As someone who was raised without religion, I look back on my childhood and think one of the best things my mom did was support me in exploring religion as a child. I went to public school and became friends with religious kids, and my mom let me attend youth groups and other church events growing up and was very open and accepting, she didn't try to influence me one way or another, but just let me explore it on my own and come to my own conclusions. And I think because of this, I had the experience and space to figure out what I believed, at a relatively early age.
I’m glad that worked for you. I agree with freedom to explore, but not without influence. If we do not influence and educate our children, someone else will. Churches thrive on their ability to convert people to their beliefs. Many of them will do so relentlessly and if our children are not aware and equipped to deal with this they can easily be manipulated. If my kids choose religion as adults that is fine, so long as they do so with eyes wide open and the ability to think critically.
@@HomeschoolHappyHour I completely agree with you, don't get me wrong. Equipping your children with the critical thinking skills to make an educated decision is the most important thing. Sorry if I didn't get that across in my comment. I'm just saying I had the awareness to see through the manipulation tactics on my own.
I'm catholic and I use secular curriculum. There's no religious influence on my schooling. I do not force my belief on my kids. My 16 yr old considers herself an atheist and doesn't go to church with me. I applaud you for your efforts to address this in a respectable way lol i can see you trying not to be offensive. And also for allowing your kids to decide on their own
You’re not “too” anything. If you are happy with your beliefs and where you are at, you are just right. Our paths might be different, but that’s ok. How boring would life be if we were all the same?! You are welcome here just as you are. This video was not about excluding anyone. Simply a point of discussion. We can acknowledge and discuss differences while still respecting each other and having common ground.
I often feel that way, too. I would say we're secular-but-not-atheist in our world view. It's rare to find people in the middle of any road, I guess. Sometimes I resonate more with secular content, other times with religious content. Depends largely on subject area and attitude of person presenting their views. ❤
Phew. I love this. Your explanation of agnostic vs theist/atheist viewpoints was very helpful and has helped me to be able to "label" myself as an agnostic theist, but we do secular homeschooling with no religious influence. I also practice green witchcraft, and living in the dead center of the Bible belt in Kansas leaves me VERY isolated. I teach my kids a lot about nature, respecting it, and what you can do with it... and that doesn't go over well with people. It's hard to be surrounded by people who claim to be open/loving/joyous, but who are only open-minded as long as you don't challenge them. All that babbling to say that I appreciate you and am looking forward to subscribing and watching more of your content. 💚
We are agnostic secular homeschoolers but I have been put off by secular Facebook groups because of the curriculum police. Someone was looking for a curriculum, I suggested a popular reading program that has ZERO religious content and I was lambasted because that group said it wasn't secular because the author has stated they are Christian. I questioned whether they knew the beliefs of every author of curriculum they recommended and man did that stir up a hornets nest. In the end I left the group because I don't need someone telling me if a curriculum is secular enough for me. Finding a community is hard
Oh man! That does not sound helpful or supportive. How silly to judge a curriculum like that. There are some really great SECULAR curricula out there that even have Christian publishers. I think it’s all about the content of each item. It would be a shame to overlook or refuse to use something that was great for us just because of a stupid standard like that 😜
I have also left secular groups for this reason. Also, I’m atheists, but the only thing that matched our needs (ironically) was a religious unit study program and I was definitely attacked for our choice. However, there wasn’t a secular option that worked for us… 🤯. Sometimes you just have to make it work.
Great conversation! We are a growing group of secular homeschoolers that totally understand the push and pull of the old way most homeschoolers were. Homeschooling is just life - and giving our kids the freedom to choose what they want to learn and how they want to live is everything.
Community has been tough to build, but it’s happening slowly. I left a high control religion, leaving me with no community. I am always actively looking for a place where we feel balance and comfort. Awesome video and topics! Love your content 🫶🏽
I consider us to be secular homeschoolers, despite the fact that we are a Pagan household. In our opinion paganism is more of a lifestyle than a religion - there is no governing organization, no buildings of worship (the earth and nature is where and what we worship), no sacred texts, no doctrine etc. We use all secular curriculum, however each morning we talk about the moon phase etc. which again, we feel is just honouring the earth, not a part of religious practices. I totally see your points for us not being considered secular though!
You’ve brought up another perspective that I hadn’t considered. Thank you. I typically think of religious as being theistic, whether that is singular or plural. “Belief” systems such as paganism or Buddhism, which are not necessarily about a god or gods: I think of as more like life philosophies. I would consider both secular.
