I have included in my blogroll three blogs written by Singaporean Catholics. I believe that these are interesting blogs in themselves, but I encourage readers to explore them to understand more about Singaporean Catholics and their beliefs, and depend less on hearsay and preconceived ideas.
There is sufficient misunderstanding of differences among denominations to start a civil war, so every bit of openness and careful listening to appreciate one another is a move forward. The Church encourages inter-faith dialogue, so why not encourage inter-denomination, or inter-Christian tradition dialogue too.
One thing we digital citizens can do is read what Catholics write in their blogs. Here are three that I know of and they are all in my blogroll for your convenience. If you are using your mobile or tablet, the blogroll is below the articles after the Recent Posts and Themes. If you are using your laptop it is on the right sidebar.
For an immediate taste and see, click on the names here Fr Luke Fong, and Fr Chris Soh, SJ, and Jacinta Teo.
To look at summary of their beliefs on an official site click HERE.
Thank you! Was just thinking about this. Because I was wondering if it would make a difference to the belief system if a child was to grow up in a Catholic Vs a Christian (such as Anglican) school environment. Would that matter, or would you have a preference for one over another for your children or grandchildren?
Thanks!
Hi Christina, this is such an interesting question that deserves a longer post which I am probably unqualified to write about. May I suggest that the choice is between “Catholic” vs “Protestant”(Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterians, etc), and not “Christian”.
It was Aristotle or/and Ignatius who were quoted as saying, “Give me a child for the first seven years of life and I will show you the man” which points to the significance of the foundational early years of a child’s development. These are the years that Christian parents (whether Catholic or Protestant) should lay a solid foundation of faith and love in the lives of their children. This shapes them in a fundamental way.
When the child goes to Primary School the child will spend a good half a day, five days a week, under the influence of the school environment, stamped by teachers and Principal, in their growth and development.
If I were to consider the two options you proposed, I would choose the one that has closest affinity with my faith, whether it be Catholic or Protestant. This is to eliminate confusion in the child regarding his or her faith, as taught and held by the child’s parents.
My children all studied in Pei Hwa Presbyterian school, but I sent my eldest child there because of its reputation as a Mandarin-speaking school. I wasn’t worried about his faith development, which is primarily our responsibility, and secondarily the Sunday School. I was more desirous of him acquiring fluency in the Mandarin language. My other children had priority and went there too.
I hope this helps but the decision is never as simple as it seems, and to have a God who works all things for good is a great source of comfort and peace.
Thank you for the insightful reply! 🙂