I hold homeschoolers in admiration. I did not homeschool, and my sons show it. I was far too worldly. One is so entranced by the educational system that he is pursuing a master's. In and of itself, this should be a good thing. But it has made him so extremely progressive and angry I don't know him anymore. He seeks out philosopher's and holds their thoughts as gospel. Very sad situation. The other? Complete opposite. Neither wants anything to do with God, for which I am to blame.
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Neither wants anything to do with God
So both kids are intelligent individuals who refuse to follow in your ignorant footsteps?
I fail to see the downside to this.
In this case...
Stupid breeder!
I hold homeschoolers in admiration.
Funny, I hold them in contempt of (most) public school systems which are for the greater good of society by preparing our youth to be the leaders and workers of tomorrow. I have to say most because some school systems, like MPS here in Milwaukee, are so hopelessly broken that I pity the poor graduates who are incapable of landing good jobs, let alone sustaining their economic security and overall happiness.
Neither wants anything to do with God, for which I am to blame.
Blame yourself all you want but in the end, it's still their choice. When they're burning in the pits of Hell, you can smile down from Heaven with the satisfying knowledge that you were right.
Neither wants anything to do with God, for which I am to blame.
==== No. You are not to blame. These MEN have made up their own minds. Did you really want to brainwash them and make them mental clones of your particular mindset? I should hope not.
Don't push this or you will lose them and spend a lonesome old age. They have the right to live as they see fit, within the law. And you have to respect that.
That's about as close as most submissions can get to actually offering a little hope. Despite the machinations of their stupid, fundy, parents(s?) it sounds like these kids are functioning, rational, people rather than the pliant slaves of a myth.
@1096281
And if it's not a forum post they don't accept it at all anymore.
Damn! A son getting a master's degree? You really should be ashamed. I mean, letting him go to college in the first place is bad enough, but a master's? Sweet Jesus!
And, all this philosophy. I mean, that's what one gets for thinking, and thinking hard at that. Ha! What has thinking ever done other than turn souls worldly and draw the bright people away from God and Jesus. Yessiree, no thinking for me.[/sarcasm]
Being wordly does tend to make people question the norm for a society. I mean, first you realize that there's more than one way to look at things, then you open your mind to the opinions and experiences of others...pretty soon you learn such evils as acceptance, respect for others and, worst of all, how to take in all that information and come to your own conclusions. You might even go so far as to actually make some positive changes in the world!
Wait, wait, your kids went to public schools, pursued higher education, and think for themselves, and that's a BAD thing?
Neither wants anything to do with God, for which I am to blame.
Religion: Teaching people that if their children walk away from their faith on their own, YOU are to blame.
Homeschooling doesn't guarantee the kids wanting anything to do with God. Not even (or perhaps especially) if you try to force them into some sort of devotional activity.
I have to wonder if you see your son as angry because -you- make him angry, perhaps by dismissing his ideas out of hand rather than listening to him. Maybe you don't know him because you don't try to know him, don't want to know -him-, but you'd rather he was what you wanted.
WMDKitty et al.: Do keep in mind that there are a fair number of non-fundamentalist champions of homeschooling and/or so-called unschooling (based on the belief that children inherently seek to learn, and are necessarily stultified and dissuaded by schooling's strictures); John Gatto comes to mind for the latter. No, I don't agree with them. I just want to make it clear that we have non-fundamentalists who do NOT see abjuration of public schooling as a quick route to burger-flipping confinement.
:p I hate the bad name people like this give homeschoolers.
Fuck, I was homeschooled, and I want to homeschool when I have kids. If my kids developed a love of philosophy, I would be more than thrilled. If my kids wind up feeling they can choose their own religious beliefs, or an atheist standpoint, I will feel accomplished.
So yeah, homeschooling isn't all insane like this.
I'm sad that he takes philosopher's work as gospel. I think by its very nature philosophy should be discussed and debated, rather than, say "Kant said this, ergo its right". That's just, well, a bit silly.
@Skynight and objettrouve24:
Homeschooled as well, by decidedly liberal parents who've never objected to any religious decisions I took (both when I studied it voraciously and when I moved away from it, curiosity satisfied). And though our religious attitudes are very different now, they've never uttered a peep about it.
