Religion and unschooling
Arlynn Liebster
I have a question. I don't know how you post here, so I will ask my question
and if its not really the way you do things, that's ok, feel free to tell
me, ok?
As unschoolers, how do you handle your religion and your kids? Does anyone
impart your spiritual wisdom to your family? If yes, how do you go about it?
-arlynn
and if its not really the way you do things, that's ok, feel free to tell
me, ok?
As unschoolers, how do you handle your religion and your kids? Does anyone
impart your spiritual wisdom to your family? If yes, how do you go about it?
-arlynn
[email protected]
We are a mixed religious family. I am Pagan and dh is a "cultural Christian" (he isn't very active but that is what he calls himself). I simply live my religion, answer questions, ask the kids if they want to participate. Some do, some don't. 2 of my kids go to the kids' program at the local Baptist church.
Julie S.
Julie S.
----- Original Message -----
From: Arlynn Liebster <abfab@...>
Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 7:43 pm
Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Religion and unschooling
> I have a question. I don't know how you post here, so I will ask
> my question
> and if its not really the way you do things, that's ok, feel free
> to tell
> me, ok?
>
> As unschoolers, how do you handle your religion and your kids?
> Does anyone
> impart your spiritual wisdom to your family? If yes, how do you go
> about it?
> -arlynn
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Susan McGlohn
At 08:43 PM 1/31/2006, you wrote:
everything else. It is organic, a part of us. We don't do a catechism
class or have them attend Sunday School (unless they ask to) or anything
like that.
Susan (VA)
http://radicalchristianunschool.homestead.com/index.html
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>As unschoolers, how do you handle your religion and your kids? Does anyoneFor us, we simply live out our faith before our children just like
>impart your spiritual wisdom to your family? If yes, how do you go about it?
>-arlynn
everything else. It is organic, a part of us. We don't do a catechism
class or have them attend Sunday School (unless they ask to) or anything
like that.
Susan (VA)
http://radicalchristianunschool.homestead.com/index.html
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Ren Allen
"As unschoolers, how do you handle your religion and your kids? Does
anyone impart your spiritual wisdom to your family? "
We don't have a family religion, we're pretty anti-church/organized
religion in a lot of ways I guess. Even my dh who is a Christian, is a
very liberal Christian and doesn't like the whole organized religion
end of Christianity.
I've attended Unity in the past with the kids. They didn't take to it
and I really grew beyond it because of the obvious ties to
Christianity...something I didn't find helpful at a certain point in
my journey.
I'd still go to Unity on occasion for the music and maybe a class or
two though. Positive, open-minded folks there. I think Unitarian is
more up my alley these days if I want something organized, but leaning
so much towards Zen causes me to be very happy and comfortable without
a group now.
Anyhoo, as far as the kids go, we share in conversations our
questioning our thoughts, our ideas. They've been exposed to a lot of
different ideas. They were raised in a Christian church prior to 2000,
so they got a dose of that (we weren't very regular).
They know my dh's views, but he believes strongly in an individual's
path being their own. The spirituality in our family centers around a
lot of open ended questions...nobody feels they have the answers so my
kids aren't afraid to share some pretty intense views. Trevor is
agnostic, doesn't know if he believes in a God or not.
I have a meditation area that the kids join me in sometimes. They'll
even ask to come in my room when we have soft lighting and incense or
white sage burning.
Sometimes they choose a meditation stone from a basket I have (words
like joy, healing, prosperity etc...are on them) to hold and use as a
focus. We discuss philoshophy/religions of the world, we talk about
the good points of each religion as well as the aspects we don't care for.
I'd say we're spiritual, but non-religious. We share those parts of
our lives just like we share anything else. It's just part of us, not
something to "teach" or push anyone towards.
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
anyone impart your spiritual wisdom to your family? "
We don't have a family religion, we're pretty anti-church/organized
religion in a lot of ways I guess. Even my dh who is a Christian, is a
very liberal Christian and doesn't like the whole organized religion
end of Christianity.
I've attended Unity in the past with the kids. They didn't take to it
and I really grew beyond it because of the obvious ties to
Christianity...something I didn't find helpful at a certain point in
my journey.
