From: 78witherspoo@cua.edu
Subject: Further clarification (longer!)
Organization: The Catholic University of America
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 15:00:59 GMT

In article <CHRISTIA%92081917585938@ASUACAD.BITNET>,         MKLINE%VDH.BITNET@VTVM2.CC.VT.EDU writes:
Maks--

	Glad I got your dander up!  Most of what you have to say I understand
and will agree to disagree with you on.  Some things I have to respond to:

On public v. private education:

>> giving parents the right to choose
>> between available public and private schools (with tax credits for
>> choosing the latter),
> --> so there can be more families rooted in strong religious values (mostly
> chrisitan, let's face it) and have the rest of the country to pay for
> children to go to a school that is outside the taxpayer's faith
> MAKS> This one hurt. I home school. This talks about "the rest of the
>       country to pay for..." and I pay all the school taxes and receive
>       none of the benefits, and it almost sounds like "So what? That's
>       fair. You deserve what you get." Books this year will cost in the
>       neighborhood of $500-900 for 3.5 kids, which is quite reasonable.
>       I've got a 14 year old testing at a college grad level in reading
>       and writing skills. If she were allowed, this girl could get her
>       GED TODAY! But, "Tough. You don't deserve any breaks..."
>          I admit this might have just been an "oops" on the poster's
>       presentation of his thoughts, so no harm done.
>          My daughter was watching 700 Club off the VCR last night as
>       her and I were getting ready to go to Civil Air Patrol. She's
>       doing fantastic there. They say she shows great intelligence
>       (surprise, surprise) and shows respect to those in authority,
>       etc. Anyhow, she was watching 700 Club and said to me, "I'M SO
>       GLAD I'M A CHRISTIAN." and I said "Praise God."
>          YES, WE RAISED HER WITH STRONG CHRISTIAN VALUES. IS THERE
>       ANYTHING, ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD THAT REALLY MATTERS????

--> Not to you apparently.  But this is a diverse nation, keep that in mind.

>       This is a Christian list, a Christian nation, or at least we have
>       freedom to be Christian. Even if I don't get tax breaks to Home
>       school, my children are God's gift to me. What I can help make of
>       them are my gift to God. If she is poor, and has Jesus, she is
>       rich. If she is rich, and doesn't have Jesus, she is poor.
> 
>       Now, on "the rest of the taxpayers", think about this. If "no-faith
>       school 1" is teaching new age meditation, "values judgement", and
>       things like this, and "no-faith school 2" is teaching reading,
>       writing and arithmetic. You have coupons now. Which school do
>       you choose? I may not want to know.

--> Surprise! I choose #2.  Why?  Because I believe in providing children
	with basic educational tools so they can make their own choices later
	on in life.  Sound good?

On condoms:
 
>       Another thing Day had commenting on was to the effect of what
>       giving condoms says to our kids. "You have no self control. We
>       expect nothing but the worst from you. We don't believe you have
>       any integrity, so here, take a condom. It won't necessarily
>       protect you, but you might manage to live a few more years if
>       you use one. Good luck." 

--> A tad strong, but I disagree with what the implied message says.  Is trying
	to promote safe sex an admission of "no self-control"?  I don't follow
	this line of logic.
 
>     Do you know what that's saying? I wish Dr. Ruth and Planned
> Parenthood  and some of the other sex educators would get one thing
> straight. When we talk about young people, we're talking about my
> children, your children, and other people's kids. We are *NOT* talking
> about animal sexuality. We are talking about human sexuality. We're
> talking about young people, who have the capacity to make right moral
> decisions and abide by them.

--> Hence the availability of condoms.  They have the right to make the choice
	to have sex, or not to have sex.  They have the right to choose to use
	a condom, or not to use a condom.  The freedom of _choice_, what is so
	wrong with that?? 
 
On welfare:

>       I don't understand it all, but Larry Burkett's book and one other
>       I have say that welfare hurts the society and tears it down. Also,
>       as a Christian, does life owe us anything? Really? I want tax
>       breaks for taking the time to home school my children, but then
>       again, am I "owed" those breaks? I doubt it.

--> Surprise again!  I agree with you, life doesn't "owe" us anything.  But our
	government says different: "[The right] to life, liberty, and the
	pursuit of happiness..."  People have been arguing about that for years
	now.  I think it is time for a rethinking on this issue...
 
On the family:

> There are so many facets to the family, and the family is changing.
> It is time to put away the slogans, and deal with the issues at hand, and the
> problems that have to be solved.

> MAKS> Agreed, but just how do we go about doing that? I don't think the
>       government is necessarily the best place to start.
> In His Love,
> Maks

Maks--

	I think we are a lot closer than you think.  I think your home school
is wonderful!  I wish we had more like it!  I was always ahead of my peers in
public school according to the tests (whoever made those up!!) and there are
a lot of things about public schools I would change.  This is why I want to be
a teacher-- I'm tired of talking about this, I want to roll up my sleeves and
do something about it.

	Regarding the other issues, I will agree to disagree.  I am not in the
business of judging, or condemning, and I always appreciate another p.o.v.

Love and good walking,

Tom Witherspoon

78witherspoo@cuavax.dnet.cua.edu
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