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A Couple of Clarifications
- 05/05/07
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It is quite rare that I feel the need to revisit an article I've posted the day before, but today I'd like to post just a few points of clarification about what I wrote yesterday on the subject of homeschooling.
The most important point is this: I do not think homeschooling is always or universally a bad option. I know many homeschoolers and respect their decision to homeschool their children. My parents homeschooled my sisters on and off through the years and I saw the good this could do. So please hear me when I say that I support homeschooling. However, I firmly believe that it is not the only legitimate option and, in many cases, is not the best option. As it pertains to my children, I do not feel that it would be the best option for them at this time. That may change and my wife and I are certainly open to the possibility. But right now we are comfortable with placing them in school and will continue to evaluate and re-assess as necessary. If the situation changes, you can be sure that I'll let you know.
There are quite a few people in the discussion that are trying to read into my article things I did not say. So please do be careful with this. I fear that too many people are missing the primary purpose of the article--that we absolutely cannot allow homeschooling to divide us. If the emails I've received since yesterday are any indication, this really is an issue that can and sometimes has been tearing churches apart or, at the very least, cutting into relationships between brothers and sisters in Christ.
Finally, a couple of people mentioned that I have not yet discussed the potential pitfalls of public schooling. I'll be the first to admit that there are some and am not afraid to discuss them! I will take that as a challenge and will attempt to post something about that in the next little while. I've got a busy week of traveling ahead of me, so be sure to remind me if I forget.
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Comments (38)
Well, I always knew that I am obtuse, but it was exposed to me even more forcefully than ever. If your intention was to emphasize that homeschooling shouldn't divide the church, why was the bulk of the article demonstrating why homeschooling has so many dangers? Why did you accuse homeschoolers of "misusing" scripture?
I guess I am not nearly as literate as I believed, because I just didn't get that. Perhaps my lack of literacy has something to do with my own education.
One question: What is education? In all the discussion, it seems to be assumed that we are all working from that same premise regarding education but until we define what we are talking about, we are never going to be unified in our differing choices in how we educate our children. We need to take a giant step back fom the debate over the pros and cons of the various forms of education and first develop a good theology of education. Tim, I'd love to see a post on this topic from you.
Thanks for the clarification. BTW: "next little while", is that a Canadian idiom? It's cute.
Tim,
I look forward to your next piece on this topic, especially if it covers more on the subject of public school rather than the perceived negatives of homeschooling.
In particular, I hope you will address the issue of the potential ramifications regarding the sheer amount of time spent away from home with respect to public school, as well as the amount of additional time required once home to complete homework.
As always, your articles generate much thought and reflection. Keep up the great work.
Tim -
You are one of my favorite sources for informed and thoughtful analysis. I believe you when you say you've thought this through carefully. I would love to see another informed reformed thoughtful analysis by an opposing point of view. For example, I know you're a fan of Voddie Baucham (http://www.voddiebaucham.org). Maybe you could ask him to weigh in or respond on his blog. I don't feel that the home-schooling side is faithfully represented in this discussion.
We thought home-schooling was not the best way to go. And then something happened. Our daughter turned 13. We have now home-schooled for 8 months and for us the results have been significant. The most joyous part is being able to shape your child's time and schedule with many fewer compromises. I wish you the best. As always, every day is a chance to learn; what I learned when I was 45 was that the world was gaining my daughter's heart and mind and I was frustrated in changing that.
You speak with much confidence and that's one of the things I like about you. But youth breeds overconfidence so please be open and watch where your children's hearts go. If you feel them wander, act before it gets difficult.
- Jeff
A great resource for your future post on the "dangers of public school" would be Dr. Bruce Shortt's book "The Harsh Truth About Public Schools" published by Chalcedon. It contains a mountain of research and may be very helpful.
Tim said:
"I fear that too many people are missing the primary purpose of the article--that we absolutely cannot allow homeschooling to divide us."
I am not trying to be divisive, but what if I said that we absolutely cannot allow the issue of public schooling to divide us?
