why does everyone always assume homeschoolers are christian???

[brymble]

and that includes other homeschoolers! i was posting in a thread about unschooling on another forums site and mentioned my son's interest in science. someone sends me a link saying, "this is just what you need, their science and history curricula are excellent," which seemed pretty thoughtful at first because the site offered lots of lab equipment, and chemicals. then i checked the curricula section and found the science section full of creationism (not even bothering to hide behind "intelligent design") and their history section full of "god's chosen people". um, i've got "eo evohe!" and a quote about Pan from a gaia consort song in my sig file on those forums...do i come across as even remotely christian??? :bangyourh

yeah, thanks anyway, lady but go preach creationism at your own kids and leave mine alone.:rant:

[Maggie]

and that includes other homeschoolers! i was posting in a thread about unschooling on another forums site and mentioned my son's interest in science. someone sends me a link saying, "this is just what you need, their science and history curricula are excellent," which seemed pretty thoughtful at first because the site offered lots of lab equipment, and chemicals. then i checked the curricula section and found the science section full of creationism (not even bothering to hide behind "intelligent design") and their history section full of "god's chosen people". um, i've got "eo evohe!" and a quote about Pan from a gaia consort song in my sig file on those forums...do i come across as even remotely christian??? :bangyourh

yeah, thanks anyway, lady but go preach creationism at your own kids and leave mine alone.:rant:


Because in general that's who does homeschool, particularly in the Bible belt. And that's the reason they homeschool, they consider the public schools too corrupting for their Christian kids. I don't agree with homeschooling so I've never looked into it too far but in everything I have seen it's the Christian morality thing being given as the reason.

Maggie

[brymble]

no, in general, homeschoolers are not only christian. (and i'm not in the bible belt.) there are homeschollers of every faith and of no faith. and for those of us (many) who are not christian and are homeschooling (or even for that matter, homeschoolers who are christians and homeschooling for other reasons besides religion) the assumptions & stereotypes get really, really annoying.

[Maggie]

no, in general, homeschoolers are only not christian. (and i'm not in the bible belt.) there are homeschollers of every faith and of no faith. and for those of us (many) who are not christian and are homeschooling (or even for that matter, homeschoolers who are christians and homeschooling for other reasons besides religion) the assumptions & stereotypes get really, really annoying.


All assumptions and stereotypes are irritating, including the ones being exhibited here. I think it's safe to say an awful lot of people don't know any homeschoolers personally--and so their knowledge is from the media which concentrates on those doing it for Christian education reasons. Until I saw them here on MW I had no idea there were pagan homeschoolers, all the noise hereabouts is from fundamentalist Christians shunning the public schools. Any person goes by what they know at the time--lack of knowledge is not a crime, continuing to act on that lack of knowledge after knowing otherwise is.

Maggie

[Ceres]

Statistically, I think the majority of homeschoolers ARE christian. Sure, there are plenty of us homeschooling for other reasons, but its true they do get more press. I agree its annoying to have other homeschoolers assume you must be christian as well, but I have also used that assumption to my advantage. We have joined in the activities of groups that are christian homeschoolers if we really wanted to do it and it was the only program going and no one asked us any questions about why we are homeschooling and what church we attend. I would, of course, tell them the truth if they asked, but I know they wont because they assume we must be christian too. A good part of homeschooling is working the system to your advantage, eh? :lol:

[brymble]

All assumptions and stereotypes are irritating, including the ones being exhibited here....

Maggie

:achillpil

what are you talking about? what assumptions and stereotypes am i exhibiting? i'm stating that i don't like people assuming i'm christian, especially when i've got blatantly pagan references in my sig.

i don't know about the little town i'm stuck in now, but in ithaca, woodstock, and rochester most of the homeschoolers were doing it for political or philosophical reasons. or because the rochester schools sucked.

incidentally, in woodstock people used to assume i was buddhist and i didn't like that either.

[Maggie]

and that includes other homeschoolers!

About 95% of the US considers itself Christian. Whether or not you accept that figure it is clear that the overwhelming majority of people here are Christian of one type or another. That small remainder who aren't includes ALL religions other than Christianity, pagans are a small part of that small fraction. And pagans with children cuts the number further, and pagans with children who homeschool are an even smaller number. People are not *automatically* unthinking, stupid, or ignorant if they don't immediately realize that the homeschooler they are posting with is not a Christian, particularly since the media DOES focus on fundamental Christians who homeschool.




i was posting in a thread about unschooling on another forums site and mentioned my son's interest in science. someone sends me a link saying, "this is just what you need, their science and history curricula are excellent," which seemed pretty thoughtful at first because the site offered lots of lab equipment, and chemicals. then i checked the curricula section and found the science section full of creationism (not even bothering to hide behind "intelligent design") and their history section full of "god's chosen people". um, i've got "eo evohe!" and a quote about Pan from a gaia consort song in my sig file on those forums...do i come across as even remotely christian??? :bangyourh

yeah, thanks anyway, lady but go preach creationism at your own kids and leave mine alone.:rant:


You acknowledge that the site was good for several items. Why can't it be left at that? It demonstrates intolerance that you attribute a pejorative intent on the part of the poster in not realizing that you are pagan when it's already clear that pagan homeschoolers are a very small number. You are also assuming that she's read your sig in the first place--I rarely do myself. You are also assuming that she knows what it means.

And how does offering you a website about science--when it's clear that she has assumed that you are Christian why are you ranting and raving about her "preaching" anything at you when all she did was offer you a website she herself has found useful? That's a pretty hefty bias right there.

Maggie

[DragonsChest]

I also think that she was just trying to pass along a website that she found to be useful. I am pretty sure that unless she begins emailing you or posting things to you trying to get you to convert, that there was nothing subversive meant.

Good luck with finding the curriculum you want - homeschooling isn't easy in the best of times.