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Apparently two thirds of us think so.

I am an atheist of particularly strong conviction and some of the thanks for my enlightenment must go to the staff at my Catholic school.

I hated my time there with every fibre of my being. The staff at that evil institution were the least Christian Catholics imaginable.

I think it is about time that the government withdrew state funding from faith schools as they promote individual religions, not diversity and do nothing for the (generally) good name of the religions they represent.

^You stopped believing in God because a bunch of nuns were mean to you? Pft. I sincerely hope there's more to it than that. And that's rather rude, judging us all based on one group. Just 'cause the catholics are jerks doesn't mean the rest of us are.

And diversity is overrated.

I think Catholic schools do more harm than good, but I highly doubt they produce more atheists than they do Christians. Churches /definitely/ do not produce more atheists than Christians. While they may create a large number of nonbelievers, I don't think that the majority of the people who have gone to church for a considerable amount of time stopped believing in God.

I know someone who now goes to a Catholic School and he's become less and less catholic...

I was still talking about Catholic churches up there. It occurred to me that I made that somewhat unclear.

I don't think they make more atheists than Christians, but they certainly do make less Christians than public schools. I know many people who have stopped believing Christianity because of Catholic schools.

On 4/19/2006 6:04:33 PM dog_wolf_9 wrote: ^You stopped believing in God because a bunch of nuns were mean to you? Pft. I sincerely hope there's more to it than that. And that's rather rude, judging us all based on one group. Just 'cause the catholics are jerks doesn't mean the rest of us are.

A few points.

If you'd bothered to read my post PROPERLY, you'd have noticed that, "some of the thanks" for my atheism goes to the school. Thay are by no means the only reason.

You'll also notice, that I have not singled out any other group than Catolics to mention specifically. So I am not judging "you all", whoever you may be by their standards.

Try reading before responding!

Diversity is not overrated. It brings tolerance and understanding.

Speaking from personal experience, I'd definitely have to say yes. My brother and I were both raised Catholic, and now he's an Atheist and I've renounced my Catholicism.

I don't think so.

Most kids in Catholic schools are Christian. The people who *are* atheists probably were atheist to begin with, and the school didn't affect it.

Maybe they do. But even if only one in ten learn to live by faith, that's better than nothing. What I really think is that the rest of Christendom is too hard on Catholicism. They’re not a bunch of heretics.

On 4/19/2006 6:04:33 PM dog_wolf_9 wrote: judging us all based on one group. Just 'cause the catholics are jerks doesn't mean the rest of us are.

This is true. The fact that the rest of you are jerks is just a f**king co-incidence

Catholicism is a form of Christianity, therefore it is impossible for it to happen.

Do you think there are a greater number of women than humans?

No. It is not possible.

On 4/25/2006 6:35:35 AM KerriAceNine wrote: Catholicism is a form of Christianity, therefore it is impossible for it to happen. Do you think there are a greater number of women than humans? No. It is not possible.

I don't think you're looking at the question in the right way.

KikiPeepers was asking whether more kids graduate from Catholic schools as Christians or as atheists.

On 4/22/2006 4:09:21 AM Brunnen_G wrote: On 4/19/2006 6:04:33 PM dog_wolf_9 wrote: judging us all based on one group. Just 'cause the catholics are jerks doesn't mean the rest of us are. This is true. The fact that the rest of you are jerks is just a f**king co-incidence

So its also co-incidence that your been a jerk?

haha, my mom went to catholic school and hated it.

I think that if you force religion on kids too much, they will grow rebillious.

My dad went to Catholic school his whole life and hasn't been to a mass in over 30 years since he left.

I believe with Zqueen16, if you force somthing on people, they will resent it.

Catholics ARE Christians. And to answer the question, not only have I met a whole lot of former Catholic atheists, but a lot of ex-Catholics seemed to gravitate toward pagan religions as well.

I think that catholic schools probably produce graduates who are apathetic and indifferent about their religion more than active atheists.

I think the reason is simple: teachers at catholic schools today don't know their faith and don't know what they're talking about. On the one hand, they're pretending to be representing the Church; on the other hand, they couldn't defend the first tenents of their religion, and often work against themselves and the purpose of the school by proferring conflicting doctrines.

Naturally, that's confusing for a student. Wouldn't you be more likely to ignore the religion altogether than try to work out the contradictions provided by your misleading teachers?

The truth is that any intellectually honest, rational person who seriously considers the apologetics of the Catholic faith is likely to believe it. But someone who's given the rules without the reasons is likely to develop a distaste for it. I think it's very logical.

On 6/6/2006 9:11:39 AM doodledarcy wrote: I think the reason is simple: teachers at catholic schools today don't know their faith and don't know what they're talking about. On the one hand, they're pretending to be representing the Church; on the other hand, they couldn't defend the first tenents of their religion, and often work against themselves and the purpose of the school by proferring conflicting doctrines. Naturally, that's confusing for a student.

I'm sure those Monks, Nuns and Priests teaching in Catholic schools are really ignorant about the Catholic religion.

Maybe in the US, but that doesn't seem to be the case in Latin America. My school seems pretty good at keeping the Catholic kids Catholic as well.

You want to know why this happens in the Catholic education system?

They encourage you to ask questions, and will admit it when they don't know the answer. Unlike other types of Christian education, where questions are discouraged and the old 'blind faith' answer is pretty much the stock in trade.

I'm one, but I was never in a Catholic school.

Heh, nothing made me more against religion than going to a religious school.

i honestly don't.

I honestly believe they do produce more athetist. and regular christian schools too, my friend used to be a christian until she went to a really strict backwards minded christian school, and now shes a strong agnostic, because of the christian school. ive seen it in other people, so i believe they do.