THE JOYS OF A CATHOLIC EDUCATION

Getting together with some old school friends recently made me reminisce about my education, MY 13 YEARS OF CATHOLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION.

Now I know that my mother had my best intentions at heart by sending me to a Catholic school, and up until the age of 16 I was a very devout Catholic.

However at the age of 16 (call it teenage rebellion if you will) I started to question certain tenants of my then religious faith. So much so that I managed to change my mild mannered religion teacher into an angry vitriolic demagogue when I stated that religion was about maintaining the socio-economic status-quo; keeping the rich rich, and the poor poor. Doing a Marxist analysis of a poem had a similar affect on my English teacher.

Now it would be very easy (and probably accurate) to blame my many problems on my Catholic education. However, my Catholic education has in fact had a major impact on who I am, and what I do, for better or worse. How? Well that is what I will now tell.

1. It made me reject the spiritual aspects of Christianity/Catholicism: I consider myself to be a devout Atheist.

2. However the social aspects of Catholicism are what shape my life. You know the commitment to the equality of all people, and the right of all people to a dignified and peaceful existence. It has influenced my politics, my occupation and my activism.

3. There is a part of me that still views sex as being forbidden and wrong

4. However that doesn't stop me on those rare occasions when I am in church (for weddings, baptisms etc.) wondering what some of the female parishioners would be like in bed, and whether if I was screwing them, they would be blasphemous and scream "Oh God" or "Jesus Christ."

5. When I get together with my old school friends, all our jokes have homo-erotic overtones (it was an all boys Catholic School)

6. It has taught me how hypocritical many people can be; some Catholics/Christians claim that homosexuality is an abomination because this is what the Bible says. However they don't think that eating shellfish (lobsters, crabs etc.) is an abomination, even though the Bible actually says this more definitively.

7. It made me realise that the New Testament is right up there with the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and The Merchant of Venice for it's viral anti-Semitism.

8. It taught me never to trust women. Think about it, Eve, Delilah, Lot's wife and so on.

9. It made me realise that even intelligent and decent people can be brainwashed with the right PR and saturation advertising.

10. That religion is about maintaining the socio-economic status quo; keeping the rich rich and the poor poor. That's why all the major religions have wealthy supporters whose wealth is in opposition to their religion, yet religious leaders do not criticise them for this.