In light of the Children, Schools and Families Bill, my old pal Ttony at The Muniment Room has resigned all his diocesan posts. He writes:
The act, not the gift.
I have resigned from every post I hold by virtue of my being a Catholic: diocesan this, parish that, school the other. I offered to remain in post to help break the law, assuming the Bill being debated today becomes law, but my generous offer has been politely declined.
Is this what Henry's time felt like?
This is a lamentable state of affairs. I agree with Ttony that the only possible response to this bill, if indeed it becomes law - and there is still a theoretical possiblity of it being blocked in the Lords - is to disobey it with regard to its relativisitic principles. The government cannot impose moral relativism on Catholic schools on any moral question, let alone on the issues of abortion, contraception or homosexuality. The ammendment allowing faith schools to teach about these things 'in the context of Catholic teaching' is a total fudge. The only two contexts Catholic teaching provides for these things is
a) compassion for the sinner
b) unequivocal condemnation of the sin
Hands up if you think the ammendment really envisages that possiblity.
I cannot believe the CES or anybody thinks they have to accept this fascistic interference during the death rattle of New Labour.
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I honestly think that Oona and her colleagues are delighted. They, and I would say a majority of Catholic parents, probably welcome this Government *intervention* which will 'unequivocally condemn intolerance and bigotry' against those who are 'different' or who have to 'make hard decisions' to 'preserve their life choices' while still holding up a facade of Faith-schooling to salve their slowly dying consciences.
ReplyDeleteMost Catholic children are probably so sexualised by their environment in and out of school that there will be little material change after this to what they know and can access (advice on all manner of nefarious things has been given in Catholic schools for years now).
Conceding the principle does however create a watershed. We can only hope that Parliament will Dissolve before this poisonous Bill receives Royal Assent.
MH and for the record, I don't know about "most Catholic children": I only know about mine. I don't know about most Catholic schools: I only know about my children's. And I resigned because the authorities wouldn't break the law, if this Bill becomes law, not because I wanted out.
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