This fun, short clip discusses “unschooling” (not always the same as “homeschooling”) as opposed to “structured” schooling. Notice the psychologist’s incriminating remark about drop-outs…
Anyway, I love to think about and discuss the topic of education. We’ve had lots of discussions about rejecting the public school system on the basis of our faith, but what about merely educational merit?
Why do we think that one can only become properly educated by one certain formula, which, by the way, doesn’t have a great track record? And let’s ask an honest question…from a secular standpoint, was my education optimal? Did the curriculum, the method, the atmosphere offer me the best knowledge and skill sets? And if I conclude “yes”, is it fair to say that there is only one way to properly educate a child? Does the school system operate on a basis of what is best for learning, or on a basis of the only option of containing that many children who are all completely different with different interests, strengths and bents? Why is it so hard for us to admit there might be a better way of becoming educated…and where do we get our definition of education anyway?
I think we have boxed it in so much that the most “educated” can barely think outside the classroom. No inflaming of tempers intended here 😉 Just honest, open questions that I challenge you to consider.
44 comments
Pretty weak arguments on both sides!!… but I s’pose it’s rather hard to say “just read a few issues of Growing Without Schooling magazine and all of John Holt’s books,and you’ll understand.”
I definitely consider unschooling a very valid choice, although it’s not quite the method I would choose. (I’m more keen on “loose structure.”) My only concern is that I can remember reading the 20th anniversary issue of GWS and was so dismayed with the emphasis on “feelings” rather than duty and commitment. For example, one young man’s parents were able, with the help of a state rep. or senator, to get him out of his Army commitment. Well, I was a pharmacy tech in the service and I remember full well that back in the late 80s, I was told my training cost $28,000. I think that if the US government spent money on that young man’s training, he should have fulfilled his basic four year enlistment. (I guess there’s a difference between Christian unschoolers and secular).
The Well-Trained Mind (classic,trivium) has much to recommend it… but so does the “real life skills” based approach… I imagine that’s why God gave children PARENTS!!!!
These news shows crack me up- how on earth are you supposed to have a real “debate” in such a small amount of time?
Given the opportunity, he may have been able to explain that “life” isn’t sitting in a classroom learning Calculus. That’s college and children need to be prepared for the real life that happens for the 50+ years after college graduation.
To use his example, a student isn’t going to need their subconscious to internalize the lessons during their sleep after visiting Boston. They will have lived it and it will be a memory.
She clearly either doesn’t understand unschooling or she was trying to make viewers not understand it.
Love the new blog design!
I agree with Marie when she said that “that’s why God gave us parents”. We know our children and their learning styles so I think we should be the ones to choose the style in which they are taught. For a child who is very high energy sitting down for a half hour working in a workbook or reading a text book wouldn’t be as helpful to them as actually doing a hands-on activity along with small blocks of sitting activities. The woman stated that if a child “wants” to be an astronaut they should have a history of calculus. I think she’s missing a point. It’s not always about what we want but where God has called us to be in our lives. If God leads a child to become an astronaut I believe he would have a desire to learn calculus (or whatever subject needed for that field of work). This also brings me to the point that not all children will need to attend college. Of course if you are called to be a doctor you attend college and get your degrees. If you are called to be a carpenter or construction manager is a college degree necessary? I don’t think so. A child would do just as well in an apprenticeship. Parents need to seek God’s will for the careers of their children and act on it. We need to prayerfully consider our child’s strengths and weaknesses, learning styles, and, if they are old enough, where God might be calling them in their lives. That means choosing homeschool, unschool, private school, etc. As well as curriculum, extra-curricular activities, and college age learning.
I am thankful that we have that freedom.
Unschooling really just reeks of laziness on the part of the parent to me. If parents insist on home schooling, they really ought to do some “schooling”, instead of just keeping their kid home to play all day, and claim that they are “learning”.
Mrs W.
