Pregnant Student Banned from Graduation, Walks

[TPJCatholic]

fix,

I agree and many people become very upset when they read about Catholic schools making anti-Catholic choices (like having Hillary talk at their school), yet amazingly in this case people are defending the girl and not the right of the school to defend and teach the faith. That school has a responsibility to strictly adhere to the faith and to defend it at each opportunity–they were simply doing the right thing. I would thing most people here would find that refreshing, especially since we live in a world where so many Catholic schools have strayed from strictly adhering to truth.

 

[fix]

TPJCatholic:

I would thing most people here would find that refreshing, especially since we live in a world where so many Catholic schools have strayed from strictly adhering to truth.

Too often we underestimate the power of feelings over reason.

 

[TPJCatholic]

fix,

Yes, or how many people fall prey to the media’s weak and biased presenting of a given story.

 

[TarAshly]

TPJCatholic:

fix,

I agree and many people become very upset when they read about Catholic schools making anti-Catholic choices (like having Hillary talk at their school), yet amazingly in this case people are defending the girl and not the right of the school to defend and teach the faith. That school has a responsibility to strictly adhere to the faith and to defend it at each opportunity–they were simply doing the right thing. I would thing most people here would find that refreshing, especially since we live in a world where so many Catholic schools have strayed from strictly adhering to truth.

I dont find it refreshing at all. to be honest i find it quite nauseating.

 

[TPJCatholic]

Tarashly,

Then if you find that school’s actions to be stomach turning, then would it not be hypocritical of you to complain about what Catholic schools do in general? Say the same school refused to let Hillary speak, would that not also turn your stomach?

 

[fix]

TPJCatholic:

Tarashly,

Then if you find that school’s actions to be stomach turning, then would it not be hypocritical of you to complain about what Catholic schools do in general? Say the same school refused to let Hillary speak, would that not also turn your stomach?

I guess we should be grateful the school does not pass out contraceptives or give free rides to PP. How far can the bar be lowered?

What is equally as perplexing is the reponse of the girl’s mother.

 

[TPJCatholic]

fix,

I agree, the mother’s response is very telling, one can see where the girl learned her defiance. Also, the story simply states the father was allowed, yet it does not say how they know he was allowed to attend. It is not impossible that he was told not to attend, nor is it impossible that the girl and the boy knew what the girl was going to do. It seemed like a very deliberate and planned attack to me.

 

[fix]

There is a duplicate thread under moral theology. The posters mostly side with the female student. The loss of shame and scandal continues…

 

[katherine2]

TPJCatholic:

fix,

I agree and many people become very upset when they read about Catholic schools making anti-Catholic choices (like having Hillary talk at their school …

Maybe I’m overly influenced by the way I raised my children, but I don’t understand not being on speaking terms with someone of whom you are on a first name basis with.:tsktsk:

 

[fix]

katherine2:

Maybe I’m overly influenced by the way I raised my children, but I don’t understand not being on speaking terms with someone of whom you are on a first name basis with.:tsktsk:

Maybe she refuses to speak with him?

 

[TPJCatholic]

katherine,

“Hillary” has given away any respect she might have earned had she proved to be a better leader.

 

[Catholic2003]

What’s really a scandal is a “Catholic” school siding with the Culture of Death.

Everyone who crossed that stage to receive a diploma was a sinner. If the school felt a great need to single out certain classes of sinners, they should have banned girls who had abortions and their boyfriends who talked them into having those abortions. But even that is missing the entire point of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I’m horrified to imagine what the effect will be on the girls in next year’s senior class.

 

[TPJCatholic]

Catholic,

I agree, if the school could verify that a certain girl had an abortion, that girl should be banned as well. The problem lies in the fact that the school administrators have no way of knowing if any given girl has had an abortion.

 

[fix]

Catholic2003:

What’s really a scandal is a “Catholic” school siding with the Culture of Death.

Everyone who crossed that stage to receive a diploma was a sinner. If the school felt a great need to single out certain classes of sinners, they should have banned girls who had abortions and their boyfriends who talked them into having those abortions. But even that is missing the entire point of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I’m horrified to imagine what the effect will be on the girls in next year’s senior class.

Now, that is hardly the issue. Public sin and private sin both hurt the body of Christ, but public sin may be scandalous and that scandal may lead others astray. Should there be no level or standards for young students?

 

[Catholic2003]

fix:

Now, that is hardly the issue. Public sin and private sin both hurt the body of Christ, but public sin may be scandalous and that scandal may lead others astray. Should there be no level or standards for young students?

So the message is that an unmarried pregnant woman isn’t truly forgiven in the Sacrament of Reconciliation until she isn’t showing anymore?

Was Jesus causing scandal when He said, “Let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone”? He told the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more. This young woman is doing that, by carrying her baby to term instead of aborting it. I sincerely doubt that any of her peers are envying her situation and the “life of luxury” she will be living for the next 18 years.

Does this woman cause a scandal by going to church? Perhaps she should be excommunicated until she delivers. Even then, her young infant is going to be a public reminder of her sin; I guess by this logic she should only be allowed into church after she delivers and only when she has arranged a baby sitter so that the other churchgoers don’t have to be offended by evidence of her mistake. – Now this is clearly nonsense. But if there is no justification in barring her from church, then what justification is there in barring her from the graduation ceremony? Is she accused of conceiving the baby on school property?

Before Roe v. Wade, this capricious treatment (in keeping her from the graduation ceremony) was merely un-Christian hypocrisy, like the Pharisees who wanted to stone the woman caught in adultery. Now it is playing right into the hands of the Culture of Death. I have no doubt that when the school administrators meet their reward, they will have the blood of aborted babies on their hands, as surely as John Kerry and Hillary Clinton will.