So, I feel like it’s worth mentioning that 99% of “religious” homeschoolers/curricula are Christian of some flavor or another. We use mostly secular curricula because we are absolutely not Christian, and I have some basic issues (like you) with teaching most subjects through the lens of Christianity. We are UU pagan atheist/agnostics (we are a diverse family and we all have our own beliefs!). We don’t believe in an abrahamic god figure, and we don’t read/use any biblical material in our household. Some of us do attend a (UU, non-credal) church. I’m passionate about giving my kids an education that includes a religious education-our church uses a wide array of religious traditions and materials with the aim of educating people and allowing them to make choices for themselves regarding their beliefs. We do have a church community, but it is not Christian, not wholly theistic, non dogmatic, and non evangelical (no one’s trying to convert anyone). We have humanists, Buddhists, pagans, Christians, atheists, and many agnostics within our congregation. Just worth mentioning that there are other options out there for people who are not Christians. I think the best way to protect your kids from being evangelized, by Christians or others, is to educate them, so good for you for making that happen with your younger kiddos. I don’t think you can blame yourself for your adult daughter’s choices-she’s exploring, which is very normal as a young adult! She’ll find her own way. I do have a question: if you are agnostic, why do you assume that people within a system of faith “don’t know if god exists”? To play devils advocate, so to speak: can you truly say that you know their personal experience? I would argue that none of us can know what another person experiences of faith/divine/“god”, so it’s best to just speak for ourselves. But this is a very UU perspective, so feel free to disagree. 😅
@m.appleton9956 to answer your question: I know people can believe deeply that God is a fact. However, there’s no way to prove this. There is a difference between belief/personal experience and fact. Telling ourselves something and/or believing it deeply does not make it a fact. Facts don’t care about feelings.
I had some children try to “save” my children at a get together. I shut it down quickly but I was shocked at how forward they were. We also live in a really religious area. (West Texas) I grew up in a military family and married a military man who also grew up in a military family and neither of us have ever lived anywhere this extreme where religion is concerned. Particularly the Southern Baptist faith.
Sometimes people can be very “aggressively” religious. ☹️ My older homeschooler has had the same experience and that is exactly why she refuses any invites to church related activities.
So interesting. Totally makes sense! I'm a pretty devout Christian but our little is around people from a wide variety of belief systems regularly. In a given week he has playdates with Hindus, Jains, Iraqi Muslim refugy who don't speak English... And several more groups. It's so fun! Thanks for this!
I’m so grateful I found this video. My oldest is going to start preschool next year. I had her signed up for a Christian preschool. But we are not religious at all, but I also don’t want her getting exposed to some of the newer progressive sexual identity type education they are now teaching in public schools either and confusing her. So I feel stuck. I just don’t want her indoctrinated period, by both religion and the newer progressive ideology. But I feel totally alone because literally everyone in my small town is religious. I don’t have any connections, I didn’t know secular homeschooling was an option. I’ll keep watching more of your videos to hopefully get some pointers, I’m in the super beginning stages of all this. You took the words right out of my mouth about church’s/friends pulling you in, another fear of mine letting my daughter join a Christian preschool. I want to just focus on eduction, and having a good morals simply because it’s the right thing to do… ? 🧐
Thanks for this video, I am sure it will be taken incorrectly by some folks, but as a secular homeschooler I think its so important that we are able to speak up too - so thank you for putting yourself out there, for all of us! I love your comment on participating in society better when we educate about all religions and cultures and not have significant bias by teaching religious integrated curriculum.
From a secular homeschool household that also practices religion: I feel really aligned to a secular homeschool education style to give my kids space to learn content without a religious lens (too many curricula will actively edit history and science for a religious reason which is icky to me) Then we practice our faith in a way that shares our adult beliefs with our kids without forcing their beliefs. If my kids were in a public school, they wouldn’t necessarily have a singular faith pressed on them everyday and we try to emanate that in our home education. I feel like my approach is definitely not typical but I would say it is very intentional. Hope that might explain just one perspective of a secular home education within a religious household. 🤗 love this conversation glad to hear everyone’s thoughts.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. I always wondered why certain RUclipsrs (I can think of one) call themselves Christian secular homeschoolers. That isn't what one expects to hear when tuning in to a "secular homeschool" channel. As a person who is, to be honest, a DEVOUT atheist, I consider it a "bait and switch", and it bothers me. Also, as a homeschooler who lives in the Deep South, people do make assumptions. 1. That because I homeschool, I'm a Christian, and 2. When I correct them, they immediately then assume that I'm a liberal. Like you, I'm very conservative, and by keeping my children home I'm protecting them from religious influence from Christian teachers and classmates, amd simultaneously from the liberal influences of the left. All that to say, when I'm looking for homeschool material recommendations, I prefer to be "influenced" by like minded people.
It is nice to connect with likeminded people! I think we all crave that. Not to say I don’t value and appreciate voices with different perspectives - I absolutely do. It’s important to have both. Nobody wants to feel isolated in the world just as it’s important not to isolate oneself from others. I appreciate that you are here and participating in the conversation ❤️ I think as secular “conservatives” we are limited in numbers.
So glad you shared your views on this. I agree 100% with everything you said. I grew up very involved with the church and they were always very open to telling everyone that the parties, youth groups, and other events were to bring in children. They offered transportation to help the kids get to church for service and events. We are a secular home with no religious influence only religious education. My kids will learn many religious and they will know the trauma caused by religions.
So glad I found your channel. Agnostic atheist deconstructing Mormonism...It's a doozy XD Homeschool community here is very conservative/Christian-heavy and it's difficult to feel a part of the community.
