Why I Homeschool
my youngest shows off our funny-looking, home-made candy canes
I had a great public school education. It was only later that I realized that I didn’t want my kids to get a great public school education.
I want my kids to read Christopher Columbus’ own writings instead of the propaganda that’s in the textbooks. I want them to know as much or more about Dorothy Day as they do about D-Day. When we talk about the Fathers, I want them thinking about Irenaeus and Clement instead of Jefferson and Adams.
I don’t want my kid to have an opinion on Darwin, Marx or MLK without ever actually reading what they have to say. I don’t want them saying the pledge of allegiance. I don’t want them learning how to fit in, how to punch a clock, how to be perfect consumers.
It’s either homeschool or some sort of really expensive private tutoring.
And we’re broke.
So we homeschool.
I’m not saying you’re wrong. However, I do object to dichotomies of this sort. Why not public school AND teach your kids that Columbus was a savage?
My brother-in-law is fervently against saying the pledge. He often substitute teaches and is always inexplicably absent whenever the pledge is said. However, the other day he sent me this (the names have been changed to protect the innocent):
“I found out today that E and A HAVE been saying the pledge everyday after all. E said he’s okay with it because he says “and justice for all” which means, according to E, “being fair to everyone, and war isn’t fair for anyone, especially people who get hurt in war, and it really isn’t fair for the people who die, so I can promise to obey ‘justice for ALL,’ can’t I?” I told him he can choose to say the pledge if he wants to, but he doesn’t have to, and he can think about it as long as he’d like.”
This, I think, is an example of a parent assisting in the education of their children. I think your rationale for homeschooling is respectable, but I also think that much can be gained from children growing up in atmospheres where they meet a lot of children, and are exposed to a lot of different types of people. Whereas homeschooling has always felt very inbred to me. Perhaps my reservations about homeschooling come from the religious right’s abuse of it.
Anyway, I guess I’m not saying that you shouldn’t homeschool. I’m not sure what I’m saying. I just don’t like dichotomies.
What do you think? Why not do public school and supplement your child’s learning with other sources?
I too was educated in public schools and my children both learn in public schools… but their education does not end in the public school. We teach them many things at home from math, science, behavior, morals, spiritual things, and and whatever limited knowledge my wife and have in different crafts and so on.
When I was child we had music class every so often. And every once in a while, typically around December we would sing Christmas songs and the music teacher always played a piano. As I have stated before, I was raised in the Church of Christ which does not sing a religious type song with instrumental accompaniment. Whether you agree with that or not is not my point, but rather even at 5 years old I knew what i was taught at home and that I was expected to follow it regardless of what the public school authority said. So at five, I didn’t sing. and when asked why i wasn’t singing, I gave the best answer a five year old could.
I believe lessons like these are invaluable to children. It helps us grow accustomed to making stands for what we believe in and opens our eyes as to how different the world is from us. learning to deal with adversity is beneficial, i believe.
I don’t think anything is wrong with homeschooling, in fact I think it sounds very nice. I am sure the type of lessons that I am referring to could be taught at home as well.
I dont get the no pledge of allegiance thing, though. why not say it? I dont think by saying it that we are aligning ourselves with this country over God. But this country has afforded me, at least so far, the right to worship as I see fit. To raise my children as I see fit. I’ve been to a few other countries, but so far I like this one the best. I believe we are blessed to love here. It’s not perfect, sure. there are problems, but there certainly are benefits. Matt 22:21; 2 Pet 2:10; Romans 13.
Why no pledge? National Anthem? What am I missing?
For me the pledge and national anthem are idolatrous. I think in many ways, standing and aligning oneself towards the flag, putting one’s hand over their heart, singing to the flag, is a type of liturgy of the nation. We are worshiping the nation and all that which it stands for (which right now is death, bigotry, and consumerism). As Christians we are not Americans over against Africans or over against Iraqis, or Afghans. I am not proud to be an American, I am not proud of the millions of people that we have killed and kill as a nation in the name of freedom or democracy, or capitalism.
I will not pledge my allegiance to this country and I do not want my kids to be forced (indoctrinated) to love and serve this country.
@matthew
I understand the both/and rather than either/or thing.
