Comments on: Zombie Zealots Coming of Age

By: Michael Norton

Michael Norton — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 22:42:14 +0000

Wayne,
my name is Michael Norton. I am the Executive Director of Childrens Conferences International. I recently took over this organization (Dec. ’10), and I saw on our website that you quoted last year’s theme page. I would love to have a conversation with you about homeschooling, faith, or any topic you choose. I think it might be a different experience than other, similar conversations you may have had in the past. Feel free to give me a call so we can talk about it, some time.

thanks,
michael

By: The Inherent Contradictions of the Social Conservative Worldview on Gender and Sexuality « Hindgrindr

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:30:42 +0000

[...] Zombie Zealots Coming of Age (21) [...]

By: Evan Hurst

Evan Hurst — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:10:02 +0000

Sorry, Robinhood, you’re banned.

Hate speech and incitement to violence is not allowed here.

By: Evan Hurst

Evan Hurst — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:00:55 +0000

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.

By: Tony P

Tony P — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:58:40 +0000

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.

By: Charisse

Charisse — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:59:22 +0000

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.

By: Evan Hurst

Evan Hurst — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:30:33 +0000

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?

By: Michael Airhart

Michael Airhart — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:13:57 +0000

@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.

By: Michael Airhart

Michael Airhart — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:11:24 +0000

@John, me too. Re-banned now.

By: Charisse

Charisse — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:06:26 +0000

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.