Posted by Hemant Mehta in If I ask you to think of a Religious Right organization, which groups come to mind?
Focus on the Family? American Family Association?
Another group called Exodus Mandate puts them to shame. EM says those other groups are not religious-right enough. They want every Christian to home-school their children and trash public schooling.
Nine organizations were rated, many of which have actively engaged in the cultural war in the US for the past several decades. [Chaplain E. Ray] Moore said, “Even though these organizations have been valiantly fighting the culture war, they have suffered terrible defeats. They have not been able to arrest and reverse the moral and cultural slide by protests, lobbying, voting and legislative remedies. It’s time for these ministries to revisit their methodology and ask themselves if there is a biblical model for spiritual and cultural renewal.”
They even made a chart grading all the groups (PDF):
The report card takes a while to comprehend and I’m still not sure I get it. “Does not misapply the biblical doctrine…?” That’s clear… and no grade given in some areas? Really? Just couldn’t find that information…?
It’s a bit unnerving that FotF only gets a C grade. As one commenter here says:
Either they gotta start grading on a curve or everyone is doomed to “Remedial Bigotry” classes come June!
(via Pam’s House Blend)
“Does not advocate lobbying, voting or legislation…to affect cultural renewal”
I think we can all agree that things would be better if this were a shared value among the Religious Right.
I call Poe.
Sure there’s a biblical model…it’s called open warfare on anyone that is different then you…If I had time I’d put together a list of references, but where would I stop… be afraid.
I’m pretty sure the Poe call is mistaken, because as I recall the Exodus Mandate is very real, although not a particularly influential group. I learned about it during my long acquaintance with the modern homeschooling movement, which comes in many flavors. My current reason for homeschooling my children is to teach them skepticism rather than the fundamentalism I learned from public school classmates–I’m not kidding.
I’m skeptical on whether this will work
One other glaring problem, Focus on the Family and Family Research Council aren’t really different organization. They are both run by James Dobson. The key difference is FRC does lobbying. The split is for tax code reasons I suspect.
Ooooh, rejecting the salt-and-light argument–that’s hardcore! Apparently these are Christians who can’t stand the thought of other Christians deriving different educational convictions from the same Bible. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
Question #1: What is this “Salt and Light Doctrine”?
Question #2: How do we know when the culture war is “won”?
Question #3: What constitutes winning…a Bible Thumper in every household?
Question #4: Which Christian sect gets to claim victory in this spiritual warfare kind of model?
Ugh, I almost act the fact I advocate homeschooling so much, because sometimes I get looped in with…well…those people.
The only “homeschooling” that has consistently worked is classical education a la Thomas Jefferson, et al.
I think homeschoolers are made up of 90% loons and 10% awesomes.
I’m all for the awesomes homeschooling, don’t get me wrong.
But the loons?
Is it really worth the cost in human damage done by all the people who are really unsuited?
Poor childhood education and mis-education should be called what it is: abuse. Whether it be done by the parent OR the state.