Weekly Column
It is generally understood that today’ youth are more supportive of equality for gay and lesbian people. Faced with losing the next generation, fundamentalists are ferociously scrambling to capture the minds of youth through homeschooling and the subversion of public education. By sequestering students at home or creating public schools where the only drink served in the cafeteria is Kool-Aid, they hope to reprogram tomorrow’ leaders.
It appears America’ religious fanatics are modeling their efforts on the success of radical Islamists in the Middle East, who reversed the trend of secularization in the region by hijacking education. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman recently wrote about this phenomenon:
Beginning in the 1970s, the trend in Yemen, Morocco, Egypt and the Persian Gulf “was to Islamicize education as a way to fight the left…”
…Then, in 1979, after the Saudi ruling family was shaken by an attack in Mecca from its own Wahabi fundamentalists, the Saudi regime, to fend off the anger of its Wahabis, gave them free rein to Islamicize education and social life in Saudi Arabia and neighboring states.
The rest is a very sad and tragic history.
In America, according to the Aug. 7, 2009 edition of The Economist magazine, the number of children who are home-schooled—1.5 million—has doubled in the past decade, and 83 percent of home-schooling families do so for religious or moral reasons.
It is important to realize that the goal of many in the homeschooling movement is to create an army of zealot zombies who are committed to transforming America into a fundamentalist “Christian Nation.”
“We are not home-schooling our kids just so they can read,” said Michael Farris, the founder of the Home School Legal Defense. “The most common thing I hear is parents telling me they want their kids to be on the Supreme Court. And if we put enough kids in the farm system, some may get to the major leagues.”
Many of the cult-kiddies are coming of age and have already infiltrated Washington. Homeschoolers are well represented on Capitol Hill, and they played a disproportionate role in George W. Bush’ administration.
While many of these students are educated in terms of test scores, they may lack critical thinking skills. In a sense, they are like computers with large hard drives that have been programmed with faulty software. No matter how fast they compute they always arrive at same flawed conclusions based on the Biblical bugs planted early in their memory chips.
For example, Children’ Conferences International hosts events across the nation for homeschoolers. Their “2010 theme” is science fiction, except to keep the minds of the children pure there will be no extraterrestrials allowed.
“Parents won’t have to worry about their children learning about aliens or some mysterious force in this fun filled futuristic space age theme,” according to their website. “Children WILL learn important life lessons about trusting God, faith over atheism, and the dangers of being enamored by the world.”
Instead of E.T. and space, these poor children have to endure crazy, spaced out adults determined to strip-mine their minds and corrupt their imaginations. In my view, this is a form of child abuse and deprives these students of real childhood experiences, while making them closed-minded.
Of course, funneling children into homeschooling is not enough for these predators. In order to succeed, the extreme right must hijack the curriculum of public schools. They are already making serious inroads in Texas, with zealots on the state school board rewriting history textbooks. This is vitally important because Texas is such a large consumer of textbooks, that they essentially have the ability to set the standards for much of the nation. So, if history is rewritten in Austin, the revisions will likely appear in your state as well.
One leader of the public school putsch, according to a recent cover story in The New York Times Magazine, is Cynthia Dunbar, a member of the Texas Board of Education. In 2008, she published a book called, “One Nation Under God” where she wrote: “Hence, the only accurate method of ascertaining the intent of the Founding Fathers is from a biblical worldview.” She also stated, “this battle for our nation’ children and who will control their education and training is crucial to our success for reclaiming our nation.”
For all of her passion, Dunbar is opposed to public education, writing of, “The inappropriateness of a state-created taxpayer-supported school system,” and says that sending children to public schools is akin to, “throwing them into the enemy’ flames, even as the children of Israel threw their children to Molech.”
Clearly, Dunbar’ real agenda is infiltrating the school system in order to destroy it.
When it comes to support, the next generation was supposed to be a wash. However, this successful trajectory is threatened if we allow today’ youth to be brainwashed. While paying attention to school boards is boring, it must become a priority for all Americans who want schools to be about education instead of indoctrination.