 

[Blanka]

If a Catholic school can’t defend the belief in chastity and moral virtue, then where else could one send their child for a Catholic education? It looks like some would have the school have no rules! I suppose if a student didn’t like wearing the school uniform, then by gosh they shouldn’t have to because it’s their “right” to attend school dressed any way they want to. And I guess next year the gay students should wear rainbow sashes across their graduation gowns to emphasize that they are people worthy of God’s and everyone else’s praise. And I guess a Wicca practicing student should be able to express her belief as equal to any other religion and accept full acceptance from the school.

I am obviously being facetious to illustrate what happens with an absence of rules. Just look at the public schools and you see it all happening. Is that what we want a Catholic private school to become?

The girl in question was allowed to finish her studies and receive a diploma. The school apparently offered educational support so that she could reach the goal of completing her education. A pregnant girl/woman is living an ADULT life with adult priorities by mere fact of the child she is carrying. I would like to think the girl’s time is spent on planning the care of her expectant child and how she will provide for the child (and hopefully planning to marry the father of the child) rather than how to defy the Catholic school system.

It seems we have lost all respect for manners in our society today. It is simply poor manners to attend a function where one is not invited and make a scene. I wish the young woman and her child all the best and I hope she is able to spend her energy in positive ways that focus on her child.

 

[Catholic2003]

Blanka:

If a Catholic school can’t defend the belief in chastity and moral virtue, then where else could one send their child for a Catholic education?

I don’t believe that anyone is suggesting that the school needs to stop teaching that premarital sex is a grave sin.

All I’m saying is that the school also needs to teach that the Sacrament of Reconciliation does indeed reconcile the sinner to the community of believers, so that the sinner does not need to be shunned and outcast, especially by school administrators who are just as much sinners as the young women.

As a Catholic, I am ashamed of the actions taken by these administrators. They are the true scandal.

 

[fix]

Catholic2003:

So the message is that an unmarried pregnant woman isn’t truly forgiven in the Sacrament of Reconciliation until she isn’t showing anymore?

Who said she went to confession?

Was Jesus causing scandal when He said, “Let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone”? He told the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more. This young woman is doing that, by carrying her baby to term instead of aborting it. I sincerely doubt that any of her peers are envying her situation and the “life of luxury” she will be living for the next 18 years.

What does any of that have to do with obeying legitimate authority?

Does this woman cause a scandal by going to church?

Church is not school. What other behavior should be minimized by Catholic schools?

Perhaps she should be excommunicated until she delivers. Even then, her young infant is going to be a public reminder of her sin; I guess by this logic she should only be allowed into church after she delivers and only when she has arranged a baby sitter so that the other churchgoers don’t have to be offended by evidence of her mistake. – Now this is clearly nonsense. But if there is no justification in barring her from church, then what justification is there in barring her from the graduation ceremony? Is she accused of conceiving the baby on school property?

Church is not school. A graduation ceremony is not a mass. This story is about one girl who sinned, was told not to come to the ceremony and placed her will above all others.

Before Roe v. Wade, this capricious treatment (in keeping her from the graduation ceremony) was merely un-Christian hypocrisy, like the Pharisees who wanted to stone the woman caught in adultery. Now it is playing right into the hands of the Culture of Death. I have no doubt that when the school administrators meet their reward, they will have the blood of aborted babies on their hands, as surely as John Kerry and Hillary Clinton will.

That is so absurd it almost does not deserve a legitimate response. Sin has consequences. Even repentent sin has consequences that must be accepted. You are teaching others that all is acceptable and there are never to be any consequences to one’s actions. No one has discussed stoning the girl. What I find most distressing in these posts are that so many enable this girl, as her mother did, to be self righteous and make herself the final authority.

 

[fix]

Catholic2003:

I don’t believe that anyone is suggesting that the school needs to stop teaching that premarital sex is a grave sin.

All I’m saying is that the school also needs to teach that the Sacrament of Reconciliation does indeed reconcile the sinner to the community of believers, so that the sinner does not need to be shunned and outcast, especially by school administrators who are just as much sinners as the young women.

As a Catholic, I am ashamed of the actions taken by these administrators. They are the true scandal.

As a Catholic I am ashamed of these posts that support rejection of just authority and enabling of adolescent rebellion and selfishness.

You keep bringing up confession. Do you have more information than was stated in the news article?

 

[TarAshly]

Catholic2003:

So the message is that an unmarried pregnant woman isn’t truly forgiven in the Sacrament of Reconciliation until she isn’t showing anymore?

Was Jesus causing scandal when He said, “Let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone”? He told the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more. This young woman is doing that, by carrying her baby to term instead of aborting it. I sincerely doubt that any of her peers are envying her situation and the “life of luxury” she will be living for the next 18 years.

Does this woman cause a scandal by going to church? Perhaps she should be excommunicated until she delivers. Even then, her young infant is going to be a public reminder of her sin; I guess by this logic she should only be allowed into church after she delivers and only when she has arranged a baby sitter so that the other churchgoers don’t have to be offended by evidence of her mistake. – Now this is clearly nonsense. But if there is no justification in barring her from church, then what justification is there in barring her from the graduation ceremony? Is she accused of conceiving the baby on school property?

Before Roe v. Wade, this capricious treatment (in keeping her from the graduation ceremony) was merely un-Christian hypocrisy, like the Pharisees who wanted to stone the woman caught in adultery. Now it is playing right into the hands of the Culture of Death. I have no doubt that when the school administrators meet their reward, they will have the blood of aborted babies on their hands, as surely as John Kerry and Hillary Clinton will.

I wish i could have held my emotions in better control to have posted something like this that is so well thought out, intelligent, insightful and on point! Great post!