Satanists and Christians Agree on Homeschooling

Satanism and home schooling go hand in hand according to High Priestess Blanche Barton of the official Church of Satan founded by Anton LaVay. According to the High Priestess and practitioners of her Church, hereafter referred to as Satanists, home schooling closely aligns itself with the values believed in by Satanists. In particular home schooling reflects an adversity to homogeneous thinking and learning that some Satanists don't approve of.

Accordingly, home schooling also offers the chance to diversify and individualize education to better suit Satanic beliefs and lifestyle. This is evident in the following two excerpt from the Church of Satan is which Barton states Satanism is actually an ideal match for educational deals because it encourages critical thinking and rationality, both premises underlying conventional education.

"Homeschooling, on the other hand, offers many advantages to Satanists, and seems to fit easily into an ideal lifestyle most of us would adopt, given the opportunity." (1)

"Satanism is a religion uniquely qualified to advocate home learning. Our religion is not antithetical to rationality. On the contrary, Satanism encourages intellectual challenge. "Faith" and self-deceit are our enemies. We want our children to be free to question all things, not shackle their minds to any one view " (1)

Perhaps the most ironic thing about home schooling is that it is also advocated by religious folk who believe 'Satan', the alleged focal point of Satanism, specifically dislikes home schooling precisely because it brings religious education and its pupils closer to God. This is evident in a reference by Morningstar Educational Group to an author named Christopher Klicka and also according to Electric Homeschool Online.

"Where would Satan like our children to be taught? Sending our children to modern public education is like playing Russian roulette with their souls!" (5)

"Satan knows that God's Hand is on the Christian homeschooling movement. If he can't stop it from growing without, he will make every effort to stop it from flourishing within." (2)

So on the one hand Satanists advocate home schooling, yet on the other Christians believe Satan would do everything in his power to not home school with Christian education. Since Satanists from the Church of Satan don't actually believe in 'Satan', in the same way Christians do, maybe Satanists have less belief in Satan than Christians. Moreover, according to the Committee against Satanic Panics, The Church of Satan is in fact atheist.

Barton only advocates home schooling when it doesn't teach Christianity, but does that mean Satanists abhor home schooling in general, and specifically Christian home schooling? Not necessarily. This puts home schooling in at least two camps, that of the Satanists and that of Christians, each in complete contradiction with one another via their similarity in seeking out a custom education.

For the rest of society home schooling may be viewed in a completely different perspective. As a matter of research, the online journal 'Academic Research' claims home schoolers as a whole perform better on standardized tests than non-home schooled children. That means both children taught by Christians and Satanists end up better educated than all the rest.

"Multiple studies show that home-educated students in grades K to 12, as a group, score above average on standardized academic achievement tests" (4)

Home schooling allows parents to save the tax system money, it lowers transportation costs to and from school, brings families and their children closer together and home schooling can educate in a way students can learn more, faster. None of these other reasons are focused on the ego or beliefs of the parents, but rather the students themselves. In other words, home schooling affords its students far more than what Satanist and Christian parents think their children should grow up to be; it actualizes practicality, quality of education, fiscal responsibility, and family.

In conclusion, Satanists and Christians agree on home schooling, just not with each other and more secular home schooling ideals.

Sources:

(1) Barton, Blanche. "Mandatory Education: Teaching Pigs to Sing." Church of Satan. Available from http://www.churchofsatan.com/Pages/MandatoryEducation.htm. Internet; accessed 16 March 2010.

(2) Spangenberg, Maribeth. " Homeschooling High School: Part 3 Maintaining the Ministry." Electric Home Schooling Online. Available from http://eclectichomeschool.org/articles/article.asp?articleid=498. Internet; accessed 16 March 2010.

(3) Melton, J. Gordon. "Sanism." SatanService.org. Available from http://www.satanservice.org/propaganda/acad.90sb.txt. Internet; accessed 16 March 2010.

(4) Brian D. Ray and Bruce K. Eagleson, . "State Regulation of Homeschooling and Homeschoolers' SAT Scores." Academic Leadership: The online Journal. Available from http://www.academicleadership.org/emprical_research/State_Regulation_of_Homeschooling_and_Homeschoolers_SAT_Scores.shtml. Internet; accessed 16 March 2010.

(5) "Simple Steps to Home Education: ." Morningstar Educational Network. Available from http://www.msen.org/SimpleStepsNational.pp. Internet; accessed 16 March 2010.