I think you too missed what unschooling really is. I would argue that unschooling parents work harder to educate their children than parents who send their children to schools to do it for them. Just because children are at home, and just because it has a name like “unschooling” does not mean that no learning is going on. The point is you do not need to be sitting at a desk to learn something. In many cases it is easier to retain the information you have “learned” after engaging in the activity. If you watched the video of the children picking apples I’m sure you could agree that children seeing the tree, picking the apples, and perhaps even tasting them would give a child better understanding of an apple tree than a textbook with a picture. The point of unschooling is not to have children “play all day” but to learn outside the confines of a classroom.
Mrs. W.,
How do you know that’s what parents who unschool do? You should read “And the skylark sings with me”. It’s written by a Dad (not a Christian) who unschools and the thoughts of doing what they do to “keep up” with their children’s interests exhaust me. I could never provide my children with that kind of opportunity. I’m assuming he isn’t the only parents who unschools that way. His children, by the way, are brilliant. Not in the “really smart” kind of way, but in the “rocket science” kind of way.
Again, I would urge you not to be so quick to lash out against something just because of your experience. There are thousands of families doing a great job of homeschooling/unschooling that would not appreciate being lumped in with the blanket assertions you make.
lol. That lady used a pretty shady argument about drop-outs. Are there 1 million unschoolers, letalone 1 million unschooled children “dropping out”? bzzzt! The drop outs are kids for whom “normal” school has completely failed them. She tried ot make it sound like lack of structure was the problem (in institutional school?) and lay that at the feet of unschoolers.
We do use a curriculum. At this point, even a cyber school. However, we are definitely an “in between” family, and our homeschool is not just a down-sized version of institutional school. I can certainly appreciate some of the benefits of “unschooling”, although as a parent I do believe there are times when I need to direct my child’s schooling, even if he would choose something else. Actual schoolwork takes up a minute part of our day. I have been pleased to watch my middle child thrive on a hands-off approach through his preschool years. He is brilliant (not that I’m biased 😉 ), and has learned many things by his normal day to day activity and by observing the world around him. I do believe though, that at age 4, he is ready to begin a gradual entry into some discipline when it comes to school. I won’t make him sit down 7-8 hours a day doing busy work. But on the flip side of that, it will not bode well for him in the future to be incapable of sitting still for 15 or 20 minutes at a time. So this year he starts K4 officially and for a short time every day (less than an hour), his life-learning will be interrupted by a little book-learnin’. 🙂
btw–my 4 yo has learned everything he knows by “playing all day”. 🙂 It’s amazing, really. And at the ages of 3-6, I don’t have a problem with that at all.
There may be some unschoolers who let that continue through childhood, but I doubt it is most. I remember a wife-swap episode where an unschooling family truly did come off as lazy, unmotivated, and not giving their children any semblance of useful knowledge. It was very extreme and very sad. BUT…we ought to be careful not to make judgements about a whole group of people either from TV or from our limited circle of aquaintances.
I don’t make my assertions from the TV. I don’t even have TV. I take it from what I see. Just because my experiences are different to yours don’t make mine invalid.
I agree kids should play a lot until they are school age etc, but after that they should get some actual schooling in academics. You know, like normal children.
I agree with Carmen that parents should have the right to choose the best learning option for their child to prepare them for the future, and if they are Christians, this also means following God’s guidance and will in the matter of education.
However, at the same time, I would have to slightly agree with Mrs. W. Unless the children are highly self-motivated, I am not sure if un-schooling in the best option for children. Using “the interests of a child” to base an entire educational model appears to be lacking some form or “structure” – even if the “structure” is “loose and relaxed.” To me, un-schooling seems like children learn too “haphazardly.” Of course, this is just my humble opinion, and since I don’t know many individuals who choose un-schooling as an option, I realize that I can’t make a more firm opinion regarding this subject.
As for the video, I agree with another commenter, it was too short and neither party had enough time to give informative information regarding their own opinion. The woman seemed TOO defensive against un-schooling, while the man didn’t have enough time to form his thoughts on why he chooses un-schooling for his daughters. This could have been a more interesting debate if more time was given for both parties for discussion.