I'd still go to Unity on occasion for the music and maybe a class or
two though. Positive, open-minded folks there. I think Unitarian is
more up my alley these days if I want something organized, but leaning
so much towards Zen causes me to be very happy and comfortable without
a group now.
Anyhoo, as far as the kids go, we share in conversations our
questioning our thoughts, our ideas. They've been exposed to a lot of
different ideas. They were raised in a Christian church prior to 2000,
so they got a dose of that (we weren't very regular).
They know my dh's views, but he believes strongly in an individual's
path being their own. The spirituality in our family centers around a
lot of open ended questions...nobody feels they have the answers so my
kids aren't afraid to share some pretty intense views. Trevor is
agnostic, doesn't know if he believes in a God or not.
I have a meditation area that the kids join me in sometimes. They'll
even ask to come in my room when we have soft lighting and incense or
white sage burning.
Sometimes they choose a meditation stone from a basket I have (words
like joy, healing, prosperity etc...are on them) to hold and use as a
focus. We discuss philoshophy/religions of the world, we talk about
the good points of each religion as well as the aspects we don't care for.
I'd say we're spiritual, but non-religious. We share those parts of
our lives just like we share anything else. It's just part of us, not
something to "teach" or push anyone towards.
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
Ren Allen
I meant to add that we trust our children to make their own choices,
even when very different from our own...as with all other areas of life.
When Sierra found out the Baptist church up the street was offering
VBS, she insisted on being signed up. I was SO leary of the whole
thing...picturing these Baptist folks trying to convert us or
something, but it was what she wanted.
She went two summers in a row and LOVED it. Happy as a clam, asked me
about this Jesus guy they kept singing about and had a ball.
She doesn't want to go now, but it was something she enjoyed at the
time. I felt like I needed to wear a big warning sign that said
"HEATHEN; BEWARE". :)
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
even when very different from our own...as with all other areas of life.
When Sierra found out the Baptist church up the street was offering
VBS, she insisted on being signed up. I was SO leary of the whole
thing...picturing these Baptist folks trying to convert us or
something, but it was what she wanted.
She went two summers in a row and LOVED it. Happy as a clam, asked me
about this Jesus guy they kept singing about and had a ball.
She doesn't want to go now, but it was something she enjoyed at the
time. I felt like I needed to wear a big warning sign that said
"HEATHEN; BEWARE". :)
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
Angela S.
I grew up Catholic but rejected that as soon as I turned 18 and moved out.
I didn't attend any church for about ten years and then after I had my kids
I felt the need, for some reason (buried guilt,I think), to raise them as
part of a church family.
So from the time my oldest was about 2 till she was 6 or 7 we attended the
local very laid back Methodist church with some regularity. Over those
years I thought more about religion/spirituality than I had in a long time
and with the help of this open minded list, conversations with the minister
of the church, and several books including "Conversations With God," by
Neale Donald Walsch, I came to my own conclusion of what God and
spirituality mean to me.
About the same time, the girls stopped enjoying going to Sunday school
(which I lead) and I was able to leave the church guilt-free. Honestly, I
didn't even know that I was going because I felt guilty until I really
examined myself deeply. After a lot of self examination and reading, I
figured out my own set of beliefs and came to peace with that. (Which
probably wouldn't fall into any particular religious philosophy)
When the kids ask particular questions about religion, I tell them what
people of certain religions believe. I also share what I believe if they
ask. I leave it to them to draw their own conclusions.
So far, they believe in God and enjoy the ritual of saying their thankful
prayers at night. We haven't attended church four or more years, I would
guess but I've never been at more peace with what I believe than I am right
now.
Angela
game-enthusiast@...
I didn't attend any church for about ten years and then after I had my kids
I felt the need, for some reason (buried guilt,I think), to raise them as
part of a church family.
So from the time my oldest was about 2 till she was 6 or 7 we attended the
local very laid back Methodist church with some regularity. Over those
years I thought more about religion/spirituality than I had in a long time
and with the help of this open minded list, conversations with the minister
of the church, and several books including "Conversations With God," by
Neale Donald Walsch, I came to my own conclusion of what God and
spirituality mean to me.
