Luz Shosie and Ned Vare

on 8/15/02 3:59 PM, [email protected] at
[email protected] wrote:

>
>>You learn that children are utterly incompetent, incapable of
>> even the slightest good thing, always, always doing the wrong thing and
>> without hope of ever doing or changing anything of themselves.>>

If we believe the above, we constantly see the worst in our kids. If we see
them as perfect children, created in the image and likeness of God, we see
all their wonderful qualities.

The former is what public schools do -- but without an excuse. The schools
see our children as deficient, behavior problems, dumb, lazy, hyper-active,
etc., ect. Their reasons are that they have therapies to sell. Hmmm isn't
that what so many churches do, especially the "christian" ones?

It might help to see them as already having all the capabilities for good
and all the "wisdom" they need, but just need time to figure things out that
they see in their surroundings, their world, without being judged as "born
bad -- condemned by birth."

To me, this belief (above) gives people the excuse to do all the terrible
things to their children they can think of, and goes so far as to make the
parents believe they are obeying GOD. I cannot accept such irony and
self-deception.

As ever, we live in weird times.

There is no end to stupidity.

Ned Vare
Children beg for one thing: "Let me be how I grow."

kayb85

My take on this is a little bit different. I believe that all people
are born sinful, but that only God can change people. Our job as
parents is to teach them the truth and point them toward God, but
ultimately only God can change their hearts. We don't need to beat
the bad out of them or anything.
Sheila

--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., Luz Shosie and Ned Vare
<nedvare@n...> wrote:
> on 8/15/02 3:59 PM, Unschooling-dotcom@y... at
> Unschooling-dotcom@y... wrote:
>
> >
> >>You learn that children are utterly incompetent, incapable of
> >> even the slightest good thing, always, always doing the wrong
thing and
> >> without hope of ever doing or changing anything of themselves.>>
>
> If we believe the above, we constantly see the worst in our kids.
If we see
> them as perfect children, created in the image and likeness of God,
we see
> all their wonderful qualities.
>
> The former is what public schools do -- but without an excuse. The
schools
> see our children as deficient, behavior problems, dumb, lazy, hyper-
active,
> etc., ect. Their reasons are that they have therapies to sell.
Hmmm isn't
> that what so many churches do, especially the "christian" ones?
>
> It might help to see them as already having all the capabilities
for good
> and all the "wisdom" they need, but just need time to figure things
out that
> they see in their surroundings, their world, without being judged
as "born
> bad -- condemned by birth."
>
> To me, this belief (above) gives people the excuse to do all the
terrible
> things to their children they can think of, and goes so far as to
make the
> parents believe they are obeying GOD. I cannot accept such irony and
> self-deception.
>
> As ever, we live in weird times.
>
> There is no end to stupidity.
>
> Ned Vare
> Children beg for one thing: "Let me be how I grow."