It is a grave sin, but here is how you go about it.

by Jeffrey Miller March 27, 2006

written by Jeffrey Miller March 27, 2006

The head teacher of a Roman Catholic school has told how she was forced to contact police over her decision to teach some pupils about contraception.

Diana Vernon, of Woldingham School, in Surrey, was sent hostile letters and e-mails by anti-abortionists attacking the move to teach girls aged 14 and 15.

Anti-abortion group UK LifeLeague said the school did not have to teach it.

But Miss Vernon said pupils were given a "clear sense" of Catholic Church requirements, as well as other options.

Anti-abortion newsletter

She said the independent girls school also followed Department for Education and Skills requirements.

"We make sure that the girls are aware of the options and then can leave here and make an informed moral choice for themselves," she said.

Miss Vernon added that she had advised police that the school had been targeted by anti-abortionists as a precaution, but there was nothing to suggest it was "under threat".

Not surprising that yet another Catholic school teacher view contraception as a requirement instead of a gravely sinful act. They must think they stay up nights late at the Vatican coming up with annoying requirements. "Hey here is one that will really stick in peoples’ craw." This I guess is the America Magazine approach to teaching. Here is what the Church teaches and here are some other options. Contraception is gravely disordered and here are some ways to go about it. Typical moral malpractice where someone’s eternal soul is jeopardized by someone who more than likely doesn’t agree with Church teaching.

And then there is the over reaction by calling the police because people who are actually pro-life wrote some letters in disagreement. Now probably some of those letters were not written very charitably, but I don’t think there are gangs of pro-life thugs waiting outside the school waiting to beat up teachers who are teaching grave error.

In another school though they do the right thing.

BUFFALO, N.Y. A Buffalo student who is openly lesbian says her Catholic high school won’t let her bring her girlfriend to the prom.
Church officials at the all-girl Villa Maria Academy say they have to stand by their principles.

Senior Laura Murphy says she’s been told to bring someone else or come alone.

And as you would expect though a good chunk of the school body in this Catholic school thinks this is wrongful discrimination.

She says she is being discriminated against, and she’s collected petition signatures from about a third of the school’s 130 students in support.

This audio interview with Laura Murphy is the typical I didn’t want to cause a commotion but I had to be true to myself. She even complained that if they had just said yes from the beginning that this wouldn’t have escalated.

Jeffrey Miller

Seeing the Pope through Rose Colored Vestments

27 comments

Gretchen March 27, 2006 - 1:49 pm

I absolutely agree that this is discrimination!

I wholeheartedly disagree that there is anything wrong with discriminating between truth and a lie, though. That kind of discrimination is a blessing and far from wrongful except in the eyes of those who refuse to believe the Truth.

Andrew March 27, 2006 - 3:23 pm

One word: homeschool

I’m tired of schools, public and private, taking it upon themselves to give our children “choices” that completely contradict their parents’ wishes. Whatever happened to the principle of subsidiarity?

Paul, just this guy, you know? March 27, 2006 - 4:20 pm

Typical homosexual approach: “all I want is my rights. Therefore, anything I want, I have a right to. Anything I am denied is a denial of my rights.”

We see it again and again.

Andrew is right; homeschool.

Naomi March 27, 2006 - 4:55 pm

The real outrage is how this head teacher happens to teach in a self described Roman Catholic School. Was the Mandata signed? Will there be any consequences, discipline, oversight?

Amy March 27, 2006 - 6:03 pm

She even complained that if they had just said yes from the beginning that this wouldn’t have escalated.

If she had just said yes to the school rules, this wouldn’t have been a problem in the first place.

Elinor March 27, 2006 - 6:42 pm

But Miss Vernon said pupils were given a “clear sense” of Catholic Church requirements, as well as other options.

Like, for instance, everlasting damnation. Some option.

Margaret March 27, 2006 - 8:18 pm

Have people actually bought into the stereotype of pro-lifers as being bomb-lobbing nutcases? To such an extent that pro-lifers objecting to a school policy warrants contacting the police? Good grief.

My impression was always that the MSM and pro-abortion lobby were simply in cahoots, perpetuating a wild stereotype of all pro-lifers as violent and dangerous in a very “wink wink, nudge nudge” fashion, with very few people actually believing it. How sad that people have actual bought into this. I guess it worked.

Ferde Rombola March 27, 2006 - 10:16 pm

“Home school” is synonymous with throwing in the towel. Homosexuals are successful with the media and the culture because the rest of us sit back and do nothing. They are rabid activists; they write thousands of letters to the editor and are agitating at all levels of government. Their brand of hate speech is accepted because no one challenges it, especially the bishops of this country, who stand a better chance of getting in the news than most of us. That’s one place we can agitate immediately.

There’s no reason we can’t make as much or more noise then they do and we’d better get to it because their agenda is right on course and on time.

Aaron March 28, 2006 - 4:33 am

Okay. I think that both stories are appalling. Yes the education of the students needs to be better etc etc etc.

I was homeschooled for much of high school (by my choice). But it is hard to homeschool for high school especially if the son/daughter wishes to enter the mathematics/sciences.

