DISCERNMENT

For some time now, I have been aware of a certain "group" in our Christian homeschooling community. This "group" (for lack of a better term) of believers has very strong views regarding:

1. How we should organize church
2. How families are to be organized
3. How Christians are to be having dominion over the world
4. How many children a Christian should have
5. What version of the Bible is truly inspired
6. Whether or not girls should go to college
7. How old the earth is

This group is represented by many different publishers, authors, websites, magazines, DVDs, You Tube videos, and conferences that teach various aspects of these ideas. (I'm sure you know some of their names - I'm not going to name them here.....well.....because I just don't want to.) I own a lot of their books, I get their magazines, I read their websites, I have listened to them at homeschool conferences, I have watched their teaching on You Tube, and I receive their catalogs. I have spoken to them at homeschool conferences, and I have spoken to their children at homeschool conferences.

Here's what I have come to realize - there's a lot of truth to be gained by listening to the leaders and followers of these "groups". But one must tread carefully and always listen and read with discernment.

When I recommend a book from one of these "groups", I do so very carefully. I do not recommend any of their books to a new Christian woman. These books must be read with discernment, and, usually, a new Christian does not yet know enough about God's Word to be able to be discerning. Most of the information in most of their books offer good, Biblical advice on living out the Christian life, but, without fail, I come across a teaching that just doesn't sound quite right. So what do I do? I open my Bible. I read the portion of scripture that they are using, and I find that their position is just shy of center. I understand where they are coming from, but I cannot accept the Biblical position they are suggesting.

I honestly have yet to find a better book on being a godly wife than Created To Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl. I have read this book 3 times, and I still get so much out of it! This does not mean that I agree with EVERYTHING Mrs. Pearl says in this book, but I appreciate the book because I can filter out the few things I don't agree with biblically, and concentrate on the mostly wonderful things taught in the book. I'm not going to throw out the baby with the bathwater - so to speak.

I'd like to think that there are other Christian homeschoolers out there who are also encouraged by some of this "group's" teaching, yet do not believe every aspect of this "group's" teaching hook, line, and sinker.

These are just some of my current thoughts on Christian homeschooling. I hope my words are not slanderous, but rather edifying in order to spur someone on to read, watch, and listen with discernment.