CM religion base

Charlotte Mason Education is based on principals and methods advocated by Miss Mason. Very little in those principals or methods is strictly “Christian” and I have met a number of secular Charlotte Mason educators. That said, there is very little that is contradictory to my undersatnding of Christianity. Charlotte Mason was a Christian, although from my reading of her I do not agree with everything doctrinally, I seldom agree with everything that anyone says so I just use it as an opportunity to discuss and help my kids understand why I believe what I believe. Since I direct my child’s eduction, it is easy for me to edit, discuss and keep things where I feel they ought to be for my children.

The part about CM being liberal is true, but not in the modern political sense. Charlotte Mason advocated for a “liberal education” for all children. In her time (late 1800s, early 1900s) poor children often got no education at all, and if they did it was often very limited. Liberal in the CM sense implies a generous and broad curriculum for all children, regardless of social class. She wanted to inspire the minds of all children to their maximum potential, not turn them into political automatons.

Obviously that person knows nothing of Charlotte Mason or her work! 😉

I have heard of people who try to make a Charlotte Mason education completely secular, but I think that it would be hard to do her philosophy justice without religion (which ever doctrine/denomination you choose to follow). She constantly refers to Christ and scripture in her writings. She is full of love for and in Christ and all her philosphy leads back to worshipping God. She often had the children reading from both the Old and New Testaments, and talks about how math and science both prove that there is a Creator.

As for liberal, I find it interesting how much people’s understanding and attitudes of that word have changed in the last 90-100 years. =) If you told me that my children were having a liberal education in PS, I’d be concerned, whereas I can say that my children are getting a liberal CM education and I would understand that meant my children were being exposed to a WIDE (or liberal) variety of important ideas OF WORTH and beautiful music, art, and the written word in its many forms. 😉

As mentioned above, CM advoated teaching ALL children, no matter their “station in life’. She contended that a coal miner, a scullery maid, and a weathly child all had the ability to learn, grow and achieve beyond their stations if taught. She wanted to give ALL of them a liberal eduation – one that involved art appreciation and creative art, music appreciation and playing instruments, ancient and modern history, math and how it is applicable in all our lives, nature and science, poetry, hymns, scripture study, Shakespeare and Plutarch, life skills, teaching correct habits, etc. She felt that it was as important to feed spirits and minds as much it was to feed little bodies. 

Have you personally read any of her works in her own words? It will make it easier to decide for yourself if you go to the original source. =)

Try reading the first few pages of Home Education linked here (scroll down past the table of contents). Scan through and see what she has to say. It will give you a fairly good idea of how she feels about the importance of teaching children about Christ. 

I blog a lot on such things. Here is one relevant post:

http://lettersfromnebby.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/why-i-think-charlotte-masons-philosophy-is-biblical

I really think CM’s underlying premises are very Christian.

Nebby

I think those above have answered your concerns. Jus rtmy two cents follows:

It seems to me that your source of info. has not read CM’s writings nor does the person recognize the different definition and use of the word “liberal” over the years.

I’m glad you asked instead of just taking one person’s word for it; it’s a credit to you. It should remind all of us to do our own homework on topics, since others don’t necessarily do theirs nor do people generally take into consideration the changing definitions of words over the years.

Our Founder’s were liberals – in the classical definition of the word, not in the modern usage of it.

Thought you might like Nancy’s latest blog post.

For some reason, I’m not able to copy/paste the link, and it’s quite long.  So, just visit http://sageparnassus.blogspot.com.  It should be the first post to appear.  “Cultural Education Versus Education for Examinations and Tests”

This quote:

The statistic compilers, and the examiners, the Boards and the Joint Boards, all those people whose mouths…are gorged with sawdust, have it all their own way, standardizing, consolidating, synchronizing and all the rest of it, until education has become that gigantic sausage machine which it is at present, the pig going in at one end and coming out educated pork at the other.

Completely reminds me of Pink Floyd’s “We Don’t Need No Education” video/portion from the movie “The Wall”. ( I know some of you knmow what I’m talking about!)

For those that don’t know:

In the movie/video, the students were walking in a straight line into a factory machine and coming out as processed meat.

It’s like an exact visual of what he said; and considering Pink Floyd was made up of Brits, it makes even more sense. Though, I don’t know when his comment was originally made.

Of course, and unfortunately, now Roger Waters is a complete fool, but that’s another topic.

Thanks for the link to this PDF.  I plan to share it with others.