EvolveIntoBirds asked, "if the bullying you experienced (me too) affected your decision to home educate your kids?"
In a word...yes. Though that is not a complete answer and certainly not the most compelling reason we decided to homeschool.
There are many who feel that the emotional and psychological bumps and bruises that one experiences in a public school setting are all a part of growing up. That they make one a stronger person and build character. That they toughen you up for the real world and provide the experience necessary for sticking up for yourself and learning to be your own person regardless of peer pressure. For some people, maybe for most people, that is precisely what happens. But it doesn't happen that way for everybody. Sometimes the hurts suffered can damage the young and developing individual, warping the person they might have become.
I grew up in a small town population 900 with a graduating class of 20 students (10 boys, 10 girls). More than anything else, school was about fitting in with the group. The main issue being of course, which group you belonged to. I have no idea how membership was decided. It would have been a fascinating thing to observe from the outside. But as I look back on who was friends with whom, groups were established almost from the very beginning with very little variance between them throughout our 13 years together.
There were 2 girl cliques in my class: the cool kids and the nerd herd. From about 3rd grade through 6th grade there were a variety of wars: factions split off, insults were exchanged, feelings hurt, and backstabbers crossed back and forth between enemy lines. Teachers and the Superintendent would be obligated to intervene several times a year when emotions got really out of control.
To add to that delightful mix of squabbling, the class ahead of mine was populated with jocks, jerks and jackasses who took great delight in making the life of the underclassmen a living hell, mine in particular but not exclusively. The class below mine was populated with losers, lame-asses and lemmings who would follow along and join in with the aforementioned upperclassmen and participate in the haranguing of anyone coming into their line of fire.
School sucked. Pretty much every single day for 13 years. And the lousy education that I received did not make up for it.
Does everyone experience school that way? Nope. In fact some people have marvelous experiences in school and receive an outstanding education. Good for you!!!! I am genuinely happy that you made it through the system unscathed.
Some parents are able to ride close herd on the school and insure the quality of their child's experience. Some just throw their kids in the pool and hope for the best saying, "It was good enough for me, it's good enough for you." But there is no guarantee that a child will have a good teacher or receive a quality education. I want that guarantee. So, I teach my kids and their education falls on my shoulders. Well.... mine and the Kids' Dad. Our kids, our responsibility.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Another quick question for you
Which came first the chicken or the egg?
My son asked me this question just a few minutes ago and I laughed remembering speculating upon that very subject as a child.
Christians would of course say god created chickens which laid the first egg.
My son shared my daughter's answer with me and I had never thought of it in that light before.
Have you ever speculated upon which came first the chicken or the egg? Did you have a good reason for your answer?
My daughter's answer was
...
...
...
the egg.
Because the ability to lay eggs evolved before the chicken did.
:D
My son asked me this question just a few minutes ago and I laughed remembering speculating upon that very subject as a child.
Christians would of course say god created chickens which laid the first egg.
My son shared my daughter's answer with me and I had never thought of it in that light before.
Have you ever speculated upon which came first the chicken or the egg? Did you have a good reason for your answer?
My daughter's answer was
...
...
...
the egg.
Because the ability to lay eggs evolved before the chicken did.
:D
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Jeanne Marie Laskas is a fundy bitch.
Who the hell is Jeanne Marie Laskas? Before today I didn't know either. You see, I'm a bit behind on my toilet reading material, which is why I'm just now reading the Ask Laskas column from the Reader's Digest December 2007 edition. Normally I don't give this column much time, but the first question really caught my eye.
Q: I just found an e-mail address for my first girlfriend, someone I treated poorly. I'm happily married -- so is she -- and I have no romantic interest in her. It's been years, but my conscience bothers me. Should I write and apologize?
~Troubled Mind
That could very easily have been written by the boy who dumped me after my senior year of high school. I have always wanted to talk to him about what happened and have never had the courage to reach out and contact him. The only contact info. I have for him is his father's phone number and while I've thought about it for years, I've never come up with the right words to say to either of them. So I was fairly interested in her reply.
A: Dear Troubled,
So you feel guilty--deal with it without burdening her. Dump this on a priest or a shrink or someone who can help you find resolution. She got over the old you years ago; maybe it's time you d id too.
What an absolutely Christian position to take. Just go to a priest and pray about it. Get forgiveness from god. And just to cover the people who don't believe in god she suggests alternatively he could go to a psychiatrist and resolve his old issues there. *rolls eyes*
According to Laskas, it's too late. You can't go back and you can't make things right.