Just a few days ago I was looking for secular homeschool content here on YT and came across a video labeled as secular, but promoting a mix of secular and religious curriculum. And it was because the person was a religious person who chooses to use 'mostly' secular curriculum. What really bothered me was that they didn't identify which were religious and which were secular; I knew, but newer homeschoolers might not. I appreciate your perspective!
You are the first youtuber and homeschooler that I've found that has the same views on religion that I have. I'm so comforted to know I'm not completely alone lol. I was homeschooled and raised Christain, but did not have a good experience within the religion. My entire family is christain, and most homeschool their kids as well, but they do it SO differently that it's hard to relate. I walked in on them at Easter dinner talking about my kids and hoping they see them when they go to heaven... how awkward. It brings up a lot of feelings for me, because on the one hand, my kids cousins are their closest and most accessible friends. But on the other hand, I worry they tell my kids they're going to hell, or need to get saved or believe in God. I don't want my kids being indoctrinated by all that stuff that caused me so much trauma growing up. We do talk about religion in our schooling, but in a very generalized way, and I try to let them make up their own mind. I don't tell them what to believe. It's so hard to find like-minded parents, and therefore hard to find community in this lifestyle. Glad to have found your channel. 😊
We started homecoming for reasons that have nothing to do with religion, even when i identified as religious. I've since deconverted and deconstructed, but casual attendance at church is still a part of our lives due to the preferences of two out of four of us. I've has to transition away from Scripture memory practice, for instance, to reading the DaoDeJing daily. From rote prayers to sitting meditation. We've always discussed matters of spirituality and been open with different beliefs. My main concerns with Christian curricula are young Earth science, biased pro-Christendom history, excessive scripture verses that do not resonate with me (i do still find value in some quotes, on par with other poetry, famous sayings, etc). But i don't like to dump the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. I'm very much still spiritual and love to ponder the unknown. I believe in mystery, etc. But when we discuss logic and critical thinking, we talk about the dangers of blind faith and how religion has a tendency of indoctrinating people, why people may believe what they believe, and how ultimately we don't know so if they come to believe something i don't, that's ok too.
I agree with you mostly and our home is secular but I think families can separate their schooling and religious education in their home. I look as religion more as stories from history and not absolute truth. We talk about it in that way and study different religions as how different groups of people believe.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Maybe the idea of education being “separate” is the reason why people think of it differently. For us education is all encompassing.
I agree with your stances on the subject. We live in a city that offers plenty of homeschool groups. However, most are overtly religious or casually so. Even casual mentions of our being non religious have been met with judgment. It's been a bit tricky in that regard with socializing. Many years ago, I discovered a company called Timberdoodle (silly name, but thoughtfully designed curricula set up). They do not produce their own resources but pull various reputable curricula together. They offer religious or secular packages, and customer service is phenomenal.
@HomeschoolHappyHour I used them for kindergarten with my eldest. It was great, but I sought other options and, for a while, put our own things together. We also used Bookshark for a couple of years. I love their literature based sources, but my children became overwhelmed by all of the readings. I've just unboxed 2nd, 5th, and 7th grade Timberdoodle "complete packages," and my daughters are excited to start our new year. *I recently rebooted our school year, and we take the bulk of our break during the end of year holidays, and we start our new school year with the new year.
Such an interesting topic. I'm new to the homeschool world Progressive Christianity is totally different than being a liberal. The politics are separate from the theology, though they often correlate I would assume secular homeschool in a Christian family would be the philosophy of education rather than Biblical. It kinda makes sense. As Americans we separate parts of life more than other places. I kinda grew up keeping education separate from church. It seems very possible. Going to church and claiming Christianity does not make someone Christian (I grew up going to church and by parents who claimed to be Christian but looking back, I absolutely did not grow up in a Christian home... It's an interesting difference but it's very real and maybe not understood) Listening to the second half now.
Are you in the foothills of Denver Metro? We have a cross entering the mountains. If you are, have you found and secular communities you can recommend? Thanks!
I would say, quite humbly, that there are spiritual experiences you may not have had. Once you have them you do know there is a Creator although you may well not become religious because of it. And whether you have them or not, we all just need to love one another and tolerate other perspectives.
What drives me nuts are the religious homeschoolers that are very popular on social media that like to say/post things about Jesus being the only way to save you or you go to Hell etc. As a former Roman Catholic, I find them very exclusionary and judgemental towards people whose beliefs don't line up with theirs. I know I was always taught acceptance and love and kindness to all humans regardless of religious beliefs while attending Catholic school. I have seen a BJU science video where the teacher goes on crazy tangents about how "secular" science is wrong and we are basically crazy to not believe in young earth. And that "we" are the problem and won't be saved. So crazy! I actually had Jehovas Witnesses come to my door today and I just kindly said I wasn't interested in their materials but appreciated their taking the time to come speak with me-no need to be mean. I am so far the opposite of liberal lol!!
