DUP: Champions of a shared future

[armaghniac]

A friend was telling me today that at the catholic maintained grammar school where she used to work, every lesson began with a prayer?

A prayer that the teacher wouldn't ask you a question about the ekker!

[Wildweasel74]

I done half the shit old nelson seemed to have been up to i been sacked long time ago. Its about time politicians are held responsible and especially sacked in wrong doing. Teflon Dons come to mindl WHta the f**k a potician have to do to get sacked over here. Dogdy dealing with Red Sky, and even more worryingly trying to change window specifications on the opinion of turkingtons to suit their window spec, who just by chance are donors to the DUP. STINKS TO THE HIGH HEAVEN THIS ONE. I would have a detailed background in maint work and specifications, and cant even keep a straight face watching this carry on. Everybody hide behind lawyers on this one.

[give her dixie]

And to think that they were able to take control of certain planning decisions last week....

Having the DUP in power is like putting the fox in charge of the hen house.

[Eamonnca1]

A friend was telling me today that at the catholic maintained grammar school where she used to work, every lesson began with a prayer?  Is this the same at all catholic schools?

Some teachers did and some didn't. Every classroom had a crucifix in it. Every day began with prayers in assembly. And woe betide you if you didn't join in. GCSE RE lessons taught the course from an English region, which in theory was "about" all other religions with one religion in particular singled out for scrutiny, the latter of which was conveniently and completely coincidentally the Roman Catholic faith. Fancy that! The other religions were given a cursory mention in a single lesson, for the rest of the two years it was flat out indoctrination, the same oul shite that was rammed down our throats every day since I started school at age 3.

Teaching moral issues was fairly unambiguous. "Compose a letter to the editor explaining why you feel that divorce harms society and destroys families."

f**king load of ballix.

[artisan2010]

And to think that they were able to take control of certain planning decisions last week....

Having the DUP in power is like putting the fox in charge of the hen house.

Supported by the Shinners!

[Ulick]

Which school was this are did you attend them all? I went to St Michael's Lurgan 1987-91. There were no prayers at morning assembly nor before classes. In my first year (1987) there was a short prayer at form class but that was probably because the teacher was a nun. Lovely compassionate woman by the way. Anyhow there were no crucifix on any classroom walls and the only things which were "rammed" home was the need for good personal hygiene at PE. GCSE RE was compulsory at the time but my experience was far from yours. We studied four major world religions concentrating on the similarities between them. Actually when it came to teaching about Catholicism the teacher either didn't know much or deliberately taught heresy - either way I now know most of it be incorrect in regard Catholic Church teaching. Can't say I ever wrote any letters about divorce but we were often encouraged to take on and debate in favour of positions we didn't support. The only overt religious events we had were monthly Mass and Easter retreats and even then the retreats were a relaxed time away from lessons.

[give her dixie]

And to think that they were able to take control of certain planning decisions last week....

Having the DUP in power is like putting the fox in charge of the hen house.

Supported by the Shinners!

Nothing surprises me anymore by what they get up to and support.

Both parties want to carve up absolute power if they can, and to hell with us the taxpayer......

[Eamonnca1]

Which school was this are did you attend them all? I went to St Michael's Lurgan 1987-91. There were no prayers at morning assembly nor before classes. In my first year (1987) there was a short prayer at form class but that was probably because the teacher was a nun. Lovely compassionate woman by the way. Anyhow there were no crucifix on any classroom walls and the only things which were "rammed" home was the need for good personal hygiene at PE. GCSE RE was compulsory at the time but my experience was far from yours. We studied four major world religions concentrating on the similarities between them. Actually when it came to teaching about Catholicism the teacher either didn't know much or deliberately taught heresy - either way I now know most of it be incorrect in regard Catholic Church teaching. Can't say I ever wrote any letters about divorce but we were often encouraged to take on and debate in favour of positions we didn't support. The only overt religious events we had were monthly Mass and Easter retreats and even then the retreats were a relaxed time away from lessons.

Sorry but  I was at the exact same school in the early 90s and there was prayer every single morning in assembly, mass once a week, and some teachers insisted on prayers before their lessons.  Your nun was a "lovely compassionate woman," eh? Pass the sick bag. There was one nun who was civil, one who was batshit insane (going around the chapel calling people "pagans" because they weren't singing the hymns), one who had anger management issues and couldn't resist thumping all round her, and the "Saint" herself with those evil piercing eyes that'd put the fear of God in you, emotionally blackmailing all and sundry by threatening to withhold a good reference requested by anybody that didn't pray hard enough.  And let's not forget them standing at the front of the chapel watching everyone genuflect on the way out, making sure your knee went all the way to the ground and slowly enough.  They'd make you come back and do it again if it wasn't "reverend" enough for their liking.  And did you not see the religious propaganda plastered over every wall? 

