Comments on: Judge Rules in Home Schooling Case

By: Rain Jacket

Rain Jacket — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 05:50:59 +0000

i was home schooled when i was still very young and i have to stay that it is also a great way to educate your kids “:;

By: Connor Bell

Connor Bell — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 06:28:32 +0000

i was also home schooled when i was younger and it is also a great weay to get your education.~’”

By: gracieallan

gracieallan — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 20:50:32 +0000

You attack a straw man. I did not say, nor do I believe, that exposure to an idea automatically creates belief. Nor do I believe that parents own their children. I quite agree with you that children be exposed to all sorts of ideas.

Let me read another of your posts to get an idea of exactly what you do believe. Hang on…

Wow!! …..I just read your "fifth column" post. I didn't realize you think I have green scales and venom dripping from my mouth. It may be that you need to get out and meet a few actual Christian homeschoolers. Wish we could get together for a cup of coffee; you might discover we're more human than you think….or maybe you'd just follow me home and blow up my house. I'm not really sure about you yet.

Here's my problem with your point of view: you seem to be the one who thinks children are owned, just not by the parents, you seem to place them in the hands of the state.

I said I agree that children need to be exposed to different ideas. Someone gets to decide which ideas, how much time to the different ideas, what editorial comments will be made about the ideas and so on. I propose that person be the child's parents. You apparently want it to be the state. I do not want the state to have that type of control over my children. I don't want the state to control your children either. Suppose as Christians we were to gain control of the government (apparently you think that's what we're after!), but suppose for a minute that were to happen. Would you want Christians to use that power to force your child to attend only a religiously Christian school? Fortunately for you, genuine Christianity would not do that (you know, do unto others…) However, as the government becomes more controlled by secular thinkers, you seem to want to use that power to force my children into a secular institution. This seems unfair, and it also demonstrates to me what you are loathe to admit – that genuine freedom exists only in a Christian society. Christians who believe they should treat others as they want to be treated leave other people's children alone. It appears that secularists will not extend the same courtesy.

By: Richard_Collins

Richard_Collins — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:44:40 +0000

I don't believe you are understanding the issues. First off where do you get the idea that merely being exposed to an idea is some miraculous way to impose belief on someone. Only weak minded people accept blindly what they are told or what they hear.

Just sit down in a quiet place and think about this. You are exposed to thousands of ideas and beliefs every week from TV, radio, newspapers and the internet. Do you adopt all these ideas merely because you were exposed to them? No, you don't. Perhaps if you studied human nature and psychology you would lose the idea you have apparently been indoctrinated with that exposure to an idea means adoption of the idea. Learn to think critically and teach your children to learn critical thinking. This is the path to true human liberty.

Children have a right to information and parents have a duty to teach them how to evaluate information based on rationality and evidence. Only a despotic parent would attempt to control what a child believes. I don't care whether they are religious or an atheist the same charge would apply.

Parents are not a law unto themselves, and they do not own their children.

By: gracieallan

gracieallan — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:05:44 +0000

And suppose I insist that your children attend an exclusively Christian school because they are only being exposed to the secular ideas of the public schools and their parents. I will insist, like you, that these children have the right to be exposed to other ideas. I propose that you not be allowed to speak against Christianity or any religious belief in your home because this would unnecessarily influence your children's beliefs. You will spend a portion of each day in uncritical reading of the Bible, the Koran, and the Talmud followed by some time in quiet prayer. You must never offer your own thoughts about any of this to your child. I hope the scenario I describe sounds both chilling and ridiculous. Of course, I would never do such a thing, because I have too much respect for your role as a parent. However, it is exactly what you propose to do to me.

By: James Tracy

James Tracy — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:40:57 +0000

How about this family: http://www.duggarfamily.com/

By: Richard_Collins

Richard_Collins — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:11:51 +0000

The judge has not ruled that the mother may not teach her children the religion of her own choosing. He has ruled that she must allow her children to be exposed to other teachings as well.
+++++++

Exactly. The thing that religionists object to is that somehow their children may find out there is a wide world beyond their narrow insular home life. In the home, and especially in the case of children who are taught at home, they can monitor their tv viewing, restrict their books and magazines, and prohibit the kids from making friends with children they deem "bad" influences. The problem for these despotic parents is that eventually their children gain some freedom and because it is new and full of traps for the uninitiated, they often make extremely bad choices. Some plants thrive in a rigorously control hot house environment, but they cannot survive in the real world environment of freezing cold and boiling temperatures.