My experience with some people in my church has been that those who do not support the public schools are going against God's command to be salt and light to the world. The implication being that you would be outside of God's will for sending your children to a Christian school.
Maybe we should say that the issue of how we educate our children should not divide us.
Lori,
An excellent point. D'accord!
There has been division in the Church over the decision by many parents to train up their own children instead of sending them to the State collective education center.
Usually the loudest voices screaming "Division!! Division!!" are those who work for public school districts, or whose spouses do so. In other words, they have real chips in the game. They should have the ethical probity to recuse themselves in the "debate". In other words, they should stop pestering the poor parent who is only trying to do exactly what God commands, when the whole secular world says it's loony, misguided, and ineffective.
The results say something very different. One of the comments above was particularly preposterous: that post-secondary educational institutions have more problems with "home-schooled" kids than any others. What a patently mendacious statement!
On the contrary, most colleges and universities accept home-educated youngsters readily and gladly, knowing that they tend to perform at a higher level academically.
A $350 billion education industry has a lot to lose if you stop sending your kids to the State for schooling. They're fighting this trend of godly parents.
Corporate America has a lot to lose if you stop sending your kids to the State for schooling. You will likely go start your own business, or choose to raise your family and make a Christian home instead of being somebody's cheap secretary, receptionist, or phone-bank worker. Corporate America, too, is fighting this trend of godly parents.
The apostate, amusement-park 'church' has a lot to lose if you stop sending your kids to the State for schooling. Your kids will likely learn basic propositional logic, biblical theology, and Church history. They will spot the "seeker-sensitive" pap and drivel, and not pay their tithes in these plastic-banana 'churches'. So yes, these pastors and church staffs are fighting this trend of godly parents.
The huge government and private-sector parasite class in America has a lot to lose if you stop sending your kids to the State for schooling. Rather than worship 'Honest Abe', for instance, home-educated kids learn that he was not only a worse religious impostor than Bill Clinton (in his own day, by the admission of his own friends) but was America's most destructive president, leading us into The War to Enslave the States.
The home-educated child reads books like those by Greg Durand and Thomas DiLorenzo, exposing who Dishonest Abe really was, what he really did, and why America was never the same since his predatory presidency.
So yes, there are many vested interests in this little tiff over parents bringing their children home to teach them TRUTH. It is very dangerous, you see, to many treasured American lies and deceptions, and to many opulent fiefdoms.
So it's a fight, then. Godly parents and their home-educated kids don't shrink from a fight for truth. In fact, they RUN to the defense of Christ, and of truth.
The posturing enemies of God will just have to get used to it.
D.M. Zuniga
David,
I think you've just written the poster-comment for the divisive, superior spirit Tim originally wrote to urge against.
Thanks for demonstrating it so effectively for us.
Kyle
As someone who shares Tim's opinion about homeschooling, I neverthlesss cannot help but comment on his remark about divisiveness. If his intention in writing the article was really to warn against allowing the subject to divide us, he certainly didn't need to populate the same article with a detailed list of all HS's shortcomings. I detected a certain cut-them-down-to-size undercurrent that belies his stated intention.
Just sayin.....
Melanie,
"Theology of education"? If you are referring specifically to "Christian education," i.e. teaching the church's theology, I can understand a plea for a "theology of education." But a THEOLOGY of general education is frankly ludicrous (please excuse the strong adjective). The Bible was not given to us to teach math, science, or grammar. When we attempt to establish a "Christian" view of education, or a "theology" of education, assuming we are attempting to establish such a theory from Bible, we abuse and misuse the Bible, making it speak to things to which God never meant it to speak. God has given us this thing called Common Grace to help us--AND UNBELIEVERS--in the realm of common things to come up with good framework for general education. My two cents.
MH
"If your intention was to emphasize that homeschooling shouldn't divide the church, why was the bulk of the article demonstrating why homeschooling has so many dangers?"
Because the article was, at least in part, a response to another article which did this very thing--brought division.
"Why did you accuse homeschoolers of "misusing" scripture?"
