Catholic schools want power to dismiss unwed mothers or employees

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Published: Sep 17, 2009 - 10:15pm

Catholic institutions are seeking exemption from a law that does not allow them the right to enforce disciplinary action on unwed students or employees, according to a report by Inquirer.net.

Republic Act 9710, or the Magna Carta for Women, signed into law by Pres. Arroyo on Aug. 14, bans the dismissal of unwed mothers from schools or employment. However, at the national convention of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) being held Sept. 16 to 18 at the Manila Hotel, CEAP's national president, Monsignor Gerardo Santos, said: "It is important that we respect the religious affiliation of these institutions, the schools, or company the persons [concerned] belong to."

Women's rights activists on the other hand said that under the new law, unwed mothers who are kicked out can file a civil case and sue for damages while government officials who dismiss them can be sanctioned under administrative and civil service laws.

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SilviaCasey25 Mar 30 2010 @ 05:51am Report Abuse

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BB Mar 02 2010 @ 10:12am Report Abuse

I hope those who agree with this and believe that it is in line with the catholic teachings toward salvation will realize that compassion, mercy, and forgiveness is also part of the catholic teachings.

Setting a bad example? Dismissing teachers who got pregnant out of wedlock would mean that these people do not get/deserve a second chance nor should they be forgiven by the institition. Where is compassion in that? They are against abortion because they believe that one mistake cannot be corrected by another one and isn't this a case of one mistake, aggravated by another mistake?

If they are afraid that it would set a bad example since tolerating it may make students believe that it is okay, why not let them take a leave of absence instead of immediately dismissing them? The Catholic schools accept single,unwed parents after all.
nurse-on-duty Jan 13 2010 @ 05:21pm Report Abuse

kabobohan na to....
George Jan 09 2010 @ 08:47am Report Abuse

What idiot actually support this? ROFL!!!
Crabbypatty Sep 24 2009 @ 10:33am Report Abuse

topazbeauty, I'm no expert on the mores of Middle Eastern people from 2000 years ago, so I'll take your word for it. Or maybe I won't because I've never heard of the idea of betrothal equals marriage before.

How I see Mary? A single girl with a good story.
topazbeauty Sep 24 2009 @ 12:05am Report Abuse

Well, I kinda get why the institutions want this. For example, I'm not Catholic but I like teaching. Unfortunately for me, I can't teach at a Catholic school kasi hindi raw ako Catholic. Ask ko why is my religion taken against me? Sagot: "We start the class with a prayer, the day with the rosary. You don't make the sign of the cross and you don't believe in the rosary. How's that when those are the fundamental part of what we teach?"

So I guess same din with unwed mothers. The nuns teach the students to remain chaste and then you have "unchaste" women walking around. Parang weird, diba? Hindi consistent. So though I don't agree, I understand.

And correction: Hindi unwed mother si Virgin Mary. In those times, as long as you're betrothed, you are considered married.
dnemsfay Sep 23 2009 @ 03:04pm Report Abuse

I think they should be talking about more important issues other than unwed mothers
redsocks Sep 23 2009 @ 02:00pm Report Abuse

i must say...this is absolutely preposterous.
Lucretia Borgia Sep 23 2009 @ 12:38pm Report Abuse

Guys,

It's nice to have faith & morality as your guiding compass to your next journey on the great beyond, but it won't give you relief right now. HELL ON EARTH! because of the Church's stubborn resistance on population control, we are breeding like flies. It's the MOTHER OF ALL PROBLEMS, actually. Fighting for limited resources, for limited space, for electing low-life politicians to office ( it's the tyranny of vote numbers fueled by the squealing Masa), corruption, sub-human conditions, famine & hunger, and coming soon folks, Cannibalism....
chip Sep 23 2009 @ 12:48am Report Abuse

oops oops. please dont generalize guys. not all catholics are like this. :|
orenj Sep 22 2009 @ 08:27pm Report Abuse

Morality is a very important consideration in religious groups. In schools, employees are expected to be good examples to students. Unwed mothers and employees are just not parallel with the beliefs of the organization itself. And many of the students' parents will indeed care.

BUT:
- There are cases wherein couples do not marry simply because they cannot afford it.
- What about the women who became pregnant because they were raped?
- Men should also be subjected to the same rules but it's harder to catch them!

The rights of women should be protected but the beliefs of religious organizations should be respected as well. It's complicated, I know.

