By Rick Hiebert. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission.
I was surprised to learn that the Alberta town of Morinville didn’t already have a secular school system.
But not as surprised as a group of parents–who last week persuaded the Alberta government to secularize one of the four Roman Catholic schools there–had been dismayed to realize that their non-Catholic kids were being given Catholic religious training.
“I recognize this has been a challenging and emotional issue for the community, but this change is important to provide all parents the choice and voice they deserve,” Education Minister Jeff Johnson said in a news release quoted by the Edmonton Journal.
If you have a look at the Morinville page on Wikipedia, it talks about the Catholic origins of the town, which now has about 8,500 people. I am hazarding a guess, based on what I read in the Journal’s story that over the years education officials have thought it more cost effective to have the Catholics operate the now 4 schools in the town.
And then a group of parents, as reported in the story, became puzzled after learning their kids wre making the sign of the Cross and saying prayers each morning.
The parents asked if their kids could be excused and catholic school officials, they say, said that would not be possible.
As a result of the parent’s appeal to Alberta’s Education Ministry, which had to get their decision approved by cabinet, Ecole Georges P. Vanier School will be transferred to the regional, secular school board.
What I was thinking about all this myself is why the schools in the town were all Catholic. It’s perhaps a mark of how much Canada has changed over the years that I would readily think “Why hasn’t there been a non-Catholic or Non-Protestant school there before now?”
No one probably thought it was worth the while to make a stink. Non-Catholic Christians would likely prefer a Catholic school to a secular one, since I don’t think any province does state-funded Protestant schools; the Tory leader in Ontario tried floating that idea and got shot down quickly, if memory serves. In US inner-cities, a lot of Baptist and Pentecostal families will send their kids to Catholic schools in order to have an alternative to secular state-run schools.
Thus, it would likely take some secular folks to take issue with it
That is an interesting vision of a voucher-driven system if we did it in the US; some towns might be so churchy where there isn’t a critical mass outside of that to have a secular local school.
I say, let us all make the sign of the cross, and pray each morning! Where is Brano on this?
Alberta has a fair number of accredited private protestant schools, called separate schools, and Roman Catholics in any area have their tax money directed to the RC school.
http://tinyurl.com/744sn5q
That law is causing issues for Catholic taxpayers.
http://tinyurl.com/86k8qfb
I suspect that Mark’s comment is quite correct, and in recent years, probably any born again Christians who would have a problem had likely been home schooling. That has become extremely popular in Alberta for many years. I believe the criteria for sending a child to the RC school has changed over the years, so it really doesn’t matter who sends their child there.
I simply say that religious fundamentalists are fearful of their kids learning. Learning in the public school, with regular science that dispells magic and supernatural thinking is actually healthy.
Would the “Born Agains,” try to force their kids to be “born again” with home schooling?
…and thus the Anti- Christian spirit goes on & on & on….
While Alberta is making some headway into modernity, Saskatchewan is going backwards. Instead of moving towards a single publicly funded school system, which is obviously the most fair and efficient way for all, Brad Wall’s government has decided to give equal funding to ANY private religiously based school – Muslim, Jesuit and Seventh Day Ads to name a few. Where will this madness and pandering to religious divisiveness, end?? We are a nation divided, thanks to all the many versions of “god” out there, being instilled within the minds of the young.
I would like to say that the Lord loves all religious fundamentalists. The Lord Ben Chung is a kind person who hates to destroy other people.
Brano, you are God! I respect you as a God and please hold others dear to your heart!
Bizaro,mr chung!Not many years ago you would have been called a heretic,and be put to the flames…
You speak heresy my priend!
That is precisely my point, why a god of love is always full of hate. Brano you speak the truth about god’s true nature, which is full of hate!
mr chung,”the truth about god’s true nature, which is full of hate!”
Could you wax eloquently about your statement…
Or shall I say, God is love, and his love covers multitudes of sins. God is hate, he will devour all sinners and this earth at the end with unquenchable fire. Your choice. I see hate every time I smell this talk of love of god with Prairie folks.
Ah,…Injustice vs Justice
A universal absolute:You reap was you sow
GOD is JUSTICE,no worries there!
Brano, thou speakest the truth, God is just, and when you act in justice, you are it, you are God! But the biblical god is not necessarily a just god, and he kills in his words, so I cannot accept this type of abuse.
Bitterness & Unforgiveness =Death
GOD =Life
Recommended reading for Brano:
“I Fired God: My Life Inside—and Escape from—the Secret World of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Cult.”
The smell of god = life. The stench of god = death.
Sounds like a good read.
However,I left RELIGION behind many years ago
Here is what makes no sense, that god enjoys the smell of sacrifices (ie. burnt carcasses and ashes). I am not sure what that smell pleased the good lord!
1 Peter 2:5
you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Brano: St Paul teaches that we should “eat, drink and be merry!” As some of folks asked two thousand years ago, “Where is the promise of his coming?”
Ahh…The aroma of sacrifice
Hebrews 13:15
[ God-pleasing Sacrifices ] Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
Forget Hebrews 13:15 and your sacrifice of praise, brano. If you really want to please god then start living like a follower of Christ. Do you have a bank account? Investments? Give them up or you are proving that you believe god will provide for your future. Do you have possessions? Do you own a home? Sell it all and give the proceeds to the poor and follow Jesus. Do you go to a doctor? Then you don’t really have faith that god can heal your diseases. Are you willing to give up everything and do as Jesus said a disciple must? You don’t actually follow Jesus you only claim to. You and every other believer eats 3 meals a day while children in parts of the world eat 3 meals a week without clean water to drink. Fat pastors get into their fancy cars every Sunday and deliver sermons in expensive church buildings, that make people feel good about being a follower of Jesus. Yet every one who says they follow Jesus is a hypocrite because they really do not and make up excuses why they don’t have to.
When I hear what Marina says about fat pastors, I can only say, “Praise god!”
Y,all need to do some travelling to third world countries and experience the love and power of GOD….You speak from an empty,void,test tube,that is riddled with nonsense & utopian ideals….taken from first year university handbooks….
You are utterly fooled, if you think for a second that north american Christendom is the template for CHRISTIANITY
Clean off your lenses….TRAVEL & EXPERIENCE,what you know nothing off!
piffled?? Brano? Why is the 3rd world better than America? Are you racists? There are people dying right in the inner city here, and I have seen marvelous people helping out. They don’t always have religion. I think Christianity teaches that poor people are cursed by god.
Brano, I left my faith, religion and the Lord Jesus behind. This is the new Left Behind Series.
brano, not to bother me while I am worshiping the lord by planting more tomato plants this morning. Make sure when you go to church this morning to pray for the souls of those died as a result of church abuses. Amen.