Because, if they use Deut 6 in the way I suggested, many to! :)
"I am not trying to be divisive, but what if I said that we absolutely cannot allow the issue of public schooling to divide us?"
OK, so I should have said "education" as I did in the first article.
Now that's enough. All you homeschool people need to stop being all offended already!
"It is ironic that Reformed Christians, those with the strongest and most biblical understanding of God's sovereignty, are often those who most fear the consequences of placing their children in public schools. We should know that God's sovereignty is far bigger and far stronger than our educational decisions."
TERRIFIC POINT!! In my mind, this is the central issue of this conversation: Does our education of our covenant children add to or subtract from God's sovereignty over their salvation? My answer is, neither. God is in ultimate control, and we are to rest in that knowledge.
Hi ML,Thanks for raising your question. What I mean by a theology of education is not what does the bible say about math or grammer because it doesn't say much. What I mean by theology is what undergirds our purpose and reason for learning or educating. For instance, literacy rates among the puritans were at the 100% level. They were motivated to learn to read and in turn teach their children because God speaks to us through His word. Those words are life to us. It is not good enough to hear second hand what God is speaking to us otherwise we risk loosing what Luther and Calvin and other reformers fought for. Proverbs tells us that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." It is vital that in all they do my children have a proper understanding of who God is, the creator, and who they are, creatures. Knowledge begins with God.Psalms tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God - knowledge ought to reveal more of God's glory. So knowledge ends with God. Mathamatics points to the absolute nature of God, His perfection. Grammar gives us the tools to articulate clearly our position, to communicate. God is a communicative God, who communicates primarily through His Word. Science is an amazing revelation of God, if viewed through the lens of a creator intimately at work in all of creation from the smalles cell to the largest galaxy. Art declares that our God is a creative God, a God of beauty. History tells the story of our redeemer at work and His power and justice and faithfullness and love.I could go on, I hope this brings a little clarity to what I mean by a theology of education (imparting knowledge). Methods of teaching and learning vary, as we all are varied individuals in our personalities and giftings. But as Christians seeking to bring all areas of our lives into subjection to the word of God, we need to get at what drives us to learn and know and teach. For what purpose do I need to know anything? To make money? No, that is not our cheif end as Christians. I need to know and learn and teach so that I may glorify God and enjoy Him forvever and so that the next generation might know (Psalm 78) and tell their children about the wonders of God.
Just to clarify, the question was not ML's but MH's.
What happened to church merch posts on Saturday?
ML said "In my mind, this is the central issue of this conversation: Does our education of our covenant children add to or subtract from God's sovereignty over their salvation? My answer is, neither. God is in ultimate control, and we are to rest in that knowledge."
ML I disagree. The question is not God's ultimate control. I respectfully submit that the question is one of means. The impact of educational philosophy on the students is demonstrated well in a Worldnetdaily article that will no doubt be considered divisive by some: Will your kids be Christian by Bruce Shortt, based on a survey called "Will your Grandchildren be Jews?"
God's control doesn't change the fact we must be careful in how we discharge our duties as parents.
Disclaimer : I'm not suggesting that anyone who sends their kids to public schools is not carefully, prayerfully considering their decision. I do (obviously) think they are wrong.
>>>Now that's enough. All you homeschool people need to stop being all offended already!"I will probably regret writing this article."). There is a long, long history of harassment of homeschoolers (which is why many in the US, at least, belong to the HSLDA), and they (we) are naturally sensitive to any apparent criticism. Accusations of incapability of educating children, insinuations that children are "sheltered from culture," harassment by law enforcement authorities, etc. - all lead to a very great sensitivity.
Personally, I think that many of the ones who are hypersensitive are those who do NOT homeschool and who get defensive about it (perhaps in response to homeschoolers with a superiority complex, perhaps not). While there is definitely room for humility on behalf of many in the homeschool community, there is also room for those who do not to simply be quiet and leave the homeschoolers alone.
Tim writes: "Now that's enough. All you homeschool people need to stop being all offended already!"
Tim? You're joking, yes??