I wonder, do you have kids? I have four.
Your story from your brother-in-law is instructive. I do train my kids to form healthy habits of personal decision-making.
I wouldn’t have a knee-jerk reaction because of ‘dichotomy’. “You can’t worship both God and Mammon,” is a dichotomy, as is “Either you quit drinking or I’m taking the kids to my mom’s.”
At first glance the dichotomy between training my kids and public education doesn’t seem so stark. But if you consider the sheer amount of time that kids spend with their peers and the purposes of education in a liberal democracy, it’s worth considering.
Consider your brother’s example: his child is ostensibly learning to think for himself, a highest value in both liberal democracy and global capitalism.
But is he really? For example, what does ‘justice’ actually mean? How do we work for this justice? The fact that he is physically orienting himself towards the u.s. flag, putting his hand on his heart and, with the crowd, repeating a pledge of allegiance…this is a very high form of education. When he learns his multiplication tables he sits in a chair and uses flash cards or looks at the chalkboard. But when he recites the pledge, everyone is brought together, using every sense and their volition, in order to make sure the the ideas of justice and liberty are wrapped in that flag. And how are ‘justice and liberty’ won and retained? Through human sacrifice. This is religious training in a war cult, where the primary common goods that bring mankind together are ‘freedom’, ‘liberty’ and ‘justice’ according to the liberal democratic tradition.
We don’t really ‘think for ourselves’…most of our decisions are some mysterious combination of will and inheritance. The boundaries of our decision-making are formed by language and habits that come from the community we find ourselves in.
I made a decision that my children would learn about sex from me. That way, when their peers or a book or a movie give them ideas about sex, they would measure those things against what I had to say.
This is how I see my responsibility as a parent: passing on to my children the language and habits of thought that help them truly flourish, that orient them towards the God of peace.
The pledge is only one example. My son spent a few months in a public school while I tried exactly what you’re describing. He learned the story of James Armistead Lafayette (found here on the CIA kids page, I shit you not). Very strange that the textbook directs the children’s attention to a slave that actually defends the regime that enslaves his people. He is held up as a hero.
In a million subtle ways the story we find ourselves in is defined by wealth, war…and wealthy white warriors.
In-between classes my child operates in a field of peers with their common goods prescribed by wealth and war. What do they have in common? A desire to get ahead, a rejection of authority, the fear of death. The will to power.
This for 7.5 hours or so. Five days a week.
It’s too optimistic to think that this type of socialization can be a healthy part of a child’s education, or that I can possibly keep up with all the misinformation, propaganda and ritual that the state is putting out.
Again, what is public education churning out? Hordes of people who know how to fit in, punch the clock and buy consumable goods. Even dissent is marketed as a consumable good. People show their individuality by associating with some subculture that wears the same clothes, listens to the same music and has no linguistic discipline to critique the power structures of this world.
So, yeah, I think the state education system is not only woefully inadequate to form decent human beings, but acts at cross-purposes to everything I want my kids to be.
freedom [free-duhm] – noun
The unfettered ability to buy whatever I want according to the desires created in me by corporate propaganda.
I can see where you’re coming from, at least i think I can. I don’t fully agree. Jesus served Rome as a good citizen, after his service to the Father. what little insight I have to your life through this blog, you also seem to be trying to be a good citizen. While there are terrible things our nation has done in the nae of freedom, and whatever, there are also good things that this nation has done. I am glad for the sacrifices that have been for the good things. I am glad Christ sacrificed himself for us, but at he same time horrified that it was necessary. There are good things and I am thankful for it. I view myself as a Christian first, American after. Cornelius was a soldier, but we have no indication that he had to stop his service because of his conversion. Jesus told pilot that if his kingdom were of this world, then would his disciples fight. Does that mean, Christ’s kingdom is the only one worth fighting for and since it’s not of this earh then we don’t fight? or is it saying that since we are subject to earthly kingdoms and governments then it’s alright to fight for those? Paul said I fought the good fight. Would he use that as an example of how to be if it were wrong? he worked like a whore? just doesn’t seem the same. and if nothing else, I would thing that you would be grateful to live in a nation where you can home school and refrain from paying honors to the government (other than taxes of course) Matt 22:21; 2 Pet 2:10; Romans 13.