And to that I say "BULLSHIT!" If you've wronged somebody, it doesn't matter how long ago it was, you go the person and say, "hey, I fucked up and I'm sorry I hurt you."
When I was in high school I treated my best friend like shit our senior year and we drifted apart. I felt horrible about it for years and years afterwards and finally contacted her and said, "Look, I was shitty to you our senior year and I'm really sorry. I don't even know why I acted that way, and I shouldn't have. You didn't deserve it and I really wanted you to know I'm sorry."
It's never too late to say you're sorry, unless the person is dead. Until they croak, you can always apologize. Even if they've completely forgotten they are going to be flattered that your conscience bothered you that long and you finally talked to them about it. If they haven't forgotten, maybe it will help them move on with their life too. It may not fix things, it may not mean you will be friends again, but it helps you get on with your life.
And THAT'S how you get over things. You don't go whimpering to a complete stranger about a mistake you made with another person. You find the other person and tell them you're sorry.
Q: I just found an e-mail address for my first girlfriend, someone I treated poorly. I'm happily married -- so is she -- and I have no romantic interest in her. It's been years, but my conscience bothers me. Should I write and apologize?
~Troubled Mind
That could very easily have been written by the boy who dumped me after my senior year of high school. I have always wanted to talk to him about what happened and have never had the courage to reach out and contact him. The only contact info. I have for him is his father's phone number and while I've thought about it for years, I've never come up with the right words to say to either of them. So I was fairly interested in her reply.
A: Dear Troubled,
So you feel guilty--deal with it without burdening her. Dump this on a priest or a shrink or someone who can help you find resolution. She got over the old you years ago; maybe it's time you d id too.
What an absolutely Christian position to take. Just go to a priest and pray about it. Get forgiveness from god. And just to cover the people who don't believe in god she suggests alternatively he could go to a psychiatrist and resolve his old issues there. *rolls eyes*
According to Laskas, it's too late. You can't go back and you can't make things right.
And to that I say "BULLSHIT!" If you've wronged somebody, it doesn't matter how long ago it was, you go the person and say, "hey, I fucked up and I'm sorry I hurt you."
When I was in high school I treated my best friend like shit our senior year and we drifted apart. I felt horrible about it for years and years afterwards and finally contacted her and said, "Look, I was shitty to you our senior year and I'm really sorry. I don't even know why I acted that way, and I shouldn't have. You didn't deserve it and I really wanted you to know I'm sorry."
It's never too late to say you're sorry, unless the person is dead. Until they croak, you can always apologize. Even if they've completely forgotten they are going to be flattered that your conscience bothered you that long and you finally talked to them about it. If they haven't forgotten, maybe it will help them move on with their life too. It may not fix things, it may not mean you will be friends again, but it helps you get on with your life.
And THAT'S how you get over things. You don't go whimpering to a complete stranger about a mistake you made with another person. You find the other person and tell them you're sorry.
Friday, January 11, 2008
proof of god
There will never be proof of God.
For if there is proof
...then where is faith?
If there is no faith
...then where is religion?
If there is no religion
...then where is god?
And what, afterall,
...is the point of god?
~Fiery
It is a common and favorite debating tactic of atheists to demand of the Christian proof that there is a god, evidence for a supreme being, something that will satisfy the rational, reasoning brain. There are even offers of monetary rewards for scientific evidence or proof of god’s existence:
The James Randi Educational Foundation has a One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge “to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event.”
GodsReward.com offers $100,000 for proof God exists and has extensive details about what does and does not constitute scientific proof and details the claims that have been submitted thus far.
I thought I remembered a prominent atheist (Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris) had also offered a reward for god, but couldn't find the link or remember any more details and in the five minutes I spent looking for it, I came across a very different reward.
Aus. $3 million dollar reward offered for a live and uninjured specimen of the Thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger. It’s funny, I have a book on Australia, published in 1964, by LIFE (before it became the mega corporate media monster it is today: AOL Time LIFE Warner) that refers to the thylocine as the Tasmanian Wolf (through convergent evolution it has many canine-like attributes). But for the Aussies, because its hind quarters are tiger striped, they went with Tasmanian Tiger. Good ole Aussies. :)
Now where was I? Oh yes, proof of God! How did I get onto Aussie Tigers? That's right, because the reward for a Tassie Tiger is actually greater than the reward for proving god exists! *snerk* And I was talking about proof that god exists because of the juxtaposition between proof and faith.
