Protecting your children is not always good
Whaaaat!! Yes, you read it right. There are certain times that I think we can do more harm to our children, and to others for that matter, by protecting them. Maybe I should use the word "sheltering" instead of "protecting".
There have been several instances recently where I have seen parents sheltering their children from the "evil world we live in" and I think it is to the detriment of these kids and to those in the world. Many, no I guess all of these instances stem from home school parents and their overzealous attempts to shelter their children from influences that can harm their children. I know there are several positives to home schooling and I agree with many of them, but in my opinion these positives are outweighed by the negatives. I'm sure hours could be spent arguing the negatives and positives, but I just want to focus in this post on one of the biggest negatives that has come to my attention recently. This negative is an overriding attitude by some home school moms especially that seems to point to an unwillingness to associate with "sinners" of this world. This attitude can be very dangerous in my opinion. Sounds an awful lot like the Pharisees in Jesus' time.
Such things like not wanting certain kids to come to the youth group because of the way they look and being afraid of their worldly influence. Aren't those some of the kids our youth should be trying to reach in order to share Christ? This has even affected our own church where these home school moms have made themselves into almost a club that looks down on others if they aren't home schooling their children like they are. And we wonder why our young adult Sunday School department hasn't grown. Not that this is the only problem or the only blame, but an obvious division has developed in our church. Many feel they are having a hard time feeling accepted if they aren't part of this exclusive home schooling club. It has even come to the point of an attitude of some of the home school mom's not wanting their kids to associate or play with public school kids out of a fear that they will somehow influence their kids in a negative way. Shouldn't the opposite be the case? Shouldn't our kids be light and salt to the world? I know our son has already taken several opportunities to share Jesus with kids at his public school and is a positive influence for the other kids in how to behave etc.
This negative attitude also comes across in how people respond to people in public. My wife is a great example of someone who shows friendliness and love to the public in her day to day activities. I think she is being a great example of Matthew 5:16. We have witnessed several instances where some of the home school moms we know respond to others in public with almost an attitude of discust.
I almost didn't post this worrying that I might offend, but you know maybe if you feel offended then it might be a good thing to at least be more aware or take a serious look at your own attitude. Also, I figured this is not very likely given the fact that hardly anybody reads this blog anymore. : )
There have been several instances recently where I have seen parents sheltering their children from the "evil world we live in" and I think it is to the detriment of these kids and to those in the world. Many, no I guess all of these instances stem from home school parents and their overzealous attempts to shelter their children from influences that can harm their children. I know there are several positives to home schooling and I agree with many of them, but in my opinion these positives are outweighed by the negatives. I'm sure hours could be spent arguing the negatives and positives, but I just want to focus in this post on one of the biggest negatives that has come to my attention recently. This negative is an overriding attitude by some home school moms especially that seems to point to an unwillingness to associate with "sinners" of this world. This attitude can be very dangerous in my opinion. Sounds an awful lot like the Pharisees in Jesus' time.
Such things like not wanting certain kids to come to the youth group because of the way they look and being afraid of their worldly influence. Aren't those some of the kids our youth should be trying to reach in order to share Christ? This has even affected our own church where these home school moms have made themselves into almost a club that looks down on others if they aren't home schooling their children like they are. And we wonder why our young adult Sunday School department hasn't grown. Not that this is the only problem or the only blame, but an obvious division has developed in our church. Many feel they are having a hard time feeling accepted if they aren't part of this exclusive home schooling club. It has even come to the point of an attitude of some of the home school mom's not wanting their kids to associate or play with public school kids out of a fear that they will somehow influence their kids in a negative way. Shouldn't the opposite be the case? Shouldn't our kids be light and salt to the world? I know our son has already taken several opportunities to share Jesus with kids at his public school and is a positive influence for the other kids in how to behave etc.
This negative attitude also comes across in how people respond to people in public. My wife is a great example of someone who shows friendliness and love to the public in her day to day activities. I think she is being a great example of Matthew 5:16. We have witnessed several instances where some of the home school moms we know respond to others in public with almost an attitude of discust.
I almost didn't post this worrying that I might offend, but you know maybe if you feel offended then it might be a good thing to at least be more aware or take a serious look at your own attitude. Also, I figured this is not very likely given the fact that hardly anybody reads this blog anymore. : )
posted by whaaaat! at
8:55 AM
6 Comments:
"I figured this is not very likely given the fact that hardly anybody reads this blog anymore. : )"
Ahem!
I read this blog (when there is a post to read...hint, hint).
As a matter of fact, I agree with you on this one.
By
Joe, at 11:56 AM
Thanks Joe! : )
I guess I haven't had that many "things that make me go hmmm" lately, or the time to write about them. I do continue to read a few of the good blogs I enjoy like yours, but I don't comment much (another reason I don't have many readers).
By
whaaaat!, at 12:17 PM
Oh my goodness, you go to my church! We have a large population of home-schoolers at our church and my wife and I are against it. My wife is a public school teacher.
Taking your kids out of the world doesn't make them better Christians, it alienates them from the world and teaches them not to "be in the world but not of the world".
How can the salt remain salty if it loses it's saltiness? I don't want to know what other Christians say about me, I want to know what the world knows about me.
It angers me these people rip good kids - kids the world needs - out of school. Who will be the light if we hide the light?
~Jef
By
Anonymous, at 1:39 PM
An obvious answer here is that home schooling is a good thing in and of itself. It's morons like these moms you mention that give home schooling a bad name. Might the problem be more with the church you attend that attracts these kind of moms? A lot of the churches out there today seem to do all they can to make people feel "comfortable" instead of challenging or confronting the "religious spirits" that exist in so many who were "raised in the church". The piety and orthodoxy that develops in many traditional churches is driving away many who need Christ and who need to know about the power that we have through the Holy Spirit when we are born again.
Home schooling itself is not to blame. Instead blame the enemy who comes to kill, steal, and destroy, and those who fall victim to his lies in the form of a "religious spirit".
By
Anonymous, at 7:40 PM
I can't believe no one has replied to my post above (especially the author of the original subject). I know it all to be true, but I expected a little more in the way of rebuttal. Whaaaaat's up?!?!
By
Anonymous, at 10:26 PM
I saw no real need for a rebuttal to your anonymous comment. You shared your opinion and I respect and actually agree in a general sense with most of what you said.
By
whaaaat!, at 9:05 AM
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