Posted on 11/11/2004 5:30:42 PM PST by Hibernius Druid
Spanish Catholics Express Frustration With Religion in Public Schools
New Course Offered on Islam and Catholic Course Non-Credit
MADRID, Spain, NOV. 11, 2004 (Zenit.org).- The National Catholic Confederation of Parents of Families and Students (CONCAPA) criticized the government's decision to impart Islamic religion classes in public schools next year.
The organization considers that the right to religious freedom "is recognized to Muslims but hindered in the case of Catholics."
The Islamic religion classes will begin next year, at least in areas where there is a large presence of Muslim faithful, such as Barcelona, Madrid and some capitals of Andalucia and Levante.
The announcement was made by Mercedes Rico Godoy, general director of Religious Affairs, during a visit to Melilla, a city that, together with Ceuta, has already been imparting this religion course for the past four years.
Catholic associations of parents of students say they do not understand why the government of Jose Zapatero has reduced a similar class on the Catholic religion to a non-credit course, and yet upgraded the class in Islam.
In a statement issued by Veritas, the confederation states that the government "should remember the majority, 80% of whom register their children in the Catholic religion class."
Moreover, the confederation was "surprised" to learn that "the content of the messages of Islam is not controlled, but without going into its possible anti-Constitutionality, it is enough to see how treatment of the person might vary according to gender."
"The generosity in meeting the needs of parents and children who profess Islam is not matched with a consequent enthusiasm for insisting on reciprocity for Catholics living in their countries," the statement added.
The Spanish Federation for Religion in Education (FERE) described as "irrational" the executive's attempt "to push aside the Catholic religion of the majority while facilitating the teaching of the Islamic religion of the minority."
well people, this is what happens when you act like paella-eating-surrender-monkeys and elect a socialist govt. Your country's cherished traditions get trashed and the islamicists get appeased. Maybe Aznar doesn't look so bad after all any more....
The new administration in Spain is doing it's best to be a one term administration.
Shut up Dhimmi. The enemy of Christians is the self-hating atheist socialist's friend.
Spain needs to wake up and smell the Koran.
Maybe this was part of the Socialist's concessions. Please. Please leave us alone.
And the UN.
These socialist bastards are going to be run out of government the next election. And hopefully sent to France. Spain was on the right trajectory prior to the train bombings. I pray this pinko/fags in power are a temporary blip.
Insanity.
Hmmm. Let's guess. Maybe because the cowardly Spanish electorate voted an Islamic-loving terrorist-appeaser into office?
Depends on how far the Islamists and the Left get before the next election. On the other hand, Spain may explode before there is another election - Bambi (aka Zapatero) has been courting the radical Catalan and Basque nationalists to the point where it is no longer clear that Spain as a nation will exist much longer. And Morocco has been wanting to put its color on the map of Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands for a long time, and will probably do so very shortly.
My wife and I were in Malaga when Spain announced it was pulling out of Iraq. The reactions we witnessed was amazing, our host wept. We learned then how divided Spain was and how close the election was and that another civil war could be coming there. What a shame.
It really wouldn't surprise me. It will, as usual, be provoked by the left, just as it was in the 30s. But of course, conservatives will be blamed.
Pinging El Cid. Cleanup in Iberia!
Well said.
Gee...uh...ahem...because he's a member of anti-Catholic secret societies like so many other left-wing kooks? Connect the dots.
No kidding. God help us.
Superb!
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