FYI: I am not Catholic. I am just open-minded.
olive Sep 22 2009 @ 01:51pm Report Abuse

i agree that if you get pregnant in highschool when studying in a catholic school, they should kick her out. why? it doesnt set a good example. imagine they teach us to only have sex during marriage and somebody walks around with a baby in her belly!?!?! its like in your face, sucker!
meowth Sep 22 2009 @ 01:40pm Report Abuse

The problem with people who don't get the point of view of Catholic schools is that they want "instant salvation". It's pointless to stay as an employee or a student of a Catholic institution when you do not adhere to their teachings. It's no different from what Iglesia ni Kristo advocates. LAWAKAN NIYO ANG INYONG ISIPAN. If you cant stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
thinker Sep 22 2009 @ 07:45am Report Abuse

First off, for those bashing the religion (FYI: no one is forcing you to stay) the schools seeking the exclusion of unwed mothers DO NOT represent the faith, so get your facts straight, if that's a possibility for you. Mostly, these institutions are governed by an order with strictly traditional beliefs and views on religion and morals, and believe themselves to be writers of the law on faith, and are in absolutely no way indicative of how schools should be run. Fact is, schools now are also largely run by a board of directors made up of members of the parents association, so what needs to be done is to get the parents to put their foot down and NOT subscribe to the holier-than-thou view of these throwbacks from the inquisition who are now viewed as representatives of the faith.
blacksalmon Sep 22 2009 @ 01:59am Report Abuse

then those schools should be closed. sometimes, we just have to slap people literally. they are crazy.
ornak Sep 21 2009 @ 10:57pm Report Abuse

fascist bastards.
Lucretia Borgia Sep 21 2009 @ 10:24pm Report Abuse

@msporcioncula,

For your info, there was a time that the priests in the Vatican( Popes included) were the greatest Fornicators. It was blasphemous. Even today, there are rogue priests ( fornicators & pedophiles, scam artists). I will not trust them with regards to my spirituality. To me, they EVIL INCARNATE....
msporciuncula Sep 21 2009 @ 05:48pm Report Abuse

Good day to all, 1.)its but right for each one of us to choose to whom we flock with right? the Catholics are just making sure that their profane minds wont get contaminated with pornication, (and pagsasama ng di kasal ay is another form pornication)they are just practising holiness KUNO, pls let them be.
2.)You dont want your offsprings doing pornication right, so keep them away from pornicators.
3.)Kung iyong anak ay may ginagawang masama, papabayaan mo nalang ba? sometimes you need to conduct some disciplinary actions.
4.)In the old time, when a sheep gets to stubborn, the sheperd dislocates their legs. ganun din sating mga tao.
5.)The true church is not a neigthbor that thinks evil agains you, rather its a family, that intends good for its members.
Lucretia Borgia Sep 21 2009 @ 10:16am Report Abuse

I want to have a more SECULARIZED SOCIETY. OUT WITH THESE RELIGIOUS GROUPS. BAN THEM FOREVER. THEY ARE MAKING A LIVING OUT OF THE FEARS OF MORTALS.
FIRE & BRIMSTONE ? SALVATION & REDEMPTION ? and they have the exclusive franchise for this ?
Kan Totengco Sisters Sep 21 2009 @ 12:06am Report Abuse

I want the Catholic Church out of our falloppian tubes. I want the Catholic Church out of our reproductive system. I want the Catholic Church out of our sexual orientation. Out Out Out!!!
Tomtom Sep 20 2009 @ 11:42pm Report Abuse

If the gov't gives in to this request, sooner or later Catholic schools will ask for powers to dismiss GAY students and employees. After that these Catholic schools will ask for powers to dismiss NON-VIRGIN single students and employees. And after that, students and employees who don't go to mass every Sunday. This is ridiculous! This is DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN. Are they going to dismiss UNWED FATHERS, too? And how would they know if a male student or employee is an unwed father?
igeramos Sep 20 2009 @ 05:00pm Report Abuse

'It's time for the Church's outlook on sex to evolve'. See link http://www.independent.ie/national-news/its-time-for-the-churchs-outlook-on-sex-to-evolve-1891652.html

An outspoken Irish priest has called for a radical rethink on relationships saying it is time the rigid connection between sexual activity and marriage is severed. Fr Tony Flannery, believes the Roman Catholic Church should change its attitude on sex before marriage, artificial contraception and the rules regarding re-marriage.
Kevin Connolly Sep 20 2009 @ 04:44pm Report Abuse

Reminds me of Ireland in the 1960s. I'm happy to say I survived the Catholic church's attempts to subjugate me, and the Irish have risen above this st*p*d mindset.
igeramos Sep 20 2009 @ 04:20pm Report Abuse

that is so unchristian and most of all hypocritical.
Lucretia Borgia Sep 20 2009 @ 04:06pm Report Abuse

C'mon, if contraceptives and an aggressive POPULATION PROGRAM, were not opposed by the Church, there would be less problems.

