Thursday, March 24, 2016

Secular Homeschool vs. Atheist Homeschool

atheist homeschool atheist homeschool atheist homeschool atheist homeschool atheist homeschool atheist homeschool atheist homeschool atheist homeschool
Calling something out.

There are secular homeschool sights, blogs, and suggested curriculum out there in that world to which, occasionally, atheists will be referred. But these same secular blogs, curriculum, and secular sitesy are happy to suggest that some homeschooling materials are Great, secular, but with some religion
I call BALONY.

 For example, History of the World is AWFUL. 

Secular materials are not the same as atheist materials, and nearly-secular materials are not secular materials. So don't be fooled. I have been on various secular homeschool websites and people are quick to jump in and deny the use of the word atheist. In fact, several times I have experienced anger, insult, and effrontery when I dare to use the word atheist on those sites or when I insist on religion-free materials or content. 


I don't presume to speak for any other person except for myself, but my observation is that religious families who homeschool for secular reasons and with secular materials are a special group, completely different from atheist homeschooling. While I respect their choice to keep religion out of the minds of their children when homeschooling, in fact I celebrate that, still I refuse to allow atheist homeschoolers to pale in their midst. When on those sites I will post as an atheist without apology, without tenderfoot comments.
When secular homeschoolers claim that materials are secular with a little bit of religion, don't trust that. Perhaps these secular folks don't seem to appreciate the desire, the insistence of atheist homeschoolers to be totally and completely religion free. Because that is what atheist means.  

Secular is not enough.


Have you had experiences when your
 "secular" materials contained 
too much nonsense to ignore????


3 comments:

  1. I'm an atheist and I'm looking for "secular" curriculums. I'm just starting this, as my daughter turns only 3 next month, but does secular still contain religion at early ages? I understand learning about the different religions other people have to better make sense of the world and the people in it, but am I missing something? Is secular not what I should be looking for? I don't want to accidentally indoctrinate my daughter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It totally depends. My point in this blog post is that some publishers will call materials "secular" when they are definitely not. I'm afraid you always have to pick that book up and check it out. Sorry!

      Delete
  2. I'm an atheist and I'm looking for "secular" curriculums. I'm just starting this, as my daughter turns only 3 next month, but does secular still contain religion at early ages? I understand learning about the different religions other people have to better make sense of the world and the people in it, but am I missing something? Is secular not what I should be looking for? I don't want to accidentally indoctrinate my daughter.

    ReplyDelete

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