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1000's of kids making their communion today

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Comments

  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 256 ✭✭100cent


    Receiving the body of Christ was a momentus day for me at the time.

    I was so humbled to have the opportunity.

    Its so lovely to see the children of today continuing the woderful traditions, despite the constant attacks on Catholicism.


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,102 ✭✭✭✭Pherekydes


    100cent wrote: »
    Receiving the body of Christ was a momentus day for me at the time.

    But you didn't. No preservatives or refrigeration could keep that guy fresh for 2000 years. It's just a bit of bread.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,495 ✭✭✭✭eviltwin


    100cent wrote: »
    Receiving the body of Christ was a momentus day for me at the time.

    I was so humbled to have the opportunity.

    Its so lovely to see the children of today continuing the woderful traditions, despite the constant attacks on Catholicism.

    The tradition of how much money you can make and wearing a princess dress. Most kids don't care about the religious aspect which is supposedly the entire point.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 256 ✭✭100cent


    Pherekydes wrote: »
    But you didn't. No preservatives or refrigeration could keep that guy fresh for 2000 years. It's just a bit of bread.

    I believe in the miracle of Transubstantiation that occurs in every Mass.

    I did receive Jesus that day and have done on countless occassions since.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,063 ✭✭✭Kiwi in IE


    We have been invited to a communion next week. I don't know whether or not we are expected to go to the church, but we are going! Little Kiwi is in 2nd class next year and is sitting it out. There is not a hope that he is going only to the bouncy castle/present/party part without seeing the weird stuff that goes on as well.

    There is also not a hope that he will be feeling at a disadvantage or left out during the communion year either. We are going to make sure everything that replaces it is better than in the eyes of a kid. We have a meeting with the school mid June and we are going to firstly request that religion be done at the beginning or end of the day, so he can start late or go home early. If this cannot be accommodated, he will do his homework while they do religion, so he has none when he gets home and concentrate on extra curricular activities after school or just have free time. All the boys in his class are football mad, and most would much prefer to go to a match than have a party and get money, so we will look at the fixtures when we get the communion date and arrange a trip to the UK to watch his favourite team that weekend.

    Feck communion and "poor child is left out". We will beat it!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 23,458 ✭✭✭✭One eyed Jack


    Kiwi in IE wrote: »
    Feck communion and "poor child is left out". We will beat it!


    I understand where you're coming from Kiwi, but you're better off not even trying to 'compete' as such IMO. You shouldn't feel a need to 'replace' one occasion for some families with a 'competing' occasion. It should just be seen as something special that you're doing for your children's own sake rather than doing it because you need to compete with other families for who has the better day out, if that makes sense?


  • Registered Users Posts: 541 ✭✭✭Bristolscale7


    I always get confirmation and communion mixed up. What's the teaching on little girls and confirmation? Do they get married to jesus? WTF.


  • Registered Users Posts: 541 ✭✭✭Bristolscale7


    100cent wrote: »
    I believe in the miracle of Transubstantiation that occurs in every Mass.

    I did receive Jesus that day and have done on countless occassions since.

    Received him where?


  • Registered Users Posts: 23,458 ✭✭✭✭One eyed Jack


    I always get confirmation and communion mixed up. What's the teaching on little girls and confirmation? Do they get married to jesus? WTF.


    Nope, no young girls get married to Jesus :D

    Here's the skinny on the Sacraments:


    Sacraments of the Catholic Church


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,634 ✭✭✭flutered


    If they don't believe in the organisation - why are they attending that very organisation today and making their kid a full-fledged member? The same organisation that molested kids just like theirs.
    why are non catholics voting for partys which has destroyed this country, forcing their kids to emigrate, etc, etc, etc


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 140 ✭✭luftmensch


    100cent wrote: »
    Receiving the body of Christ was a momentus day for me at the time.

    I was so humbled to have the opportunity.

    Its so lovely to see the children of today continuing the woderful traditions, despite the constant attacks on Catholicism.

    I was around 7 when I received it for the first time, and all I recall is that it tasted like those wafer yokes that you eat with ice cream. Then I went home and had some ice cream, and was given a load of money off relatives.

    The point is, due to my youth, I didn't understand the significance of the event, and I don't expect anyone of such a young age to understand either.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 256 ✭✭100cent


    luftmensch wrote: »
    I was around 7 when I received it for the first time, and all I recall is that it tasted like those wafer yokes that you eat with ice cream. Then I went home and had some ice cream, and was given a load of money off relatives.

    The point is, due to my youth, I didn't understand the significance of the event, and I don't expect anyone of such a young age to understand either.

    I understood quite a lot about the huge significance of the day for me.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 140 ✭✭luftmensch


    100cent wrote: »
    I understood quite a lot about the huge significance of the day for me.