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I grew up in fundamentalist Christianity. Mind abuse IS child abuse. Agree 100%.
Comment by Beth — February 23, 2010 @ 5:39 pm
This all sounds scary. Right-wing zealots are making inroads because they’re focused, organized and persistent. But where’s the solution to combat the their educational agenda? What do we have to offer as an alternative? I’d like to hear more about that.
Comment by Lee — February 23, 2010 @ 5:41 pm
Lee:
Well, the first part of the solution is exposure, by writing about it.
The solution may be going around the textbooks altogether by switching to computer-based curriculum. That way, there is not a ten year lag with textbooks.
But more on that another time.
Comment by Wayne Besen — February 23, 2010 @ 5:45 pm
It’s crucial that the teaching of Evolution – the ultimate ‘wedge’ issue – be mandatory from about the age of 8.
If you want to see indoctrination in action, see this guy, Ken Ham. He runs and organization called Answers In Genesis, and has a milti million dollar Creation Meseum in Kentucky. He also works with Liberty University, and has a mini-media empire, including ’scientific’ journals. Here he is telling 5 year olds that the bible is the ‘history book of the universe’ – no doubt some of tomorrow’s Peter laBarberas are in the audience:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiV39cR2jgc&feature=related
Fox News, O Reilly Factor: ‘I think the museum is a very interesting thing…’ on the opening of the museum, in which Adam and Eve are seen with dinosaurs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HajP5pE4BE0&NR=1
A student kicked out of the museum for laughing at it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4ThvM9BKZU
The dumbing down of America can only be good news for China and India who are producing scientists in their millions now.
Comment by adrianT — February 23, 2010 @ 7:52 pm
Besen and the gay-sex liberal movement have the perfect alternative, Lee.
http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/news/004352.html
And if you don’t like that, there’s plenty more.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1056415/Teach-pleasure-gay-sex-children-young-say-researchers.html
And then, this was a great combination:
First Besen says:
“hile many of these students are educated in terms of test scores, they may lack critical thinking skills.”
Followed by adrianT, who laments:
“The dumbing down of America can only be good news for China and India who are producing scientists in their millions now.”
This, despite the fact that the attitude towards gay and lesbian issues in India and China seem to fall well into the Besen theory that the people in these countries overwhelmingly “lack critical thinking skills” and are only “educated in terms of test scores”.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — February 23, 2010 @ 8:37 pm
The state of attitudes towards LGBTs in China or India has no bearing on the argument.
If you deny children the right to good education, ruining their chances with nonsense like intelligent design creationism – don’t be surprized in a decade or two when other countries, power ahead. Interesting to see Texas board of education is at the forefront of the anti-science movement, but not surprizing – only 41% of people in the state say man and dinosaurs did not live at the same time. Are you not embarrassed by this NorthDallas30? Your state appears to be heading into an intellectual abyss.
http://www.texastribune.org/stories/2010/feb/17/meet-flintstones/
Comment by adrianT — February 23, 2010 @ 10:24 pm
Um, yeah, clinging to a religion comprised of the ramblings of illiterate nomads while also being an advanced nation…these two are actually unrelated.
And it’s notable that, though China hasn’t caught up to the US on gay issues yet, they’re moving MUCH more quickly than we are.
Obviously, as his handle implies, NorthDallasThirty was educated in, um, Texas, so…we’re sorry for the way they messed your brain up?
Comment by Evan Hurst — February 23, 2010 @ 11:03 pm
@North Dallas Thirty:
Like many other folks who read this blog, I’m a gay man. I am also a 4 year San Francisco resident, and I can tell you that many folks noticed those kids at Folsom Street Fair, and for a week afterwards, the inappropriateness of having those kids there was a recurrent theme in my circle of friends.
I think because most of us live in America, we respect the right of the parents to do as they choose, even if that means that they will be exposing the kids to inappropriate situations.