Unless the circumstances force parents into homeschooling their children, I see no biblical or logical reason to keep children out of the public school system. As a 22-year-old seminary bound pastor's son who went through the public school system I can attest to its importance in who I am today.
As one who desires to be a light in the darkness, I learned first hand what darkness is, I saw the sin, I saw the world for what it was. I learned how to defend against my wicked heart, how to turn to Him in situations where my parents couldn't shelter me. I learned how to handle persecution, how to talk to non-believers and understand what it truly means to be lost.
As a pastor's son the Lord called me when I was a child and it was integral to my faith to learn what the world is truly like because I had no understanding of what true darkness was. So when I turned 18 and began my gracefully short rebellious period I already had a firm grasp of Christ and the world. For many of those who I grew up with who were homeschooled, they did not know how to handle their flesh, how to handle the world.
Hey Tim,
I am in full agreement with you. I was homeschooled after the 5th grade, and it was perfect for me. The California school system I was in was poor and the education I received from my parents was awesome.
It is not the only option, for some it is good, and others it is not. Even within the same family, some kids are just not built for homeschool.
My biggest push to try and put our kids into the school system is to keep from sheltering them.
Good words bro.
-Shane
One comment I wanted to add but forgot about.
The super pumped up christian homeschooling mom and dad that we meet, that in meeting so totally turn us off to home schooling, I wonder something about them.
When their expression of Christianity is bound up in their kids, how they raise them, how the school them, etc. Then I worry about what they will do when their kids are grown up and gone. How will they express their Christianity? It seems so bound up in raising kids.
Will they move to the next extreme, or the next "being different" trend that comes along in Christianity?
I know this is a very general statement, not all super home schoolers are like this, but quite a few are. Missing the forest for the trees.
I humbly ask you Tim not to blogg on this subject again..... it really achieves nothing. Rabid homeschoolers bite - rabid anti-homeschoolers snarl. That leaves the rest of us saying peace, peace when there is no peace. Seriously - I take your drift Tim and would say that surely these are issues of conscience not of law. Unless of course you live in a communist or totalitarian society of some kind where to buck the system may mean life, death or imprisonment. I wonder how all those house church Christians in China felt handing their children over to be indoctrinated by Chairman Mao?
Tim:
Well, I'm one of those "homeschool people" (and curiously, I'm several other kinds of people as well), and I'm not offended. I'm just really sad. Your viewpoints on homeschooling vs. public schooling are not fortified with any long-standing practical experience in my opinion, so I will get over my offense quickly.
"When their expression of Christianity is bound up in their kids, how they raise them, how the school them, etc. Then I worry about what they will do when their kids are grown up and gone. How will they express their Christianity? It seems so bound up in raising kids."
Shane,
Are you really serious? From your other comments about pushing your kids into the public system, I assume you have children...but I am confused by your statements of concern over those whose life is pretty much consumed by their kids.
Children are a gift from the Lord, and I believe parents should treat that gift with the best stewardship of time possible. While not directly applicable, since Moses was talking to the people of Israel, I believe what he said in Deut. 11:18-20 applies to Christian parents even today:
You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates
Sounds like Moses expected parents to be pretty well consumed with raising and teaching/instructing their children. So, YES, my children are pretty much my life while they are living with me, while I am providing for them, and while it is my responsibility to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
My expression of Christianity is MOST CERTAINLY bound up in my children, for my wife and I have a great and exceedingly important task while they are with us, to teach them and model for them what it means to be a true disciple of the risen Christ.
Afrikaner, The article or post is not the issue. It's what's in the abundance of our hearts. We should be able to discuss any topic with the motivations and intentions of our hearts being God-glorifying (assuming we are Christians). And if they are not, then we need to deal with it like we do anytime we sin: receive forgiveness at the Cross, repent and move on. Maybe we can learn things about our hearts and about the Redeemer of our hearts in the process of this discussion. Circumstances (in this case this post) are not causitive they are revalatory (our response or the motivations giving birth to our response reveals what's in our hearts). Just a thought.
