I am in desperate need of some help from anyone who can provide me with information. We are in the process of looking into private schools for our soon to be 5 y/o. We are a NON- religious family and our private school choices are either Catholic or Christian. Can someone please tell me the differences between Catholic and Christian - little things, big things, ANYTHING that can help us solve the confusion of which is better for us. This is solely a decision based on providing a better education for our child (we feel our public school system cannot provide this). Is there differences in how the religion is taught? How much time is spent teaching religion? Is my child going to feel an outsider not having that knowledge about religion? Is one more strict than the other regarding the teachings and beliefs? Any information at all would be greatly appreciated. Any ideas on where to research the differences without going into the philosophys of both, something simple to read and understand would be appreciated. Thanks!!!! Confused about religion

Many Catholic schools in this area are unapologetically Catholic schools - that is, they are not ''private'' schools that happen to be next to a church. They hold all-school mass about once per month. Your child would learn about and celebrate Church holy days; as Catholics we honor and pray to saints and to Mary to intercede on our behalf, so we celebrate mass for intentions such as All Saint's Day and the birthday of St. Francis of Assisi...things like that. During the winter holidays, your child will learn about Advent and the Nativity, rather than being exposed to celebrations surrounding Hanukkahm Winter Solstice, etc. They begin every day (and every assembly) with a prayer, and are expected to know the sign of the cross and eventually The Lord's Prayer and the Nicene Creed. They have have ''religion'' class (just as they do Spanish, computer, p.e.) three times a week.

At one open house I attended (not our home parish/school), when asked what other religions the students are taught, the principal said, ''We are a Catholic school. We teach the Catholic faith. We might address other religions, but not in any organized lesson.'' If you're curious about how your prospective Catholic school would answer this, ask them directly.

As for the Christian schools - my only guess would be that they would learn scripture more than at Catholic schools. Bible verses and the history behind them, probably. As parents, we are responsible for making sure our values agree with what the children are being taught in school...any school. Public, private, religious included. If your child were occasionally taught something you didn't subscribe to at your neighborhood public school, you would naturally work to reinforce your own beliefs at home. Ask yourself how often you think you'd be contradicting your child's teachers at a religious school. And ask the school a lot of questions! Best of luck. Catholic School Mom

My brother attended Holy Names College in Oakland and he has quite an aversion to religion. He loved it there and never felt uncomfortable. They required a class that qualified for a “morals and ethics” credit and he really enjoyed it. It gave him a chance to study religion from a historical and political approach. In fact, his favorite professors were a couple of the resident nuns who he still keeps in contact with! My husband attended very conservative Catholic schools growing up and he seems ambivalent. Nothing bad, I guess, but he never seems thrilled to talk about it. He’s also bilingual Mexican American and I think it was a little tough in the 70’s. The church I grew up in was very progressive. During confirmation (basic classes for teenagers who want to become members of the church), we were required to learn about 5 other religions so our decision to join our church would be a conscious one and not one made in ignorance of our other choices. We visited temples and mosques and other churches. You may want to do some very brief reading on the different Christian churches (they all study the bible, but often in wildly different ways), then discuss some basic issues with the schools that are important to you and observe some classes. Ask their approach to political issues that you feel strongly about (how they view other religions, gay lifestyles, science, discipline, etc.) You could go to 5 different Catholic churches and you will find 5 different moral stances on church and social politics. The great thing about private schools is they have the ability to teach what they believe, unlike public schools that increasingly have their hands tied by the state. melissa

I have observed and taught in both public and private in three states and I currently have my children in public school. For the life of me, I can't understand why you would want private religious education if you aren't religious. The only other reason to go private would be the prestige? Perhaps take a step back and look at the public schools before you dismiss them entirely. Your child won't be distracted by religious issues there. thoughtful mom & teacher