I think that exposing a child to a screaming tongue-speaking minister who casts out demons and condemns groups of people to eternal damnation is similar to exposing a child to an exhibitionist masturbating on the street.
Both are heinous acts.
Both are threats to the child’s emotional development, yet tons of religious folks (including my own parents) throughout America have done and will continue to do just that, and we let them do it because we do continue to believe in parental rights in this country.
I don’t judge the entire religion of Catholicism as being pedophiliac, nor do I judge all the ministers within the evangelical movement as being money-grabbing womanizers, but I’ve seen no indication that you will do anything with an article like these than spread their lies to attempt to drum up more indignation.
Fortunately, more straight people even in rural areas of this state are getting to know gay people like me, and if your strategy is to build allies amongst such folks, you will continue to increase to fail.
Comment by Daniel — February 24, 2010 @ 12:09 am
“Interesting to see Texas board of education is at the forefront of the anti-science movement, but not surprizing — only 41% of people in the state say man and dinosaurs did not live at the same time. Are you not embarrassed by this NorthDallas30? Your state appears to be heading into an intellectual abyss.”
Which is interesting, when you consider that Texas and North Carolina locations were one-two in comparison to more “enlightened” areas.
http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20061116-9999-7m16science.html
But then again, given the state of science among the “enlightened”, it’s not all that surprising.
http://articles.sfgate.com/2007-10-25/news/17265353_1_science-researchers-teachers
http://www.kqed.org/quest/television/under-the-microscope-science-struggles-in-schools
“Critical thinking” would involve evaluating this type of information before making snap judgments. But as is typical of the gay and lesbian community, Hurst, Besen, and others merely repeat the “they’re religious, so they must be stupid” line, ignoring that those “stupid” religious people are seemingly outscoring quite nicely those Bay Area children whose parents are taking them to the requisite gay weddings and sex fairs to educate them.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — February 24, 2010 @ 2:28 am
“I think that exposing a child to a screaming tongue-speaking minister who casts out demons and condemns groups of people to eternal damnation is similar to exposing a child to an exhibitionist masturbating on the street.
Both are heinous acts.”
Except one carries the condemnation of the gay and lesbian community, as we see in this post, and the other?
Crickets.
So it’s pretty obvious that it’s not the “heinous act” that bothers you; it’s the who does the “heinous act”.
“I don’t judge the entire religion of Catholicism as being pedophiliac, nor do I judge all the ministers within the evangelical movement as being money-grabbing womanizers”
That would be because Catholics and the evangelical movement have done a pretty good job of condemning and punishing their own who carry out such behavior.
The gay community? Its civil rights leaders go around telling people that age-of-consent laws are homophobic because it is “common” for gays to have sex with underage children.
http://www.xtra.ca/public/viewstory.aspx?AFF_TYPE=1&STORY_ID=4379&PUB_TEMPLATE_ID=9
Needs work.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — February 24, 2010 @ 2:46 am
The article, relating to a story in the Daily Mail, claiming 5 year olds would be taught about gay sex in comment five has been debunked – see the Times Educational Supplement article about this. It was put out by Christian extremists – what a surprise.
‘if they are religious they must be stupid’?
Not all religious people, but certainly fundamentalists – and by default, creationists. We need people who use evidence and critical thinking to inform their perspective, for society to function.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiV5TsWCPVk
The state of Scienctific literacy has long been a concern of prominent scientists in the USA and the UK. But excusing Texan scientific illiteracy by comparing it to the state of San Diego schools is like arguing who aboard the Titanic is closer to the stern.
Comment 10: The Catholic Church has certainly not done a good job in condemning child abusers – it spent decades moving them around, giving them protection from the police, bullying victims into silence; Ratzinger in his previous role issued a world wide notice, that threatenend excommunicaiton to any Bishops who helped or involved the authorities in investigations of child rape. Cardinal Bernard Law, a wanted man in the Boston scandal, is now under Vatican protection.