People who think homeschooling is a solely fundie thing, meant to isolate and indoctrinate, drive me crazy; I can state for a fact that I would have failed in the academic system of my country (especially in the hick village I grew up in), despite being fairly intelligent. Homeschooling was the best thing that happened to me in my childhood and teenage and I will have words with anyone who says differently.
I always wonder how fundies never see what is wrong with the idea that higher education pulls people away from the faith.
I mean if the smarter people are more likely to reject the Bible then that must surely tell them something about what is wrong with their faith.
I still don't understand the mindset that equates the words "progressive" and "evil." The word "progress" is generally associated with beneficial types of change.
Oh, no, wait, there is exactly one place I have seen "progress" equated with "evil." In the book The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the governor of the Lone Islands encourages the slave trade, and when he's called out on it, he hides behind claims that it's "progress." This despite the fact that the only thing the slave trade brings to the Islands is misery for the slaves and profit for foreign slave traders.
Not all change is good, but hidebound refusal to change is simply stagnation. And stagnation is just as bad for societies as it is for drinking water.
@Skyknight: One of the women who introduced me to Paganism was a certified educator. But she refuses to work in the public schools because she doesn't believe they're doing enough to actually prepare students for college, or for life after education. She plans to work with local homeschool collectives once her son is old enough (trying to teach a dozen or so kids while also tending a toddler isn't all that productive).
"Neither wants anything to do with God, for which I am to blame."
So... you raised children correctly then? Well good on ya!
Neither wants anything to do with God, for which I am to blame.
So what? Why should an omnipotent, omniscient being need anyone to have "anything to do" with Him? Your house plants are totally dependent on you for their lives, but do you expect them to have "anything to do" with you?
Since when did homeschooling equal fundamentalism?
Everyone has different reasons to homeschool. Everyone has different approaches. Not all home schoolers are out to indoctrinate their children with fundie crap.
That being said, I am aware of why it's such a widespread stereotype--I've met quite a few kids who have a serious problem with fitting in the 'real world' because they've not been taught anything practical.
(News flash, super-Christians. The world is not out to get you and persecute you here in the 'modern' world. Elsewhere, yes. You cannot be informed on a subject unless you know both sides of the 'argument')
"Neither wants anything to do with God,"
Good, the superstition has to stop sometime.
Good. At least your sons are able to THINK for themselves & reject the mind-numbing rubbish of your KJV Bible & fundy pastors.
And if you keep trying to push your fundy rubbish on them, as another poster said you will have a long & boring old age. They will want nothing to do with you.
"In and of itself, this should be a good thing. But it has made him so extremely progressive and angry I don't know him anymore."
I can imagine the conversation with her son:
Son: "Mom, you can believe whatever you want, but I don't believe in God."
Crowned One: "WHY DO YOU HATE GOD?"
Son: *headdesk*
It does seem like a sad situation though; the mother thinks that since they are "worldly" (i.e., educated) she can no longer talk with them.
Yes, keep your kids homeschooled & stupid and brainwashed to belie in God. Who cares if they're unable to compete in the job force and are socially inept? At least they'll get to heaven.
I know that not all homeschoolers are fundamentalist Christians, but it does seem like there is a large homeschooling population in fundamentalist circles. And not because they think the schools are poor educators, but because they think the schools are evil.
"I hold homeschoolers in admiration"
Well, McDonald's, Burger King, KFC etc need all the staff they can get.
"Neither wants anything to do with God"
And I hold them not only in admiration, but the highest esteem - and respect. They have clear career goals, and certainly ones that will enrich humanity as a whole. They'll contribute to, and do their part for, the human race in ways you couldn't - or daren't - imagine.
"But it has made him so extremely progressive and angry I don't know him anymore."
Or he's doing the one thing you can't stand: thinking for himself.
I'd like to know him.
"Neither wants anything to do with God, for which I am to blame."
I suppose accidental good parenting is good parenting nonetheless.
He seeks out philosopher's what? Which philosopher are you talking about?
If one son is progressive and angry and the other is reactionary and submissive, how can you tell it's all due to public education, and not just the boys' different personalities?
'He seeks out philosopher's and holds their thoughts as gospel.'
Truly, a shame. The thoughts and ideas of intelligent men who revolutionized mankind's thinking have a value a million times greater than that of myths.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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