Kindness is so important! The attitude of “better than” or “more important/deserving than” that is pervasive in so many churches is mind boggling. The fact that some individuals go along with and even promote this without blinking an eye bothers me to no end. There are people that I disagree with and sometimes will say are flat out wrong in their thinking, but I know that at the end of the day that is simply my opinion and I have no more or less right to an opinion than anyone else.
I totally see what you're saying. Education is life. We teach our kids (good and bad) 24 hrs a day. Homeschool is so much more than our curriculum. It is interesting the most homeschool groups are religious. I do think it's easier to find community in faith based families, but not always a given. Especially post-2020. Real face to face relationships have been changed across the board since then. While I agree with a lot of what you have to say, I would be careful with the word "manipulate." Only because that's true for every worldview, including secularization.
Yes- I was cautious with that particular word, and it can potentially apply to any group with an intent to alter people’s world view. Unfortunately, based on my personal experiences as well as observations of history, organized religion definitely “makes the podium” in this area. Please note that I am talking about the organization as opposed to any particular individual. Just like I believe the public school system has major problems, I hold a lot of respect for the individual teachers and staff members that serve our community’s children. Of course individuals can be manipulative, in this case I consider the individuals to have been manipulated by the system. Does that make sense?
I wouldn’t even call ourselves secuela homeschoolers. We’re raging atheists & we teach religion as mythology. All of them are mythologies to us and that’s how we teach it bc that’s what we believe. I was taken to a church at 7yo by my Baptist aunt & really quickly understood I didn’t belong there. They made me feel like I didn’t belong at 7 lol so I told my parents I didn’t wanna go again. That was my very short relationship with religion & because I already know at 7yo what mythology was, I quickly understood 2+2 😅
Also feels like if the curriculum is not religious and conservative then it's secular and progressive...😮💨 Why does it seem like everything opperates in extremes lol.
I have deconstructed to become an agnostic myself. I will say, even when heavy in my faith, i planned to use a secular curriculum because i didn't believe young earth and creationist theory.
I definitely agree that there is a difference between secular homeschoolers and homeschoolers who use secular materials. The first group would be secular people using secular materials and the second are religious people who use secular materials. I'll admit it is basically always my assumption that secular equals progressive, so I imagine secular conservatives like yourself have another hurdle there in finding material you feel is appropriate.
They are secular because they don't teach it in their education. They embrace it outside of educational hours and outside of educational days. When teaching school related subjects and enrichment, instead of Noahs ark had 2 of each animal math...they INSTEAD have Sally went to the store and bough five fish type math. Like our school system, lots of faiths reside in the school but the teaching is secular. I always felt secular was teaching subjects without the influence or trace what so ever, of religion . So if they have 0 influence in their day-to-day, educational books and educational materials, then that is considered secular homeschooling. Im an agnostic atheist too.
I see what you’re saying and I’ve heard it before. There’s nothing WRONG with that perspective, it’s just very much a public school mindset. Homeschooling is not what we teach at a desk or within certain hours. It is learning through life. Just as a Christian family would not call themselves secular just because their kids attend public school, a homeschooling family is not secular just because they use secular materials. JMO though.
@HomeschoolHappyHour I definitely see your point. I think I see it the way that I do because that's how I was introduced to secular. It's easier for my brain to Departmentalize it because I had no idea what secular was when I first started homeschooling, I didn't know non-religious stuff existed. I found the religious but "secular" people before I found you, which was also secular and related the same materials on your channel as the others did. Everything you're saying is spot on, and I learn a lot through your videos. One of the reasons I enjoy your channel is because you don"t attack anyone, AND you dig deeper into the meaning of the homeschooling, world around us, and I appreciate you.
Were Christians but use Secular materials. I believe the Bible is more myth. So I don’t teach it as fact. I teach science and history facts and research. I usually nod along agreeing with most of your videos but I think this one is a bit of stretch and just aims to be exclusionary and feels a little pointless? Your area makes you probably feel like this more. We have tons of secular groups and homeschoolers here.
If it feels pointless to you, maybe it’s just not what you’re looking for at the moment. That’s ok. It’s certainly not exclusionary, just a point of discussion that I found interesting and thought would be nice to address. It sounds like you are comfortable with your views and the area that you live in has plenty of support and options. That’s awesome.
I love this. We are an Athiest homeschool family and feel very isolated in the Texas Bible belt. Thank you for putting this out there. ❤
As someone who was raised without religion, I look back on my childhood and think one of the best things my mom did was support me in exploring religion as a child. I went to public school and became friends with religious kids, and my mom let me attend youth groups and other church events growing up and was very open and accepting, she didn't try to influence me one way or another, but just let me explore it on my own and come to my own conclusions. And I think because of this, I had the experience and space to figure out what I believed, at a relatively early age.
I’m glad that worked for you. I agree with freedom to explore, but not without influence. If we do not influence and educate our children, someone else will. Churches thrive on their ability to convert people to their beliefs. Many of them will do so relentlessly and if our children are not aware and equipped to deal with this they can easily be manipulated. If my kids choose religion as adults that is fine, so long as they do so with eyes wide open and the ability to think critically.
