I get an interesting confluence between the referenced group and my work as a Scout leader. Not only am I a Scoutmaster but i am also a merit badge counselro for the citizebship merit badges as well as American Heritage. Since I live right off of the Petersburg NBP our local history tends to be Civil War centric. And in many of these sessions I run into Scouts who have a very different interpretation of history….an interrpetation that often goes against the tenets of Scouting and the importance of citizenship. In most instances I can tie the Scouts response to “that is what I was taught at XXXX academy.” or “…that is what my Mom taught me in home school.” In those cases I ask to speak to the parent. If we can not come to a meeting of the minds on the requirements being fulfilled IAW what the Scouts have established as correct, then I advise the parent and Scout to find a new merit badge counselor. I usually then hand a Scout leader application form to the parent and that usually scares them off!!!

Oh, and as for my religious affiliation? As a result of 12 years of Catholic school I am now a devout lapsed Catholic.

Rebecca I have been looking for that type of information for awhile. What source did you get your info from ?
Thanks,
William

The link to the publisher is in the post.

I hope you understand that I am not about to get into a theological debate about the Bible. Of course, the Bible is important to understand as it relates to American history. As for the Bible as spiritual/ethical/moral guide let’s just say that I do not subscribe to any text that advocates slavery in any shape or form and leave it at that.

The South left the Union because they failed to make slavery a national institution, protected by the Federal government under the Fugitive Slave Act..

What do libertarians think of the escaped slave Anthony Burns, dragged out of Boston by US Marines with loaded muskets and cannon, to be returned to his master? After that, one of the “Cotton Whig” Lawrences wrote: “We went to bed moderates, we awoke stark, raving Abolitionists”. How could anyone who calls himself a “libertarian” not feel otherwise?

I haven’t read the entire book. Dwyer does mention that the abolitionists were also Christians, but what is so interesting is that he obviously gives much more weight and even strives to place the Confederacy/white southerners on the moral high ground.

James,

I’m glad to hear that at least one homeschooled kid has not been subjected to this book. I do want to clarify once again that this post is not meant as a commentary on the overall quality of homeschooling. The comment thread was obviously steered in a certain direction and I responded based on my own experiences.

This is a very disturbing post. First let me point out that I am a Christian. On the other hand, I’ve always been taught, including by my parents, to question authority. That may seem like a contradiction, but it’s really not. My faith teaches me that Christianity is a personal journey, and that my pastors are guides on that road. I am free to disagree with them and find my own path. The idea that Christianity is easy is a fallacy. It is a constant struggle.

More to the point, I saw no mention of the fact that most of the abolitionists were Christians. They, and I, saw slavery as an unmitigated evil. Sorry for the rant but I felt it needed to be said.

John

Thanks so much for chiming in on this one. I have no doubt that my experience and commentary covers only a small niche in the world of homeschooling. The post was not meant as a reflection on homeschooling, but only on one text that has been marketed to homeschooled children. The book is problematic to say the least. My own experience with homeschooled kids is no doubt directly related to the places where I’ve taught. Thanks again for the comment.

While certainly there are homeschooled children who are “little robots” who are taught “ridiculous junk,” these misperceptions of homeschooling are dated. Many homeschoolers today are motivated by a combination of factors, which may include religious beliefs, but also encompass the desire for their children to avoid the many problems present in many public (and even private) schools, as well as for their children to be able to think for themselves. Our previous and current homeschooling communities have a diverse membership of those motivated by religion, libertarianism, “unschooling,” classical education, etc., etc.

In fact, many of our Christian homeschooling friends use a literature-based, classical curriculum that incorporates historical and literary texts from the ancient Mesopotamians, Greeks, Romans, and Hebrews, through Montesquieu, Rousseau, Hegel, Marx, and others. Those children, some of whom I have taught, display a remarkable ability and willingness to consider and analyze arguments to which they do not subscribe and to articulate and analyze intelligently their own arguments.

(According to the U.S. Department of Education, only 30% of homeschoolers choose that form of education primarily for moral or religious instruction, which does not, of course, automatically mean that the parents are indoctrinating religious prejudice, as some might argue. Another 47% choose homeschooling primarily because of dissatisfaction with academic instruction or the environment of other schools. The study is available at http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/homeschool/.)

Sorry to sidetrack your thread, Kevin, but homeschoolers tend to be much more willing to analyze and debate than I think you and others give them credit for.