This is my favorite story of the day because on the one hand it’s wonderfully pro-life and Catholic but on the other hand it annoys the heck out of all the right people and that always gives me such tingly good feelings. Is that bad?
A small Catholic elementary school in Canada has announced that students who take part in anti-abortion vigils outside abortion clinics will receive community service credit. How awesome is that?
I literally think I just heard heads exploding up in Canada. It’s a brilliant and wonderful way to exhibit the school’s Catholic identity. What is more appropriate than Catholic schools honoring students who pray to stop the greatest evil taking place in the world right now.
The Winnipeg Free Press reports:
Children at Christ the King School who walk in daily anti-abortion vigils outside the Health Sciences Centre will receive community service credit.
The vigils are strictly voluntary and a family decision, principal David Hood emphasized Tuesday, but he’s considering organizing it as an official school activity as early as next year.
Hood has talked to the teacher responsible for the students’ community service activities, and they’ve agreed that if any kids take part in the vigils, the time would count towards the student’s community service.
He stressed that this isn’t a political thing. It’s a prayer vigil and if parents don’t want their kids to take part in prayer vigils outside clinics they don’t have to.
Now for the cranial explosions from libs.
The vigils are a political lobby, and any school receiving public funding should not be allowed to involve children in political lobbies, said Lori Johnson, executive director of the Klinic Community Health Centre and the Sexuality Education Research Centre.
“It would certainly not be allowed in the public sector,” said Johnson, a registered nurse and former long-time school trustee with the Winnipeg School Division board. “That is ill-considered by any school, public or private. It should be at the cost of losing their public funding.”…While acknowledging that Catholic theology opposes abortion, Johnson said the vigils are a political lobby, and no school should be involved in such activities.
“That’s controversial by any estimation. That is shocking to me — that is a step way over the line,” she said.
So someone from SERC said this is “ill considered” and “shocking” but on their own website, SERC advertises A Deluxe Birth Control kit which they describe as “a useful resource for teachers, public health nurses and sexual health educators” that includes a diaphragm, a Depo Provera vial, a vaginal ring, a contraceptive patch and a pregnancy testing strip.
So kids should be taught how to use a diaphragm by “educators” but praying?!!!! No way. That’s shocking and controversial.
I expect this to be a battle. So say a prayer or two for this little Catholic elementary school that they stand up to the Big Abortion bullies and do the right thing.
October 12, 2011 at 7:52 pm
*laughs* I was all prepared to be the kill joy, here, since giving class credit would be inappropriate even when I agree with the direction– but community service credit? Goodness, yes!
October 12, 2011 at 11:46 pm
When I was at Franciscan Univ, the Univ of Pittsburgh was giving out college credit to students who were pro-death escorts.
October 13, 2011 at 12:01 am
My high school alma mater in Chicago used to routinely let us out of class, under adult supervision of course, for two reasons: to picket and or pray at abortion mills; and to see the Pope. Naturally these were two very popular activities. And educational! I learned a LOT about the venom on the abortion side.
October 13, 2011 at 3:27 am
After leading a 40 Days for Life campaign, I signed off on the paperwork that allowed one of our prayer warriors to use his time on the sidewalks as his court-ordered community service (for too many speeding tickets).
October 13, 2011 at 5:39 am
Seeing how Winnipeg is my hometown, I am familiar with this parish and the school. I find it ironic that such a liberal, permissive and wordly parish (and school) would take such a conservative/progressive stance.
I'm proud of them though. Confused, but proud. 🙂
October 13, 2011 at 5:40 am
To foxfier: When I was in (protestant) Bible College, we had to complete community service credits to graduate. I believe it is something similar at this school.
October 13, 2011 at 6:01 am
Carolyn- my (USA, public) school was the same, although you could petition to get the community service requirement removed. It was easier to just volunteer at the library.
I believe there have been a few cases where teachers had their students go to political protests and carry signs for normal class credit, though.
October 13, 2011 at 4:27 pm
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/protest-credit-rebuked-131772453.html
October 13, 2011 at 6:02 pm
I don't get the whole "it's political" argument. Are they killing babies for political reasons?
October 13, 2011 at 7:56 pm
Our local parish school allows "community service" hours for time spent in Adoration; that's been a Godsend for my three students.
October 14, 2011 at 6:10 pm
"Public funds" neither come exclusively from anti-Catholics, nor do decisions on the allocation of those funds belong exclusively to anti-Catholics.
The public purse contains a lot of Catholic dollars, and therefore requires Catholic input on how they are spent.
These loudmouths need to dump the "cut their public funding" mantra. It's nothing but ignorant, nonsensical rhetoric.
October 15, 2011 at 12:33 am
We all know that there's nothing political occurring in public schools.