I disagree that unschooling automatically assumes laziness…I know many unschoolers, and none of them are even remotely lazy. They work harder than I do–they have to, because all of their ‘curriculum’ is not pre-made for them in shiny boxes!
Myself, though, I am in between. I think that some structured learning at some point is a valuable thing. I am not a fan of structured learning for kids younger than six, but after that I think it can be valuable to learn the discipline and the life skill of doing things whether you want to or not, and once you get in to higher math, it’s hard for it NOT to include workbooks and such.
But like I said, I fall in between. The majority of our learning takes place organically, which means that both of us are directing what we’re learning. I try to guide relevant subjects like math and history and relate them to her interests, but she is also free to explore those interests as we are able. But we do have some structured time and some curriculum as well. Incidentally, unschoolers have and use curriculum too, they just don’t use it the way we do.
I agree that neither side in that particular debate was able to articulate their thoughts well…not enough time given to either. And she was super shady saying that 1mil teens drop out of high school and blaming it on homeschool/unschooling! How ridiculous.
“However, at the same time, I would have to slightly agree with Mrs. W. Unless the children are highly self-motivated, I am not sure if un-schooling in the best option for children.”
I’ve never met a kid who wasn’t motivated to play and have fun, or a kid who wasn’t curious about the world. 😉
Thanks for posting this. I just had a conversation with my aunt who made the comment that home-schoolers are hurting their children because they are allowing them to become drop outs. I wondered where she got that from!
For whatever reason, everytime I try to watch that clip, it shuts my sound off for my computer….wierd. As for the unschooling option, I personally do not want to use that for our family. However, over the years I have learned enough to NOT make a statement against something I may know little about (even if I am certain I know it all). I may end up doing it one day and have to eat my words. The Bible says “even a fool is thought wise when they keep their mouth shut.” May I be that fool most of the time! ;}
Mrs. W…”normal children” ???? If “normal children are the typical “schooled” children….then I choose for my children to be, well, “abnormal”.
Interesting clip! Personally, I don’t have a problem with those who want to unschool and see that as a valid means to educate their child; but there are a few reasons why that is not the right choice for us.
For one, I do think that learning how to do something that you aren’t interested in is an important life skill. I liken it to “training the flesh”. Just because we don’t “feel” like it, or we don’t “like” a certain subject doesn’t mean that we can always give into that. It’s a fact of life to do things that we don’t want to do. As mothers, I think we know that more than anyone!
Another reason that unschooling is not for us is the fact that we live in an age where there is a real possibility of more government control and/ or government mandated education in the near future. I want my children to be above reproach when it comes to education. If they are going to be forced to learn a list of standards, then I want them to be able to excel. Of course, we’d do everything in our power to avoid such intervention into our home education but we have to face the fact that the homeschooling/ Christian/ conservative movement is receiving more criticism and scrutiny than ever before. So, I look at it as being prepared for the worst case scenario.
On top of all that, I do think that textbooks and “school” type learning can provide a very well rounded & (loosely) structured education when combined with hands on activities, field trips, etc. so I see no need to get rid of that “school” environment entirely. I guess for us, it’s a balance. We’re keeping our children at or above grade level when it comes to academics and on top of that, they get the added bonus of having fun learning experiences to round out their education. I love reading the responses to this post!
Around here we do a core curriculum for Math & Language arts, but I have so enjoyed branching out for the other subjects and trying new ideas. I don’t know what you’d call our type of schooling because we don’t do one thing in particular for everything either!
If you haven’t already, check out Cindy Rushton’s note-booking idea. You could use it alone or along with curriculum!
If you go to her website, you should be able to find her audio conference (free) about note-booking. I love that idea because children can add their own personal touch to what they are learning and you have a great record afterward (that your children created themselves!).
Kelly, the blog is looking more feminine! I love the pretty wallpaper! 🙂
Very interesting, yet very shallow. Sounds like they should have had a home school mom there. 😉
I love it when a psycologist talks about home schooling. It really can make the debate rather humorous. 🙂
Unschooling does NOT mean unteaching or unlearning! I don’t know any parents let their children play all day, everyday, and we live in a large homeschooling community.
