Are we mistaken about the mission of the Catholic Church? Something about promoting family and the well-being of children? We already know this not to be true, based on the Washington D.C. Archdiocese shutting down its adoption program and spousal benefits for employees. And now comes the story of a preschool boy in Boulder, denied re-admission because his parents are homogays.
It’s not just students who must adhere to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School’s religious teachings, but parents too. Otherwise, think how awkward PTA meetings would be.
The student’s parents are two women and the Denver Archdiocese says their homosexual relationship violates the school’s beliefs and policy. According to teachers at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School, a meeting was held Tuesday to discuss the issue. The staff was told a student would not be allowed to re-enroll because of his or her parents’ sexual orientation. The staff members were also told not to talk to the media.
In a statement sent to 9NEWS, the Archdiocese said, “Homosexual couples living together as a couple are in disaccord with Catholic teaching.”
According to the Archdiocese, parents who enroll their kids at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School are expected to follow the Catholic Church’s beliefs. “No person shall be admitted as a student in any Catholic school unless that person and his/her parent(s) subscribe to the school’s philosophy and agree to abide by the educational policies and regulations of the school and Archdiocese,” the statement said. Because this student’s parents are homosexual, the Archdiocese says they were in clear violation of the school’s policy. School staff members, who asked to remain anonymous, say they are disgusted by the Archdiocese’s decision.
One employee said she could not believe a student will have to suffer because of his or her parents’ sexual orientation.
Of course, we all know who’s really suffering by these parents’ homosexuality: Jesus.
[9 News]
(Thanks, Jim!)
hardmannyc
I’m sure there are plenty of liberal pre-schools in Boulder, of all places. This seems like a non-issue to me. Hey, it’s a private school. They have the right to make their own policies, as egregious as they may seem to some (to many).
beergoggles
It’s amazing ppl still trust catholic institutions with their kids… this sounds like a win for the kid.
David in Houston
If it’s a private religious school they have every right to deny admittance to anyone they want. The question is why would these parents want their child to go to such a school in the first place?
Jaroslaw
Are they going to ban parents who use birth control too? Using contraception is against Catholic teaching too. Because if they did, they would have an empty school.
Angelo
It’s catholic homophobia that “makes Jesus suffer” if this phrase has any sense. Jesus cannot logically suffer of something that doesn’t harm anyone.
That said,if you have a bit of sense, you don’t go to catholic private schools if you are Homosexual. Like you don’t go in a nazi skinhead bar if you’re Black or Hebrew.
NickC
Yes, it’s a private school and they have the right to set their own admission policies.
But what do you want to bet that their student body includes kids whose parents are divorced and remarried, even though that’s a violation of Catholic rules? How about families where the parents practice birth control? What about the single parents, divorced or otherwise, who aren’t staying celibate even though they’re not married.
The hypocrisy of the Catholic Church is no news to anyone. But it’s never been more clearly displayed in the insistence on singling out gay couples for discrimination, while tolerating all the heterosexuals who break their rules.
jb
So, if the parents eat meat on Fridays during lent, their kids get kicked out of the school too?
So I wonder if the school gets state or municipal aid. If it does, it ought to be cut off.
Angelo
“The question is why would these parents want their child to go to such a school in the first place?”
Beats me.Ten million dollars question, really.
Angelo
“The hypocrisy of the Catholic Church is no news to anyone. But it’s never been more clearly displayed in the insistence on singling out gay couples for discrimination, while tolerating all the heterosexuals who break their rules”
Couldn’t have said it better
Bob R
The catholic church is one of the most hateful criminal organizations that has plagued this planet for centuries. Why anyone would want to expose their children to these wicked and delusional people is beyond me. Any group that subscribes to cannibalism (eating the flesh and drinking the blood of some mythic being)either literally or figuratively should not be allowed to be around children, regardless of the sex of the parents. Besides, there’s more than ample indication that their spiritual leader (Christ) was a gay man. I mean, he was in his mid 30’s, never dated a female and hung out in the desert with 12 guys? Very suspect, then the whole eat me business? Hmmm.
Brian En Guarde
Bobc wrote:
“But what do you want to bet that their student body includes kids whose parents are divorced and remarried, even though that’s a violation of Catholic rules? How about families where the parents practice birth control? What about the single parents, divorced or otherwise, who aren’t staying celibate even though they’re not married.”
Everyone should remember this action — to expel some kids of defiant parents and not others — when someone makes the ludicrous argument that what they do is not “BIGOTRY” and that the people doing these things are “BIGOTS.” They are bigots, because if it were just catholic teaching, they would not discriminate. It not catholic teaching, it is hatred.
donnally
and when their priests were molesting children the archdiocese did what again?
Qjersey
Nothing new for Catholics. 30 years ago, we went to catholic school and my mom was a bartender and her boss also sent his kids to the same school. Both were repeatedly admonished by the head priest for promoting sin…but it stopped short of us kids being kicked out…but we were treated differently by teachers and staff.
