Questioning as a Good Thing (was Summer Mystery Reading Trip)
[email protected]
In a message dated 5/2/2005 3:48:40 AM Mountain Daylight Time,
fetteroll@... writes:
aren't welcome once you're discovered not to be Christian?-=-
Huh.
And does implying that flamers must not be Christians lean in the direction
of flaming non-Christians?
With my life's experience all in its current perspective, "acting like a
Christian" isn't a very lofty goal.
Within homeschooling there are still lots of people who assume all
homeschoolers are Christian. Usually it's been Christians who made the wrong
assumption. I remember a few times in earlier days (*Prodigy and AOL communications)
someone would post a reprimand to the whole homeschooling discussion about
how something or other wasn't what Christians should do. I think once someone
had used a horrible word like "crap" or something (4 letter anglo saxon
word, but not the big ones, just some little kid word), and the other time it was
about letting kids watch some particular R rated movie. Someone (me or
someone else) would say, "Not all homeschoolers are Christian and not all
Christians agree with you," and one time the comeback was wonderful. It was even
GREATER shock, and something like "Why would God call a non-Christian to
homeschool?" or something really twisted and convoluted and revealing.
But the belief is still out there, that homeschooling is something God has
called Christians to do. There are still lots of moms who wish God had NOT
called Christians to homeschool, because they would prefer not to. Poor kids.
But it's worth being aware that the assumption is operational among probably
millions of people in and out of "the homeschooling community" (NOT a phrase
I like or that makes much sense).
Oh, and before anyone says this whole list is anti-Christian (which is NOT
true) just because I tell true stories when the issue comes up, I think I've
clarified why I get cranky when Christians want to help (by providing links to
lessons or whatever) or to explain Christianity to us once again (we know;
really). After all these years, it's coming into focus on this: The kinds of
Christians cited above (in the quote about flames) discourage and disallow
analsis and questions (considering it "flaming" to even ask why). For the
sake of discipline and unquestioning "faith," they not only disallow questions
from children, but discourage real discussion amongst themselves. I was a
very thinking child in a very "don't question" religion, and I remember the pain
and frustration that stance causes.
I think it's antithecal to unschooling to create a still place where
questions aren't asked and attitudes can't be criticized because it would be the
sins of disobedience and of lack of faith.
It seems people will choose to be "obedient" to what makes sense, if they're
living by principles that make sense to them. And I know people can gain
faith in natural learning and in their children's intelligence and goodness.
And I also know that this paragraph thusfar would be called a really bad word
by critical fundamentalist Christian readers and separatist Christian
homeschoolers. It's not a bad word outside their circles, but inside the rhetorical
wall of "Christian homeschooling" it's equal to Satanic, and it's
"Humanist."
I don't define myself that way, but that way of thinking is condemned by
Christians. It's probably the main reason given to why public schools are evil
and why God has called them all (those who feel called or who are told they
have been called and believe it out of faith and obedience) to hunker down
where their kids are safe from evils.
For people who have the tape of another talk Richard Prywtowsky and I did at
HSC a while back, To Question or Not to Question: That is the Question... I
don't think it's as good as Peaceful Parenting, but is it good enough for me
to get some more copies of before Live and Learn in October? Maybe I
should just transcribe that one and put it online somewhere.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
fetteroll@... writes:
> If you love literature, you are welcome here. No flaming will be-=-Does this imply that either non-Christians never sign up or you really
> allowed (especially concerning matters of faith). We are all
> Christians, and I trust that we will act as such.
aren't welcome once you're discovered not to be Christian?-=-
Huh.
And does implying that flamers must not be Christians lean in the direction
of flaming non-Christians?
With my life's experience all in its current perspective, "acting like a
Christian" isn't a very lofty goal.
Within homeschooling there are still lots of people who assume all
homeschoolers are Christian. Usually it's been Christians who made the wrong
assumption. I remember a few times in earlier days (*Prodigy and AOL communications)
someone would post a reprimand to the whole homeschooling discussion about
how something or other wasn't what Christians should do. I think once someone
had used a horrible word like "crap" or something (4 letter anglo saxon
word, but not the big ones, just some little kid word), and the other time it was
about letting kids watch some particular R rated movie. Someone (me or
someone else) would say, "Not all homeschoolers are Christian and not all
Christians agree with you," and one time the comeback was wonderful. It was even
GREATER shock, and something like "Why would God call a non-Christian to
homeschool?" or something really twisted and convoluted and revealing.
But the belief is still out there, that homeschooling is something God has
called Christians to do. There are still lots of moms who wish God had NOT
called Christians to homeschool, because they would prefer not to. Poor kids.
But it's worth being aware that the assumption is operational among probably
millions of people in and out of "the homeschooling community" (NOT a phrase
I like or that makes much sense).