Home school is cool, but the evils of the public school can help children learn to cope and live in an evil world without taking part. You went through public school and seem to have left the delusions and dogma that it forced fed. The problem with education is the parents and not the schools. many parents make little effort to educate their children about little other than who to date and what a “good time” is on the weekends. I had several friends in public schools who were like me, who abstained from sex, drugs, alcohol, whatever. I do feel compelled to add that I was by no means perfect, but I also know of home school kids that were not either.
the world’s an evil place. Disney channel and nick have bad shows that can warp our kids minds. I agree that parents are the main educator, but public school doesn’t take that away… at least not in every instance.
I think idolatry and respect are different. people bow to royalty out of respect, but that isn’t necessarily the same as worship. I am grateful to live in place where I can worship how I please, teach my children how I please. You can even vote for your leaders, here.
Nothing wrong with respecting that. Especially considering men did die to provide that. and that’s not saying all who died in our military did that, but there are those who did. why not respect that. Not worship it, but respect it.
I agree with you mostly. At least in spirit if not in details. So, I’ll leave it at that. Thanks for your response.
my above response was to the charismanglican not matthias.
If Jesus was a good citizen then why did the Roman authorities murder him?
If a government is run ‘by the people’, that doesn’t mean it will be a good government. It all depends on the type of people that live there. So ’self-government’ is not something worth dying for.
But you say that men died to provide us freedom of worship. This is a misunderstanding both of the nature of military service and the source of true freedom.
The purpose of serving in the military is not to die for your country. It’s to make the other guy die for his country first. The point is to sacrifice that other guy, not yourself.
And the freedom to worship God comes from the resurrected Messiah, not from liberal democracy. There have been faithful Christians and Jews throughout history that were free to worship God in the face of government oppression. It happens today. Let’s not give credit to the u.s. for things that come from Christ. That way lies idolatry.
Who taught you that you should be able to worship God without putting yourself and your children at risk? Who told you it was okay to kill other people for this ‘right’? You didn’t learn that from Jesus or the scriptures.
It just might be possible that the type of education you’ve received…even (or especially) in church…has led you to misunderstand the kingdom of God. A misunderstanding which makes faith into something that won’t threaten the powers and principalities of this world. Someone with that type of faith would never get crucified.
Since we come from a similar background, I wouldn’t mind being a resource for you to explore some other ways of looking at the scriptures that may have been obscured to you, as they were to me for much of my life.
@matthias – you should check out http://thomstark.net/?p=282
Practical questions for you. Do you utilize a curriculum that relies heavily on primary source material? Or do you use a curriculum at all? Just curious as I explore homeschooling for myself. Great to read your perspective.
Primary source material really strikes home with history. What we do is use “The Story of the World” as a text and the workbook. From there, we look into primary sources.
We also use primary sources based on what we’re studying at the time. So for MLK day we watched video of MLK, around Columbus day we read Columbus’ own writings (which, frankly, are disturbing).
We’d like to use primary sources for math and science…study the philosophers chronologically, but only our oldest is getting close to that being an effective method.
Ours are 12, 10, 8 and 5.
I will checkout the link, thanks. And I want to clarify that I do not think that the US has given us the right to worship God as we see fit. As you pointed out many nations in the past and present persecute Christians for doing that, yet they did it anyway. What i am saying, and what I am giving the US credit for, is that neither you nor I have been persecuted by our government for worshiping the way we see fit; neither have we had to face any jail time and certainly not death. I am appreciative and grateful for that. Of course, you are right, God is more to thank for that.
Also, as a matter of interest, i was taught that a Christian shouldn’t serve in the military. however, you are correct that it was never condemned, either. but maybe that was a good application of the “silent where the bible is silent.” the passages that I listed previously show the government as something to follow. Rom 13 shows that the governments were put in place in part to execute wrath. oddly enough, the old movie “SGT YORK” illustrates how some, I suppose, view military service, and even killing in the military. I agree peace is the way, but some argue that there is a distinction made between murder and military service. Again, Cornelius; Acts 10 & 11.
