Do you feel if you homeschool you have to combine religion?
Most people do. There is this belief that if you wish to teach your child outside of the “norm” of the public school system then it must be for religious reasons.
Decades ago, most homeschoolers were doing it to be able to practice religious freedom with education.
However, within the last 10 years more homeschoolers are choosing to do so for much different reasons.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, “91 percent of homeschooled students had parents who said that a concern about the environment of other schools was an important reason for homeschooling their child” in a 2011-2012 survey.
91% of parents!
This shows that in today’s society, religion is not the biggest factor in why most people are choosing to homeschool.
Disclaimer: My husband and I are both religious people. I do not hold an opinion on what is best for any family. We simply have made these decisions based on what we want for our family.
Continuing on…
Reason #1 To Provide the Ability to Teach Religion Without Any Bias
We decided when it is time to teach our children about religion the desire is not to do it from a specific viewpoint.
Again we are both religious people. My husband and I were both born and raised as Christians and there are very specific things that are considered a sin from a Christian stance.
For example, you should only worship one god. If I am raising my children on this principle and start to teach a religion such as Hinduism there will be a wall up instantly.
That wall will be there because they automatically ‘know’ that believing in multiple gods and goddesses is a sin, it can lead to them jumping to a conclusion of what they do not understand yet or not looking at it with an open mind.
We are choosing to try and stay away from that mentality.
Our desire is to teach all religions on the same playing field with no preconceived notions on what is supposed to be the “right way”. I want to be able to speak equally on every religion from Christianity to Buddhism to Islam to Atheism.
Reason #2 We Want to Allow Our Child to Explore All Religions Freely
As we start teaching religions equally it will allow our children to freely explore the details of each religion.
While my husband believes in Christianity, I consider myself agnostic.
“Agnosticism is the view that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable.”
The question you may have…how is that different from atheism?
According to Webster Dictionary, “atheist refers to someone who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods, and agnostic refers to someone who doesn’t know whether there is a god [or if as humans we are even able to know that indefinitely].
Personally, I do believe there is a god/higher power over our lives, but I do not follow any beliefs that are tied to one religion or another. I want to be a good person, treat others well, and be happy.
I still pray and follow a lot of Christian practices though.
I would like for my child to make a religious decision for themselves by learning about everything and making an educated decision based on what they believe.
If they have any questions, we will do anything we can to help them make their choices without pushing them one way or another.
Reason #3 We Personally Prefer Keeping Religion Out of Education
Growing up I was taught to practice Christianity and was raised to follow all the teachings of the Bible.
My grandmother was raised in a very strict Christian family and was required to memorize the Bible and quote passages as a sign that she was learning her faith correctly.
As a child, I wholeheartedly followed this path of church, bible study, and religious study.
However, the older I got the more I wanted to learn more and the more questions I had. I determined that I would’ve preferred to not have a certain religion pushed on me as a child.
I like having the ability to learn about everything and then make decisions for myself on what I believe. I don’t feel I have all the answers, but I don’t expect to.
If I don’t feel I can adequately explain something then I feel it should be taught by someone who can or at least give the student enough guidance to find their own answers.
By leaving religion out of education as a guide on how to live their life, it gives them the ability to build character apart from religion and still bring religion into their life full circle.
Reason #4 We Don’t Feel Our Family Meets the Mold of a Standard Christian Family
Although my husband practices Christianity and I grew up practicing Christianity.
Through the years, my viewpoint on religion has changed.
I still base a lot of my decisions on Christianity principles like how to treat people, but there are so many things I do not follow as steadfast as a true believer in Christianity does. I feel it would make me hypocritical to impose a religion on my child that I do not follow wholeheartedly myself.
Most families that incorporate religion into their homeschool tie biblical stories/lessons into their curriculum as one seamless learning experience.
Some families want to use biblical time as a solitary subject.
For us, I often think about how we do not go to church on a weekly basis.
We just try to live a righteous life by treating people nice, respecting others, and appreciating the world around us and leaving it in a good place so that future generations can appreciate it as well.
Those differences leave us feeling like we don’t fit the exact mold of a Christian family.
And I know there are many times I would rather leave certain religious things out of learning because it can be so conflicting.
We are all about seeing all perspectives to the best of our abilities.
For those reasons, we would rather not include it than to feel like we are half doing it.
Do What’s Best for Your Family
If you have been considering incorporating religion into your homeschool.
The honest truth is the only people who can make that decision is your family.
My husband and I have discussed it several times before and always come to the conclusion that we would rather keep it out.
It allows us to equally teach all religions without bias and lets them freely choose what religion they think is best for them without pressure.
There are plenty of families who DO NOT include it and their students are well-rounded and there are plenty of families who DO include religion and their children are well-rounded too.
Remember what works for my family is not just going to work for yours.
As you start making those decisions do not forget that you can always add it in or take it out of your curriculum at a later time if you feel the need.
Here Are Some Other Homeschool Posts You Will Love:
6 Compelling Reasons You Should Homeschool Your Child– Whether you are already homeschool or if you are thinking of getting started this post will cover some reasons that will really make you think.
5 Legitimate Reasons to Not Homeschool Your Child-While I am one of the world’s biggest homeschool supporters I still believe that homeschooling is not for everyone. Read this post to find out if that somebody is you.
Last Updated on August 2, 2022 by Kierra