    If so, you must have been an exceptionally mature young person, as I am yet to meet a 7 y/o who either understands or isn't apathetic to the events religious significance, transubstantiation, consubstantiation etc.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 256 ✭✭100cent


    luftmensch wrote: »
    If so, you must have been an exceptionally mature young person, as I am yet to meet a 7 y/o who either understands or isn't apathetic to the events religious significance, transubstantiation, consubstantiation etc.

    I took it very seriously.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,495 ✭✭✭✭eviltwin


    100cent wrote: »
    I took it very seriously.

    As a Catholic, do you not think people doing it for the day out, kids only going to church when it's communion time and then never darkening the door again is kinda insulting and that it makes a mockery of your faith?


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 256 ✭✭100cent


    eviltwin wrote: »
    As a Catholic, do you not think people doing it for the day out, kids only going to church when it's communion time and then never darkening the door again is kinda insulting and that it makes a mockery of your faith?

    Mockery of Catholicism, I'm sadly used to.

    My relationship with the Almighty God remains as strong as ever. :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,063 ✭✭✭Kiwi in IE


    I understand where you're coming from Kiwi, but you're better off not even trying to 'compete' as such IMO. You shouldn't feel a need to 'replace' one occasion for some families with a 'competing' occasion. It should just be seen as something special that you're doing for your children's own sake rather than doing it because you need to compete with other families for who has the better day out, if that makes sense?

    Why? Because it might make it look to other kids like communion isn't really all that much craic? Feck it! We will compete! I'm not sitting idly by while he is potentially made to feel like he's 'missing out'. When they are 7 and 8 they really don't give a rats backside about the religious stuff, they care about parties and money. I won't have religious allegiance equated with parties and money in the eyes of my 7 year old! Whatever he does in class and on that weekend will be better than, not less than. We can't have equality, I'm not having less than, so therefore the only option is better than!


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,492 ✭✭✭stoplooklisten


    Kiwi in IE wrote: »
    Why? Because it might make it look to other kids like communion isn't really all that much craic? Feck it! We will compete! I'm not sitting idly by while he is potentially made to feel like he's 'missing out'. When they are 7 and 8 they really don't give a rats backside about the religious stuff, they care about parties and money. I won't have religious allegiance equated with parties and money in the eyes of my 7 year old! Whatever he does in class and on that weekend will be better than, not less than. We can't have equality, I'm not having less than, so therefore the only option is better than!

    That's gas, you're going to have a non-communion celebration to co-incidence with the communions. Do you have non-christmas and non-easter celebrations too? Is it only the catholic religion or do you celebrate non-ramadam and non-bar mitzvah aswell?


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 256 ✭✭100cent


    That's gas, you're going to have a non-communion celebration to co-incidence with the communions. Do you have non-christmas and non-easter celebrations too? Is it only the catholic religion or do you celebrate non-ramadam and non-bar mitzvah aswell?

    It seems restricted to an anti-Catholic agenda.


  • Registered Users Posts: 23,458 ✭✭✭✭One eyed Jack


    Kiwi in IE wrote: »
    Why? Because it might make it look to other kids like communion isn't really all that much craic? Feck it! We will compete! I'm not sitting idly by while he is potentially made to feel like he's 'missing out'. When they are 7 and 8 they really don't give a rats backside about the religious stuff, they care about parties and money. I won't have religious allegiance equated with parties and money in the eyes of my 7 year old! Whatever he does in class and on that weekend will be better than, not less than. We can't have equality, I'm not having less than, so therefore the only option is better than!


    No, not because it might look like anything to other kids, or to anyone else for that matter. That's why I said do it for your own kids sake rather than "competing" with, or even setting your kids up in competition with, kids who are making their Communion.

    Other kids making their Communion should have no bearing whatsoever on your decision to give your kids a day they'll remember. Put it this way - would you be doing it if other kids weren't making their Communion? If you wouldn't, then you're not doing it now for your kids, you're just doing it to compete with other kids.

    You absolutely can and do have equality, and you have an opportunity here, yet instead look what you're doing with it? Teaching your children that they're better than other children because they're doing something different.

    I'm absolutely not trying to tell you how to be a parent to your own child here, and I was reluctant to say anything in case you'd think I was biased, but this is your child, not mine, so I'm not basing anything on forcing my own religious beliefs down your throat. I'm trying to have you see that you're setting seven year olds up in competition with each other, completely unnecessarily.

    What will you be planning for your kids when the other kids are making their Confirmation? By then will the competition have escalated to funding the next moon landing?

    Just to be "better", than a bunch of children.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,063 ✭✭✭Kiwi in IE


    That's gas, you're going to have a non-communion celebration to co-incidence with the communions. Do you have non-christmas and non-easter celebrations too? Is it only the catholic religion or do you celebrate non-ramadam and non-bar mitzvah aswell?