Comment by adrianT — February 24, 2010 @ 5:17 am
NDT is unwelcome at a number of blogs (including some conservative ones) because of his habit of using strawman arguments and sweeping, unsubstantiated generalizations. For example:
1. “they’re religious, so they must be stupid” — None of TWO’s writers believe that, and none have said that.
2. “The gay community? Its civil rights leaders go around telling people that age-of-consent laws are homophobic because it is “common” for gays to have sex with underage children.” This sweeping and unsubstantiated generalization is untrue of every LGBT leader and organization that I know of.
TWO does not tolerate sweeping, unsubstantiated, potentially libelous accusations, regardless of the political or sexual orientation of the target.
Because of NDT’s trolling on other sites, I will not permit him to start here.
Comment by Mike Airhart — February 24, 2010 @ 9:56 am
Mike
I was surprised to see a post here from NDT. I thought he was banned long ago.
Comment by John — February 24, 2010 @ 10:15 am
I am fairly liberal,a member of the Unitarian Church, voter for Obama,a supporter of gay marriage and until recently, I home schooled my youngest child. The trend in the homeschooling community is towards greater diversity. I think it should be something everyone who cares about the education of their children should consider. I very much dislike this branding of homeschoolers as right wing child abusers and bigots.
Comment by Charisse — February 24, 2010 @ 9:06 pm
@John, me too. Re-banned now.
Comment by Michael Airhart — February 24, 2010 @ 9:11 pm
@Charisse, I share your concern about overgeneralization. At the risk of sounding like a cliché, one of my best friends is a home-schooler; she and her daughter are both extremely bright and intelligent.
I do wish the homeschooling community would rein in the power of Mike Farris and his Home School Legal Defense Association, which attempts to skew homeschool curricula and books far to the right.
Comment by Michael Airhart — February 24, 2010 @ 9:13 pm
Charisse, from what I’ve been able to tell, there seem to be two kinds of homeschoolers — The Christian fundamentalists, and then another, less vocal group that’s more like you. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems like the two groups don’t overlap very much, if at all.
Is it fairly accurate to say that the anti-education mindset is pretty squarely in the loud group of fundamentalist homeschoolers, and that most homeschoolers like you really don’t associate with those sorts at all?
Comment by Evan Hurst — February 24, 2010 @ 9:30 pm
I’m not sure the home school community can rein in Mike Farris-he’s very good at doing the whole PR thing. He has also done some good in lobbying for home school laws which has provide more freedom for homeschooling parents [which I consider a good thing].
The reason I homeschooled is that my youngest daughter has a form of chronic mental illness, and the school system wasn’t capable of dealing with her.We had limited contact with homeschooling groups,because she had some problems fitting in. We did have some contact with a group of Unschoolers and that went somewhat O.K. The larger, very religious group in town our community was extremely organized and had kind of crusading attitude about home schooling. They courted publicity more then the looser, less organized home schoolers, and thus appeared to speak for all of us.
Comment by Charisse — February 24, 2010 @ 9:59 pm
Some of them will wake up though even though they’re being educated by mommy and/or daddy. Or do they live in a place where net connectivity isn’t available?
That said, if I had a child that child would go the same educational route I did. Catholic schools.
I came through twelve years of it just fine. Got a good education too. They did make a mistake though, in addition to trying to teach the religious dogma they also taught critical thinking skills. Guess what happen to the former when you apply the latter. You got it, I’m a rabid atheist, have been since I was in my teens.
Comment by Tony P — February 25, 2010 @ 11:58 pm
Tony, same here. Except it wasn’t Catholic school, but my Christian parents who taught us what it meant to think and to be inquisitive. It’s been a point of contention for a while now in our half atheist/agnostic, half Christian family.
Comment by Evan Hurst — February 26, 2010 @ 2:00 am
Sorry, Robinhood, you’re banned.
Hate speech and incitement to violence is not allowed here.
Comment by Evan Hurst — March 1, 2010 @ 11:10 am
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