About the same time, the girls stopped enjoying going to Sunday school
(which I lead) and I was able to leave the church guilt-free. Honestly, I
didn't even know that I was going because I felt guilty until I really
examined myself deeply. After a lot of self examination and reading, I
figured out my own set of beliefs and came to peace with that. (Which
probably wouldn't fall into any particular religious philosophy)
When the kids ask particular questions about religion, I tell them what
people of certain religions believe. I also share what I believe if they
ask. I leave it to them to draw their own conclusions.
So far, they believe in God and enjoy the ritual of saying their thankful
prayers at night. We haven't attended church four or more years, I would
guess but I've never been at more peace with what I believe than I am right
now.
Angela
game-enthusiast@...
Sandra Dodd
On Feb 1, 2006, at 5:09 PM, Angela S. wrote:
This is how it is at our house, too.
I have a couple of things that include religion stories:
http://www.sandradodd.com/dot/hollybible.html
http://sandradodd.com/zeneverything
My kids all have myspace pages.
I'm looking to see what they put as religion.
Marty: Atheist (but he said he's not the one who set that details
section up; someone else did, who misspelled Albuquerque)
Kirby: Agnostic
Holly: Other
Huh. Not very dramatic, yet not a matching set. <g>
Sandra
> When the kids ask particular questions about religion, I tell them==========
> what
> people of certain religions believe. I also share what I believe if
> they
> ask. I leave it to them to draw their own conclusions.
This is how it is at our house, too.
I have a couple of things that include religion stories:
http://www.sandradodd.com/dot/hollybible.html
http://sandradodd.com/zeneverything
My kids all have myspace pages.
I'm looking to see what they put as religion.
Marty: Atheist (but he said he's not the one who set that details
section up; someone else did, who misspelled Albuquerque)
Kirby: Agnostic
Holly: Other
Huh. Not very dramatic, yet not a matching set. <g>
Sandra
Krisula Moyer
My dh and I both converted to Christianity in youth and grew up in families
that did not practice. We are both active in our Quaker church. Dh is a
deacon and runs the worship (music) team. I sing. That said, If our kids
choose a different path, that will be theirs to navigate and we would
absolutely support them in whatever they choose. We pray together, with and
for the kids. They see us learning, studying and putting our faith into
action.
My 12yo son is probably the most spiritually "Christian" of our kids at this
point and he also is the one who chooses not to attend services. That is OK
with us. We understand that sitting through service, for him, does not
enhance his faith. It is an exercise in boredom for him. Our two dd's like
church, enjoy their friends and teachers and activities there and for the
most part are gracious about having to go early and stay late so dh and I
can do music. The whole family loves band night when we have the worship
team over for dinner and to jam and practice.
We believe that the love and faith we express in our home and lives is what
makes the biggest impact and we're grateful to have a church family that
respects our kids as people and does not condescend to them. We're wary of
bad attitudes toward kids and are very active in influencing the local
culture. If it ever became a problem we would not hesitate to find another
church or start a home church of our own.
Whew, thanks for reading this far!
Krisula
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
that did not practice. We are both active in our Quaker church. Dh is a
deacon and runs the worship (music) team. I sing. That said, If our kids
choose a different path, that will be theirs to navigate and we would
absolutely support them in whatever they choose. We pray together, with and
for the kids. They see us learning, studying and putting our faith into
action.
My 12yo son is probably the most spiritually "Christian" of our kids at this
point and he also is the one who chooses not to attend services. That is OK
with us. We understand that sitting through service, for him, does not
enhance his faith. It is an exercise in boredom for him. Our two dd's like
church, enjoy their friends and teachers and activities there and for the
most part are gracious about having to go early and stay late so dh and I
can do music. The whole family loves band night when we have the worship
team over for dinner and to jam and practice.
We believe that the love and faith we express in our home and lives is what
makes the biggest impact and we're grateful to have a church family that
respects our kids as people and does not condescend to them. We're wary of
bad attitudes toward kids and are very active in influencing the local
culture. If it ever became a problem we would not hesitate to find another
church or start a home church of our own.
Whew, thanks for reading this far!
Krisula
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Sandra Dodd
Subject: DRAFT--FIX IT Re: [AlwaysLearning] Religion and unschooling
Oh THAT's where that draft went. Sorry.
