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Old 08-03-2009, 10:56 PM   #157
Rabih Shanshiry
 
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Location: Boston/MA
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Re: Religious Restrictions on Training

Quote:
Chantal Amyotte wrote: View Post
ok .. so here is a real life example that fits perfectly with our current conversation. I am a Catholic School Teacher and it is understood that the students at my school will pray with us, go to mass with us, celebrate the liturgical celebrations with us and be active members of the catholic school community. This said, I also understand that most of the kids in my class are not Catholic.
Funny you should mention this Chantal. I went to a Catholic school myself though I am not Catholic. And yes, we were expected to bow our heads in prayer every morning, go to chapel once a week, and attend mass each month.

That being said, there was LOTS of accomodation and respect for people outside the Catholic/Christian faith. We bowed our heads in prayer, but we were not forced to say specific prayers. When we went to mass, we were not expected or pressured to take the eucharist in any way.

In fact, at the end of every prayer, the school chaplain would always say "We ask this each in his or her own way, I ask this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." I heard that hundreds of times. The spirit of it struck a real chord with me.

It did not take much for the school to accommodate students of other faiths and make them feel welcome. They managed to do this without compromising their Catholic identity. In fact, they saw this celebration of diversity an important expression of their Catholic mission.

That is the model I'm advocating.


(Dang, I hate it when people double post. Sorry y'all).

Last edited by Rabih Shanshiry : 08-03-2009 at 11:03 PM.
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