Oh, and before anyone says this whole list is anti-Christian (which is NOT
true) just because I tell true stories when the issue comes up, I think I've
clarified why I get cranky when Christians want to help (by providing links to
lessons or whatever) or to explain Christianity to us once again (we know;
really). After all these years, it's coming into focus on this: The kinds of
Christians cited above (in the quote about flames) discourage and disallow
analsis and questions (considering it "flaming" to even ask why). For the
sake of discipline and unquestioning "faith," they not only disallow questions
from children, but discourage real discussion amongst themselves. I was a
very thinking child in a very "don't question" religion, and I remember the pain
and frustration that stance causes.
I think it's antithecal to unschooling to create a still place where
questions aren't asked and attitudes can't be criticized because it would be the
sins of disobedience and of lack of faith.
It seems people will choose to be "obedient" to what makes sense, if they're
living by principles that make sense to them. And I know people can gain
faith in natural learning and in their children's intelligence and goodness.
And I also know that this paragraph thusfar would be called a really bad word
by critical fundamentalist Christian readers and separatist Christian
homeschoolers. It's not a bad word outside their circles, but inside the rhetorical
wall of "Christian homeschooling" it's equal to Satanic, and it's
"Humanist."
I don't define myself that way, but that way of thinking is condemned by
Christians. It's probably the main reason given to why public schools are evil
and why God has called them all (those who feel called or who are told they
have been called and believe it out of faith and obedience) to hunker down
where their kids are safe from evils.
For people who have the tape of another talk Richard Prywtowsky and I did at
HSC a while back, To Question or Not to Question: That is the Question... I
don't think it's as good as Peaceful Parenting, but is it good enough for me
to get some more copies of before Live and Learn in October? Maybe I
should just transcribe that one and put it online somewhere.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
wifetovegman2002
--- In [email protected], SandraDodd@a... wrote:
"The Home School Legal Defense Association, an advocacy group,
estimates that American home-schooling is a $750 million dollar
industry that could hit $1 billion in the next few years. The
Virginia-based group says evangelical Christians account for 70
percent of that market."
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--homeschooling0501may01,0,7742614.story?coll=ny-region-apconnecticut
70%? Where in the world do they get this figure??
However, I do believe it is possible that 70% of those buying
boxed/canned curricula are Evangelical Christians. Ahem...
~Susan M in VA (aka wifetovegman)
http://radicalchristianunschool.homestead.com/index.html
"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out
about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive -- it's such an
interesting world." Anne of Green Gables ~ Lucy Montgomery
>the wrong
> Within homeschooling there are still lots of people who assume all
> homeschoolers are Christian. Usually it's been Christians who made
> assumption.And it is perpetuated by HSLDA, who makes comments to the media like,
"The Home School Legal Defense Association, an advocacy group,
estimates that American home-schooling is a $750 million dollar
industry that could hit $1 billion in the next few years. The
Virginia-based group says evangelical Christians account for 70
percent of that market."
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--homeschooling0501may01,0,7742614.story?coll=ny-region-apconnecticut
70%? Where in the world do they get this figure??
However, I do believe it is possible that 70% of those buying
boxed/canned curricula are Evangelical Christians. Ahem...
~Susan M in VA (aka wifetovegman)
http://radicalchristianunschool.homestead.com/index.html
"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out
about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive -- it's such an
interesting world." Anne of Green Gables ~ Lucy Montgomery
Sylvia Toyama
70%? Where in the world do they get this figure??
However, I do believe it is possible that 70% of those buying
boxed/canned curricula are Evangelical Christians. Ahem...
*****
Maybe 70% of HSLDA members self-identify as EC, and they extrapolate that to apply to all homeschoolers. Or maybe it's because they know that all 'real' homeschoolers belong to HSLDA, so the 70% figure must be valid. <g>
Sylvia
__________________________________________________
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
However, I do believe it is possible that 70% of those buying
boxed/canned curricula are Evangelical Christians. Ahem...
*****
Maybe 70% of HSLDA members self-identify as EC, and they extrapolate that to apply to all homeschoolers. Or maybe it's because they know that all 'real' homeschoolers belong to HSLDA, so the 70% figure must be valid. <g>
Sylvia
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Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
sheila
If you don't count going to the unschooling conference <g>, way more than 70% of the homeschoolers I've met irl are evangelical Christians. If you count Catholic Christians (which evangelicals usually don't count), then the number is even higher than that. I'm not talking people who homeschool and also happen to be Christian...I'm talking people who homeschool BECAUSE they're Christian. I would have guessed that 70% is low until I remember that there are more progressive parts of the country than where I live.
I can think of 3 Pennsylvania homeschooling families who I've met irl who aren't Christian. And all of those I met online before I met them in person. (one at an unschooling board, 2 at mothering.com)
Sheila
"70%? Where in the world do they get this figure??"
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I can think of 3 Pennsylvania homeschooling families who I've met irl who aren't Christian. And all of those I met online before I met them in person. (one at an unschooling board, 2 at mothering.com)
Sheila
"70%? Where in the world do they get this figure??"
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]