But I came out fine. Even so much that as a student I sit on the governing body of my university with the Chancellor and President.

Sue Cunningham March 28, 2006 - 6:43 am

I don’t think homeschooling is the answer. I think holding the Catholic schools accountable for their teaching is what needs to happen. We need to show we are not afraid to stand true to our faith. Adults need to stop trying to be the kids friends and start being the role model.

kat March 28, 2006 - 6:55 am

As parents we are responsible for our children, for their bodies and for their souls. We are not responsible for the local Catholic school’s staffs salvation. It takes decades, if ever, to change teaching in these schools these days. Our children are only children for a short time. We have to protect them from the influence of evil in this world and keep their souls holy. That is why we homeschool. They get a good Catholic education, which is what we are asked by the Church to provide and are not subjected to any of the leftist garbage being taught in the ps or the “Catholic” schools.

4HisChurch March 28, 2006 - 8:17 am

Like BillyHW I was also taught about contraception (and abortion) in a Catholic school by a teacher who used a similar disclaimer.

Andrew March 28, 2006 - 1:05 pm

Ferde, homeschooling is not throwing in the towel – paying tuition is!

Ellen March 28, 2006 - 3:38 pm

It is sad is that what all of you don’t understand is that no matter how we teach our children, they are going to do what they want to do. Whether that be sneaking out of the house or drinking or having sex, they are going to do it. The most important thing for them is to be armed with the information as to how to deal with different situations. Your children are going to go against your beliefs in one way or another. That’s what they do. Especially teenagers. So if you don’t want your daughter to bring home a baby, tell her how to prevent it, because like it or not, teenagers have sex.

Andrew March 28, 2006 - 11:43 pm

Now there’s an optimistic outlook!

Ferde Rombola March 29, 2006 - 11:11 am

Excuse me, Ellen, but what you said is absolute nonsense. I don’t know what your state of life is, but if you’re a parent, you’re not a very good one.

It is the parents’ obligation to instill values and morality in their children beginning in infancy. If a child recives the proper values and a sound moral standard in early childhood, they shape the child and become the child’s own values and standards.

What you said is, the culture is too powerful for parents to have any influence on their children, so parents might as well join in the decadence.

Nonsense!

kat March 29, 2006 - 12:35 pm

Liberals believe that since they had/have no self control that no one else possibly can either. If a child is brought up being taught daily by study and example to be good, fight evil and not give into temptation then they will be much more inclined to do so for the rest of their life.
But… that is a lot of work and most parents don’t bother. So they can say, “well I taught them about safe sex so if they screw up its their own fault, I did my bit.” I had parents like this and only by the grace of God did I emerge only slightly scathed. I want better for my children: more responsibility, more love, and more opportunity for holiness.

Teresa March 29, 2006 - 3:24 pm

My children, at one time, were not inclined to:

-wipe their own rear ends
-brush their teeth
-shower
-make their beds
-eat healthy food

Since they were gonna do that anyway, I just let them sit in their own swill and eat cake.

Cristina A. Montes March 29, 2006 - 7:22 pm

Morality is not based on pragmatism. Teenage sex is wrong not because if a teenage girl gets pregnant, she’d have to drop out of school and start working while acting as a parent when she still needs parents herself — although this would be reason enough. Teenage sex is wrong because extra-marital sex goes against the natural moral law. Even if there were no risk of a teenage girl getting pregnant at the wrong time, extra-marital sex would still be wrong.

MissJean March 31, 2006 - 5:54 pm

Ellen, I can see right through that motive. Mom and dad should be afraid that they’ll be stuck with the financial and emotional burden of daughter’s unwanted pregnancy. But being a vigilent and even tough parent is too much work or too risky or cuts into their own free time. So do what you want, kid, but just be consequence-free…. erm, I mean “safe”, okay?

I teach at a public school – I’ve seen the children who “are going to do what they want”. Two of my students are in juvenile facilities for repeat offenders because they wanted money and didn’t care how they got it. Maybe their parents should just have shown them how to rob people and sell drugs more discretely? The frightening thing is the parents’ “kids’ll do what they’re going to do” mentality. Some tell me about things their kids did as children, and I’m just floored. They honestly think that they couldn’t have stopped 8-year-old Johnny from breaking curfew to throw bricks off an overpass. They think there was no way to stop 12-year-old Suzie from spending the night with her 16-year-old boyfriend.

But they and their kids were such good friends. Their kids’ friends thought they were cool, too.

I also teach students whose parents actually set limits on their behaviour and have high expectations of them. Thank God that they are in the majority. Yes, some (not all) try to sneak out of the house, use drugs or alcohol, have sex, or skateboard on public fountains(

MissJean March 31, 2006 - 5:56 pm

Ooo, cut off in mid-rant! 🙂

fghfh January 31, 2008 - 4:20 pm

pPBh0m [url=http://sexymatureporn.blogsome.com]sex mature[/url]mature sex movie[url=http://teenanal.today.com]teen sex anal[/url]sex teen anal video[url=http://maxhardcoreporn.blogspot.com]teen sex anal[/url]hardcore porn video[url=http://www.blogmyway.org/?w=datingxx]dating online[/url]dating online site