Knights Becoming and a Lady in Waiting

May We Control You?

Over at Chickadee's blog, she asks why so many people get so very angry about us homeschooling.  It's none of their business, right?

Well, it has actually become their business because of our government support system.  See, we pay taxes.  The taxes get divided up.  Some of those divided-up taxes go to unemployment and welfare.  Because these functions are basically forced upon us, some people resent every person who gets government support.

When people are not educated, they are more likely to rely on the government for support.  (Out of necessity, not because poor people are inherently more likely to freeload!)  This makes some of those who are vocal against homeschooling fear that we (homeschoolers) are preparing an entire new generation to need their tax dollars because we're not educating them the way that society says "works."

Why do they need government support, however?  Because Christians and churches are not doing their part to care for "the Levites... and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows" (Deuteronomy 14:28-30).   The purpose for tithing isn't to build a huge church.  It isn't even to do outreach (at least, according to this verse; I need to do more research to find out if there is more elsewhere).  It is to support those whose life work is the church (in my case, my pastor), to support aliens (hmm... interesting in light of how angry a lot of people get about illegal aliens in the south-western states), and to support the fatherless and widows.

For more verses on defending and caring for these groups of people, see:

• Deuteronomy 24:17-21
• Psalm 68:5
• Psalm 146:9
• Isaiah 1:17
• Zechariah 10:7
• 1 Timothy 5

This last verse if very specific about which widows to care for.  It admonishes families to care for their own, too.  But that's a whole 'nother ball o' wax.

It's not the job of the government to care for our needy.  It's our job.  When we don't do it, the government steps in and gains rights that do not belong to it.  People then resent homeschoolers for the possible future burden their children might place on their taxes.

It's a bit messed up, yeah, but that's how it goes.  Maybe if we start supporting those who need it first, we'll have less to worry about later.

Untitled Comment

4:53 PM, Mar. 25, 2006 .. Posted by CreativeHomeschooling

That is an interesting point of view why people aren't supportive of hsing. However, I believe that more products of the ps system are likely to end up on welfare than those who have been hsed. Great food for thought! :)

Jennie von Eggers
www.TimesTales.com
www.CreativeHomeschooling.com

Untitled Comment

2:27 PM, Mar. 26, 2006 .. Posted by eyecorn

Thank you for adding me as a friend. It's nice to meet you...I enjoyed reading your blog...a lot to think about in this entry...the government sure has stepped in to take care....we need to teach the people to fish!

Untitled Comment

2:54 AM, Mar. 30, 2006 .. Posted by doehillhomeschool

It wouldn't hurt for homeschoolers to have better PR, either. My aunt told me about some reality show on TV where the Moms traded lives for two weeks. The episode in question involved a homeschooler and non-homeschooler. But the homeschooler had a quirk--they lived like Medieval people. All the time. When the non-HSing mom discovered that the older children [approx 10+] didn't even know how to use a telephone, and that they spent their time in costume, and that whole school days were devoted to cutting out leather to make shoes [not math or reading] she was aghast. And so was my aunt and probably a sizeable portion of the viewing audience. I talked fast to convince her that not all HSers are alike! Now I'm not condemning unit studies or anything like that, but it's hard to make the case for homeschooling being a viable alternative if all the non-HSers see are barely represenative caricatures of homeschoolers. After all, "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches" [Prov. 22:1]