'Tis the season... for choosing next year's school curriculum. And I've run into a snag. I'd like some meaty history books that tell the TRUTH! Seems like a simple request, doesn't it. However, I'm feeling seriously duped, misled, lied to, taken advantage of, get the picture?
All this time I've been fed the line that the Christian authors who write for the homeschool market were bringing back the best of the best, digging for the truth, scouring the pages of dry and dusty tomes to bring out the stories of the heroes of the past. That's probably true of some. But there are rats on the ship and to a large extent I believe that homeschoolers are the unwitting fleas feeding on their poisoned blood!
Who are the rats? Have you heard of Christian Reconstruction? If you haven't, it's time you did. The leaders of this movement are authoring the most highly recommended history, government and civics books that homeschoolers are reading. The names are familiar: R.J. Rushdooney, Gary North, Gary DeMar, David Barton, Mike Farris, George Grant. These men are very persuasive writers and speakers and have influenced countless others. Some don't embrace all of the teachings of the Reconstructionists (such as stoning Lawbreakers!) but pick and choose their favorites from the buffet.
Personally I like a good conversation about ideas. I'm open to having mine challenged and changed. I'm feeling so offended now because of how sneaky these guys have been - if it had ever been presented as an 'alternate view', I'd have considered it. It is presented as fact and it makes me madder than any evolutionist ever has!
Oh, and they've done something else that makes me mad! They're taking phrases that mean one thing to me, like 'Biblical world view' and when they use it, they mean something else like 'Reconstructionist world view'. GRRRRR! Whatever happened to honest communication? Isn't that the foundation of communication anyway - the sharing of ideas from one person to another? Isn't clarification of terms foundational to the idea of communication? These people call themselves Christians and then purposely subvert their meanings. No wonder the world thinks Christians aren't to be trusted!
Here are some links you can try. Or just Google Christian Reconstruction and you'll get plenty.
http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/HistoryOfReconstructionMovement.html
http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/cor/notes_on.htm
http://christianreconstruction.org/
1 comment:
I put off buying history books for years because of this very reason. I ended up just getting books from the library, but that took so much work. Still, it may have been worth it.
I think if the book is basically good, we can use it for an opportunity to teach discernment!
Post a Comment