Jesus wept!  I have to question if you actually went to St Mick's at all, because the way you describe it sounds like you're completely spoofing.

[brokencrossbar1]

Which school was this are did you attend them all? I went to St Michael's Lurgan 1987-91. There were no prayers at morning assembly nor before classes. In my first year (1987) there was a short prayer at form class but that was probably because the teacher was a nun. Lovely compassionate woman by the way. Anyhow there were no crucifix on any classroom walls and the only things which were "rammed" home was the need for good personal hygiene at PE. GCSE RE was compulsory at the time but my experience was far from yours. We studied four major world religions concentrating on the similarities between them. Actually when it came to teaching about Catholicism the teacher either didn't know much or deliberately taught heresy - either way I now know most of it be incorrect in regard Catholic Church teaching. Can't say I ever wrote any letters about divorce but we were often encouraged to take on and debate in favour of positions we didn't support. The only overt religious events we had were monthly Mass and Easter retreats and even then the retreats were a relaxed time away from lessons.

Ulick that would have been similar to the experience I had at the Abbey Grammar through the late 80's/90's.  The only time we said a prayer was in Form class in the morning in 1st and 2nd year as we had a Brother as our form teacher (good old, crazy as a bag of snakes, Brother Nannery!!).  The were pictures of Edmund Rice quite prominent arpund the place and there were plenty of Crosses but not one in every class and certainly religion was not rammed down our throats.  The only thing rammed down our throats was how the school needed to win the McRory cup!  We did have our masses and we went to retreats down in Carlingford and Emmaus down in Swords but it was as much a bit of craic as anything else.  In fact the priest in Emmaus was a punk who openly challenged the teachings of the church and asked us to do the same so that we could find our true 'faith'.   

[orangeman]

I done half the shit old nelson seemed to have been up to i been sacked long time ago. Its about time politicians are held responsible and especially sacked in wrong doing. Teflon Dons come to mindl WHta the f**k a potician have to do to get sacked over here. Dogdy dealing with Red Sky, and even more worryingly trying to change window specifications on the opinion of turkingtons to suit their window spec, who just by chance are donors to the DUP. STINKS TO THE HIGH HEAVEN THIS ONE. I would have a detailed background in maint work and specifications, and cant even keep a straight face watching this carry on. Everybody hide behind lawyers on this one.

Is this common knowledge within the industry ?

So they tried to change the spec but it didn't work out for them and got caught ?

[OakleafCounty]

I didn't see Spotlight last night but I'd imagine it didn't say that Redsky was essentially a UVF run outfit full of ex-prisoners with no background in construction/maintenance.

Since he got into his position his main aims have been to protect the North Belfast Westminster seat for Nigel Dodds and to protect the interests of his own kind rather than the wider community.

He pours money into things like boiler replacement schemes rather than building new homes because if he builds new homes in places like north Belfast where the need is high in the green side that it could hurt his party in elections.

Every time he comes up here he goes straight to the Fountain and the Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall to throw money at them.

[deiseach]

The only thing rammed down our throats was how the school needed to win the McRory cup!

If Wiki is to be believed, they did a pretty mediocre job of it

[Orior]

The only thing rammed down our throats was how the school needed to win the McRory cup!

If Wiki is to be believed, they did a pretty mediocre job of it

It's true. If you wanted to play football and win trophies, then you went to St Colmans. If you wanted an education, then you want to the Abbey.

[illdecide]

I don't normally watch anything to do with politics but that spotlight show last night left me amazed at how this shit can still go on in this day and age. These people should be removed/sacked instantly from their parties and investigated by the cops but we all know it'll be swept under the carpet as usual. As someone else stated there if it were me in my job doing similar I'd be sacked and prosecuted straight away.

I worked in a Civil Engineering Consultancy and appointed contractors for jobs and I'd have run a mile if i was offered a brown envelope. In fact just a matter of months ago (in a differnet role/capacity) i got a firm in Belfast a small contract and the guy offered me a case of beer for giving the job and i told him straight up "Harp" only messin i told him no chance...no matter what was offered it would never be worth the risk...

[illdecide]

As for you two St Michael lads...they wouldn't let me in. I thought my football ability would have secured me a spot but that didn't work out either...