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Any other “liberal” homeschoolers?
- This topic has 9 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 4 months ago by
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Hello!
(I’m really hoping that this doesn’t break any rules, so I’ll remove it if it does! Also, I’m really not trying to start any fights or anything; I’m just hoping to find others like me…)
I’m 24 years old, and while I don’t have children yet, my husband and I are hoping to grow our little family within the next few years. I’m really interested in CM homeschooling, and it really feels like something that God is calling me to do once I have kiddos.
For background, I’m a confessional Lutheran in a pretty religiously-conservative denomination/synod. I believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of God, that we are saved by Grace Alone through Faith Alone through Scripture Alone, etc. (I’m very very Lutheran!!)
However, I lean more “liberal” in politics. I’m a supporter of universal healthcare, really socialist in some specific other specific areas, and I’m not completely opposed to governmental oversight for some things. (It’s one of those situations where I feel like there are many moments of “choosing the lesser of two evils,” which for me tends to usually be democrat candidates for office.
I work in a healthcare environment, and I am very “pro-vaccine,” as well (and I fully support mask mandates during COVID-19).
I do not mean to bash those who have very different political leanings than I do, and I do support many personal freedoms. This is not to disparage you at all, and I wish you all the best, and I truly want you to have the rights that the Constitution has afforded us. But I really don’t agree with many political viewpoints that I’ve seen from various homeschooling communities.
That is to say, it has been hard to find people like me who are more “liberal” politically, who are homeschooling their kids or planning to do so. I’m just reaching out to see if there are others, as I really want to homeschool my kids, but I feel really stressed because it feels like I may not have support from the general homeschool community due to my beliefs.
Is there anyone else like me out there??
I am a secular liberal homeschooler. We are a small but mighty group. I am not religious but we homeschool because my husband and I didn’t have the greatest experience at public school. Welcome!
Good to know! And thank you!! It’s really encouraging to know that there are others out there 🙂 How long have you been homeschooling?
I have friends who run both sides politically and religiously who home school…and I can tell you most of them who fall outside of where I do have no idea that we don’t agree on those things…we are in this journey to educate our children and where we stand personally has never needed to be the topic of discussion. Should it all come up then the people we need in our lives will be supportive and understanding of the fact that no two people agree on absolutely everything. I see being able to respectfully talk about those differences as a skill home schooled kids will actually have the time and ability to acquire long before public school kids will. If God is calling you to home school then heed the call and dive in…he will plant the right people on your path to get where he is sending you!
It’s good to remember that personal freedoms (such as homeschooling) were and are fought hard for by conservatives who were Christians, by and large. I’m thankful my parents were part of that pioneering crowd! Liberal ideology doesn’t generally advocate for individual freedoms or liberty, but rather enforces a collective control over the masses. That’s why homeschoolers historically and currently are conservative. We advocate for those liberties which allow us to follow the Lord’s mandates on raising and educating our children. 👍
Well, I completely disagree with liberals on some things and completely disagree with Conservatives on others and once in awhile I actually agree with someone. 😂
I agree with the poster above that we don’t have to agree with every belief of another to help each other out. My son’s German teacher was just talking to me about how in Germany it is different. People can disagree and still get along and not hate each other and I couldn’t help but think that is how things used to be here too.
Before the Conservative Christian homeschool movement was the liberal progressive John Holt and then there was Raymond Moore. I think there has always been a variety. I think the more people that homeschool, the more support we will have for keeping homeschooling legal and keeping the freedom to do what we think is best for our children.
I grew up with a lot of international friends. I found it interesting one day when a Chinese lady whose husband did missionwork in Singapore was in our home. She used the word “liberal” for those who were generous and the word “conservative” for people who were stingy. It’s always better to get to know the person and see their heart, not just the labels.
Thank you for your reply Amber! I definitely understand that the education of children is the top priority– it does seem difficult at times however to find other Christians in these circles who support BLM, or are willing to teach evolution to their children, etc. These past 4 years have certainly sown division in the US, moreso that many other times in history, it feels. I shy away from confrontation, and perhaps that it why I get concerned about feeling like an outlier. I really appreciate your encouragement, and I look forward to more conversations about homeschooling (and Charlotte Mason!)
Amanda, thank you for your reply! It sounds like we probably have some very different viewpoints on things, and that may be due to how broad the words liberal and conservative are. Today’s political and social climates are very messy, and I believe it is possible to be “liberal” while also supporting individual freedoms. Again, it is a very broad word, and I agree with some of the other commenters that it isn’t usually productive to stick such labels on beliefs, as beliefs are a huge spectrum.
We most certainly live in a sinful, messy world, and I am sure that we are both trying to do our best to raise our children/future children (in my case!) as best as possible 🙂
Hello, Noel! It’s so good to see you on here. My beliefs are a mixture of conservative and liberal, so I don’t fit in any boxes either. But I do find that most homeschoolers, whether liberal or conservative, are very anti government control, including myself. Government organizations have spent a good deal of time trying to end homeschool legalization, so I guess that’s one reason so many of us dislike government in general. My parents began homeschooling in the early 1980s, as did many others during that time. Many of my homeschooled peers were removed from their homes and put into foster care because most state governments did not like homeschooling. It was a scary way to grow up, always wondering if a government official would come to take me from my parents. I’m sure that fear has been a large part of what led me to not trust government with too much power. Good for you for looking into homeschooling ahead of time! I wish I had purchased and read all of Charlotte Mason’s books before my children came. She has such good advice, even on raising babies, that unfortunately I didn’t know until it was too late! Lol I wish God’s best blessing on your journey! Welcome to our group!
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