The Church should not be REACTIONARY on this problem that they in the first place created.

And BTW, the Church's WEALTH should be the funding source for POVERTY ALLEVIATION. After all, they are the biggest reason why POVERTY IS ALIVE & WELL HERE!
NotACatholic Sep 20 2009 @ 01:09pm Report Abuse

Shame on those so called religious leaders who are just using their position to blatantly promoted their discriminative behaviors.
victor Sep 19 2009 @ 06:36pm Report Abuse

i think they're forgetting that the Mary was an unwed mother
consumercam Sep 19 2009 @ 03:07pm Report Abuse

are we back in the dark ages? this is clearly a lazy way to handle staff. every company has a handbook that deals with behavioral issues. if they're afraid that other kids are following suite then they should review the manner of teaching and the foundation of their faith. tradition always breaks at the face of personal belief/experience. sad!
Pope Sep 19 2009 @ 03:23am Report Abuse

HYPROCIRSY!!!
Farah Divah Sep 19 2009 @ 12:24am Report Abuse

Agree. When religion interferes with our daily or professional life, it spells CHAOS.

Even JC would not have approved of this. Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's.

Iran is where it is right now because of religious interference as mentioned by the Ayatollah above.
Ayatollah Sep 19 2009 @ 12:21am Report Abuse

It did not work in IRAN. It will not work in the Philippines.
robotchicken Sep 19 2009 @ 12:06am Report Abuse

I'm a practicing (even to some extent, devout) Catholic and even I know this is wrong!! Sometimes, our bishops are just too rigid and shallow when it comes to approaching faith and that's probably why many people are turned off by Catholicism. God loves everyone regardless of who they are or what they have done.
George Sep 18 2009 @ 11:05pm Report Abuse

ROFL!!! What a crock of $#!%!

I'm glad I am an Atheist!
Daryl Sep 18 2009 @ 08:03pm Report Abuse

Little question: Did you at least TRY to find out the reason why they want to dismiss unwed mothers?

We begin to end hatred when we begin to know.
Concered Sep 18 2009 @ 05:31pm Report Abuse

That is why successful countries have been able to separate church from state.

This country apparently has not...
wondergay Sep 18 2009 @ 04:32pm Report Abuse

e yong mga rebulto na lang ang turuan nila pag ganun!! its really ridiculous!!
penny Sep 18 2009 @ 01:21pm Report Abuse

i graduated from a catholic school, too, but i've never approved of that policy. it's inhuman. they're actually throwing the first stones...
somebody Sep 18 2009 @ 11:42am Report Abuse

it's like a modern form of the inquisition...
lisacheng Sep 18 2009 @ 11:32am Report Abuse

Precisely what faith should not be about--dogma and punishment. So Middle Ages.
eve Sep 18 2009 @ 11:11am Report Abuse

the catholic church is so oppressive and unjust in its judgment and actions that they forget that they are teaching the ways and means of love, compassion and forgiveness as taught by the Lord..these people are totally unjustifiably ridiculous and unreasonable! that is why i dont believe in the catholic faith anymore.
ako Sep 18 2009 @ 10:13am Report Abuse

just what is the problem with these guys? even if people are not married and living in, they still have the right to work, and their children also have a right to study in a catholic institution. This is a mere example of religious discrimination!!!
somebody Sep 18 2009 @ 10:11am Report Abuse

agree. i graduated from a catholic school, and it pains me to know that catholic schools are seeking this. whatever happened to the equality, compassion, and justice that those schools have been teaching their students?
jean Sep 18 2009 @ 09:40am Report Abuse

This is ridiculous, ouright discrimation, unfair/unjust, hypocritical and a big BS!
mommy Sep 18 2009 @ 08:34am Report Abuse

Quoting Rina Jimenez in her column today at the Inquire, Mama Mary would have been expelled if she was studying in a Catholic School at the present time.
So ironic, the schools which we should have been a person's second home, asking us to leave for committing a mistake.
leandro Sep 18 2009 @ 07:04am Report Abuse

This is so ridiculous, even God Almighty won't approve.
rieya Sep 18 2009 @ 04:56am Report Abuse

what the hell??!!! remind me again why i have not left this religious faith that undermines my rights and needs as a woman?

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