House Church Talk - Re: home education with respect to "ruling one's house well"

[rebelfire at juno.com]

Hi,

I probably have one of the most interesting outlooks on this subject.  My
wife and I home schooled both of our boys from 1991 until 2000.   Now, I
am employed as a school teacher in Virginia.  

I have heard the insolation argument against home schooling for as long
as we home schooled.  It is not a valid argument.  I never met anyone who
did not supplement their home schooling experience.  Our boys were on
soccer teams, swim teams, played little league and participated in
multiple 4-H events (raising goats and dairy bees).  Additionally the
home schoolers in our area participate in events and field trips which
gave additional outside input.  This does not take the Boy Scouts, Civil
Air Patrol and other agencies into consideration.  The list of places a
home schooler can get out of the "cotton wool." is endless.   Home
schoolers can actually participate in much more that those in the public
school system because they are not tied to the government umbilical cord.

In our school system we have parents who choose to home school for half a
day and then use the school system for such things as Band, Choir and
JROTC.

Your analogy of the "junkie on the door step" is a poor one to say the
least.  I do not know of one child in the public school system who would
be able to reach out with understanding to the junkie.    However, I do
know home school children who are exposed to the "dark places"  through
their parents guidance.  Public school children are lead into the dark
places without the parental knowledge or consent on a daily basis.  
Today, sex is the daily experience in the public schools.  Kids in
elementary school are wearing jelly bracelets to advertise what sexual
favors they're willing to perform for their friends.   
www.sex-bracelets.com , http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/8780186.htm
, http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&edition=us&ie=ascii&q=jelly+bracelets

Yes, a child should get a well rounded education is important and we
should not isolate our kids from the world.  However, the Bible is clear
that we are to train up our children and I do not know of a better way
than home schooling.

RJ



On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 12:55:21 -0500 Flash <flash at mbz.org> writes:
> > Elaine and I home schooled Clare and Simeon. They both did well. 
> Clare has just finished University, and Simeon finishes next year. 
> BUT... if I knew then what I know now, we would never have done it! 
> Whilst gaining so much, they lost a lot of early lessons. I have 
> been ammazed at the ghettoism that I have seen, especially among 
> many house churches in the US. Yes we need to protect our children, 
> give them a Godly education etc. But insulate them from the real 
> world, never. We must teach them to be in the world, but not of it! 
> How can we do that while keeping them wrapped in cotton wool at 
> home. Don't get me wrong, the home-schooled Kids i've met are 
> wonderful, but oh so many, lack knowledge of the world at their 
> doorstep. How can one so educated truly reach out with understanding 
> to a junkie on a project. I thank God that my kids always come with 
> me into the dark places and are now reaching out to the poor and 
> needy. I have seen successes, but I have also seen "Stepford Wiv!
> es!
> > ". Is it not time that we reassessed what it means to be in the 
> World but not of it in the area of education.  
> > 
> > Blessings
> > 
> > Keith Smith