@@HomeschoolHappyHour I completely agree with you, don't get me wrong. Equipping your children with the critical thinking skills to make an educated decision is the most important thing. Sorry if I didn't get that across in my comment. I'm just saying I had the awareness to see through the manipulation tactics on my own.
I'm catholic and I use secular curriculum. There's no religious influence on my schooling. I do not force my belief on my kids. My 16 yr old considers herself an atheist and doesn't go to church with me. I applaud you for your efforts to address this in a respectable way lol i can see you trying not to be offensive. And also for allowing your kids to decide on their own
Once again I realize that I am too secular for religious homeschoolers and too religious for secular homeschoolers.
You’re not “too” anything. If you are happy with your beliefs and where you are at, you are just right. Our paths might be different, but that’s ok. How boring would life be if we were all the same?! You are welcome here just as you are. This video was not about excluding anyone. Simply a point of discussion. We can acknowledge and discuss differences while still respecting each other and having common ground.
I often feel that way, too. I would say we're secular-but-not-atheist in our world view. It's rare to find people in the middle of any road, I guess. Sometimes I resonate more with secular content, other times with religious content. Depends largely on subject area and attitude of person presenting their views. ❤
Phew. I love this. Your explanation of agnostic vs theist/atheist viewpoints was very helpful and has helped me to be able to "label" myself as an agnostic theist, but we do secular homeschooling with no religious influence. I also practice green witchcraft, and living in the dead center of the Bible belt in Kansas leaves me VERY isolated. I teach my kids a lot about nature, respecting it, and what you can do with it... and that doesn't go over well with people. It's hard to be surrounded by people who claim to be open/loving/joyous, but who are only open-minded as long as you don't challenge them. All that babbling to say that I appreciate you and am looking forward to subscribing and watching more of your content. 💚
Welcome!
We are agnostic secular homeschoolers but I have been put off by secular Facebook groups because of the curriculum police. Someone was looking for a curriculum, I suggested a popular reading program that has ZERO religious content and I was lambasted because that group said it wasn't secular because the author has stated they are Christian. I questioned whether they knew the beliefs of every author of curriculum they recommended and man did that stir up a hornets nest. In the end I left the group because I don't need someone telling me if a curriculum is secular enough for me. Finding a community is hard
Oh man! That does not sound helpful or supportive. How silly to judge a curriculum like that. There are some really great SECULAR curricula out there that even have Christian publishers. I think it’s all about the content of each item. It would be a shame to overlook or refuse to use something that was great for us just because of a stupid standard like that 😜
I have also left secular groups for this reason. Also, I’m atheists, but the only thing that matched our needs (ironically) was a religious unit study program and I was definitely attacked for our choice. However, there wasn’t a secular option that worked for us… 🤯. Sometimes you just have to make it work.
@@karlyw.b.4125 My goodness 😳
Great conversation! We are a growing group of secular homeschoolers that totally understand the push and pull of the old way most homeschoolers were. Homeschooling is just life - and giving our kids the freedom to choose what they want to learn and how they want to live is everything.
Yes!!
Community has been tough to build, but it’s happening slowly. I left a high control religion, leaving me with no community. I am always actively looking for a place where we feel balance and comfort. Awesome video and topics! Love your content 🫶🏽
Thank you for watching and for sharing! Changes to our community are HARD. I hope you find the community and support you seek.
I consider us to be secular homeschoolers, despite the fact that we are a Pagan household. In our opinion paganism is more of a lifestyle than a religion - there is no governing organization, no buildings of worship (the earth and nature is where and what we worship), no sacred texts, no doctrine etc. We use all secular curriculum, however each morning we talk about the moon phase etc. which again, we feel is just honouring the earth, not a part of religious practices. I totally see your points for us not being considered secular though!
You’ve brought up another perspective that I hadn’t considered. Thank you. I typically think of religious as being theistic, whether that is singular or plural. “Belief” systems such as paganism or Buddhism, which are not necessarily about a god or gods: I think of as more like life philosophies. I would consider both secular.
@@HomeschoolHappyHour Philosophy was definitely the word I was looking for, not lifestyle. 😂
So, I feel like it’s worth mentioning that 99% of “religious” homeschoolers/curricula are Christian of some flavor or another. We use mostly secular curricula because we are absolutely not Christian, and I have some basic issues (like you) with teaching most subjects through the lens of Christianity.
We are UU pagan atheist/agnostics (we are a diverse family and we all have our own beliefs!). We don’t believe in an abrahamic god figure, and we don’t read/use any biblical material in our household. Some of us do attend a (UU, non-credal) church. I’m passionate about giving my kids an education that includes a religious education-our church uses a wide array of religious traditions and materials with the aim of educating people and allowing them to make choices for themselves regarding their beliefs.
We do have a church community, but it is not Christian, not wholly theistic, non dogmatic, and non evangelical (no one’s trying to convert anyone). We have humanists, Buddhists, pagans, Christians, atheists, and many agnostics within our congregation. Just worth mentioning that there are other options out there for people who are not Christians.