What is faith? "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"(Hebrews 11:1).
And why does the Bible say a person must have faith? But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
While looking for the Hebrews verse on faith, I came across these two articles discussing faith and the evidence for god.
The first: What is Faith? by Keith Sharp.
In his bit Keith asserts “Saving faith is not a blind acceptance of unprovable opinions. It is not based on feeling, emotion, or a "blind leap." It is conviction supported by evidence.”
So I’m thinking, hmmm, wonder what ole Keith has to say, what his evidence is, how convincing his conviction is? I pulled apart his article, was in the process of fisking it when I realized it was dull as dirt and could be summed up thusly...
Proof there is a God (according to Keith Sharp)
1- the universe
2- the Bible (which “not only tells me about God, it gives evidence to demonstrate that there is a God, that the Bible is the word of God, and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.")
And I’m thinking oh come now Keith, ole boy! What specifically about the Bible proves all that? “Some of these powerful proofs are the harmony of the Scriptures, fulfilled prophecies both about ancient nations and about Christ, and the evidence Christ has been raised from the dead.
He got a different translation then I did.
So when an atheist says, "Prove there is a god." Keith replies, "Sure no problem. Look a tree! Look the Milky Way Galaxy! Look a cat! And check out this gnarly book divinely inspired by god himself." Uh huh. I guess I’ll be seeing everyone in church this Sunday. NOT! Unless it is to leaflet the cars with some atheist tracks from NormalBobSmith.com. Now that would be a good time!
The second article: Substance and Evidence: A Study on Faith by John Wright Follette.
My mind instantly turned that into John’s Right FullO’It- naughty Fiery! Obviously I'm approaching this one with an open mind! *snerk*
According to John, “There are three things which must be established and settled in any situation in which faith is to be exercised.”
Ok, good. Lists. Lists are good. They proceed logically.
“First, the object of our faith must be beyond our ability to achieve. If it were not so, faith would be unnecessary as human effort could accomplish the desired end. Natural impossibility is the atmosphere in which faith works.”
Right- so with faith, you want the impossible. Check. I want $1 million.
“Second, the unseen object of our faith must be hoped for through a yearning heart with a pure motive.”
As the driven snow, mate, as the driven snow! Of course in Minnesota we are often plagued by snirt so the purity part might be a bit tricky.
“And third, there must be a personal conviction that the object believed for is as real as if it was already attained.”
I know what $1 million is, and I believe with all my heart that it is real. Plus, I know exactly what I would do with it, oh please oh please!!!!!!
"Faith is that exercise of mind and soul, which has for its object things not seen, but hoped for. And instead of sinking under them due to their difficulty or uncertainty, it stands firmly under them and sustains their becoming reality.”
So I should start writing the checks now? Sounds to me like faith will drive you insane. It demands that you believe in that which is unreal and encourages you to act as if it is real.
My favorite quote from John concerns the faith it takes to walk on the water as Peter did. “We should never venture out upon the water until we have the divine "come" under our feet. We must listen for His voice, and once we have heard, we have substance upon which we can walk into the impossible.”
May you go forth with the divine “come” under your feet, may it be as a light upon your path.
For if there is proof
...then where is faith?
If there is no faith
...then where is religion?
If there is no religion
...then where is god?
And what, afterall,
...is the point of god?
~Fiery
It is a common and favorite debating tactic of atheists to demand of the Christian proof that there is a god, evidence for a supreme being, something that will satisfy the rational, reasoning brain. There are even offers of monetary rewards for scientific evidence or proof of god’s existence:
The James Randi Educational Foundation has a One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge “to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event.”
GodsReward.com offers $100,000 for proof God exists and has extensive details about what does and does not constitute scientific proof and details the claims that have been submitted thus far.
I thought I remembered a prominent atheist (Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris) had also offered a reward for god, but couldn't find the link or remember any more details and in the five minutes I spent looking for it, I came across a very different reward.
Aus. $3 million dollar reward offered for a live and uninjured specimen of the Thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger. It’s funny, I have a book on Australia, published in 1964, by LIFE (before it became the mega corporate media monster it is today: AOL Time LIFE Warner) that refers to the thylocine as the Tasmanian Wolf (through convergent evolution it has many canine-like attributes). But for the Aussies, because its hind quarters are tiger striped, they went with Tasmanian Tiger. Good ole Aussies. :)
Now where was I? Oh yes, proof of God! How did I get onto Aussie Tigers? That's right, because the reward for a Tassie Tiger is actually greater than the reward for proving god exists! *snerk* And I was talking about proof that god exists because of the juxtaposition between proof and faith.