To express concern about divisiveness is necessary and good, but it is not achieved by polemics. All that is really needed is an exhortation for civility and unity as we discuss an emotionally charged issue within the Church.
It is tragically ironic that a post that is ostensibly a plea for unity would itself be so divisive. And, as someone else has noted, the author knew it was going to be divisive when he wrote it. Nevertheless, he posted it and he we are, more divided than we might have been if he had kept silent.
Regrettably, it would not appear that the original post was ultimately a call to unity but instead a wedge resulting in further divisiveness. If this was done intentionally, it is evidence of immaturity and lack of love; if unintentionally, it reflects a dangerous lack of self-awareness about the beams in one's own eye. Either way, it did not help matters at all.
Rick
Excellent response and so timely. I was having a bit of an Australian dig at my Canadian friend. It was a bit warped and tongue in cheek. Of course what Tim is attempting, is to bring unity within the body of Christ by exposing error of thinking, judgement and blatant sin (the affections of mind will and emotions and trying to bring them under the authority of scripture). Quite pastoral and a real love - other person centredness for the other person's good and of course the glory of God.
It's time for all of us and sit back to see the other persons thinking and be rebuked and corrected as needs be.
I wonder sometimes whether the teaching and preaching ministry of many churches is letting down Christian parents. I can thank God for sound biblical elders & teachers who were not my parents - neither of whom were Christians when I was in my high school years. It was the teaching and grounding on a Sunday and prayer meeting mid week which allowed me through grace to live a life of salt and light in the non Christian context of my school years back in the sixties. Interestingly a fellow student recently contacted me to tell me my life was so different to the other students that it bore testimony to him as an unbeliever and he became converted many years after school. So for you who are younger and who attend either non HS or non Christian schools and who are reading this post - 'keep on keeping on' in grace truth and righteousness, even in the face of sin - the world the flesh and the devil - it is worth it to keep yourself free from the accusation of sin. I'm sure if you are well grounded in your churches you will have the weaponry to fight the good fight and that is how it has been for many decades. (I'm now rambling so will cease and desist ).
I think Tim knew exactly what he was doing, and it's not all bad. He was raising a very hot issue, to raise his blog traffic. Many bloggers do it.
In this case, the (potentially) salutary effect is that parents who are training up their own children, can learn how to deal with these attacks from within the Church. This is no small challenge.
The other thing is, we who train up our own children (I do not call it "homeschool" because the word 'school' is a Greco-Roman 'education' category and creates an oxymoron when juxtaposed with 'home') need to hear these challenges, and respond appropriately.
Shane, for instance, raised an excellent gripe about Christian parents who are training up their own children at home: they tend to make their CHILDREN the center of their lives, rather than CHRIST being the center.
One may witness the former kind of parent (in spades) in the modern 'classical Christian schools' movement: a budget-version toney prep-school with Latin and Logic and Rhetoric (back-talk on steroids; cockiness running out the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears of the 'classical' student).
Kyle did not like my earlier comments, and I am sorry for Kyle but I don't believe retraction is called for. Re-read my comments, and understand that in all of life, some things are truly superior to others. One cannot credibly maintain that 'Hip-Hop' racket is really on a par with Lizst's or Vivaldi's music; that a piece of welded-up modern junkyard art is the aesthetic equal of Michelangelo's work.
I did indeed call for gratitude and humility -- but Kyle was too busy putting in his sniffy, relativist two cents to comprehend what he had read. I am willing to bet that Kyle is the product of a collective; a 'school'. Perhaps even a state-run school. I do not say this with any air of divisiveness or superiority.
As John Adams once said, "Facts are stubborn things; whatever may be our wishes, our inclination, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
This is offered in the love of Christ, and sometimes we must understand that love is harder than we would like. But good for us all the same.
Tim, I can only thank you for these two posts! It is encouraging to read a post with a different view on the verses in Deuteronomy 6. I do read many blogs by parents who homeschool (including Kim C.) and I do enjoy these blogs and learn a lot from them. But I do disagree with their view that homeschooling is the only option for a Christian parent. I don't have any kids yet, but I have been thinking about it a lot as I live in one of the countries where homeschooling is forbidden (Germany). And I definately agree that homeschooling should not be an issue to divide the church!
