Catholic school excluding children of gay couple
A Catholic school in Colorado is drawing criticism for its refusal to readmit the young children of a lesbian couple.
The school of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Boulder has informed the couple that the older of the two children may attend kindergarten next year, but may not advance to the first grade; the younger child may complete preschool, but may not advance to kindergarten.
News of the exclusions drew some two dozen protesters outside Mass on Sunday, Denver station KMGH-TV reports.
"God and Jesus would not allow discrimination in that way," Joellen Raderstorf told the ABC affiliate. At least one parishioner appeared to agree.
"I just feel the Catholic Church is a church that should be teaching acceptance and tolerance,” Juli Aderman-Hagerty said as she was leaving Mass. “I just don't think this is an example of that.”
Denver Archbishop Charles J. Chaput called it a “painful situation.”
“The Church never looks for reasons to turn anyone away from a Catholic education,” he wrote in a column for the Denver Catholic Register. “But the Church can’t change her moral beliefs without undermining her mission and failing to serve the many families who believe in that mission.”
Chaput drew attention during the 2004 presidential campaign when he told The New York Times that voting for a candidate such as John Kerry, a supporter of abortion rights, would be a sin, and Catholics who did so would be required to confess before they could take communion.
More recently, he decried a “spirit of adulation bordering on servility" among some Catholic supporters of President Barack Obama. “In democracies,” he said, “we elect public servants, not messiahs."
In his column, Chaput writes that the church does not claim that people of homosexual orientation are “bad,” or that their children are less loved by God.
“Quite the opposite,” he writes. “But what the Church does teach is that sexual intimacy by anyone outside marriage is wrong; that marriage is a sacramental covenant; and that marriage can only occur between a man and a woman. These beliefs are central to a Catholic understanding of human nature, family and happiness, and the organization of society. The Church cannot change these teachings because, in the faith of Catholics, they are the teachings of Jesus Christ.”
He writes that the policies of the Catholic schools exists to protect all parties, including homosexual couples and their children.
“Our schools are meant to be ‘partners in faith’ with parents,” he writes. “If parents don’t respect the beliefs of the Church, or live in a manner that openly rejects those beliefs, then partnering with those parents becomes very difficult, if not impossible. It also places unfair stress on the children, who find themselves caught in the middle, and on their teachers, who have an obligation to teach the authentic faith of the Church. …
“Most parents who send their children to Catholic schools want an environment where the Catholic faith is fully taught and practiced. That simply can’t be done if teachers need to worry about wounding the feelings of their students or about alienating students from their parents. … Persons who have an understanding of marriage and family life sharply different from Catholic belief are often people of sincerity and good will. They have other, excellent options for education and should see in them the better course for their children.”
The LGBT group Boulder Pride says on its Web site that it “extends its support to the family and stands in solidarity with the teachers at Sacred Heart who disagree with the Archdiocese's decision and with members of the community who are concerned that the Archdiocese has ignored the fullness of Catholic understanding of welcome and love, and instead is using a child to make a political point and not a theological one. All schools, private and public, should provide safe, welcoming learning environments to all students. A child should never be singled out to make a political statement.”
The Rev. Bill Breslin, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus, said the “core issue” is “our freedom and our obligation to teach about marriage and family life as our Faith teaches.”
“If parents see the cultural interpretation of what tolerance has become as more important than the teachings of Jesus, then we become unfaithful to the Lord and we lose the meaning of the beatitude, “Blessed are you when they insult you for My sake, for the Kingdom of Heaven is yours.” Many of Jesus’ teachings were not popular. In fact, He was crucified for His teachings.”
Breslin also questioned the parenting of the couple.
“Why would good parents want their children to learn something they don't believe in?” he asked. “It doesn't make sense. There are so many schools in Boulder that see the meaning of sexuality in an entirely different way than the Catholic Church does. Why not send their child there?”
Raderstorf, the protester, sees a double standard.
"I don't think they interview to see what parents are divorced or what parents are using birth control or other things that are against the teaching of the Catholic Church," she told KMGH.
Comments
...giving new meaning to Matthew 19:14
Posted by: BankStreet | March 10, 2010 5:31 AM
BankStreet - While I completely disagree with the decision to exclude the children, I also couldn’t help but wonder why someone would want to send their kids to a school that is going to teach their kids things that they don’t believe themselves. Since the Catholic Church positions on homosexuality and gay marriage why would someone want their children in an environment where the Catholic faith is fully taught and practiced. What should have been done is make sure that the parents understood exactly what sending their children to the school meant and we alright with it. If so then there should be no reason why they should not be allowed to attend. Personally I’m not sure it is in the children’s best interest to send them but they should have the right to choose what they think is best for their children.