What is faith? "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"(Hebrews 11:1).
And why does the Bible say a person must have faith? But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
While looking for the Hebrews verse on faith, I came across these two articles discussing faith and the evidence for god.
The first: What is Faith? by Keith Sharp.
In his bit Keith asserts “Saving faith is not a blind acceptance of unprovable opinions. It is not based on feeling, emotion, or a "blind leap." It is conviction supported by evidence.”
So I’m thinking, hmmm, wonder what ole Keith has to say, what his evidence is, how convincing his conviction is? I pulled apart his article, was in the process of fisking it when I realized it was dull as dirt and could be summed up thusly...
Proof there is a God (according to Keith Sharp)
1- the universe
2- the Bible (which “not only tells me about God, it gives evidence to demonstrate that there is a God, that the Bible is the word of God, and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.")
And I’m thinking oh come now Keith, ole boy! What specifically about the Bible proves all that? “Some of these powerful proofs are the harmony of the Scriptures, fulfilled prophecies both about ancient nations and about Christ, and the evidence Christ has been raised from the dead.
He got a different translation then I did.
So when an atheist says, "Prove there is a god." Keith replies, "Sure no problem. Look a tree! Look the Milky Way Galaxy! Look a cat! And check out this gnarly book divinely inspired by god himself." Uh huh. I guess I’ll be seeing everyone in church this Sunday. NOT! Unless it is to leaflet the cars with some atheist tracks from NormalBobSmith.com. Now that would be a good time!
The second article: Substance and Evidence: A Study on Faith by John Wright Follette.
My mind instantly turned that into John’s Right FullO’It- naughty Fiery! Obviously I'm approaching this one with an open mind! *snerk*
According to John, “There are three things which must be established and settled in any situation in which faith is to be exercised.”
Ok, good. Lists. Lists are good. They proceed logically.
“First, the object of our faith must be beyond our ability to achieve. If it were not so, faith would be unnecessary as human effort could accomplish the desired end. Natural impossibility is the atmosphere in which faith works.”
Right- so with faith, you want the impossible. Check. I want $1 million.
“Second, the unseen object of our faith must be hoped for through a yearning heart with a pure motive.”
As the driven snow, mate, as the driven snow! Of course in Minnesota we are often plagued by snirt so the purity part might be a bit tricky.
“And third, there must be a personal conviction that the object believed for is as real as if it was already attained.”
I know what $1 million is, and I believe with all my heart that it is real. Plus, I know exactly what I would do with it, oh please oh please!!!!!!
"Faith is that exercise of mind and soul, which has for its object things not seen, but hoped for. And instead of sinking under them due to their difficulty or uncertainty, it stands firmly under them and sustains their becoming reality.”
So I should start writing the checks now? Sounds to me like faith will drive you insane. It demands that you believe in that which is unreal and encourages you to act as if it is real.
My favorite quote from John concerns the faith it takes to walk on the water as Peter did. “We should never venture out upon the water until we have the divine "come" under our feet. We must listen for His voice, and once we have heard, we have substance upon which we can walk into the impossible.”
May you go forth with the divine “come” under your feet, may it be as a light upon your path.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
religious indoctrination = child abuse
Saying this will garner you gasps of shock from believers and even a fair number of nonbelievers as well.
Child abuse is the physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect of children by parents, guardians, or others.
So how can religious indoctrination possibly be considered child abuse? How can “teaching kids about Jesus" be as bad as convincing a child he is utterly worthless, or raping a seven year old girl, or beating a four year old boy to death? Religious indoctrination is child abuse because it goes so much further than just "teaching kids about Jesus".
Saying that raising a child to believe in a "Supreme Being" is child abuse is strong, fairly harsh language. The other forms of child abuse are much more immediately devastating. The effects of religious indoctrination are much more subtle but the impact can be as long lasting. The problem lies in the damage that faith based education can do to a developing mind.
Evil Concepts Espoused by Religion:
1- original sin- you are an evil sinner and nothing you can do will change that
2- hell- a place of eternal, everlasting, never-ending misery and torment that is yours by right of birth
3- cannibalism- to avoid hell you must eat the body and drink the blood of your savior: the once dead, now living, human yet divine son of god
4- sex is shameful- do not touch yourself in pleasure, do not touch your opposite-sex-spouse in pleasure unless it is to procreate, then you may enjoy sex briefly, but only the appropriate parts of the body.