Lord forbid, I do not want my children to be “normal”. I want children that are above average in academics and in other areas!!!
The clip just wasn’t enough information to make a good “assessment” on this “movement.” Personally, I’d love to have more of a clear-defined definition (if that’s possible) of un-schooling before I critqued it. I know many home-school families, and I have a close friend who may fall into the un-school category, simply becuase they do not have a strict plan for each and every day. However, learning does occur and her children pass state required evaluations each year.
And really, some of you need to reserve your judgements and criticisms for the “methodology” that you disagree with and not the families who ascribe to it.
It was kind of difficult for my computer to play the video, but I think I got the gist of what they were saying. I am a homeschooler – a structured homeschooler and while I certainly don’t think that Unschoolers are lazy, I don’t agree with that philosophy of education at all. His comment of “walk the streets of Boston, there’s history everywhere” (paraphrased) was ludicrous. You might as well be walking the streets of Fresno for all the history you will learn if you haven’t first had some education and knowledge of Colonial America and the Rev. War. And you may not be in the least bit interested in the Constitution of the United States, but in this day and age, it is important to know it. I do believe it is important to teach to a child’s interests, but how do they know if they are interested in something if they first haven’t studied it. And, there will be some things they hate, but they must learn – such as math. One of my boys loves it and it’s no problem to teach him, the other hates it. But, he still needs to do it. I also think part of life training is learning to be diligent and do your best, even if what you’re doing you’re not altogether thrilled about.
I feel if unschooling is done properly it is a valid form of education. I disagree with the psychologist. You cannot classify an unschooler as a drop out just because they are not in a classroom at the age of 16. I an researching methods and am leaning toward the classical approach. Every parent teaches their child differently.
Wow! Great comments…very interesting…I am saddened by some that seem so set against the idea of unschooling…although I remember the day when I was so set against homeschooling…I don’t know quite where I fit in. This is our second year homeschooling. Last year I stuck close to a curriculum, liked it, but felt so tied down and restricted…so this year I am leaning waaaaay over to the unschooling side of things. I am loosely (very loosely) following a free online curriculum that is literature based and very Charlotte Mason. We started today and my kids were thrilled with our day! I feel so much more freedom and my husband was so impressed with their attention and Retention of the information we covered! They were so ectied to have learned in a completely UNSTRUCTURED situation. The kicker is this- I worked harder today than almost any day I can remember from last year because I’m stuck like glue to them listening and waiting as they discover cool new things- all in their daily life! Which is exactly what I desire to be doing and is our call as mothers! I’ve gained so much insight, Kelly from your blog and have recommended your blog to so many! Love the new look and am so thankful for your wisdom and honesty!
PS: My five year old has expressed an intense interest to learn to read and to tie her shoes this year! So, we started with Hooked on Phonics (this is the first time I’ve ever taught anyone to read and so thought it would be most beneficial route to go). She worked with me this morning early going through the letter cards, then later with her older sister. After supper tonight, I found her with the cards, listening to the CD that goes along with it on her own! All day she was with us, listening, learning, absorbing. And growing that insatiable desire to learn that God has given us. If we as parents feed that desire in the way that our children learn from best, they can be anything they want to be…calculus or no…because the Spirit of the Lord will guide us and that God given desire to learn will thrive.
Thank you Brooke! Don’t you just love the freedom homeschooling affords?!
I like homeschooling in a structured environment. It works for my Type A personality and it works for my kids. Unschooling is awesome if you are wired that way. I am not wired that way. I need the structure. I need to provide the structure and I need a classical approach. If my kids turn out not as bright as an “unschooled” child then so be it. We did what was best for “us” and we got to be together everyday in the meantime! 🙂
and that freedom allows us to use “curriculums” and programs, too! LOVE IT!! One is not better than the other. One might be better for “this” family and the other for “that” family.
Ouch Mrs. W…”like normal children”??? There are many in the liberal, secular world who would like to make that decision for all homeschooling families…to put all the kids in school “like normal children.”