Posted by: ravensfan | March 10, 2010 10:24 AM
ravensfan- As to why they would have wanted to send their children to a catholic school, perhaps they felt that a private school education would be better than a public one for their kids? I think that would be a viable reason to send a child to parochial school, regardless of spiritual beliefs.
Posted by: Hathery | March 10, 2010 11:35 AM
ravensfan,
I take your point, but counter with the notion that not every household subscribes wholeheartedly and entirely with the teachings encountered by their kids at any school. Responsible parents take note of what is taught and discuss variances at home.
The comment by Ms Raderstorf at the conclusion of the post makes sense to me. The school, in this instance is, I guess, free to enforce a double standard, but should be held accountable for that.
Posted by: BankStreet | March 10, 2010 11:44 AM
BankStreet - I don't disagree with that comment I would even add that many Catholic schools admit children of different faiths. I'm just questioning why someone would want to place their kids in an enviroment where they will be taught things that so radically difffer from their beliefs. If I were in their situation a Catholic school is the last place I'd send my kids. In the end as long as the parents realize and are ok with the idea of Catholic faith being taught to their kidzeno for
Posted by: ravensfan | March 10, 2010 12:53 PM
If parents are divorced then maybe they can ask for forgiveness. The same way with parents using birth control. How much is someone making an effort to be forgiven from same sex relatioms if they are married to a person of their own sex? Get divorced, and then the church can consider letting in your kids to the school. Why would these people want their kids to be in a school where the kids are told that same sex relations are wrong anyway? I question the motives of the "parents," regardless of the quality of education the kids may get from this school.
Posted by: Clay | March 10, 2010 12:55 PM
ravensfan,
I plead guilty to being in a cantankorous/contrarian frame of mind today.
To be honest, I don't think I'd send my child to an RC school, espcially if there were equivalent alternatives available that underscored -- rather than undermined -- the values I taught at home.
Posted by: BankStreet | March 10, 2010 1:27 PM
Clay,
Nice use of quotation marks, "Christian."
One's sexual orientation doesn't disqualify one from parenthood.
Posted by: BankStreet | March 10, 2010 1:36 PM
BankStreet - To be honest if I were you I'd do the same thing. That's why I wondered about the situation in Colorado.
Posted by: ravensfan | March 10, 2010 2:52 PM
That being said, though, the kids in question are "pre-schoolers." I doubt much of Catholic "moral" teaching (aside, perhaps, from table grace over graham crackers) is incorporated into their daily routine. Having been in the situation (many years ago) of looking for a suitable pre-school for my daughter, I know that *many* factors come into play:
-convenience of location
-recommendations from other parents
-price
-comfort with and confidence in the staff and individual caregiver(s)
These parents' decision to place their kids at this school may well have been entirely non-"political."
Posted by: BankStreet | March 10, 2010 5:40 PM
BankStreet - I agree many factors do come into play. I have no reason to believe the parents are trying to make any political statement. As the parents aren't expecting the school to modify it's teaching, practices and daily routines the children should be able to attend. I don't know any who send their kids to Catholic preschool that don't plan on sending their kids through elementary and middle school. I think we are in agreement that the children should be allowed to attend and the decsion to deny them admission solely on the basis of the parents are alesbian couple.
Posted by: ravensfan | March 11, 2010 11:21 AM
Two issues: When the church starts asking the parents of the students to declare belief in all the church teachings: Then the church can publically oust students based on a belief-merit system; If the church wants to take a political stand: Pay taxes.
to tell someone that they can simply 'ask to be forgiven' for having voted for or against political policy and then; now forgiven, receive a sacrement, but the vote still counts, is and of itself a farse. Do the children have to pass tests in the subject of religion? If they pass and there is NO formal written agreement to continue believing in the subject matter what is the issue with letting them stay? the parents are responsible: According to just about ALL bibles, for the religious education of their family. Once taught the subject (as with sex) is explained by the parents-one would hope. The church is turning its back on their responsibility to share the faith.
Posted by: Glenn Robinson | March 11, 2010 1:00 PM
And the Catholic church wonders why shrinking enrollment numbers are forcing them to close many of their schools.
