Catholic Adoption Agency

[ionnsaigh]

I had the misfortune to be born to Catholic parents and subsequently endured a Catholic education. From day one we where indoctrinated by religious zealots, dressed in long flowing black gowns, we had to address them as brother- to a five year old they represented all that was authoritarian and terrifying. From the time that I started until leaving aged fifteen, not once did I hear the word evolution mentioned. As a result most of us left school completely unaware of Darwin, and his theory.

To me this represents a clear form of abuse, our heads where filled with Heaven Hell Sins Angels Saints God Devil so on and so on, abstract theory where no single shred of material evidence exists to substantiate, what can only be described as superstition nonsense.

Homosexuality is a normal phenomenon, it appears in all life forms, furthermore homosexuals are discriminated by the established church, Christian Jew Islam etc. Is it little wonder that these people are driven underground because of the appalling negative attitude of the reactionary Churches.

By far the few people that I know - and would consider my friends- that have had the courage to openly declare (not that it is any one's business) their sexual leanings, are loving caring and kind individuals, who deserve so much more respect from what appears a society where intolerance to anything other than the perceived norm prevails.

[Beachcomber]

Aren't all religions based on theory There are also many theories in mathematics etc

Religion is based upon faith. Theories are, generally, based upon observation and proven accordingly.

Douglas Adams had it right about proof and religion in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

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p.s. I'm a little bit concerned. Not only did I understand ionnsaigh's last post but I found myself nodding in agreement with it. Should I be worried?

[Friend of Dorothy]

Be afraid...be very afraid lol

[Sweltered]

Aren't all religions based on theory There are also many theories in mathematics etc

Religion is based upon faith. Theories are, generally, based upon observation and proven accordingly.

Douglas Adams had it right about proof and religion in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

__________________________
p.s. I'm a little bit concerned. Not only did I understand ionnsaigh's last post but I found myself nodding in agreement with it. Should I be worried?

See, when he doesn't try to indoctrinate the rest of us, he can say something quite sensible. Did the nodding thing too

[Pete Reek]

From your post about the way you were educated Ionns, it gives the impression that your only contact with humanity of any sort was with the men in black. You had no one else give up an opinion on anything other than those you listed. That if my mathematics is correct was for 10 long years!!

Is it prudent to ask where your parents were? Were there no holidays between terms? What of siblings?
Aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, pals? Surely if something that some "Brothers" had said was bothering you, you would have discussed it with at least one of the listed relatives!
Not one person to interact with and talk about anything at all other than religious matters?
The boys playing football will usually have a lot of things to discuss by the time they are in their teens, and most of it of a non religious variety. Not all that talk being frivolous either.

As for homosexuality, you rightly stated that it's no one business but the individuals. They have opinions like everyone else and express them as they see fit.
By the same token, there are those that will always think it's not normal behaviour, so are we expected to ignore their opinions in any debate about the subject if those opinions don't quite fit with our own?

Debate on a forum such as this will always throw up topics that are very black and white to some readers and more shades of grey to others. Religious debate, homosexuality, US/Britain in Iraq/ the whole Moslem thing whether it's veils or bombs, all tend to come into the black/white category.
When confronted with the Saddam hanging issue, I personally didn't rush back in time to my years in school and a Primary teacher in order to form an opininion about the whole issue.I can't slag off the teacher as I was being educated within a system that was considered OK at that time. Ionns Bros were doing the same.
His concerns about his treatment as a scholar can manifest itself in two ways. Either he does something about it by trying to make change happen within the Catholic religion and it's education system, or he lets it fester within him and blight the rest of his life.
Black--White!
My opinion for what it's worth.

[Hadrians hiring!]

Religious debate, homosexuality, US/Britain in Iraq/ the whole Moslem thing whether it's veils or bombs, all tend to come into the black/white category.

I would have thought that racism would have been the most ''black/white'' issue?

[Friend of Dorothy]

'It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye' We have a lot to learn from 'The Little Prince'

[Pete Reek]

In context please Mr Hiring

[Bobbie En Tejas]

I had the misfortune to be born to Catholic parents and subsequently endured a Catholic education. From day one we where indoctrinated by religious zealots, dressed in long flowing black gowns, we had to address them as brother- to a five year old they represented all that was authoritarian and terrifying.

I've scared the bejesus out of little children and men myself, doesn't mean I'm evil

[ionnsaigh]

Pete,
Your well thought post has put me in a bit of a quandary. Firstly in order to do the post justice I would have to reveal personal details of my upbringing in the slums of Glasgow. I don't really mind doing this, however I fear that it would boar everyone to death. Your going to have to take my word for it.

[Pete Reek]

I'm OK with that.
I wouldn't wish you to compromise yourself in any way by explaining further.

Cheers

[Trapper]

Can I just say I was brought up in the catholic education system and I wasn't abused, am not homophobic or racist, am not in islamophobe and didn't suffer at the hands of men in black robes. In fact I feel I'm quite a well rounded individual with decent morals and values which were taught to me by my parents and the teachers and preists I experienced in my catholic education, in fact most of thepeople in the same boat as me that I know all turned out all right and weren't abused in anyway. I would say I owe the catholic education system and the people who work in it a great debt of gratitude.
Just thought somebody had to say that.

[ionnsaigh]

Trapper,
Good for you an good for them
You express the expected
To gain applause
No dark priest to blight your day
No tickles when mummies away
No dire threat o hell eternal
The Catholic Church to me infernal

[Bobbie En Tejas]

Ionns, I went to 12 schools, 3 of them catholic. My first 3 1/2 years of school were in a catholic school in Silver Creek, NY. I was baptized catholic at 5, have not claimed catholicism since I was young. I have no one to gain applause from when I say that the nuns who taught me were very kind.

[bill]

What a fertile immagination you have Ionns.To add to all the other hardships that you have mentioned in previous posts,you now tell us you were brought up in the slums of Glasgow,and went to a school run by "religous zealots".

You should be a scriptwriter for Eastenders/Corrie/Emmerdale,for they all are fantasy too.