Marie, I’m not really against home schooling, I’m against home schooling parents telling me that, in order to be right with God, I have to home school. I’m also against lazy parents only teaching their kids what they “like”. That doesn’t build an ounce of character. I’m against unstructured nothingness that parents call “unschooling” and actually try to pretend they are educating their child. Learned is structured for a reason. It’s because kids need structure.
Jess,
Agreed totally! Yes, the freedom that allows every parent and every child to find what works for them…and change it next year if they want!
unstructured “nothingness” isn’t “unschooling.” you’ve missed the point if that is what you think it is. Even though I don’t do “unschooling” I still know that it is not “nothingness.” It is educating in a different fashion than using a heavy curriculum.
I wish I had the courage and stamina to unschool. We are a mixed family. My oldest is homeschooled/co-op schooled and my 6 year old goes to a private CHristian school. The 16 year old has always used an “approved” curriculum, mainly because of my confidence and busyness. He does them out of order though, depending on what is going on. Before election year, during the very long primaries, even though he was in 9th grade we did the 12th grade Government and Economics curriculum. I thought this was good because there was so much real life Government stuff going on that it made the course more interesting.
I know a family who unschools. I think maybe that is the wrong term for what unschoolers do. For this family, she takes what the children (usually the oldest) are interested in and makes a sort of unit study out of. She teaches all the subjects in relation to that thing that the child is interested in. For instance if it is airplanes then she does history of airplanes, science behind them, maybe some fiction literature that includes them and so on. So, I don’t think to characterize unschoolers as lazy is fair and I also think that we are missing the point of how we are to be training our children. More important than education is raising children for the Kingdom, prepared for Kingdom work. If that is the goal, then I think we will eventually cover all the bases.
Mrs. W,
It seems that you are possessed of a dash of hostility toward homeschoolers in general and unschoolers in particular.
If you are interested in lessening some of you ignorance toward the subject I suggest that reading the Colfax’s book, “Homeschooling for Excellence” might be a good place to begin.
Tovah, I am not “ignorant” just because I disagree with the majority on this website about home schooling. I know how awful it can be, and my experience is no less valid than anybody elses. I’ve read enough home schooling propaganda to last me a lifetime.
I unschooled my children, before they entered public school, and it was a very rewarding experience. I know that most here are against public school, but if it means anything to doubters, my unschooled children get near perfect grades in public school, and are involved, received awards, etc. If my chidlren were not properly schooled when they were ‘unschooled’, they couldnt have transitioned so easily. They had the foundation already.
My one friend unschooled in the early years and she was so nervous because her son could not read…until 11. Public school would ha ve had him in rememdial programs. One month, he leanred to read in like 3 week…..from baby books to 10th grade level if not further. when he was ripe, he was RIPE. He is one of the smartest children I know….builds things, contraptions….he is ingenious. Unschooling didnt hurt him either.
I do think every type of schooling can be taken to extreme where the parent doesnt not assume their proper responsibility, but we arent talking about that here. I will say that being a public schooler, I do agree I feel judged by homeschoolers, but not every single one. So I understand your point there, Mrs. W., but unschooling in general can mean so many things….it doesnt mean us who have chosen it, did so unresponsibly.
“I’m against unstructured nothingness that parents call “unschooling” and actually try to pretend they are educating their child. Learned is structured for a reason. It’s because kids need structure.”
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I agree that allowing one’s children to do whatever they want is wrong. Unbiblical, in fact.
Children don’t simply need “sturctured learning” but rather, godly discipline and training. Believe it or not, a huge part of the “education” process involves a child’s soaking up of the environment into which (s)he is placed.
This goes far beyond the basic “3 R’s” (or any other academic pursuit) and is intricately connected to areas of education which we often overlook. Religious expression, value systems and generalized worldview are learned, even if not actively taught. And, in the end, it is the “extra” stuff that really matters, because there is not a single degree or human certification required for entrance into heaven.
Whether or not the learning framework is strictly controlled by the teacher is beside the point. A “structure” exists regardless and will shape the children to lean in one direction or another.