I think the best way to protect your kids from being evangelized, by Christians or others, is to educate them, so good for you for making that happen with your younger kiddos. I don’t think you can blame yourself for your adult daughter’s choices-she’s exploring, which is very normal as a young adult! She’ll find her own way.
I do have a question: if you are agnostic, why do you assume that people within a system of faith “don’t know if god exists”? To play devils advocate, so to speak: can you truly say that you know their personal experience? I would argue that none of us can know what another person experiences of faith/divine/“god”, so it’s best to just speak for ourselves. But this is a very UU perspective, so feel free to disagree. 😅
@m.appleton9956 to answer your question: I know people can believe deeply that God is a fact. However, there’s no way to prove this. There is a difference between belief/personal experience and fact. Telling ourselves something and/or believing it deeply does not make it a fact. Facts don’t care about feelings.
I had some children try to “save” my children at a get together. I shut it down quickly but I was shocked at how forward they were. We also live in a really religious area. (West Texas) I grew up in a military family and married a military man who also grew up in a military family and neither of us have ever lived anywhere this extreme where religion is concerned. Particularly the Southern Baptist faith.
Sometimes people can be very “aggressively” religious. ☹️ My older homeschooler has had the same experience and that is exactly why she refuses any invites to church related activities.
So interesting. Totally makes sense!
I'm a pretty devout Christian but our little is around people from a wide variety of belief systems regularly. In a given week he has playdates with Hindus, Jains, Iraqi Muslim refugy who don't speak English... And several more groups. It's so fun!
Thanks for this!
Thank you for this!! I completely agree. We are only in our 2nd year homeschooling and it can be hard to homeschool without religious content.
I’m so grateful I found this video. My oldest is going to start preschool next year. I had her signed up for a Christian preschool. But we are not religious at all, but I also don’t want her getting exposed to some of the newer progressive sexual identity type education they are now teaching in public schools either and confusing her. So I feel stuck. I just don’t want her indoctrinated period, by both religion and the newer progressive ideology. But I feel totally alone because literally everyone in my small town is religious. I don’t have any connections, I didn’t know secular homeschooling was an option. I’ll keep watching more of your videos to hopefully get some pointers, I’m in the super beginning stages of all this. You took the words right out of my mouth about church’s/friends pulling you in, another fear of mine letting my daughter join a Christian preschool. I want to just focus on eduction, and having a good morals simply because it’s the right thing to do… ? 🧐
It’s challenging to avoid indoctrination from both sides, but being aware helps. Good luck to you and your family ❤️
Thanks for this video, I am sure it will be taken incorrectly by some folks, but as a secular homeschooler I think its so important that we are able to speak up too - so thank you for putting yourself out there, for all of us!
I love your comment on participating in society better when we educate about all religions and cultures and not have significant bias by teaching religious integrated curriculum.
Thank you. I believe open discussion is always a benefit. At this point I just have to accept that not everyone agrees with me on that and that’s ok.
From a secular homeschool household that also practices religion: I feel really aligned to a secular homeschool education style to give my kids space to learn content without a religious lens (too many curricula will actively edit history and science for a religious reason which is icky to me) Then we practice our faith in a way that shares our adult beliefs with our kids without forcing their beliefs. If my kids were in a public school, they wouldn’t necessarily have a singular faith pressed on them everyday and we try to emanate that in our home education. I feel like my approach is definitely not typical but I would say it is very intentional. Hope that might explain just one perspective of a secular home education within a religious household. 🤗 love this conversation glad to hear everyone’s thoughts.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. I always wondered why certain RUclipsrs (I can think of one) call themselves Christian secular homeschoolers. That isn't what one expects to hear when tuning in to a "secular homeschool" channel. As a person who is, to be honest, a DEVOUT atheist, I consider it a "bait and switch", and it bothers me. Also, as a homeschooler who lives in the Deep South, people do make assumptions. 1. That because I homeschool, I'm a Christian, and 2. When I correct them, they immediately then assume that I'm a liberal. Like you, I'm very conservative, and by keeping my children home I'm protecting them from religious influence from Christian teachers and classmates, amd simultaneously from the liberal influences of the left. All that to say, when I'm looking for homeschool material recommendations, I prefer to be "influenced" by like minded people.
It is nice to connect with likeminded people! I think we all crave that. Not to say I don’t value and appreciate voices with different perspectives - I absolutely do. It’s important to have both. Nobody wants to feel isolated in the world just as it’s important not to isolate oneself from others. I appreciate that you are here and participating in the conversation ❤️ I think as secular “conservatives” we are limited in numbers.
Thank you for this! Well said and describes my family and our struggles perfectly!
I’m so glad you can relate❤️
So glad you shared your views on this. I agree 100% with everything you said. I grew up very involved with the church and they were always very open to telling everyone that the parties, youth groups, and other events were to bring in children. They offered transportation to help the kids get to church for service and events. We are a secular home with no religious influence only religious education. My kids will learn many religious and they will know the trauma caused by religions.
