Messages By: trainbrainmom

I was in the Air Force for 26 years.  During that time, I attended college in pursuit of a teaching degree.  I retired from the service, and I now teach High School English in a small town in the mid-west.  Since I worked full time, I attended college classes at night - two classes per semester - for fourteen years before receiving my degree.  My husband and I paid a lot of money for my education.  We have two daughters.  I always attended their extracurricular functions, and they were involved in many.  I didn't deprive them.  I love teaching.  I see many children who have a myriad of problems blossom before me.  I see children who have issues that seem insurmountable, but who end up top notch students and members of their community.  I have an issue with Home Schooling or Unschooling.  Most of the Home Schooling teachers I know or hear/read about do not have a college education.  I resent this.  I had to attend an equivalent of four years of college to be allowed to teach in the public school system.  This is a fact anywhere in the country.  I don't think it is fair to the children who are home schooled to have a "teacher" who is not really qualified in the "core" classes such as Communicative Arts, Social Studies, Math, and Science let alone music, PE, art, and many other subjects.  No one person can be an expert in every field for a full twelve years of schooling for a child.  I saw at the end of the show the young woman who is 26 and feels "socially retarded."  I agree with her.  Home Schooled children don't have the opportunities for developing social skills when they are with only their mother/father and maybe siblings.  Sports, Homecoming, Prom, Drama productions, Speech Meets, as well as classroom discussions with a variety of opinions are very important for ensuring a well-rounded adult.  I feel sorry for children who have never truly been students.  I know we are all "students" of life. But to be a well-rounded person embarking on a journey of adulthood, I truly believe that children need to be students with other children, with other adults, and with circumstances other than what their parents/guardians limit for them.

What concerns me, is that I think many with devout religious beliefs, are using home schooling to indoctrinate their children and avoid exposure to other religious beliefs or science they feel contradicts their religious beliefs.  This is one reason there is so much hatred bred in the theocracies of the Middle East, where their schools and teachings are run by radical religious teachers.   

Religion should be taught by parents, and non-religious subjects should be taught in school.  Eventually, the children will decide whether they conflict (I don't believe they do) and what they believe.  But they deserve the benefit of full exposure and knowledge before making those choices. 

You say "a parent is expected to allow others to indoctrinate his children with the belief systems of the liberals" but you don't know what those belief systems are.   Ask 10 liberals about their personal belief systems and you'll get 10 different answers with one commonality: no liberal will support forcing his own beliefs on other peoples' kids.

Liberals teach standard morals, like no killing, no stealing and more modern morals, like no racial discrimination.  As to god or formal religion, they teach nothing, just as public schools should teach nothing.   That's up to you, the parents.  They will teach about the role of religion in history, for example, the inquisition, the islam/hindu disputes that resulted in the partition of India, but they don't teach children what to believe.  That's your job.  No parent should be allowed to force his beliefs onto children whose families belief differently.

This country was not founded on the beliefs you will pass down to your children.  Obviously, you have strong  religious beliefs, and the founders made sure than no one religion could have a powerful role in the government.  Religions were protected from government, and vice versa. 

Here's an example.  Nature endows adolescents with a powerful sexual drive.  No one denies that.  What may adolescents do with this drive?  This is where differences in morals arise.  The answer may be religious - abstain.  Fine.  You teach that to your kids.  No problem from liberals. 

But, I believe there's nothing  wrong with a teen having sex if he/she is mature enough to  handle it and does so responsibly.  I don't think the school should teach that to the kids either.  It's my belief & my responsibility. 

The school should, however, teach related facts: how babies are made (reproductive biology) & health issues, such as STDs and how to avoid getting  them: abstinence, condoms, monogamy or limiting sex partners, etc.  These are facts, not beliefs.  Don't say it's OK and don't  say it's a sin.  That teaching belongs to the parent. 

You want the schools to deny my kid info about protection from STDs because you believe sex outside of marriage is immoral?  That's putting your beliefs onto my kid and that you may not do.

The main difference between liberals and fundamentalist believers, is that liberals have their code, don't believe in forcing it on others and don't believe others should force their beliefs on them.

The religious have their code and believe the entire government should accept  their beliefs and force them on everyone else.

If your beliefs are so rigid, it's good thatyou're homeschooling.  Unfortunately, your understanding of democracy is faulty and I hope you get a tutor for your kids on civics.

1. your children are alowed to learn their beliefs - as history, as sociology, etc, but not as the one and only moral code to believe in public school.   They can learn about your beliefs at home in in church.  How could the public schools teach your personal moral beliefs as correct?  What about every other moral system?  Wouldn't they protest that their beliefs are the correct ones to teach?  That's why the public schools should not teach any religious beliefs.  that's your job.. 

2.  I do teach my kids EVERYTHING about STDs and sex.  But many people can't do it.  Many feel too repressed and embarrassed as a result of religious indoctrination.  Many don't understand why innoculations are given, but the schools teach about the  science of preventing infectious diseases because it's in the public interest.  Similarly, they should teach the facts of life (how it happens, not why or when) to have an educated population that knows how to prevent the spread of disease.

3.  Abstinence does NOT equal religious.  But it's only one way to prevent disease and should be taught along with other methods.

4.  I think intelligent design should be taught as part of a history of religions belief.  It does not belong in a science course because it has no scientific foundation.

You say: "the fact that you demand I not call "sin" "sin" infringes on my beliefs."

If that was my demand, it would infringe on your beliefs.  But that is not what I demand. 

You can call anything you like "sin" & I couldn't care less.  If you did it over a loudspeaker at 3 AM while I was trying to sleep I would object.  Otherwise, your beliefs are your business and of no moment to me.

I object  to the public schools calling certain behavior a "sin" in keeping with your religious beliefs.  This is a country where religion is private and the precepts of your religion, my religion, the branch davidians, the cool-aid gang or any other religions are not supposed to be part of any governmental program.

Why don't you respond to the facts asserted instead of to the agenda that exists only in your own mind?