I believe the question Kelly is repeatedly begging all of us to consider is whether a secularly-leaning (and in many cases, anti-God) “structure” is the appropriate learning environment for children of Christian families.
“sturctured learning”
Forgive the typo. I meant “structured” and neglected to proofread before posting.
There is a school in Massachusetts named the Sudbury Valley School that is a private school that “unschools”. Until I started reading this blog, I didn’t realize that it was a movement among homeschoolers too.
It’s fascinating because the school accepts children from ages 5-19 but doesn’t put them into classrooms or grades. Teachers are employed to help guide learning or to teach formalized classes, but they only teach formal classes if a student requests it (not a parent). Students are allowed to play outside or explore inside, where all manner of educational resources are provided. Children make their own decisions about what they’d like to study and are free to pursue it as long as they’d like.
The premise is that children have a natural love of learning and that they can learn very advanced concepts when allowed to discover on their own. Our current public school system is not set up in a way to encourage this natural love of learning. The school focuses on character building and creating mature adults, so in order to graduate, a student must write a thesis on why they’re ready to be an adult (or something similar) and present and defend it to the entire school.
I think this school does some very cool things, and though one may not agree with their entire philosophy, it does provide an easier way to judge the success of students who are schooled (or unschooled 🙂 through this method. 90% of their graduates go on to continue higher education and do quite well with formalized classrooms and education.
There are now a number of schools that follow this model. If you check out the website of the above mentioned school, you can find many articles that explain their philosophy and discuss the successes they’ve had.
Holly,
Wow…I didn’t know schools were implementing this philosophy.
We probably do a mixture of everything. We have some formal, structured school time (mostly math, English and copy work). Then I try to listen to their interests and provide resources to accompany those (educational videos, books, etc.)
To add to Heather’s example of how many important things are learned outside of a structured setting, consider how each of us taught our children the English language. What curriculum and schedule did we implement for that?
Holly…I doubt that Sudbury School has many Christian students, and WW, it certainly isn’t “new.” There are several schools like this that were started in the 60s and 70s… with a lot of disastrous results too.(Many self-centered masters being catered to by the support adults, from what I understand). I do think unschooling of a sort can work, but it’s biggest pitfall is what many have already said: self-discipline and learning to make your way through unpleasantness is important too…critical for character development. However, I don’t think that learning need be a dry, rote, test of endurance…it’s way to exciting for that.
Mrs. W., I’m sorry if you’re feeling judged…I’m sorry if you disliked homeschooling…what I don’t understand, and I think no one else does, is why you choose to call unschooling parents “lazy” for using a method you don’t care for? Would it be fair for someone to call you lazy because your children attend school? I think not. I believe you’ve only drawn criticism to yourself not because of your opinion of unschooling, but because of your namecalling. I’m guessing that the sort of moms who would be visiting this blog to begin with are the sort of moms who responsible and loving parents. I also don’t understand why, out of your own free will, you’re a reader of Kelly’s blog…a blog that is not about making nice, but about standing for the truth as Kelly sees it. I don’t agree with her about everything, but I love how she states her case without reserve. Maybe it’s just hard in this day and age to recognize a spine! I wish you the best, though, and am sending you warm thoughts and a cup of tea.
You know, I was going to comment but then Marie said it all for me. That saved this lazy homeschooler some time. *grin*
I do not see a lot of people coming here contesting that there are not other ways to school, or that there aren’t better ways to school. Not many who have their kids in public school, who are christians, are debating that public school *is* best. I know a handful of ex-homeschoolers who now have their children in public or christian schools. Just as we are asked to consider there may be a ‘better’ way, I ask for some to consider that perhaps even when we desire to homeschool, we do not always get what we want in this life. Sometimes, for reasons unseen, things happen which create a domino effect. Sometimes, we dont all get to play the part of ‘living the ideal’. And it doesnt make us flunk the christina litmus test, or register lower on the Spiritual Richter scale.
I do not know why it is concluded (not on this thread…but in general) that those of us who dont do x,y, and z are somehow thought to be less spiritual?