So glad I found your channel. Agnostic atheist deconstructing Mormonism...It's a doozy XD Homeschool community here is very conservative/Christian-heavy and it's difficult to feel a part of the community.
Just a few days ago I was looking for secular homeschool content here on YT and came across a video labeled as secular, but promoting a mix of secular and religious curriculum. And it was because the person was a religious person who chooses to use 'mostly' secular curriculum. What really bothered me was that they didn't identify which were religious and which were secular; I knew, but newer homeschoolers might not. I appreciate your perspective!
Yay!!! I am so glad to find this channel!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤
Welcome!
You are the first youtuber and homeschooler that I've found that has the same views on religion that I have. I'm so comforted to know I'm not completely alone lol. I was homeschooled and raised Christain, but did not have a good experience within the religion. My entire family is christain, and most homeschool their kids as well, but they do it SO differently that it's hard to relate. I walked in on them at Easter dinner talking about my kids and hoping they see them when they go to heaven... how awkward. It brings up a lot of feelings for me, because on the one hand, my kids cousins are their closest and most accessible friends. But on the other hand, I worry they tell my kids they're going to hell, or need to get saved or believe in God. I don't want my kids being indoctrinated by all that stuff that caused me so much trauma growing up. We do talk about religion in our schooling, but in a very generalized way, and I try to let them make up their own mind. I don't tell them what to believe. It's so hard to find like-minded parents, and therefore hard to find community in this lifestyle. Glad to have found your channel. 😊
Happy to have you here ❤️
We started homecoming for reasons that have nothing to do with religion, even when i identified as religious. I've since deconverted and deconstructed, but casual attendance at church is still a part of our lives due to the preferences of two out of four of us. I've has to transition away from Scripture memory practice, for instance, to reading the DaoDeJing daily. From rote prayers to sitting meditation. We've always discussed matters of spirituality and been open with different beliefs. My main concerns with Christian curricula are young Earth science, biased pro-Christendom history, excessive scripture verses that do not resonate with me (i do still find value in some quotes, on par with other poetry, famous sayings, etc). But i don't like to dump the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. I'm very much still spiritual and love to ponder the unknown. I believe in mystery, etc. But when we discuss logic and critical thinking, we talk about the dangers of blind faith and how religion has a tendency of indoctrinating people, why people may believe what they believe, and how ultimately we don't know so if they come to believe something i don't, that's ok too.
I agree with you mostly and our home is secular but I think families can separate their schooling and religious education in their home. I look as religion more as stories from history and not absolute truth. We talk about it in that way and study different religions as how different groups of people believe.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Maybe the idea of education being “separate” is the reason why people think of it differently. For us education is all encompassing.
I agree with your stances on the subject. We live in a city that offers plenty of homeschool groups. However, most are overtly religious or casually so. Even casual mentions of our being non religious have been met with judgment. It's been a bit tricky in that regard with socializing. Many years ago, I discovered a company called Timberdoodle (silly name, but thoughtfully designed curricula set up). They do not produce their own resources but pull various reputable curricula together. They offer religious or secular packages, and customer service is phenomenal.
I have heard of Timberdoodle. They seem pretty popular in the homeschool world, but I’ve never seriously investigated them.
@HomeschoolHappyHour I used them for kindergarten with my eldest. It was great, but I sought other options and, for a while, put our own things together. We also used Bookshark for a couple of years. I love their literature based sources, but my children became overwhelmed by all of the readings. I've just unboxed 2nd, 5th, and 7th grade Timberdoodle "complete packages," and my daughters are excited to start our new year. *I recently rebooted our school year, and we take the bulk of our break during the end of year holidays, and we start our new school year with the new year.
Such an interesting topic. I'm new to the homeschool world
Progressive Christianity is totally different than being a liberal. The politics are separate from the theology, though they often correlate
I would assume secular homeschool in a Christian family would be the philosophy of education rather than Biblical. It kinda makes sense. As Americans we separate parts of life more than other places. I kinda grew up keeping education separate from church. It seems very possible. Going to church and claiming Christianity does not make someone Christian (I grew up going to church and by parents who claimed to be Christian but looking back, I absolutely did not grow up in a Christian home... It's an interesting difference but it's very real and maybe not understood)
Listening to the second half now.
I'm new here, and thank you so much for this. I hope you have a lovely day!
You too!
Are you in the foothills of Denver Metro? We have a cross entering the mountains. If you are, have you found and secular communities you can recommend? Thanks!
Unfortunately, I can’t help. I’m in WA state.
I would say, quite humbly, that there are spiritual experiences you may not have had. Once you have them you do know there is a Creator although you may well not become religious because of it. And whether you have them or not, we all just need to love one another and tolerate other perspectives.
What drives me nuts are the religious homeschoolers that are very popular on social media that like to say/post things about Jesus being the only way to save you or you go to Hell etc. As a former Roman Catholic, I find them very exclusionary and judgemental towards people whose beliefs don't line up with theirs. I know I was always taught acceptance and love and kindness to all humans regardless of religious beliefs while attending Catholic school. I have seen a BJU science video where the teacher goes on crazy tangents about how "secular" science is wrong and we are basically crazy to not believe in young earth. And that "we" are the problem and won't be saved. So crazy! I actually had Jehovas Witnesses come to my door today and I just kindly said I wasn't interested in their materials but appreciated their taking the time to come speak with me-no need to be mean. I am so far the opposite of liberal lol!!
