My sister-in-law has baptised her kids as Catholic solely so they can attend a better school....?

Question

My sister-in-law is not Catholic, neither is her husband. They are not at all religious and never have been church goers.
Their daughter started school last September and they didnt like the school she was attending. So they have now baptised her Catholic so she can attend the Catholic school that has better results.
Im i overracting by being disgusted by this? I think its a terrible thing to pretend to have a faith purely for gain in this way.
Im not Catholic myself but i respect religion and i am aware of
Catholic beliefs, these people openly admit they have no intention of following this religion. In fact they laughed at the idea and said it was a good job the Vicar wasnt aware that she had had an abortion!
My sister-in-law and her husband have good well paid jobs, they could afford to move within the catchment area of a better school or ever pay to go private, there was no need to do this.

Am i overreacting? Is this common practise now??

For those saying you don't have to be Catholic to attend a Catholic school. I am aware of that, but there is also conditions as i have mentioned above. She wasn't in the catchment area to attend normally so the only way they would accept her was if she said she didn't want to go the the nearer schools because they weren't Catholic, and it was a lie.
This is not a private Catholic school, so they are not paying for anything other than school dinners and after school club, apart from what they pay in taxes.

She particularly wanted her daughters to attensd this school as the 'after school club' runs late and has cheap rates.
I felt sick sitting ion that Church watching her mark a cross on my nieces forehead knowing all she was doing it for was a cheap after school club and marginally better results.

Answer 1

The problem is not with parents like your sister-in-law. She and her husband are doing what they do to achieve two purposes. Firstly, they are trying to get the best education for their kids. Secondly they are trying to save their earnings - so that they can provide the best life for their family. This doesn't strike me as terribly wrong.

The fault here lies with an education system which provides better schools for one group in society than another. Imagine your employer offering better wages to Catholic recruits than Protestants or Muslims! There would be outrage, protests etc. Of course that wouldn't happen because it's illegal.

But our education system is exempt from these standards. It seems perfectly acceptable in some places to say that children of Catholic parents can have a good, free education and that children of other religions can either hope that their parents can pay or suffer the consequences.

Answer 2

To feel sick over it is an over reaction, because it happens all the time. People with money think they can do whatever they like, that the rules don't apply to them.
As far as church schools go, most kids in them come from non-religious homes and are there because of parental snobbery.
I know from experience that better academic results does not mean a better school, just a more middle class school.
My kid went to a church nursery(because it was the only school within walking distance that had any kind of nursery provision,so we had no choice) and I was amazed by the amount of parents who were non-religious. I was also amazed by the snobbery(especially considering the area!).
As far as the catholic religion goes, it's pretty much evil so some lies and deciet will fit right in.
I think it does kids a dis-service to send them to a church school though (everyone I've known who went to a catholic one hated it). But when it comes to people with money I say let them go there (and lie all they want) because it keeps them out of the decent state schools. We can all be a bit happier then.
I understand what you're saying about the fact that they can afford to move, or go private. I think if people are rich enough they should go private. But I VERY much disagree with someone moving into a catchment area specifically for a better school. It displaces other people and is unfair to those who can't afford it. They all get shoved into crap schools.
To answer you, yes it is common practice.

Answer 3

No, you are not overreacting. I would say their are more reasons than you list for feeling this way. First, lying is morally wrong. I have no respect for religion. They have manipulated, lied and killed people by the thousands to get were they are today, yet try to hide it behind a peaceful loving facade. In this case, I wouldn't be disgusted because your sister in law used the same tactics against the church to try and get her daughter a better education. I would be disgusted because they are putting your niece in a dangerous situation. It is a Catholic school for a reason. They teach religion as well as the normal courses that public schools teach. If they open claim that they think these beliefs false, they shouldn't put their daughter in a situation where she will be brainwashed into believing it. What children see and hear when young, have a huge impact on who they become later in life. Do they not care that their daughter will become another of the delusional? The people that have the hardest time not believing in religion, even though they know in their hearts it isn't true, are the people indoctrinated since a young age. This is serious and if I were you, I would place a call to the Catholic school immediately and let them in on the deception and your sister in laws abortion. If for no other reason, do it to keep your niece from suffering the guilt, that many teens feel about their natural feelings when growing up, that religion causes. That is just my opinion, but weither or not you really care about your niece will decide if you act or not.

Answer 4

Probably quite common.

It sounds to me that your sister-in-law and her husband are taking the mickey, and are abusing religion to suit they're own ends.

However they are trying to do what is academical best for their daughter. Don't think it would really matter for the vicar (shouldn't it be priest?) to know, as I have some friends, who's children had some "problems" at a Vardy Foundation school. Their parents approached a Catholic school who were prepared to teach them, even though one of the children deemed herself to be pagan, and the other didn't profess a religion. They didn't require that the children to convert, and didn't mind so long as the kids respected, not necessarily believed in, the Catholic faith, and otherwise behaved themselves. I think it was felt that by having other faiths represented within the school, the school would produce pupils who were better people.

Shouldn't need to pay to get a good education, but I went to an independent C.O.E. school and it/R.E. if anything encouraged me to become a pagan. Found some of the religious teaching to be stupid (to me, maybe not for others), but I think it was the deputy head's telling of Alpha Christian jokes about "the funny things that people involved in car accidents said", that turned me right of Christianity.... She stood in front of the entire school and was laughed at, not with. (I think Humiliation is quite a different thing than humility)

Answer 5

I was not aware that a child had to be Catholic in order to attend a Catholic School !
I am not buying this story 100%
If these people are believers in any way--- I cannot believe that they would have made false promices to God.
If a priest baptized those children knowing this then shame on him !

Answer 6

I don't know why this should shock anyone! An atheist raising their children to be atheist,,,wouldn't think this was wrong. I'll bet it happens a lot. If they were Christian, and converted to Catholic,,,then I would have a problem with it,,but an atheist,,,,,they are no worse off going there than a public school....who knows? Maybe they will learn about Jesus. It is better than never knowing at all, I guess...of course they will also be taught a lot of wrong thinking,,,,but weren't we all as children...hopefully they will recover when they reach the age of reason...

Answer 7

What a Lie this is anyone can attend a Catholic school. And as for them baptizing their child in the Catholic Church No way nada didnt happen. One of the parents would have to have been a Catholic for that to have happened.

Answer 8

I don't know if you are. It seems a pretty drastic way to get their daughter into a better school and will be confusing for the child if it is a catholic only school. Many catholics like me are non-practising but I don't think I would change religion to get my child into a better school. Then again, who are we to judge. I can understand that you are upset, but they have to make their own decisions, right or wrong, and we each of us have no power over others decision-making. Let them get on with it, acknowlege to yourself that you are annoyed and then try and move on. Hope this helps :)

Answer 9

I think there's more going on than you are saying. It seems you are a bit jealous. Why worry so much about your sister-in-law. I am sure as a parent you would "play the game" to give your kids a better life. And not to mention, enhance your quality of life by the increased savings.

Answer 10

The Catholic Church have managed to make the most money out of the biggest con in history. They are an evil orginization.

Who cares about pretending to share their faith in order to exploit THEM for a change?