I would say that my own homeschooled upbringing took a “modified” unschooling approach, and for our family, it worked really well. There are gaps in my education, but it gave me an excellent foundation as a scholar, wife, and mom. I would also advise just looking into childhood development, seeing what skills are learned easier at an earlier age (foreign languages are one area), and see if you can gently incorporate those into your unschooling.
Here’s where I’d like to caution about unschooling–if your child is really struggling with a subject, please have them tested, even if you’re in an unschooling model. There are so many approaches to learning disabilities, especially early intervention, that can really help a child. I had a friend who was “unschooled” before the term was hip, and I would bet you anything he had an unaddressed learning disability. As an adult, he still struggles with basic life skills, as well as with a very low self image (and honestly, I believe that this has affected his spiritual life as well–he always struggled with reading [making reading the Bible difficult for him], and his low self-image has made it easier for him to go along with the crowd rather than standing up for what’s right). With some intervention, I don’t think it had to be that way. This isn’t an isolated case, either, I see it with other adult homeschoolers that I know. There are resources out there, if you have a concern for your child, please take the time to researh them.
On the public school issue…I know three other Christian families who have children with learning disabilities, and with much prayer and counsel, they chose to send their children to public school where these disabilities could be addressed early. The children are thriving: they’re under Christian teachers, have made Christian friends, are receiving the help that they need, and one of the boy’s spiritual lives in particular has flourished through these choices. These families pray with their children, teach them the Bible, nurture them, encourage them to find like-minded friends, encourage them to articulate their faith in this environment, and have prayerfully made what they believe to be the best choice for their families.
In one of these cases, the child was born deaf. Now that he is learning sign language from a public school system, his parents can translate the Gospel for him, in church and at home. He as a child can pick up a new language (ASL) much faster than they can as adults, so having him in this system is allowing him to hear the Gospel in his own language. I’m very grateful for the resources that have allowed that for him.
AM said:
I do not know why it is concluded (not on this thread…but in general) that those of us who dont do x,y, and z are somehow thought to be less spiritual?
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It is a sad truth that many professing Christians have no problem with shooting down another believer simply because they disagree on what form obedience to God’s Word looks like.
And, the pain and uncertainty that is caused by the ungracious set is not okay with God. We are not called to smugly assert our assurance by cutting and bruising other Christians with it.
Likewise, some will be given “personalized” instructions from Scripture that others have not received. There is no specific statement that “Thou shalt homeschool” or “Thou shalt not use birth control” or “Women shall not work outside the home environment” etc. Learning to read and meditate on God’s word so that we will be LISTENING for Him to tell us what to do is an indispensable aspect of the Christian walk. Even the folks who seem to have everything figured out have areas where God is constantly breaking, humbling and remaking them.
I once read a very insightful statement (made by a “classical” style homeschooler, even) it went something like:
Suppose the Christian homeschooling journey resembled a road-map of the United States. The Destination is New York City. Not all travelers begin at the same location,and some start out much farther away than others. If someone starts in, say San Diego and I pass him in Chicago, it doesn’t mean he won’t ever make it to the end of the journey. It isn’t wise to drive by, clucking our tongues about how *that* person is doing something wrong because I have no idea where he has been or what God is currently doing in his own heart.
My expanded thoughts concerning the Christian walk, in general:
Some people end up taking detours that make no sense to other travelers. Some stall out completely and never arrive.
We often encounter others while on our way. Some offer admirable example and others serve as a warning. But, there is no way to know for certain, as a fellow pilgrim, whether any other person is not doing exactly what God has told him to do–even if it doesn’t make sense to me.
And, when I notice someone on the side of the road with the hood up or a flat tire, instead of rolling my eyes and whizzing by in my own “finely tuned” vehicle, it may be in everyone’s best interest to stop and offer to help.
I am, of course, talking about true Christians and “matters of conscience” in which God has given an individual direction through the reading of biblical narrative or according to a Scriptural principal rather than direct command.
Just a thought.
Thanks Heather. 🙂