On the parent thread to this one ('Education and Division') a 'KathleenM' wanted me to cite an example of a government-school teacher murdering his/her students.
Where do I begin!?
First, let us assume that the discussion here is amongst Christians. That being the case, we understand the true nature of reality: life, death, and the existence that follows death in this fleshly body. We grasp the reality that ALL humans are eternal; it is only a question of where that eternity is going to be spent.
If you cannot grant that premise, KathleenM, then I can't help you. You are living in an epistemological house of mirrors and no amount of reasoning with you will help. I can pray for you, however; and I shall.
If you grant the premise, then let us further consider this truth: our Lord and King has instructed us not to fear those who can kill the body, but rather to fear more, those who can cast both body and soul into eternal death.
I find it an amazing indictment on modern evangelicalism that over the decades that sexual perversion has become rife in America, not one major mega-preacher or "homosexual ministry" has made the simple connection to Paul's clear teaching in Romans 1:18ff, whereby the apostle lists the panoply of sins to which GOD GIVES THE SINNER OVER.
To put it another way: notice that THRICE in this section of God's Word, the Lord teaches us an immutable law: that when you refuse to glorify God for who He is, He will give you over to manifold sins. The sin of sexual perversion is singled out, thrice, in that panoply.
To reiterate yet again: the "epidemic" of sexual perversion today is NOT a cause, inviting God's judgment; it is an EFFECT, to which the person is GIVEN OVER BY GOD, for refusing to glorify Him as God. The person is not a victim of a clinical malady, but a recalcitrant despiser of God.
Such "victims" -- the majority of whom are presently bound for an eternity of torment MUCH WORSE than mere bodily death -- are being trained, nurtured, and reinforced by the godless and indeed God-despising curricula, culture, and condoms found in the State-run training centers.
Serial murder for all eternity, several million per year. If you doubt the severity of the retrogression, please read Bruce Shortt's "The Harsh Truth About Public Schools", available at Amazon.com; it's a gut-wrneching book to read in its entirety. But this is the wholesale rape and slaughter of souls that takes place in the government schools.
Other than that, they're just fine, though.
Hey...
Stop me if you've heard this one:
"By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" John 13:35
Now go re-read all 125+ posts and ask yourself (all parties involved)...did I state my case evenhandedly, with grace and love for the opposing point of view. Did I take care with my words? Did I use the words I wanted to? Did I take a deep breath before I hit the post button?
Emotinal gasoline on the fire rarely helps and reading this comment thread after two days away is concerning.
My greater question is: Can we as Christians ever have strong personal conviction on "secondary" issues without being demagogues of the opposing viewpoint? I'm REALLY trying to be better about this.
This has been a great debate but at times, from an objective standpoint, has ran wayyyy too hot.
Thanks for the follow up post Tim. I think it is sad that you felt compelled to do so; I hope you don't feel attacked by us "homeschoolers" for your personal choice and view in the matter of educating your children. I do agree though that you knew it would be divisive. So why try and call off the debate?
Marc,
Please don't use Jesus' words against Himself, bro. For everything, there is a season.
As I said, Tim knew just what he was doing here. He's been around a time or two, and there is no surer way to get Christians fighting than to throw out the subject of how we train up our own children!
That is all this is: a heated discussion about child-rearing method, and about worldviews. I suspect that Tim knew very well that it would raise hackles when he attacked a well-known blogger, a sister who raises her children at home and does not trundle them off on the yellow bus for Pharaoh to raise them up.
Yes, those are heated words, but TRUE. For instance, will you say that Christ "has ran waaaay too hot" when he called false teachers "you brood of vipers!" or "sons of Hell"?
When your children grow up, they may have profound effect on my children. If your children just end up sitting in church with mine, or working as my children's employees, no problem. But if they end up well-trained in math, physics, basketball, and a 'social studies' that despises God -- they may one day rule over my children in a godless, valueless chaos that MUST be a police state, in order to control the lusts that government schools have made their gods.
