When a belief is brought to an unschooling discussion list that would make
it more difficult for someone to get unschooling, then it's helpful to some
who are trying to get unschooling for the list to hold those beliefs up and
examine the ramifications. That's what the list is for.
Our beliefs, as Pam succinctly put it (but I can't find it now) and I took a
huge post saying ;-) are what we use to decide what are good and bad
choices. Part of the purpose of the list is to help people figure out how to
make the choices that will get them to unschooling and more joyful lives
with their families. And part of that process is examining the beliefs
people are using to filter their choices.
But even on a larger scale, do you really mean "whatever floats a person's
boat"? So if I hear voices from God that tell me to murder people, that's
"cool" by you? If my beliefs lead me to believe that it's a mandate from God
that I swat my children for sinful behavior with an appropriately sized
dowel chosen from a chart by age, then that's cool too?
Which sounds really pretty. What I assume you mean is that you are raising
your daughters in a moral atmosphere where murdering, stealing and generally
being hurtful are not good options. So, as long as their spirituality
doesn't cross those moral lines, then whatever they believe is cool with
you. Yes?
Some of people will look at what you said and what I said and think "Well,
*obviously* that's what she meant. And it's nitpicky to even question it."
On a list where the only tool we have to get our ideas across are the words
we use, those words are very important. If we were talking about things we
were all well familiar with, like how to nurse a baby, then we could rely on
people filling in the gaps of where our words weren't quite right. But the
list isn't about familiar things. It's very often about ideas that many
people have never contemplated before. So the words we use need to
accurately convey what we're thinking.
So, I definitely disagree and say there are wrong ways to believe—wrong
for helping people get to unschooling, and wrong for a peaceful society of
differing beliefs. There are very definitely beliefs that won't help people
get where they want to go. There are ways that will turn people around from
where they want to go.
This list is about getting to unschooling so signing onto the list is
implying where someone wants to get is unschooling. (Or to at least listen
in and absorb some of the process of those who are getting there for those
who want to pick and choose.)
This list tries to help people see the ways of viewing the world that *will*
help them get where they imply they'd like to go by joining an unschooling
discussion list.