Kurt
Several families have left the parish already although it is unclear how much of this is the parish or school anbd how much is the right-wing bishop of Denver.
One divorced and re-married couple asked the pastor a year ago if it was okay to enroll their child given their marital situation and the pastor said “of course. We would never punish the child.”
Mike
Wow, I went to middle school there. Lost my virginity to the other altar boy in 8th grade. Good times.
Kurt
The School hold a large fundraiser every May called “Mayfair.” The solicit contributions and auction items from the general community. In a polite way, businesses need to know they are chosing sides if they contribute to Mayfair.
Kurt
http://www.shjboulder.org/school/mayfair_sponsors.htm
xerxes
@hardmannyc:
Is there a city, county, or state human rights law there that protects gays? If so, even though it is a private school, their txa exemptions may be removed. This happened to Bob Jones University, a fundamentalist protestant university in South Carolina, which denied admission to blacks on the claim of religious tenants.(A federal non-discrimination law applied in that case). When their federal tax exemption was pulled, they quickly changed their religious teachings, and now admit blacks. I can not imagine why any wish to attend there, but the student body now does have a few black students, and the school recalimed its tax exemption.
ewe
Just another sign of outright hatred toward LGBT people. Now they take it out on innocent children. Oops.. backtrack, They have been doing that forever already in worse ways. Why two lesbian women would want their child there in the first place is questionable and i am sure they have no desire for him to be there now. It does seem unfair if that is the only facility available but i doubt it is and unfortunately i don’t think there is much they can do unless they get someone to sue on behalf of the child only who obviously does not and cannot be expected at his age to state his sexual orientation. Just the thought of saying that proves the hatred and ignorance of these flipped out fucks.
Rob Moore
@Jaroslaw: The church follows a policy of DADT regarding contraception. Everyone knows most people do it as there is no other explanation of the steep decline in birthrates amongst Catholics since the 1960s. The priests will pretend that all those young Catholic couples are practising abstinence, but Catholic teenagers are a horny bunch who are going to let a little doctrine get in the way of knocking boots. It is also a sign that belief in the Catholic Church is declining amongst those deemed as Catholics.
Rob Moore
Catholic teenagers are a horny bunch who are NOT about to let a little doctrine get in the way of knocking boots.
B
No. 6 · NickC wrote, “Yes, it’s a private school and they have the right to set their own admission policies.”
… but there is an issue beyond admission policies – they are not letting this kid re-enroll after they let him in. It’s a “preschool”, so the kids are mostly under 5 years old. At that age, they are not going to understand what is going on. They may think there is something wrong with them. This kid will not understand why he can no longer play with the kids he met.
Basically, what the Catholic Church is doing in this case is pretty close to (emotional) child abuse.
Kieran
Whatever happened to the ‘What would Jesus do” question? Somehow I can’t picture Jesus kicking a pre-school child out of school. I can picture Jesus saying “Don’t stop the little children from coming to me”. But maybe as others have suggested, it’s better for the child that it not go to a school like this anyway.
Lukas P.
News update: the Denver Archdiocese has confirmed its defense of the enrollment guidelines for Catholic Schools… So the Boulder school’s theological basis for discrimination remains intact!
Anyone surprised?
My browser won’t embed links but go to www:
catholicnewsagency.com/news/denver_archdiocese_defends_enrollment_guidelines_for_catholic_schools
to be appalled. No mention was made about children of divorced parents, adulterers, or of users of contraception.
Related: Maggie Gallagher struck again. In late January 2010, Maggie Gallagher debated the issue of “gay marriage” at an event in Boulder, CO at the Univ. of Col.’s campus. Her remarks did not play well in such a liberal community.
P.s. why any same-sex couple would want to send a child to a Catholic school is still beyond my ken.
Or my Barbie.
romeo
I’m with you, Lukas. Why would gay parents think a catholic school would be a healthy environment for any child, let alone THEIR child? Fucking amazes me.
Lukas P.
I’m saved! @Romeo: When I was about 9, my classmate invited me and others to a birthday party, which I went to. During the course of that “party” some adult Catholic asked everyone if they’d been baptised. As a child of non-theistic parents, I didn’t know what that meant and said ‘no.’
Three or so of us kids were baptized that day, with holy water and prayers to save our souls. No wine was offered—how rude!
Mom asked me when I got home about the party, I told her what happened, and she, not well versed in theology, immediately drove to the parents’ home and asked what right they had to subject her son to their “cult” and asked them to please “undo” whatever they’d done!
Needless to say, there’s no way to undo baptism, so I was never allowed to that house again! I never ever saw her that pisssed off before or after!
romeo
Lukas, that’s an amazing story that those parents would have that kind of gall. Actually, I think a priest has to do it for it to be official, you know, so you can get into “catholic” heaven. LOL I was brought up nominally catholic, did catechism all the way through confirmation, mostly to appease my Italian grandmother. My family, though, would never let a little thing like religion get in the way of having a few laughs. I was very lucky that way.