Posted by: Jimmy | March 13, 2010 4:23 PM
I think that the main reason for declining enrollment in Catholic schools is because most parents who have their kids there do so because they want to keep them from the hoodlums in public schools, not because of Christ. So when the economy gets tight and they dont have as much money then they pull their kids out of these schools and into public schools and attempt to convince themselves that their kids will be ok anyway.
Posted by: Clay | March 13, 2010 6:06 PM
How about a true story, of what I have seen as a child of what has took place in the United States since the murder and cover up of John F. Kennedy.
I intend to show a link between homosexuality and pedophilia. Then a area of Laws against the foundation of America, drugs and thing ancient in origin, all the way to this war against this Drug Empire that happened on 9/11/2001. I will bring all of this to life and you will see a world without windows.
The first Laws against God, of no moment of silence at school. The freedom of choice was taken away just to say thank you God for another day. And then No Pledge Of Elegance to the Flag. But to my understanding this was reversed.
Now for me to show a direct link to homosexuality and pedophilia, so now please stay with me on the following, because it is a true story.
It was a bright and beautiful day in Tennessee, my little sister of 4 years old, my brother of around 6 years old and I was around 8 years old. A man of the Church came over to talk to us about the stories of God and Jesus he showed us a story book of Jesus and His travels, as Jesus came to a small town and the children and people came to see Him. As the children watched Jesus removed His cloths and He was half man and woman. He had the body of a female with a mans sex for the bottom half. And this Preacher stated that children should know God and to be with Him. Just as the man turned the page and the homosexual act between men and women in front of the children, then all of a sudden my Mom came out side and raised total hell and the man took off and Mom had him arrested, before he got away.
A vacuum has been created by Laws against God and replaced with the thought that being Gay, or Gay Rights hold more moral value as law to be, than the concept of , what if there really is a God ?
As stated before at other blogs, Man is not in the position to build Laws against God over prayer. According to Law that goes back before the birth of Christ and other Profits, it is forbidden to create such Laws. And with in the United States it if becoming unexceptionable and a insult to the integrity of what use to be Known as God and Country.
To put it simple, the moral value of God and Country has been replaced with the perversion of a child s mind.
So I am sorry, there is no such thing as gay rights. And for most of our friends that are gay they are in agreement with this statement and I have been ask to also state that because of drug use this has become a factor in homosexual acts.
The following is also linked to drugs and Drug Empires that date back around 1000 years BC and Pedophilia and Homosexuals and things not spoken of because of a intent for it to disappear from the knowledge of Mankind. A true story, also documented in history.
That because of malevolent acts that is also ancient and is also document history before Christ, the sacrilege committed against God in order to gain great wealth and to enslave nations through drugs. All of this is true and a fact of documentation of history.
This sacrilege spoken of is in fact the sacrifice of life to spiritual evil. Even now documentation in Mexico and the United States , 1979 to 2000 reports filed and some cover ups now proved to be true.
I read these things and I see where the Arabic Drug Empire is involved with the Mexican Drug Lords. What lost of understanding is that according to the faith of Ben Laden it is forbidden by God to walk among the infidels. That all infidels are to be vanquished from this world in order that the chosen ones will repopulate the world.
It is a well known fact that the Arabic Drug Empire seek biological war tactics and it has been heard that a chemical balance is sought of how to implement Biological with Drugs, in order for it to be undetectable.
The betraying of the Mexican Drug Lords by The Arabic Drug Empire will bring death to Mexico and the United States.
Why should the Mexican Drug Empire take faith in my words, first If you and I stood before God I say to you that this is true it is the words of the streets that hold credit, and nothing is offered to them, The Mexican Drug Lords, dealing drugs is illegal. It is time to step away sit back and see what this drug dealing is doing and see those who have begun to lose their soul to this money making drug and the true and ancient evil bound to it.
You do not have to take faith in my words for now, let your soul speak to you.
Some people seek prof of God, will, let me show you the essence of evil first and ah, will enjoy the ride, because it is said by thousands of people who do drugs that some how a door was opened to them a what came through to them, is only felt and it stays in the darkness, as it twist their soul into the thing of which they are not.
Will I have shown you the link and a truth that you did not know, so help to pay this forward.
International Boycott Of The Arabic Drug Empire
Thank you, Henry Massingale
FASC Concepts in and for Pay It Forward covers the web.
Drop by and see why we built a anti crime / war form in a Health Care Reform Concept. To strategically Rebuild America
www.fascmovement.mysite.com on google look for page 1 american dream official site.
Posted by: Henry Massingale | June 12, 2010 12:04 PM