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>
>
> >>
> > What I mean is that if a belief is used as a way to decide what
> > others
> > should do or to judge others as right or wrong, then it's not really
> > "personal," at least not in the same sense of beliefs that are really
> > only about my own life.
> >
> Unless the context is something like, "I think it is wrong to try to
> force children to learn something they have no interest in learning."
> That means I think that it is generally wrong - for anybody. It has
> personal application, in that I won't do it to my kids, but I do think
> it is wrong for others too.
>
> Thinking it is wrong doesn't mean I necessarily have any intention of
> insisting on anybody else acting on my belief, of course. On the other
> hand, there are some things I think are wrong enough that I'll try to
> persuade people to come around to seeing it my way and there are other
> beliefs that I hold strongly enough that I want to see them imposed on
> everybody. (Like not blasting their music at high volumes at
> campgrounds, for example <G>.)
>
> > To me any truly personal belief in personal choice or
> > self-determination
> > -- like unschooling for example -- cannot rest on religious doctrine
> > or
> > political proclamations of what all children and parents should
> > believe or do, or even what all unschoolers should believe or do.
> >
> It sounds like you're saying that no general statements can be made
> about unschooling, but I doubt that is what you meant.
>
> So - I'm clearly not following your point, JJ. The kinds of statements
> I'm thinking of, about unschooling, are not religious or political.
> What am I missing?
>
>
> And - welcome!!!
>
> -pam
>
>



Hmmm. It seemed very clear to me until you asked! <g>

First of all, I was musing only about the beliefs themselves, not
about whether one acts on them through persuasion or advocacy, or stoning! LOL.

You're right that I didn't mean no general statements can be made! I
meant only that that there are different "kinds" of personal beliefs and also
that claiming a belief as "personal" doesn't confer immunity from all
challenge. I thought Sandra and others did a good job of making this point. I was
agreeing with it.

I do see the facts-evidence-theory kind of belief and the personal
preference kind of belief as both being different in some sense from personal
religious and political beliefs. And unschooling beliefs could be any or all of
these, yes?

For example, I'm guessing that your statement about it being wrong to
force children to learn involves several types of belief, maybe religious plus
practical plus a personal gut-type preference and also reasoning and
knowledge, based on lots of facts-evidence-theory that you and I might enjoy writing a
whole book about. When we were done, it certainly would reflect and be
congruent with our personal beliefs, but it would be much more than "just" a
write-up of our own personal beliefs or preferences.

As to the "no loud music at campgrounds" <g> well, there are different
ways of looking at that "belief" (maybe religious or political even -- let's say
some sect or campaign wanted to have a huge tent revival at your favorite
public spot over your mother-daughter back-to-nature weekend? Ack! --) The jet
ski people merrily destroy pristine federal parks and preserves with their
noise pollution, and in my town we have a beautiful lake where the whine of
recreational airboats disturbs regular residents (not just campers) for miles
around.

My belief that all this is "wrong" is I guess social, or perhaps civil.
But having said all this, I am not sure WHY I said any of it. Maybe someone
will make more sense of it than I just did! :) JJ




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