5- guilt- you deserve to suffer for eternity because you were born evil and only the death of another can save you so you better behave lest that redemption be taken from you
6- martyrdom- lay down your life for others and for god and earn rewards in heaven
7- self-sacrifice- everyone else is more important than you, give them all that you have, all that you are
8- pride is a sin- you are worthless, all that you are comes from god, without him you are nothing
10- infallibility of god and by extension his appointed here on earth- god never makes mistakes, you are not morally superior to god, you cannot judge him sinful for his actions in the old testament, if something bad happens in spite of prayer to the contrary, it is all part of his plan and we cannot know what that plan is. Pastors, priests, ministers, cardinals, bishops, the pope, etc… are gods anointed and appointed here in on earth. They have a direct connection to god that you don’t have.
11- thought crime- someone is always watching you: judging your every thought, word and deed for which you will be held accountable.
THAT is what is meant when an atheist says, "Religious indoctrination of children is child abuse." Religious indoctrination abuses a young and developing mind, warping and twisting it at its most vulnerable, and setting up mental habits that can take a lifetime to overcome.
As Thump said, “The whole idea of religious indoctrination is abuse, to stifle logic and reason cannot, in my mind, be considered anything else.”
Child abuse is the physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect of children by parents, guardians, or others.
So how can religious indoctrination possibly be considered child abuse? How can “teaching kids about Jesus" be as bad as convincing a child he is utterly worthless, or raping a seven year old girl, or beating a four year old boy to death? Religious indoctrination is child abuse because it goes so much further than just "teaching kids about Jesus".
Saying that raising a child to believe in a "Supreme Being" is child abuse is strong, fairly harsh language. The other forms of child abuse are much more immediately devastating. The effects of religious indoctrination are much more subtle but the impact can be as long lasting. The problem lies in the damage that faith based education can do to a developing mind.
Evil Concepts Espoused by Religion:
1- original sin- you are an evil sinner and nothing you can do will change that
2- hell- a place of eternal, everlasting, never-ending misery and torment that is yours by right of birth
3- cannibalism- to avoid hell you must eat the body and drink the blood of your savior: the once dead, now living, human yet divine son of god
4- sex is shameful- do not touch yourself in pleasure, do not touch your opposite-sex-spouse in pleasure unless it is to procreate, then you may enjoy sex briefly, but only the appropriate parts of the body.
5- guilt- you deserve to suffer for eternity because you were born evil and only the death of another can save you so you better behave lest that redemption be taken from you
6- martyrdom- lay down your life for others and for god and earn rewards in heaven
7- self-sacrifice- everyone else is more important than you, give them all that you have, all that you are
8- pride is a sin- you are worthless, all that you are comes from god, without him you are nothing
10- infallibility of god and by extension his appointed here on earth- god never makes mistakes, you are not morally superior to god, you cannot judge him sinful for his actions in the old testament, if something bad happens in spite of prayer to the contrary, it is all part of his plan and we cannot know what that plan is. Pastors, priests, ministers, cardinals, bishops, the pope, etc… are gods anointed and appointed here in on earth. They have a direct connection to god that you don’t have.
11- thought crime- someone is always watching you: judging your every thought, word and deed for which you will be held accountable.
THAT is what is meant when an atheist says, "Religious indoctrination of children is child abuse." Religious indoctrination abuses a young and developing mind, warping and twisting it at its most vulnerable, and setting up mental habits that can take a lifetime to overcome.
As Thump said, “The whole idea of religious indoctrination is abuse, to stifle logic and reason cannot, in my mind, be considered anything else.”
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
just for fun
The Ultimate Shopping Bag!
I would buy something ... ANYTHING... at this store just to come home with this bag. WOOHOO!!!!!!
This next one is a game. Read all the directions before beginning, but instead of looking at a blank wall just shut your eyes, then tell me what you see.
I would buy something ... ANYTHING... at this store just to come home with this bag. WOOHOO!!!!!!
This next one is a game. Read all the directions before beginning, but instead of looking at a blank wall just shut your eyes, then tell me what you see.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Dear Protium:
This is your snowman.
This is your snowman after 750ml of the finest imported German Beer.
Any questions?
Good luck with your New Years Resolution!
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