Kindness is so important! The attitude of “better than” or “more important/deserving than” that is pervasive in so many churches is mind boggling. The fact that some individuals go along with and even promote this without blinking an eye bothers me to no end. There are people that I disagree with and sometimes will say are flat out wrong in their thinking, but I know that at the end of the day that is simply my opinion and I have no more or less right to an opinion than anyone else.
I totally see what you're saying. Education is life. We teach our kids (good and bad) 24 hrs a day. Homeschool is so much more than our curriculum. It is interesting the most homeschool groups are religious. I do think it's easier to find community in faith based families, but not always a given. Especially post-2020. Real face to face relationships have been changed across the board since then. While I agree with a lot of what you have to say, I would be careful with the word "manipulate." Only because that's true for every worldview, including secularization.
Yes- I was cautious with that particular word, and it can potentially apply to any group with an intent to alter people’s world view. Unfortunately, based on my personal experiences as well as observations of history, organized religion definitely “makes the podium” in this area. Please note that I am talking about the organization as opposed to any particular individual. Just like I believe the public school system has major problems, I hold a lot of respect for the individual teachers and staff members that serve our community’s children. Of course individuals can be manipulative, in this case I consider the individuals to have been manipulated by the system. Does that make sense?
I am si goas I cane across your page! Thanks for sharing!
I wouldn’t even call ourselves secuela homeschoolers. We’re raging atheists & we teach religion as mythology. All of them are mythologies to us and that’s how we teach it bc that’s what we believe. I was taken to a church at 7yo by my Baptist aunt & really quickly understood I didn’t belong there. They made me feel like I didn’t belong at 7 lol so I told my parents I didn’t wanna go again. That was my very short relationship with religion & because I already know at 7yo what mythology was, I quickly understood 2+2 😅
Also feels like if the curriculum is not religious and conservative then it's secular and progressive...😮💨 Why does it seem like everything opperates in extremes lol.
I have deconstructed to become an agnostic myself. I will say, even when heavy in my faith, i planned to use a secular curriculum because i didn't believe young earth and creationist theory.
I definitely agree that there is a difference between secular homeschoolers and homeschoolers who use secular materials. The first group would be secular people using secular materials and the second are religious people who use secular materials. I'll admit it is basically always my assumption that secular equals progressive, so I imagine secular conservatives like yourself have another hurdle there in finding material you feel is appropriate.
We definitely do 😜
They are secular because they don't teach it in their education. They embrace it outside of educational hours and outside of educational days. When teaching school related subjects and enrichment, instead of Noahs ark had 2 of each animal math...they INSTEAD have Sally went to the store and bough five fish type math. Like our school system, lots of faiths reside in the school but the teaching is secular. I always felt secular was teaching subjects without the influence or trace what so ever, of religion . So if they have 0 influence in their day-to-day, educational books and educational materials, then that is considered secular homeschooling. Im an agnostic atheist too.
I see what you’re saying and I’ve heard it before. There’s nothing WRONG with that perspective, it’s just very much a public school mindset. Homeschooling is not what we teach at a desk or within certain hours. It is learning through life. Just as a Christian family would not call themselves secular just because their kids attend public school, a homeschooling family is not secular just because they use secular materials. JMO though.
@HomeschoolHappyHour I definitely see your point. I think I see it the way that I do because that's how I was introduced to secular. It's easier for my brain to Departmentalize it because I had no idea what secular was when I first started homeschooling, I didn't know non-religious stuff existed. I found the religious but "secular" people before I found you, which was also secular and related the same materials on your channel as the others did. Everything you're saying is spot on, and I learn a lot through your videos. One of the reasons I enjoy your channel is because you don"t attack anyone, AND you dig deeper into the meaning of the homeschooling, world around us, and I appreciate you.
Yes !!! And this is perfectly fine.
What? Those crazy admins in those secular Facebook groups aren’t the official judges 😂😂 😂
Well I'm Christian but I don't raise my kids Christian and we don't have a religious influence in our life and school. JUST me
May I ask, how do you practice your religion without influencing your children? No judgement or assumption! Serious question.
Were Christians but use Secular materials. I believe the Bible is more myth. So I don’t teach it as fact. I teach science and history facts and research. I usually nod along agreeing with most of your videos but I think this one is a bit of stretch and just aims to be exclusionary and feels a little pointless? Your area makes you probably feel like this more. We have tons of secular groups and homeschoolers here.
If it feels pointless to you, maybe it’s just not what you’re looking for at the moment. That’s ok. It’s certainly not exclusionary, just a point of discussion that I found interesting and thought would be nice to address. It sounds like you are comfortable with your views and the area that you live in has plenty of support and options. That’s awesome.