My internet connection was lost and I had wanted to double-check a
URL. Those both work, but I forgot to chane the subject line. Sorry.
Oh THAT's where that draft went. Sorry.
My internet connection was lost and I had wanted to double-check a
URL. Those both work, but I forgot to chane the subject line. Sorry.
On Feb 1, 2006, at 9:11 PM, Sandra Dodd wrote:
>
> On Feb 1, 2006, at 5:09 PM, Angela S. wrote:
>
> > When the kids ask particular questions about religion, I tell them
> > what
> > people of certain religions believe. I also share what I believe if
> > they
> > ask. I leave it to them to draw their own conclusions.
>
> ==========
>
> This is how it is at our house, too.
>
> I have a couple of things that include religion stories:
> http://www.sandradodd.com/dot/hollybible.html
> http://sandradodd.com/zeneverything
>
>
> My kids all have myspace pages.
> I'm looking to see what they put as religion.
>
> Marty: Atheist (but he said he's not the one who set that details
> section up; someone else did, who misspelled Albuquerque)
>
> Kirby: Agnostic
>
> Holly: Other
>
> Huh. Not very dramatic, yet not a matching set. <g>
>
> Sandra
>
>
>
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
diana jenner
Arlynn Liebster wrote:
thereof) and the world... when I realized that going to my church
(Catholic, at that time) was going to stifle my children's own
voices/opinions, I immediately began shopping for a place where their
thoughts would be honored. [It may be important to know, too, that this
happened immediately after their father died and many kind people wanted
to say things to my kids I found horrifying and limited, and say these
things as if they were "T"ruths]
I found the Unitarian Universalist church to be a perfect match for us.
I like to refer to it as our "unchurch" (though I've now come to find
that the role of the religion in US history was greatly steeped in
developing public schools) where one is truly free to believe whatever
is necessary for their own life to work. There is no dogma, instead 7
principles:
/We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association,
covenant to affirm and promote/
* The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
* Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
* Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in
our congregations;
* A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
* The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process
within our congregations and in society at large;
* The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
* Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we
are a part.
We quickly discovered these principles work in our *life* not just
Sunday mornings. Luckily, where we are now, there are several
homeschooling families and two of us are unschoolers. Depending on
where you are, some congregations are more Christian/Jewish/Pagan
slanted than others; and if you're lucky you can shop around for which
group meets your needs. Our fellowship happens to be a bit more
cerebral than my liking, but I joined the program committee to infuse my
own spirituality into services. (we only have one congregation in our
town, but larger cities have more, Minneapolis has at least 4 and
Albuquerque has 2 there's even one in Bemidji!)
HTH :) diana
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>As unschoolers, how do you handle your religion and your kids? Does anyoneI've always been open to the wisdom my children have about God (or lack
>impart your spiritual wisdom to your family? If yes, how do you go about it?
>-arlynn
>
>
thereof) and the world... when I realized that going to my church
(Catholic, at that time) was going to stifle my children's own
voices/opinions, I immediately began shopping for a place where their
thoughts would be honored. [It may be important to know, too, that this
happened immediately after their father died and many kind people wanted
to say things to my kids I found horrifying and limited, and say these
things as if they were "T"ruths]
I found the Unitarian Universalist church to be a perfect match for us.
I like to refer to it as our "unchurch" (though I've now come to find
that the role of the religion in US history was greatly steeped in
developing public schools) where one is truly free to believe whatever
is necessary for their own life to work. There is no dogma, instead 7
principles:
/We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association,
covenant to affirm and promote/
* The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
* Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
* Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in
our congregations;
* A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
* The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process
within our congregations and in society at large;
* The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
* Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we
are a part.
We quickly discovered these principles work in our *life* not just
Sunday mornings. Luckily, where we are now, there are several
homeschooling families and two of us are unschoolers. Depending on
where you are, some congregations are more Christian/Jewish/Pagan
slanted than others; and if you're lucky you can shop around for which
group meets your needs. Our fellowship happens to be a bit more
cerebral than my liking, but I joined the program committee to infuse my
own spirituality into services. (we only have one congregation in our
town, but larger cities have more, Minneapolis has at least 4 and
Albuquerque has 2 there's even one in Bemidji!)
HTH :) diana
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]