Does anybody even realize the the poster who brought this up was talking about HER OWN experiences 30-odd years ago, not something that happened recently?

And not being able to tell the difference between Protestant sects hardly makes anybody sound qualified to compare any Christian sects at all, Catholic or otherwise.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assuming you're in the DC area, I would say this is a non-issue. The privates are more white than publics for economic reasons, but this is still a very diverse area.

Agreed. Why on earth do you even have to question this, OP?

Do you watch the news???? Its a valid concern to have in 2017.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The anti-Catholic folks always need to chime in on any forum about any religion. Get a grip

I'm not being anti-catholic. There's nothing closer to Catholicism than Episcopalianism. I'm merely pointing out that at a young age, kids parrot their parents' religious beliefs, don't always get it right, and often are too rigid. As a kid I got grief from a fellow Christian and my son gets grief from a fellow Muslim. It's nothing more or less than that.

I don't think that the poster understands just how much "Episcopalianism is like Catholicism" idea raises the hackles of Catholics.

You may think that's true. The Catholics I know an I can't see it. Episcopalianism is just another Protestant sect.

One of my son's best friends at his private is / was a member of Nation of Islam. This was at a local Episcopal school. Now they are both at a Catholic HS. No issues and much more diversity than we found in public.

I agree with others here that at most of the independent non-religious schools, there should not be a problem. You might feel a bit uncomfortable at some of the religious-oriented schools.

OP - We have had a very positive experience at our independent school - as a Muslim minority family. Never a drama and only enrichment.

Happy to chat offline if you want. (Hence didn't post anon.)

C

Anonymous wrote:The anti-Catholic folks always need to chime in on any forum about any religion. Get a grip

I'm not being anti-catholic. There's nothing closer to Catholicism than Episcopalianism. I'm merely pointing out that at a young age, kids parrot their parents' religious beliefs, don't always get it right, and often are too rigid. As a kid I got grief from a fellow Christian and my son gets grief from a fellow Muslim. It's nothing more or less than that.

The anti-Catholic folks always need to chime in on any forum about any religion. Get a grip

Anonymous wrote:My son is Muslim. He's at a Montgomery County private school. His class was strange in that last year, five of the 13 kids were Muslim. We've never had issues with others welcoming him and in fact his school is very diverse. He actually had more trouble from a couple of fellow Muslim classmates who told him he's not Muslim enough. For example, we don't require him to pray five times a day and that's something he can figure out on his own when he hits puberty. But most of the other Muslim kids do.

But even that, to me (as a non Muslim myself) is par for the course in childhood. I was told by my Catholic friends I was going to hell. I was Episcopalian.

Choose a school that has a culture of inclusiveness and in this area you will be fine.

Catholic here. Wow. That's pretty shameful that a Catholic said that to you. And I once had a Baptist tell me Catholicism is a cult and that I need to find a new religion. That's why a belief is just that... a belief. You can think whatever you'd like to think.

I just love it when people think they have some kind of superior position or knowledge solely based on beliefs. Your Catholic friends may be very surprised by who they find hanging out in heaven. Maybe they won't make it in ;-P

I think in some place the level of acceptance depends on the families. DC, NYC are very liberal and most kids from those areas are friends with everyone. But if you're from a place where it's hammered into a child's head that only special people from their special religion will have a great afterlife (see above) then it will be harder to find friends. Who would want to live with such people, anyway (I'll take my chances in purgatory if everyone in heaven is a self-righteous jerk).

Anonymous wrote:Assuming you're in the DC area, I would say this is a non-issue. The privates are more white than publics for economic reasons, but this is still a very diverse area.

Actually Holton is more diverse than all of it's surrounding public schools and the public my daughter would have gone to. The school looks like a walking ad for Benetton.

OP, I think most secular schools would be completely welcoming. Good Luck!

Anonymous wrote:Have you toured any schools yet? I think you may be shocked by the diversity you see - especially international. Our public is a thousand times less diverse than the private schools we liked at ...

Same with ours -- if you want diversity, look to the private schools. The neighborhood public schools look like the people in the in-boundary neighborhoods. High percentages of white or Latino or black -- same as the surrounding neighborhoods. Some, of course, have a mix, and greater diversity, either because of a mixed neighborhood/boundaries or because of the lottery. Some are close to 100% black though -- i.e., nearly no diversity.

Have you toured any schools yet? I think you may be shocked by the diversity you see - especially international. Our public is a thousand times less diverse than the private schools we liked at ...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assuming you're in the DC area, I would say this is a non-issue. The privates are more white than publics for economic reasons, but this is still a very diverse area.

Agreed. Why on earth do you even have to question this, OP?

Not OP. But Come on. Have a little empathy. Being Muslim is hard right now in this climate. We are not completely insulated just because it's a liberal area.

+1. I have never seen any problems like those OP anticipates or finds possible, but it is a legitimate concern.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assuming you're in the DC area, I would say this is a non-issue. The privates are more white than publics for economic reasons, but this is still a very diverse area.

Agreed. Why on earth do you even have to question this, OP?

Not OP. But Come on. Have a little empathy. Being Muslim is hard right now in this climate. We are not completely insulated just because it's a liberal area.