School Religious Retreat

smallorfaraway

Wondering if anyone knows where I stand here. My son went to school today (5th year) and the kids were informed first class that they had an all day retreat in the school hall. Teacher wouldn't tell them what it was about. Only once they were in the hall and it had begun they realise it was a catholic evangelist retreat. NET ministries were the organisers. Some kids are atheist, some Buddhist. Some tried to leave, but were not allowed. Some were asked individually if they believed in God and went to mass, which was obviously embarrassing.
I'm so annoyed we weren't asked for permission. Is this even allowed? It sounds insane to me.

gctest50

Not the sort of people i'd leave my kids with

JRant

gctest50 wrote: »

Not the sort of people i'd leave my kids with

Sounds like brainwashing 101 stuff

smallorfaraway

gctest50 wrote: »

Not the sort of people i'd leave my kids with

No. I'd like to have been informed! I'm still in shock.

judeboy101

Crazy question, but was it a catholic school?

JRant

smallorfaraway wrote: »

No. I'd like to have been informed! I'm still in shock.

Probably best to arrange a meeting with the year head and principle. Dig up everything you can find on this NET shower and go in with as much information as possible.

Might be an idea to ask the school board for clarification if answers aren't forthcoming.

Seems odd that a school would allow such a group access.

Stealthfins

I'd be going in there like a red rag to a bull wondering WTF is going on.

Absolutely disgusting in this day and age,retreat is right retreat on right out of there.

Not many kids or teenagers believe in God these days anyways

smallorfaraway

judeboy101 wrote: »

Crazy question, but was it a catholic school?

No, it was part of the local VEC now an ETB and I see no mention of the Catholic Church on its website. It's the only secondary school in a small town. Sorry, I went to school in the north were the ethos of the schools was more straightforward. I went to a CCMS school, it had been a convent run school, but even there our retreats were approved by parents and not compulsory.

JRant

gctest50 wrote: »

weird shower

"I need 100 people to write me this week and send me $50 or more"

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UVRPEDOVJzk

gctest50

shower

NET Ministries Ireland‎

Do Something Amazing! Catholic Evangelisation Ireland
Volunteer today · Aged between 18-30

smallorfaraway wrote: »

....Some kids are atheist, some Buddhist. Some tried to leave, but were not allowed. ......

If someone evangelizes a group or area, they try to convert people to their religion, especially Christianity.

http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/evangelize

gctest50

May be useful tomorrow :

Collins Dictionary

Definitions
verb
1. to preach the Christian gospel or a particular interpretation of it (to)


http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/evangelize

you'd want to be finding out ( getting in writing properly) that no contact details of yer kids were shared with this shower

ScumLord

I remember going to one of these when I was in secondary school. Nothing did more to turn me away from the church than that day. It was hilarious how bonkers what they were saying was. Heavy Metal was the devil, one guy was doing the old psychic healing lark and it just descended into a complete farce.

Complete brainwashing nonsense, pretty shocking they'd still be doing this kind of stuff on the sly.

recedite

smallorfaraway wrote: »

No, it was part of the local VEC now an ETB and I see no mention of the Catholic Church on its website.

The ETB schools are typically "multidenominational". In practice this means the religion teacher is trained and approved by the RCC, but is more "open" to teaching about other religions than they would be in a RC school.

Overall policy is dictated mainly by the personality of the principal of the school, and also the religion teacher. The ETB board themselves are fairly clueless.
So this means there is no pressure on the staff, coming from the patron, to impose religious retreats, church services, or anything like that.

What may have happened is some staff member or parent came along with the retreat proposal, and as somebody else (NET ministries ireland) was doing all the organising and work, the principal may have thought "OK shur just let them at it, its something different and it might be educational"

We had a kid in an ETB school and the "Operation Christmas Child" boxes came home. We filled up the boxes with goodies and sent them back into school. Then I compiled some info on the evangelical nature of this operation, and e-mailed it in to the principal, saying that we resented being emotionally blackmailed into supporting it. He put the objection on the record, and then phoned to explain that some other parent was involved in the organisation, and had asked for permission to operate it within the school, but no mention had been made of the evangelising aspect of it. The school thought it was just sending Christmas pressies to random kids in "the third world", whereas the boxes were being used by protestant bible bashers as bribes to get poor kids in South America into attending their meetings.

So anyway, the principal set some TY students to look into the whole thing as a research project. The evangelical boxes did not make an appearance in the school the following year, or since. Other charitable things get organised every now and again, collections etc.

Here's what you should do; write or e-mail to the principal and tell him/her that you object to the brainwashing retreat that was organised in the school. Remind him/ her that the school does not have a religious patron. Generally provide a counter balance to whoever was promoting the thing. Once it becomes controversial, the school will want to steer clear of it in future.

Also make sure to tell your child that they can opt out of the religion class and any religious events, whenever they want to. Unless they are doing religion as a leaving cert subject, it is a waste of time. However, most students see it as a doss class, a bit of light entertainment, so they would rather keep attending than be seen as somehow "different" by opting out.

Cabaal

I suppose the argument should be made will they be doing an Islamic all day retreat next week?
seems only fair if they are open to all religions but have already decided to do a christian retreat

Be interesting to see how that would go down with the people that are ok with the christian retreat

Hotblack Desiato

judeboy101 wrote: »

Crazy question, but was it a catholic school?

Irrelevant. The constitutional rights of parents and pupils still apply, even in a catholic ethos school :rolleyes:

Trent Houseboat

I remember we had to go to Emmaus in 5th year for some overnight retreat.

We were told about it and probably given literature to bring home to our parents. Next religion class, the teacher asked the class if anyone wasn't going and I put my hand up and the class moved on. At the end of the class I was asked to stay back for a chat. The teacher asked me if my parents didn't have the money because they would sort something out. I told him no, just that I didn't believe and I didn't want to. I was then informed that it wasn't optional and that I had to go. My parents, being Christmas and Easter catholics wouldn't do anything to get me out of it.

Ended up going. I remember it being wishy washy spiritual bollocks crossed with Jesus talk. I remember drinking vodka and one of the lads got sick in the sink. Don't remember much else, but that might have had to to with the alcohol (both then and the in the 15 years since).

py2006

That sounds like some scary ass stuff that you would see in America. I would be having conversations with other parents and most certainly strong words with the principal.