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Pagan homeschoolers

922 views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  CerridwenLorelei 
#1 ·
I have a discussion coming up in the next month surrounding Pagan homeschoolers
Would any of you be willing to email me at CerridwenLorelei13@yahoogroups.com and give some insight into things such as
how hard/easy it is? have you had a hard time even in open groups?
How hard/easy has it been to network with other Pagan or Pagan Christian blend homeschoolers?
etc
thanks !
 
#2 ·
I tried to email you, but it didn't go through

I don't think that homeschooling is any more difficult
than dealing with the public school system. (At least
this is the case for us, having children with special
needs) I haven't had a hard time, as far as being
Pagan goes. Most of the people that I have met either
don't care (religion never comes up- mine or theirs)
or they have similar beliefs. In our large, secular,
inclusive local group there are several Pagan
families, and there is also a group (both online and
live meetings) for local Pagan homeschoolers. We live
in a metropolitan area of a liberal state, so
networking has been fairly easy for us.
I hope this helps
Khris
 
#3 ·
I'm not a "true" pagan yet (just exploring my path) but I am a member of a Pagan HS group.

The problems that I know of that they have ran into are ....

finding HS groups that would accept them as members (which is why the founder started the group). she joind an inclusive/open group. She held a position in the group (news letter editor) until she mentioned at a meeting that they were not Christian. Next thing she knew they passed a "bylaw" that only Christians could serve positions in the group.

Finding classes that do not have a religious slant to them. Most of the HS stores and large groups are Christian based and any classed they offer usually use Christain based materials.

It is getting easier to find material for most subjects that is not Christian based but it isn't always the case. For example I can not find a GA history course that is not religious based. We ended up buying switched on school house and dropping about 1/3 of the asignments because they were on christain religions.

As for the benifits

Not exposing their children to the predjuduce they would suffer in schools (we are in the Bible belt)

Being able to experience filed trips (Renaissance fairs, Indian festivals etc), books (Harry Potter etc) that many "christian" parents would oppose in PS
 
#4 ·
Hi chickie! I hope this info helps your group...
My original HS support group developed naturally, as my close friends were homeschoolers, too. There was never a religious issue, because we were already friends and had dealt with our differences early on. Joining a larger group for activities, I did notice a chasm between the Fundy Xians and non-religious folk. (mostly over issues like Pokemon and Harry Potter
: )Even then, it wasn't a HUGE issue, we all let our kids play together.
I've recently moved to Western South Dakota and encountered a completely different attitude here. There is a HUGE group called SD Christian Home Educators ~ there is a belief statement to sign as a requirement of joining, no one outside the group is allowed to attend their functions. As a backlash to that, Black Hills Homeschool Assn. was created, as an *inclusive* group of homeschoolers. It was really easy for this group to consider themselves inclusive, because they were all Xian. Then along comes me. At first I avoid any revelation about my beliefs and just roll with the *Glory, Hallelujia* attitude of the members. Someone from CA e-mailed our group, asking about the acceptance of Pagan members, as she had noticed a very heavy Xian spin on the archives. I jumped up and down, knocking myself out of the broom closet. All the feelings I'd had about the Bible Beating I'd taken at *inclusive* meetings were laid out for the group to see. The first thing to happen was my removal from the Catholic Homeschoolers Group (oooooh was that woman mad at me!!!). Things calmed down after a while...then came December. I never once complained of the invitations to Jesus' birthday party, etc. The moderator did, however, and, of course, I was the blame (though I later found out she complained because a Muslim family had just joined our group). There has been a large *defection* of fundy Xians from the group, they've gone on to create their own group of *inclusive xians*, I guess that means you can attend their group as long as your a Xian of any kind, not just *their* kind. Since they've left, the group was very quiet for a couple of months. Just yesterday I attended an *unschooling* valentine party ~ an offshoot of the original BHHA group ~ this was THE most fun I've had at a hs function since I moved here 7 mos ago! It was the very first time the focus was on the kids and not G-d. There was a new member to the group, she's First Nations and lives on a nearby rez with her husband and their homebirthed, no circ'd, no vax'd, ebf sons. I would definitely consider her to be spiritual, but not at all Xian ~ she may be my newest best friend! She is the closest I've found to a fellow Pagan homeschooler. Most Pagans I know have no children, and the few who do, don't homeschool.
This is still quite a journey for me. I'm following a spiritual calling, not of my own volition. I know my life here would be soooo much easier if I were a Xian, but I wouldn't be me then, would I?
Let me know if you've got questions
Sorry to be so rambling...
~diana
 
#6 ·
Miriam, here's a link for you http://mothering.com/discussions/sho...threadid=22402

yes, there are many different pagan religions. They aren't all earth based and they all don't celebrate the Wiccan Sabbats.

About HSing, we just drop all the Christian based stuff. Not a member of a HS group so I can't really comment about that. I don't find harder to HS because of our beliefs, although obviously the HS community is overrun with Christian curriculum.
 
#7 ·
I have caused controversy by asking within our group since it is non sectarian. I did ask for private input to keep it away but several people did NOT pay attention that GRR
But I needed the input for the discussion so they can bite me since prayer chains and other things are allowed there too PHHFFT
thank you for all the input.
When it comes and is said and done I will let you all know how it went.
 
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