Thus, this is an important matter to discuss and debate. If your children have never been trained at home by you, then you are simply unqualified to make an assessment of biblical childrearing. My children have tasted government school, private Christian school, and home-based training. There is simply no contest.
If you really want to see "hot", please buy and read Dr. Shortt's book mentioned earlier. Documented with literally hundreds of pages of documentation, it is a scathing, honest appraisal of the mental, emotional, cultural, and intellectual rape that occurs every day in the government schools, even the best of them.
Christ was :hot" when the occasion called for it. As He is our model, we are occasionally "hot" as well when the occasion calls for it. If you're walking towards a cliff, excuse me for excitedly attempting to stop you!
Grace and peace this Lord's day.
I haven't seen any discussion of court rulings related to the rights of parents who send their kids to public schools, so here is one: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/03/BAGNLFIAEO1.DTL
Related to a suit regarding a sexual orientation survey given to fifth-grade students in a California classroom, the judge stated:
"Parents have a right to inform their children when and as they wish on the subject of sex,'' said Judge Stephen Reinhardt in the 3-0 ruling. "They have no constitutional right, however, to prevent a public school from providing its students with whatever information it wishes to provide, sexual or otherwise.''
My husband and I were already leaning to homeschooling, but this put the nail in the coffin of public schooling as long as we're in California.
I subscribe to the philosophy that children should be protected from the evils of the world, while being trained to withstand them, not throwing them in to see if they will swim. Remember Lot's family!
Tim:
If public schooling were not free, would you still have made that choice for your children? For the sake of argument, let's pretend all choices cost the same: Public, $10k per child; private $10k per child; homeschool $10k per child. What would you choose then?
I would just like to know how much money has to do with people's choice of public schooling. As a person who pays school taxes for other people's children, I have never once been thanked by a parent. Instead I am constantly told how I do not give enough. No one donated to my child's education costs. It seems to me, Tim, that you could at least thank homeschoolers for their financial contribution to your children's education.
Another question: Do you feel the same way about moms who work full-time right after the baby is born and all the way through the pre-school years? Is hiring a babysitter so mom can work just as good as mom staying home? Please do not use examples of those who have no other choice, like single parents. Clearly single parenting is not the ideal in the first place. No one wants to place undue guilt on them.
Just because you must address the issue of your child's own sinful nature, doesn't mean you shouldn't consider the impact of negative outside influences. It isn't either/or. If we as adults should "not walk in the counsel of the wicked" (Ps. 1), then surely it is wise to give serious thought to who is instructing our children.
I've not read through all the comments, so perhaps some of my thoughts have already been stated. That said...
I am a homeschooling mother of two. I love it. I can't imagine sending my children to school for 6-8 hours/day. I feel richly blessed.
Our reasons for homeschooling can be summed up as follows: 1) As parents, it is our responsibility to educate, care for, train, etc... our children.2) It is legitimate to delegate some responsibilities of our childrens' care and training to others--i.e. we use doctors.3) The delegation of such responsibilities requires a good reason. As yet, we don't have a good reason to delegate the formal academic education of our children to a traditional institution.
I do believe there are good reasons to delegate a child's formal education to someone else.
I also believe that it should be the rare exception that a Christian delegate this task to the government. There are times when the governmental system is the only option, but I do believe this to be the exception.
I think it is extraordinarily difficult to fulfill the commands of scripture to train our children while our children spend 6-8 (maybe even as much as 10) hours a day away from the home.
I'm concerned about the anti-homeschool argument that children need to be in public school for the purpose of interacting with and evangelizing the lost.
While I agree that it is a challenge for homeschoolers to get to know and interact with unbelievers, I'm troubled by the fact that "school" has become the centerpiece of social interaction in our culture.
I have other thoughts, but this is already longer than I planned and I fear I might ramble.
Well folks, I think this horse has been beaten to death and is showing no promise of getting up and going anywhere new, so I'm burying it. Let's spend the rest of this Lord's Day focused in him.