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Permalink Reply by Sarah Fonto on July 31, 2009 at 5:00pm

"or in Literature"

/sudden noise reminiscent of cat hacking up a fur ball coming from Italy\

Don't say the "L-word" around a philistine without warning ! You could do me a mischief.

World cultures would be just the ticket. I'm sticking it under "religion" for my records and to have something to show at my annual and monthly inspections but as I remember it, it really was a snapshot into how other people lived and was fascinating.

We did myths in history, to show the difference between records of past times and made up stuff. Liked that too but then they started on the industrial revolution and I fell asleep for five years. There is only so much interest a girl can work up for the spinning jenny.

One more quick Q.

Don't you have Sunday school over there ? When they changed the RE content all those decades ago I remember much whiffing among the mums about how the Sunday schools got a real revival as the parents that wanted the input that school were no longer emphasizing, went and got it from their flavor of church.

Or is it is more to do with what is taught rather than what isn't ?

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Permalink Reply by Dave G on July 31, 2009 at 5:08pm

Interestingly enough, I hear that the Philistines were actually pretty cultured people.

And as for Sunday School, sure we have it. A lot of churches have sunday school for the kids, but that varies from church to church. Some have it, some don't. There's no link to public schooling, etc.

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Permalink Reply by Sarah Fonto on July 31, 2009 at 6:04pm

"Interestingly enough, I hear that the Philistines were actually pretty cultured people."

Am unchuffed, need new adjective.

There is a quite a link here, most of the RE teachers can be found teaching Sunday school. When my son's last RE teacher caused problems I got more joy complaining to the priest than I did the school. That lot just stonewalled me all the way, had threaten to convert to Islam in the school office right in front of them to get my own way.

UK, no link there either as far as I remember. RE was taught by a non-specialist, they taught other subjects too, like music and stuff.

Permalink Reply by Cara Coleen on August 1, 2009 at 12:20am

I lived in Mississippi for seven years and homeschooled for two while I was there. There are lots of "homeschoolers" in the south. And, I would guess they're all Christian. I would also venture to say that pronouncing your Atheism is much like admitting you worship Satan and your intent is to lead their children into the fiery pits of Hell.

I dunno what home schooling is like in your country, but it's not something you'd want to get involved with here. Trust me: it's not you, it's them. They're freakin' weird anyway; very socially backward, and they don't even DRESS like everyone else all the time. Oh, and usually, they have at least ten kids with names such as Hope, Faith, Joy, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John (for the Biblically illiterate, the male names I listed are the first few books of the NT in chronological order).

Avoid them. Don't be discouraged that you lost their following. You're doing yourself a favor by weeding out the VERY fanatical ones at least.

PS I noticed a guy in this thread said he homeschools for educational reasons, which is admirable. I think he's part of the minority, unfortunately. I know several families for whom the homeschooling failed them miserably simply because EDUCATION wasn't their focus as much as avoiding the evils of the world. I can see why people would want to take that route, but so far... the majority are religious, and how.

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Permalink Reply by Sarah Fonto on August 1, 2009 at 5:17am

"pronouncing your Atheism is much like admitting you worship Satan and your intent is to lead their children into the fiery pits of Hell."

That kind of strong reaction in numbers was what surprised me, that religion featured strongly I knew and I guessed a proportion would be "hard core" so I guessed I would hack a few off with the first line. However I wrote what I think was a very "bridges not fortresses" sort of post and it took me back, the immediate and decisive rejection is such numbers. It's not very love and peace.

"I dunno what home schooling is like in your country"

Well my country of origin is the UK, where HS is growing fast, there is a strong religious element there also I think, but I'd say more new-age/alternative lifestyle sort of spirituality rather than "hell fire" sort. Massive worship of alt-med and organic, hand spun, "circus arts" on the curriculum..not so much bible and Satan. Might as well be more Satan from my persepctive. It's not like the hard core Alt-lifestyler loves a conventional skeptic anymore than a hard core Christian loves an Atheist.

However I live in Italy, where HS is almost non-existent. You tell people you HS and they are "what ?, this is what ?" There is one teeny tiny group of Italians doing it, they are almost to a woman a form of evangelical religion, don't think it is Catholic, maybe 7th day Adventist ? Some Americans in the bases do it, but they group together cos they have different rules applied to them. Reckon there must be other immigrants like me doing for the sake of the kid's education but I can't find them. Am working on it.

I'm doing this for the education (please see PISA et al for data on just how bad mainstream education is in Italy, we are bottom of Europe), I am your classic reluctant Home Educator, in the sense I have no ideological preference for "not at school". I teach in schools. I am a teacher, would be v. hypocritical to have a "school=evil" mindset.

I have forgotten what my point is. Blame the plumber, he is banging holes in walls so hard I can't think.

Oh I have found some more secular HS forums/groups in the states though. Which is nice cos I have somebody to bounce ideas off.

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Permalink Reply by Bleacheddecay on November 20, 2009 at 12:15am

Is this an ubiquitous reaction among American Christians ?

I have found an alarming number of self identifying christians are intolerant of anyone who isn't a self identifying christian. If you disagree with them about anything at all you are, at best, "crying for help to be saved, see the light" and so on, at worst, you are evil.

These people want only christian dentists, grocers and so on. They seem to think the christian label means the person they are dealing are good, honest people. I've seen that far too often that is so not the case!

To me if you are truly christian in the best sense of the word you should be loving and tolerant. Therefore I see myself as more christian than most who self identify that way.

Or do I just bring out the worst in people ?

I have no idea what you bring out in people. LOL. *hug*

Or are religious homeschoolers a breed all unto themselves ?

Often they are (although there are many breeds within breeds) and yes, they are the very vocal, tea party, tea bagging, bitter majority in the homeschooling community. I get so very tired of them. I live in the bible belt.

*le sigh*

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Permalink Reply by Doug Reardon on November 20, 2009 at 5:33pm

A friend of mine used to say: If someone makes a point of telling me they are a christian, I immediately check my wallet.

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Permalink Reply by Doug Reardon on November 20, 2009 at 4:12pm

Most, but not all, homeschoolers in the US are religious fundies.

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