    No because Ramadan and Bah Mitzvah are not pushed upon us by the state education system.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,063 ✭✭✭Kiwi in IE


    No, not because it might look like anything to other kids, or to anyone else for that matter. That's why I said do it for your own kids sake rather than "competing" with, or even setting your kids up in competition with, kids who are making their Communion.

    I am doing it for my own. I'll be doing it so he doesn't equate swearing allegiance to religion with receiving treats and privilege for doing so.

    You absolutely can and do have equality, and you have an opportunity here, yet instead look what you're doing with it?

    How do we and can we have equality?
    Teaching your children that they're better than other children because they're doing something different.

    So I should let him think that Catholic children are better than him because they get money, presents and parties for being Catholic. Not going to happen.
    I'm absolutely not trying to tell you how to be a parent to your own child here, and I was reluctant to say anything in case you'd think I was biased, but this is your child, not mine, so I'm not basing anything on forcing my own religious beliefs down your throat. I'm trying to have you see that you're setting seven year olds up in competition with each other, completely unnecessarily.

    They won't be in competition with each other, but when Johnny tells him on the Monday after communion that he had a party and got paid €1000 for being Catholic, Little Kiwi can say "cool, what are you going to buy? I had a great weekend too, I went to Old Trafford", rather than "You're really lucky, I wish I was Catholic so I got €1000 too".
    What will you be planning for your kids when the other kids are making their Confirmation? By then will the competition have escalated to funding the next moon landing?
    .

    I'll worry about that one once we get there, but similar scenario to the communion I imagine.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,063 ✭✭✭Kiwi in IE


    100cent wrote: »
    It seems restricted to an anti-Catholic agenda.

    There is no attempt by the state education system to indoctrinate my kid with any other religion only Catholicism, so there is no reason for me to have a problem with, or take much notice of the rest.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭ Hannah Tart Flutist


    Based on the ops argument we shouldn't let our kids get involved in politics or law enforcement as the politicians and guards covered up the child abuse and therefore allowed it happen.


  • Registered Users Posts: 23,458 ✭✭✭✭One eyed Jack


    Kiwi in IE wrote: »
    I am doing it for my own. I'll be doing it so he doesn't equate swearing allegiance to religion with receiving treats and privilege for doing so.


    But surely you'll have explained to him about the significance of the event and explained that it's not that the children are getting treats for swearing allegiance to a religion? It's their parents decision to have their children make their Communion, not the children's decision. The parents are busy enough trying to outdo each other already without you buying into the farcical materialistic competition (in your own way of course, and I do get where you're coming from, I really do, because I had it with my own child when he made his Communion and I requested that people donate to charity instead of giving him money).

    How do we and can we have equality?


    You and I are equals in every way, you're no more or less human than I am, your children are no more or less human than my child. There isn't any difference between them, therefore neither your child nor my child are any more or less human than each other. This is the opportunity you have to remind your children of that fact.


    So I should let him think that Catholic children are better than him because they get money, presents and parties for being Catholic. Not going to happen.


    Absolutely not! Ever! And I would hope no child would ever grow up with that attitude towards another human being.

    They won't be in competition with each other, but when Johnny tells him on the Monday after communion that he had a party and got paid €1000 for being Catholic, Little Kiwi can say "cool, what are you going to buy? I had a great weekend too, I went to Old Trafford", rather than "You're really lucky, I wish I was Catholic so I got €1000 too".


    I'm not even going to attempt to predict the future, but I would hope that no child would be taught by their parents to be so materialistic and crass about money tbh. I do hope they have plenty of good stories to share though after the weekend without it becoming a pissing contest, but I'd hope the teachers would see to that too tbh.

    I'll worry about that one once we get there, but similar scenario I imagine.


    To be perfectly honest with you, my child is 11 now and he will be making his Confirmation next year, and it'll be a similar scenario for us too, I absolutely hate the idea that my child would ever think he was better than anyone else. I absolutely do understand where you're coming from though, but honestly IMO you really know you've settled into the Irish mentality when even as an atheist you're instilling in your child the attitude of "keeping up with the Jones".

    I get the pressure, I really do, but it doesn't have to be that way either is all I'm saying.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,495 ✭✭✭✭eviltwin


    I think by making a big deal out of him having a day for himself you are still buying into the significance of the day Kiwi. I completely get where you are coming from and I've been there myself with my older child but I don't think you should make a big deal of it. By all means make the most of the day and I gave mine the day off when the kids went in to have their photos taken but leave it at that I think. It might not even bother him, my daughter wasn't pushed on it and never felt left out, no one ever teased her. I think kids are a lot less bothered by all this than we think.

    One Eye out of interest why is your son making confirmation? I didn't think you were Catholic.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,063 ✭✭✭Kiwi in IE


    But surely you'll have explained to him about the significance of the event and explained that it's not that the children are getting treats for swearing allegiance to a religion?

