This morning myself and the Small Child went to his new school to complete his enrollment and to purchase all the relevant equipage associated with starting at a new educational institution… you know the drill. Anyway, as I tortured the small boy with the trying on of uniform shirts and shorts and even the ‘compulsory school art smock’ … I found myself pondering the following question:
Are there levels of hypocrisy?
Because here I am…. enrolling the Small Child in a private Catholic school. Now I’ve often felt I had a fantastic childhood and part of that I’ve always attributed to having had a pleasant childhood educational experience. I was never subjected to bullying or social ostracism, never had difficulties with learning and I loved going to school – with the notable exception being when they lined us up to go to the bloody Qld Health Dental van where the apprentice dentists used to torture us … but that is another story. Anyway, I am fairly certain that my predominantly positive memories of my early schooling was in no small part due to the fact that my parents shelled out the extra dosh to put me and my sisters through private Catholic schools where we had smaller classes, excellent teachers and better resources.
Now in my case… the whole Catholic thing didn’t really take…. so much so that I probably fall neatly into the atheist category (sorry Sister Mary). So exactly how much of a hypocrite am I for enrolling Angel in Catholic school knowing that he’s going to be indoctrinated with a whole pile of shit I don’t believe in myself? And given that it was totally premeditated – yes, I had him Christened Catholic when he was 6 months old anticipating that this is a prerequisite to getting into private schools. Are there… degrees of hypocrisy? Like maybe Hypocrisy in the First Degree is like when you’re anti-abortion and pro-death penalty, and Second Degree Hypocrisy is being publicly against gay marriage, but you’re actually a closet homosexual and are married with three kids sort of thing? And so on and so forth…
And if so… what degree of hypocrisy is it for a lapsed Catholic who is anti organized religion to be sending their Small Child to Catholic school? It’d have to be way down the list right? Only a little teeny weeny Degree of Hypocrisy yeah? Maybe 12th Degree or something huh?
Mom: Wow! Angel, you’ve grown so big lately, I think we better get the next size up!
Small Child: I’m growing bigger every day Mom. Except Saturdays obviously.
Mom: Obviously 😮
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