See what I did there with the
title? Clever, right?
A lot of stuff
has been circulating through my life this last week or so. I’ve been a member of a local, real-life,
Secular homeschooling group for almost a year now. I’ve been a member of an online facebook
Secular support group for about the same among of time. When I first began homeschooling, everyone I
met was a religious homeschooler; specifically a Christian homeschooler. I don’t think I was even cognizant of the
term Secular homeschooler. I knew of
course that public school steered clear of, or was legally required to anyway,
religious instruction, curriculum, etc.
I wanted that in our homeschooling experience and so I avoided using
religious curriculum. I graduated from a
religious private school and I still remember show skewed the history and
science books were. {shudder}
Other than
searching for non-religious homeschooling supplies, curriculum, resources, I
didn’t think there was any ‘secular’ support for homeschoolers. Or at least, I didn’t think I’d ever meet
anyone like that. For the first part of
our homeschooling year we fluttered and faltered in and around the Christian
groups. I did not like having to sign
Statements of Faith. We found one group
whose SoF was their declaration of beliefs and by signing you were agreeing to
not advocate against it. I settled for
that. It was the best I could find where
we live and we did meet some great people in that group – some that I’m still
friends with today. However, it
ultimately didn’t work out and neither did my attempts to establish an
‘inclusive’ group. The good thing that
came from that though was finding that some secular homeschoolers who had moved
to our area heard of me and that group and while many of the religious
homeschoolers found me ‘distasteful’ and referred to me as a heathen or an
atheist (I might qualify for the first, but not the latter), these new to the
area secular homeschoolers were drawn to the ‘least religious’ thing in town
and therefore…me! It was this group of
folks who formed the Secular homeschool group that I joined after leaving
behind the inclusive group.
As a side note
only – because while I said I had talked myself down from the ledge and so
wouldn’t be ranting – can I just tell you that for all the Christians I met in
the homeschooling community that were convinced I was going to hell, not one
ever expressed concern for me, wanted to pray for me, etc…- they all just
seemed to want to push me closer to the gate, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, once
this secular group was formed I felt FREE.
I can’t even begin to describe what it was like to be among a group of
women who, while all with different personalities, political views, religious
views, etc, were so accepting and welcoming.
The one thing we all have in common is that we don’t want religion put
in our face every day, in every way – including homeschooling. This group has atheists, agnostics, believers
(although they freely admit other believers wouldn’t accept them as believers),
pagans, and ‘other spiritual’. We
discuss all sorts of issues and ideas – educational, political, and even
religious. No one ever agrees 100%, 100%
of the time with 100% of the people and yet we move along as friends. Whether you’ve had this experience or not, if
you label yourself a ‘Secularist’, you know how wonderful it is, or would be,
to find this!
Once I was
with a group of ladies for whom I didn’t have to walk on egg shells, I realized
I felt freer to be me. I don’t mean I
wasn’t being me prior to this, I mean I felt free inside – not having to
constantly be on guard. And that made me
mad. As a society we are hit constantly
with the idea that the religious, no, that’s not right – let’s be honest – the
Christians, are persecuted. (In my
opinion if you want to see persecution of religion watch what happens when a
Jewish homeschooler enters the community or better yet, Muslim homeschoolers
move into the area – even I had to dig deeper and be open to learning and
understanding something that I fully admit the media and current events had
slanted my idea of in a less than positive way.) Now, I’m sure somewhere in the world it’s
true that Christians are persecuted for their beliefs, but it sure as heck
hasn’t been true in the areas I’ve lived for the last 20 years; to be ANYTHING
other than Christian is what brings ridicule and ostracization. Furthermore, to be any type of Christian
other than the ‘right’ type of Christian can bring ridicule as well.
So where’s the
voice for the non-believer, or ‘different’ spiritual believer? Where’s the voice for the secularists in the
homeschooling movement? It may be out
there, here and there, in small little groups like the 12 women in our local
group, but where is the NATIONAL voice?
Article after article is written about homeschooling and the
overwhelming majority speak to the religious homeschoolers – usually Christian,
at times Jewish or Muslim. Don’t get me
wrong, I *understand* that the homeschooling movement was brought to fruition
predominately, if not exclusively, by religious (Christian) homeschoolers. I tip my hat with sincere respect for what
they went through and struggled with to achieve legality of homeschooling. However, once something is deemed a ‘right’
it isn’t just a right for one – it is a right for all. Secularists have as much right as any others
to homeschool and to have a voice and a place in the homeschooling community.
It’s time we
did something about it. I know there is
dissention among secular homeschoolers.
I know they can be as rude and unwelcoming as other types. People get hung up the strangest things and
demand others be just like them. But, it
we want to be a strong, heard presence in the homeschooling world and society,
we have to by-pass those smaller differences and focus on one goal. What goal, you ask? First, we need to clearly define what
secularism is. I propose this
definition:
Secularism
is a principle that involves two basic propositions. The first is the strict
separation of the state from religious institutions. The second is that people
of different religions and beliefs are equal before the law.
Secularism
seeks to ensure and protect freedom of religious belief and practice for all
citizens. Secularism is not about curtailing religious freedoms; it is about
ensuring that the freedoms of thought and conscience apply equally to all
believers and non-believers alike.
Secularism
seeks to defend the absolute freedom of religious and other beliefs, and
protect the right to manifest religious belief insofar as it does not impinge
disproportionately on the rights and freedoms of others. Secularism ensures
that the right of individuals to freedom of religion is always balanced by the
right to be free from
religion.
Secularism
is a framework for ensuring equality throughout society – in politics,
education, the law and elsewhere, for believers and non-believers alike.
So,
how does this work as a goal for Secular homeschoolers?
A
national organization needs to be created, of secular homeschoolers, who
advance certain goals. Let’s call the
organization The National Alliance of Secular Homeschoolers or N.A.S.H.
The National Alliance of Secular Homeschoolers asserts that all homeschoolers are
equal and that no religious or political affiliation should give advantages or
disadvantages between homeschoolers.
Religious believers and non-religious believers have the same rights and
obligations as members of society.
N.A.S.H champions
human rights above discriminatory religious demands. It upholds equality laws
that protect women, LGBT people, and minorities. These equality laws ensure
that non-believers have the same rights as those who identify with a religious
or philosophical belief.
N.A.S.H is not an
atheistic organization. Atheism is a lack
of belief in gods. Secularism does not seek to challenge the tenets of any
particular religion or belief; neither does it seek to impose atheism on
anyone.
The National
Alliance of Secular Homeschoolers works to:
1) Provide a national
framework of structure, support, and connection for those homeschoolers who
identify themselves with secular homeschooling and as a by-product create a
demand for secular curriculum and other materials that cater to homeschoolers,
2) Raise awareness
of homeschooling, as it exists in the Secular community, in society,
3) Provide support
and guidance for current Secular homeschoolers or those interested in Secular
homeschooling.
And because it is
one of my biggest pet peeves I strongly assert that while religious homeschoolers
have the right to express their beliefs publicly, so do those who oppose or
question those beliefs. Religious beliefs, ideas and religious homeschooling
organizations must not be granted privileged protection from the right to
freedom of expression. In a democracy, all ideas and beliefs must be open to
discussion. Individuals have rights, ideas do not.
I strongly believe,
and will work to advance the idea that, just as it should be true in society,
the homeschooling community as a whole has the greatest chance of survival and
growth if it works together to create a community in which all homeschoolers, those
who are religious and those who are not, exist together fairly and peacefully
with equal voice and presence in the advancement of homeschooling.
And that is the
evolution of this particular Secular homeschooler.
~Mari B.
