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Displaying all 2 Forum Posts for the Thread:

Does Homeschooling contribute to religious intolerance?

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2010-03-06 08:48 AM

Schmidt
Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 852

I read surveys that say the number 1 reason parents decide to homeschool their kids is religion, that is they have the freedom to teach their children about their faith as a part of their learning curriculum that they otherwise wouldn't get in public schools. Of course there are other good reasons for homeschooling including unsatisfactory teachers and schools, school yard bullying, special needs, and such. But for those that homeschool only for religious reasons, I wonder if they are not contributing to the "religious intolerance" that seems to be so pervasive in our society today.

While public schools include students of multiple denominations within Chritianity, there are also more Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and non-religious students. Friendships and associations between students of different faiths can contribute to more tolerance and understanding. Attaching a human face...a friend's face to a religious belief, discourages some of the hate rhetoric directed at those of other faiths that we often see in our society today. I know from the personal experience of living and working in a Muslim country that I could never hate a Muslim, purely because of their faith. Too many of them are my friends and professional associates that I respect.

Therefore, within the homeschool environment I ask, does shielding children from alternative faiths and indoctrinating them to believe solely in the infallibilty of their own faith encourage them to be intolerant later in life? What we need in our increasingly diverse society is more tolerance and not intolerance, and this comes with exposure to and understanding other faiths through school friendships. Perhaps someone who has homeschooled solely for relgious reasons can chime in.

2010-03-08 02:51 PM

Zach F
Denton, TX
Posts: 481

While I was not home schooled, I do see your point. I have known a couple of homeschooled children while I was growing up, and while I would not label them as intolerant necessarily, but I have noticed that some tend to be less open minded about other religions. I too would like to hear from someone who has been home-schooled for religous reasons only though.

Displaying all 2 Forum Posts for the Thread:

Does Homeschooling contribute to religious intolerance?

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