    They are not? What are they getting them for then? The way communion is done keeps a full supply of little Catholics coming because it is presented to them and their parents as an 'Irish cultural milestone'. Its like a 21st or something where there are celebrations, parties and presents. How many 8 year olds do you think are actually excited about the religious/church part of it? How many parents would bother with it if they had to do the preparations in their own time and fully take part?
    It's their parents decision to have their children make their Communion, not the children's decision. The parents are busy enough trying to outdo each other already without you buying into the farcical materialistic competition (in your own way of course, and I do get where you're coming from, I really do, because I had it with my own child when he made his Communion and I requested that people donate to charity instead of giving him money).

    I'm not going to be telling Little Kiwi that he's going to a Premier League Match because of communion. I won't be relating the two at all. His birthday is in June and the Premier League finishes in May. His birthday trip will just happen (hopefully) to coincide with the communion. We are going back to NZ over the school Easter holiday next year and we're going to take him out two weeks before Easter. If we happen to be lucky enough that the communion is
    within two weeks after the Easter holiday, then we will extend the holiday that way, and he will be in NZ when they do communion. Whatever happens he is not going to think that he is missing out on something great, because let's face it kids think that parties and presents are great, hence why so many Irish kids are so excited and enthusiastic about something they probably wouldn't be very interested in otherwise.
    You and I are equals in every way, you're no more or less human than I am, your children are no more or less human than my child. There isn't any difference between them, therefore neither your child nor my child are any more or less human than each other. This is the opportunity you have to remind your children of that fact.

    Yes but we are not treated as equals in the eyes of the state education system are we!
    To be perfectly honest with you, my child is 11 now and he will be making his Confirmation next year, and it'll be a similar scenario for us too, I absolutely hate the idea that my child would ever think he was better than anyone else. I absolutely do understand where you're coming from though, but honestly IMO you really know you've settled into the Irish mentality when even as an atheist you're instilling in your child the attitude of "keeping up with the Jones".

    I'm not instilling my child with any such attitude. I'm instilling in him that there should be no special privilege for people of one particular religion over all other citizens, kind of the opposite to what the State is trying to instill in him via the education system.
    I get the pressure, I really do, but it doesn't have to be that way either is all I'm saying.

    No it doesn't have to be this way, and the sooner it is sorted out and religious rituals are removed from the primary school curriculum the better!


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,063 ✭✭✭Kiwi in IE


    eviltwin wrote: »
    I think by making a big deal out of him having a day for himself you are still buying into the significance of the day Kiwi. I completely get where you are coming from and I've been there myself with my older child but I don't think you should make a big deal of it. By all means make the most of the day and I gave mine the day off when the kids went in to have their photos taken but leave it at that I think. It might not even bother him, my daughter wasn't pushed on it and never felt left out, no one ever teased her. I think kids are a lot less bothered by all this than we think.

    One Eye out of interest why is your son making confirmation? I didn't think you were Catholic.

    I'm not going to place any significance on the day. He knows he's not doing communion and he's happy with that, but he's not yet aware of the party/bouncy castle/present side of it. He's about to find out next weekend when we attend a friends communion. He has asked why his friend is having a party and I had to say that a lot of people have parties for their communions. This has only come up in the last 24 hours and I'm sure I've more questions coming. Little Kiwi is a very social kid in a very close knit group of friends, all who do GAA, Rugby and swimming lessons together and are constantly at each other's houses, they run to each other when dropped off at school etc. The other 5 boys in the group are all doing communion. If Little Kiwi becomes upset that the other boys are having parties etc and having the after communion do at the school when he won't be there, I'm just going to say to him "yeah but we are going to Manchester that weekend" or "we will be in NZ then" and leave it at that. I'm not going to have him just sitting at home doing nothing while his mates are partying and tell him that it's because he's not Catholic.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 24,386 Mod ✭✭✭✭robindch


    Kiwi in IE wrote: »
    We have been invited to a communion next week. I don't know whether or not we are expected to go to the church, but we are going!
    Snowflake and I went to the first communion thing in the church for the 50% or so of her ET class who did it - a few days before the marriage equality referendum, as it happened. Turned out to be almost impossible to interpret what was going on for her, so we just sat half way down the church and watched thing go by - a mass is a very weird thing if you haven't been to one for ages and need to explain it all to a curious kid.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,063 ✭✭✭Kiwi in IE


    And whatever he is doing in school while they do religion will not be anything that looks like a punishment either. It will either be something more interesting or more advantageous than doing religion (getting homework done so none after school). Kids generally see religion as a soft option compared to maths, Irish and English because they just get to listen to stories and colour in. It is not a time where he will be doing extra math or Irish (this is what has happened with this years communion sitter outer and her friends feel sorry for her having to do another math book).


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