School Choice and Alternative Education

It may be time for us to think about creating a central resource of easy to find information, and our opinions, about alternative education.

I have found a format that should work well over at Squidoo. The following is not an advertisement, it is just some background. If you are familiar skip the next two paragraphs.

For those of you unfamiliar with the squid, it is a collection of one page modular lenses each focused on a single subject. Unlike blog entries it is always a front page and is easy to update if the author wishes. This makes a Squidoo lens both loved by google and very sticky - the impact just keeps growing.

You can build a quality lens in about the same amount of time it takes to write two or three quality blog posts of normal size. They are free to create and offer the chance to make a bit of cash for yourself or charity.

Alternative Education is the theme for a group of lenses I have just built.

Don't just take a look but also consider building a lens to add to the group. The more diverse lenses available the better the resource, and the more google will direct searchers to this central repository of our insights and experience.

Visit the other lenses and support them by comments, rating them, or noting them to delicious. Your lens can be used to direct visitors wherever you wish, use links on it to drive traffic and add page rank to your blogs and sites.

I have also invited supporters of public education to create their own group of lenses and I will reciprocate links so searchers can get the full story and make up their own minds.

I guess we could consider this the first carnival of school choice on Squidoo.

It will be fun.

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A quick note of importance

I have written a post on one of my other sites that might be construed as alarmist.

It is alarmist.

For those of you that know me you know I have strong opinions and sometimes use strong language to convey them.

Not this time. I'll whisper it so you are sure to listen.

You need to read this and think about it.

Do it now.

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freedom is for everyone - even us

I recently received an e-mail from a BFU student questioning our school of theology. I have encountered the question before, and since this is a well written query I though it good to share her letter and my response. She gave me permission to post the following.


"I was very excited about Bastiat Free University until I researched further regarding your School options. I was then saddened by the fact that your School of Theology was limited to only those who except Jesus Christ as their personal saviour. Where's the freedom of learning about Theology in that position? I consider myself a lifetime spiritual student and have studied many types of religions. I am also sure that there is a "God" but not in the "entity" fashion that we have been taught over the last two thousand years or so.

I just thought you'd want to know that your School of Theology negates your very principle. Perhaps (merely a suggestion) you should expand your School to include all religions to some degree as well as higher spiritual principles.

Nonetheless, I wish you success in your endeavour."



She is of course most welcome at BFU. Here is my response, although I will add a link or two I did not put in the e-mail.


Thank you for commenting.

I have taken courses in comparative religions, and on specific religions, taught by people that were not committed to the content. It was horrible.

BFU is a private school, and our very foundations are Christian. Any courses we offer are colored by our world view and it would not be fair to those seeking to understand their own spiritual lives if we were not up-front about our bias. Since our resources are limited, we would further dilute the effectiveness of what we offer by trying to please everyone.

In much the same manner since we have an anarcho-capitalist viewpoint on government, we do not present a balanced viewpoint on socialism. Of course neither do government schools that favor it and are supported by it.

Our freedom is exercised in openly offering what we know and allowing any to enter. There are many opportunities to explore other viewpoints and spiritual ideas on the net if someone wishes.

The free in Bastiat Free University means we are not controlled by bureaucracies, that freedom allows us to seek improvement at what we know best.

Welcome to BFU, but do understand we will exercise our freedom to do what we feel is right, and hope our students will do the same.

Sincerely,

Allan


I received a response - to my answer - to her query.

She starts by calling me a liar "if indeed" and then says I'm an anti-christ because i will not do things her way. She is of course free to do the work to create and grow a university that presents her views; you can be sure Christianity would not be presented there in a way I would consider accurate.

Here is her newest, and less civil, response;


"Thank you for your swift, and thoughtful response. However, if indeed you have taken courses in comparative religions, you would understand my point of view and not defend yours. Your "horrible" experience is rooted in your commitment and surface understanding of spirituality. You represent an "anarchist" point of view, i.e. anti-christ. Freedom of thought expands and trancends religion. Your university is merely a baited trap."


I will not give up my freedom to present truth as I know it. I do agree that freedom of thought transcends mere religion; in fact freedom of thought is required to have a relationship with the living God. Religion is man seeking something, Christianity is responding to God's seeking a relationship with you.

BFU is no baited trap. Our story is consistent and up-front. If someone objects they can be selective in their courses, or find sources that agree with them. A baited trap would be like colleges that offer Christian courses, and then disparage Christianity in class without teaching how to find salvation.

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