I can see where people see no problem with military service. besides, not all military jobs require a person to kill. some will be medics, wash clothes, cook food, etc… And while the point is to kill the other guy, we should not diminish from those who did die, always knowing it was a possibility, always missing their wives, children, and homes at an attempt to preserve our freedoms and way of life. Not all did, but some certainly did.
why is that so hard to be thankful for. because of those sacrifices you and I dont face jail time. We dont have to worry that our children will be fed to the lions for saying a prayer or for believing in God. I’m glad for that. I thank God for it, and I appreciate the country that is used for it. thankfulness and gratefulness, respect. Not idolatry, at least not for me.
your mind doesn’t even begin to wonder when you read 2 pet 2:10?
and what about my public education points?
interesting blog. many good points.
Mathias – you’re a good sport. Thank you for being on here.
I know men who have died in the military. I know others who have suffered horribly from combat. I had one mother whose son was killed in a Kabul hospital while caring for the sick if God would forgive him for killing so many Afghanis.
Please don’t misunderstand me: I am not condemning these people. I’m condemning the system that destroys the image of God in them. I’m trying to wake the church up so that we stop feeding our children to the beast. I’m trying to ‘take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.’ (II Cor 10:5)
Here are some possible reasons that the u.s. government hasn’t persecuted you and me for worshiping God:
1. We think that worshiping God is a private thing. It has to do with an inward disposition and private activities like prayer. It’s not political.
2. The ways of the u.s. government are compatible with the Christian faith.
3. The ways we practice Christianity are a challenge to the u.s. government, but the government doesn’t yet consider us a threat.
All of these could be, in some sense true.
Number 1 should NOT be true, but that’s the typical u.s.american version of faith and what I stand against.
Number 2 could be true at some level. At least in that the u.s. hasn’t become openly hostile to Christianity like other nations you mention. However, is the quality of our faith better or worse for living in that sort of environment? You seem very grateful for it…but do you ever stop to wonder if this ‘tolerance’ is a subtle temptation that lulls the church into passivity?
Number 3 is something that seems to never cross u.s.american Christians’ minds unless it’s some hot topic of personal morality (homosexuality, etc). I heard somewhere that most u.s.american Christians (at least Evangelicals) would be more excited for the second coming of Ronald Reagan than Jesus! I’m trying to point out the subtle ways in which we take the truths of western democracy as more fundamental than the kingdom of God.
“your mind doesn’t even begin to wonder when you read 2 pet 2:10?”
Yes, of course. I used to have the same conclusions that you do. It’s been revealed to me over time that interpreting all the scripture that you’ve brought up as a positive stamp on the rulers of this world requires a certain way of thinking that is unfaithful to the gospel. For example, you mention Rom 13…but it doesn’t take a lot of study to see that Paul isn’t giving Rome a rubber stamp. Heck, you could just go back to Rom 12 to see that Paul’s gospel is contra Rome. To fully respond to every verse you brought up would take too long. Start with the link Matthew provided. I can share more if you’d like.
“and what about my public education points?”
Only by the grace of God was I able to finally recognize how polluted my faith was by civil religion, patriotism and idolatry. Public school is only one way the world does this. Other than that, I think my previous comments answer this question.
I appreciate your reply. After your reading your response, I actually believe that you and I see this topic similarly, although not identical. I do not believe that we should accept the government as “good” or that we should support their every action because of those passages. I often considered that these freedoms we enjoy have, at least in part, led to soft Christians. And “soft Christians,” couldn’t really be referred to as Christ-like. It is strange, i enjoy these freedoms, just as I enjoy air conditioning, but both can make us weak.
I should probably take a little more time to explain my thoughts better, but because of time, I wont.
Thanks for your reply.
eh, ‘freedom’ is overrated.
try living without it sometime, and see if you still think it’s overrated. That’s just the freedoms as the world defines it. It may not be necessary, but it has its benefits. freedom as the Bible defines it would also make life a struggle without it.
freedom may be “overused” (probably not the right word, “overused,” maybe?) but not overrated.
“misused”?, I meant. I’ll learn to type one day… but not today.
I was purposely being provocative. Thankfully you bit right in. I should really just keep my mouth shut when I’m not actually invested in a conversation.
