I think your view is very extreme and in the minority. We’re talking about a very small college and a very small percentage of the homeschooled population.
Personally, it’s a breath of fresh air to see parents taking their kids education into there own hands and instilling values and morals into their belief system. The public school system is failing our kids, teens and young adults at all levels. Finally parents are stepping up to the plate and not putting the future of their kids in other’s hands.
“I’ll ask again…what specifically are we guarding against?”
I’ll answer again. We would be guarding against the possibilty that an individual group is attempting gain a significant amount of political control. Is that wrong?
“Imposing their values on me specifically? In a sense, no.”
So you are saying that you agree with the way that every cent that is spent by the US government. Seems to me that imposing a tax is on you specifically. Since those taxes are spent based on “beliefs” are those beliefs not being imposed on you? Would the way those taxes get spent not be different with a different group of people with different beliefs in power thus imposing different beliefs on you?
“So is it wrong that these homeschooled kids go on to a Christian university…”
First absolutely nothing wrong with anything they do. In fact Good on them, their parents etc etc for taking part in rasing their own children in a manner they feel is appropriate.
As to what would I do to counteract the agenda? First we have to watch and see if there is an agenda don’t we? Then we’d ahve to see in what method the agenda is attempted to be implemented…don’t we? Only then can we truely react.
That being said, would it not be just as devastating to ignore the possibility that an internal “radical” group is attempting to impose their way of life as it would be to ignore the idea that terrorist are willing to die blowing up our buildings. Let’s not forget that this country has indeed already had witch burnings, hangings and other radical actions and in some cases sanctioned by the ruling parties.
I’m not specifically singling out this group. As I stated many times already I don’t doubt that we have several factions doing exactly what we are…well at least what I’m talking about. In fact take a look at some of the long standing political families and how they have shaped politics and policies in this country already. To think it’s not happening or at very least being attempted right now would be foolish…IMHO.
" I think your view is very extreme and in the minority."
What is my view and why is it so extreme? In the minority certainly, minority does not mean extreme.
“Personally, it’s a breath of fresh air to…”
Seems I said this in my other post. I agree whole heartedly that public schools are failing. I also agree that’s it’s a phenominal thing that some parents are willing and able to teach their own children.
Oh, yeah, well there’s that. Homeschooling is a breeding ground for domestic terror. If those dangerous homeschoolers gain anymore traction, America will look like war-torn Iraq within a few short years. There’ll be bombings on every street corner.
As I said above, I have no problem conceptually with homeschooling. Obviously the public school system in places leaves something to be desired. I didn’t have that issue, but clearly elsewhere it is a problem.
And it is certainly people’s right to self-educate if they feel it necessary. What makes me uncomfortable is that it appears the vast majority of homeschooled kids are evangelicals, which suggests that there is an element of self-isolation involved. And given that the evangelical political agenda involves not only openly combining their religious beliefs with public policy, as well as arguably restricting the rights of others to enjoy their lives in ways they see fit, it simply gives me pause.
It also concerns me that there is a generation which is being educationally isolated and taught a very specific viewpoint without the benefit of a wider intellectual arena of inquiry to draw from. To put it in more concrete terms - when I have children (and I don’t yet), I will not expect them to hold certain beliefs - rather, I will be far more concerned that the beliefs they do hold come from rigorous intellectual analysis and methods of approach, rather than a rote or doctrinal process. I find that orthodoxy is and has been the enemy of innovation and growth, and I would rather they look around and perhaps make mistakes than simply parrot what others tell them. And I get the sense that homeschooling suffers from this weakness or advantage, depending on your viewpoint.
And as I said, my experience with homeschooled kids is that tend to be quite bright (as was the kids in the article), but in a way, very subtly, socially less developed.
As with any regime, there are positives and negatives.
We would be guarding against the possibilty that an individual group is attempting gain a significant amount of political control. Is that wrong?
Which group would that be in this particular case?
As to what would I do to counteract the agenda? First we have to watch and see if there is an agenda don’t we? Then we’d ahve to see in what method the agenda is attempted to be implemented…don’t we? Only then can we truely react.
Paranoia at it’s finest…You want to guard against a group gaining political control but don’t have an agenda that this supposed group has…then truly react against it…Weird…
Paranoia or preparedness, a fine line. Had I said the same thing about Bin Laden several years ago I’d be a genious now, not just paranoid.
Point is that there is no harm in watching any group that woudl appear to be making strong headway into the political system. I think one could make the arguement that the christian right has significant influence in todays governing. I don’t find it in the least bit strange that the general populous would be concerned about thsi group growing even more.
Then again I can say the same about several other groups as well.
Oh, I’m completely onboard. Let’s hustle and get these kids to the local indoctrination center. We can’t have their parents instilling whatever beliefs they want in them. Least of all any strong religious beliefs. After all, if you’re not going to instill any of your values in your kids, why should anyone else be able to?
Yeah - if they’re homeschooling because the local schools suck, that’s one thing. But if they’re homeschooling because they don’t want little Johnny to be corrupted by the secular world and learn biology, etc., then I got a real problem. Then if they want Johnny to be President, I have an even bigger problem.
"So they homeschool their kids and send them to Christian colleges. So they raise them in the way they want them raised. What is objectionable about this behavior? "
Their choice and right, and if they stay back home on the farm and never leave their little community then it will probably work for them. But doesn’t it seem like a very sheltered existance, especially in this complicated multi-cultural society that we live in.
** But if they’re homeschooling because they don’t want little Johnny to be corrupted by the secular world**
I guess, then, that you have the same problem with private religious schools, right? I’m with ya. The Catholic school system must be stopped. Same for all the Jewish academies. First we should start with the evangelical schools, though, since they’re the ones who are probably going to be training mad bombers.
We simply cannot afford to allow parents to attempt to pass on their own value system to their children. It’s outrageous. Especially, like I said, if that value system is religiously based. There must be something in the Constitution against that, right?
I don’t see how kids today who grow up in the public education fare any better.
In fact, I would counter that home schooled kids are more well rounded and comfortable/confident with their beliefs and values than kids raised in the public education system.
Wait, wait…values and morals shouldn’t be religiously based and that’s why state and religion can’t mix and the ten commandments shouldn’t hang in public. The liberals say it should be instilled at home.
Now in the privacy of their own homes children are being home schooled and sent to private Christian Colleges…and now it’s bad.
It’s not about personal values. Everybody has their own. It’s about being exposed to more than just one retricted viewpoint. They are not getting to hear the other guy’s point of view.
It’s one thing for Johnny to be associated with a student body and the inherent variations and social interactions that entails, and quite another to have his social/educational interaction be with one person, don’t you think?
Please - if you want to accuse me of religious intolerance, so be it. The problem is that religious thinking tends to be dogmatic, in a world where dogma and orthodoxy tend to be far too rigid and dated for a changing and complex world. I don’t have a problem with religious values - I have a problem when religion becomes a public issue and people either subtly or not so subtly try to push their religion on others, either through legislation or other means.
Freedom of religion also means freedom from religion, if we do so wish, don’t you think?
What I find really amusing is that Christian fundies use exactly the same arguments Islamic fundies use for everything, from homeschooling to religious freedoms.