It's possible to reduce any idea to absurdity.

The notion of religious freedom can be pushed to the point where
one group claims the right to enforce its beliefs upon others on
pain of injury or death.

Or where a young girl's right to reasonable and rational medical
treatment might be denied her at the hands of parents with absurd
beliefs.

How about waiting until she's of age and can decide for herself
whether to take insulin or not.

Unlike Joe, however, this veteran of 12-years of Catholic education
is not quite so sanguine about the supposedly benign nature of the
latter.

My education took place from 1965 through 1977; I emerged as a
serious candidate for a religious order and very active in Campus
Ministry.

Now, in 1965, religion was certainly 'shoved down our throats.'

By the time I got close to high school, around 1972 or so, the
Church of Rome was favoring a more seductive approach (and I
don't use that term inadvisedly) to evangelization. Those were
the days of the 'touchy feely' Youth Ministry. Carl Rogers and
Fritz Perls meet St. Augustine.

We were urged to become self-actualized and find ourselves--- while
the pregnant girl in our Senior class was made to go away before she
began to 'show.' My own spiritual advisor and mentor of the time,
a Christian Brother, probably belongs in San Quentin for the young
men he abused and attempted to abuse, rather than being coddled
with the other 'Ancients' at Mont La Salle. Oh, in between abusing
a few others, he helped a bunch of others feel good about ourselves
and evolve into decent young men. It was a pretty good 'business' one
which gave him both social standing and a position where he could
locate a series of victims for his warped and destructive sexuality.

At the age of 16-22, the Christian Brothers taught me about real
spirituality. And how to drink like a sailor on shore-leave. Hey,
and only one of them tried to have his way with me just once, and
then not successfully (not enough Meloso Cream Sherry as a moral lubricant, I guess).

The fact is, however, that 'Catholic Education' is and has been a
big business that supports quite a few people in a rather posh
lifestyle. Fewer all the time--- it seems it doesn't appeal quite
as much as it did. Then again, there is now a generation of
surprisingly well-compensated laity (executive salaries in Catholic
education are good--- must be competitive you know) rising up to
continue the industry.

The Jesuits in particular have made it big business, about power and
money. And look at some of those prolific examples--- Fr. Donald
McGuire "the most dangerous priest in America" and former confessor
of Mother Teresa. John Powell SJ--- author and icon of the 'feel good'
religious movement, darling of the speaker's circuit, scion of the
'right-to-life' crusade, and notorious ephebophile. Charmed his way
right into any number of young girls' beds.

In the mean-time, Catholic schools in areas where mom and dad can't
afford the now-exorbitant tuition are closing right and left. I think
when I was in elementary school, tuition was something like $120 a
year. In high school, it was still under a thousand. Now it's tens
of thousands per annum.

I'm sorry if this sounds like a hateful diatribe--- it's not meant
to be that. It's serious, experience-based criticism. These days
it's difficult for me to see Catholic Education as anything more
than the self-interest of the Catholic Educator. Compounded
generationally.