I’ll say this, far far far too often “my freedoms” end up being the securing of freedoms for those with power/money/influence while those same freedoms are not extended to others who are not in such a position. I’m willing to mute many of my own “freedoms” in order that it might “spread the love around.” I would do this for health care, for public education, for greening the energy system among others.
Tony put the quotes around ‘freedom’ because the modern concept of this just means “Step off, nephew, I can do whatever I want.” Then you came along and said ‘freedom as the world defines it’. Well, yeah…that’s what the quotes were for.
I’m pretty sure Tony wouldn’t have anything against freedom that meant human flourishing in the image of God.
And Tony, you’re right to talk about power/money/influence. One of the reasons that I can homeschool at all is because of a certain level of privilege that I inherited. I dealt with this on my facebook page that linked to this post. Of course, that’s been hijacked and is now about healthcare- public or private.
I think I understand where everyone is coming from. When I was younger I strongly criticized this country and its notion of “freedom” for many of the same reasons you all have pointed out. In many ways I still agree with those points. I am under no illusion that this country is perfect. And I believe we should all be Christians first, with everything else falling in after. But, As I have gotten older I have changed my view to some degree (not about being Christians first). While harder times and less ‘freedoms’ may help purge fair weather Christians I have been unwilling to move to China, and in fact I find myself enjoying what we have here quite a bit. And while I do not agree with everything in public schools or in our government, or in a way many citizens choose to ‘abuse’ the ‘freedoms’ we have, I would not rather live in Afghanistan or Indonesia. And while many of the soldiers or those who have died in service to this country may not have been moral in any way, and while they were likely trying to kill someone and not wanting to die themselves were sacrificing something, if nothing else, the comforts I have enjoyed while living in this country and being one of its citizens. These men have been without the very comforts and some of the ‘freedoms’ all other citizens enjoy, at one time or another. I do appreciate that there are those who are willing to do that. And I do have some of these luxuries that I enjoy in part because of people like that.
Again God is really the one to thank for the good things we have. But if I were starving and had been praying to find some food for my family, and a man happened by and left us with bread, or whatever. I would certainly thank the man and be very appreciative for him leaving the food that I needed. I would also be thankful to God who heard my prayers and provided someway for me to receive what i needed. nothing wrong with thanking the messenger, in fact it may be wrong not to. because some would misuse the bread, doesn’t mean the bread was worthless or that the man who gave it wasn’t generous and merciful.
And I don’t know what you’re referring to exactly with, “far far far too often “my freedoms” end up being the securing of freedoms for those with power/money/influence while those same freedoms are not extended to others who are not in such a position.” I’m not a rich man and I don’t have any power or influence, yet I feel ‘free.’ Do you not? Everyone in this country is certainly freer than those in the countries I have already listed. I’m not sure what we should realistically expect from an earthly nation. I can’t think of any poor, unfree people in this country… and I know a few who are extremely poor.
I guess I have also been considering you have said about Christ in the Roman Empire, “If Jesus was a good citizen then why did the Roman authorities murder him?” Jesus wasn’t crucified for any laws that he broke or for any injustice he committed, but because the people that crucified him were unjust. Christ taught that we should be subject to these higher powers, whether just or unjust. As Christians we were guaranteed any earthly freedoms or justice, but those in the world are guaranteed justice and good conduct from Christians. because we were not guaranteed nay of the earthly freedoms we do all enjoy in some fashion, then that is why I am thankful for them and will not likely be moving away.
It’s certainly not a perfect country, but it has done enough ‘good’ for me, at least, to be thankful for. It has done some bad as well, but then so have I, and I hope people are still appreciative for the good I do, as well.
let’s not be too critical, when we enjoy many of the things this nation has provided us.
i really need to do a better job of proof reading. last paragraph, third sentence should read, “As Christians we weren’t guaranteed…”
sorry, there’s likely more errors.
My kids are in public school because I enjoy seeing how much higher my kids “dot” is on the standardized testing results. ;-)
Interesting perspective on homeschooling. typically it is for the reason of being very conservative so a family homeschools. You however have a commitment to subverting the empire… an admirable one at that. thanks!