Thanks to a question on an e-list, I’ve actually spent the evening researching dominionism, a movement I long ago relegated to the fringes of Christianity with Phelps and his friends. But the term will not die. And everyone, it seems, is a dominionist. Even Abeka users. I’m not terribly familiar with Abeka, so I don’t know. Maybe they do have a hidden plot to take over the world and return to Old Testament law, stonings and all. But that isn’t my impression.
I think my little curriculum choice (Principle Approach) has remained safely out of the limelight on this issue because it is small. And it takes a great deal of research to figure out exactly what it is we believe since we don’t have a curriculum, per se. We have more of an idea and unifying set of principles.
But any Christian ministry which seeks to “restore” the nation and promote its Christian heritage seems to beg for the accusation of dominionist theology. There are people listed in the “like-minded” ministries section of FACE’s website who are identified as or who identify themselves as “reconstructionists.” Some of them even have interesting articles about theocracy, or government by God. But I’ll stick directly with what FACE says on the topic, and what I personally believe. You could call it a theocracy of sorts, but this forms the basis of our homeschool and our beliefs about government:
In order to have true liberty, man must be governed internally by the Spirit of God rather than by external forces. Government is first individual, then extends to the home, church, and the community. This principle of self-government is God ruling internally from the heart of the individual. FACE.net
It is actually a pretty libertarian view of government, just that we believe that in the ideal, each individual is governed by God. It really is not much different than what John Adams wrote in a letter to Zabdiel Adams:
The only foundation of a free Constitution, is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People, in a greater Measure than they have it now, they may change their Rulers, and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty.
Virtue is inspired, not legislated. It is necessary to maintain the degree of liberty envisioned by our founders, but cannot be codified into law. More laws will not make the nation virtuous.
For anyone with lingering doubts, I do not believe that dominionism is well-supported by scripture (emphasis mine):
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. John 18:36
Related Tags: dominionism, homeschooling, Christianity
Principled Discovery is a place to stop and discuss news and information related to faith, family and particularly education. Pour yourself a cup of tea and join the conversation! 
I think Abeka’s secret agenda is to make sure everyone can identify a preposition and properly diagram modifiers. With a little anti-Catholicism thrown in for interest.
I completely agree with the self-government definition you posted. That is also exactly why the family unit is so important - it is the cradle in which the conscience is formed.
Maria Montessori speaks of “discipline arising from liberty” speaking of the child in the classroom, but it applies to all stages of life, IMO. In a nutshell, one cannot be disciplined until one is free, and active.
“If discipline is founded upon liberty, the discipline itself must necessarily be active. We do not consider an individual disciplined only when he has been rendered as artificially silent as a mute and as immovable as a paralytic. He is an individual annihilated, not disciplined.” - The Montessori Method
We are not self-governed when everything is forced on us by a nanny state.
I really do not want us to be ‘restored’ to our roots. Even up until the 1920’s, people could pull up to a restaurant or hotel, and the owners would refuse to serve them if they were Catholic, Irish, immigrant, etc. (That’s in the Yankee north!) Anybody who didn’t adhere to their personal interpretation of the Bible.
I think less government is more.
There is nothing wrong with a Christian in government, using his Christian principles to make decisions. There is something very wrong with a Christian politician enforcing his “brand” of Christianity or punishing those with differing views. Of course, right now our politicians “punish” other politicians with different political views - that’s called partisanism and forces people to vote certain ways and toe the line, so to speak…but that is another subject.
And, I actually like most of Frank Shaeffer’s workbooks and teaching helps. Does that make me a Dominionist? LOL
Mama Says
If I wanted to institute a repressive theocratic government that sought to control the way everyone thinks, the first thing I would do is set up a system of indoctrination centers where children would be told exactly what to parrot in order to be accepted in society.
They would be told that their parents are ignorant, superstitious, and dangerous; that only the government-certified professional instructors know what’s best for them; and that only the government-approved textbooks tell the truth.
The LAST thing I would do is let children spend most of each day with a parent, where they might learn something not approved by the government.
The liberal confusion of dominionism with homeschooling is truly idiotic.
Dave said…
“If I wanted to institute a repressive theocratic government that sought to control the way everyone thinks, the first thing I would do is set up a system of indoctrination centers where children would be told exactly what to parrot in order to be accepted in society….”
Sounds like “ISLAM”
Disney disgust at ‘evil’ Mickey
By staff writers
May 09, 2007 11:22am
THE only surviving child of Walt Disney has called Hamas “pure evil” for using Mickey Mouse to teach Islamic radicalism to children.
Diane Disney Miller said she was disgusted that a rip-off of her father’s iconic cartoon character was being used on a new Hamas TV show to encourage Palestinian children to take up arms against Israel and America.
“Of course I feel personal about Mickey Mouse, but it could be Barney as well,” Ms Miller, 73, told the New York Daily News.
“It’s not just Mickey, it’s indoctrinating children like this, teaching them to be evil,” said Ms Miller, who owns a winery in northern California.
“The world loves children and this is just going against the grain of humanity.”
The Daily News revealed this week that Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV station began running the new children’s series in April.
Called Tomorrow’s Pioneers, it features a life-size Mickey Mouse character named Farfur.
Farfur speaks in a high-pitched voice and wears a tuxedo with tails and a red bow tie. He tells children to drink their milk and pray, but also sings about kids arming themselves with AK-47s and striving for world domination under Islamic leadership.
The Disney Company had no comment but Ms Miller praised the New York Daily News for informing the public about the program.
“What we’re dealing with here is pure evil and you can’t ignore that,” Ms Miller said.
“I’m awful glad you’re doing something about it, writing about this and keeping it in the public eye as much as it can be.”
Hamas officials denied they were using the show to incite children against Jews.
“Our problem is not with the Jews,” Yehia Moussa, a Hamas leader in the movement’s Gaza Strip base, told The Associated Press.
“Our problem is with the (Israeli) occupation and the occupiers.”
But the show also got bad reviews from Hamas’ political rival, the Fatah movement, headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
“I don’t think it’s professional or even humane to use children in such harsh political programs,” said Basem Abu Sumaya, head of Fatah’s Palestinian Broadcasting Corp, told the AP.
“Children’s nationalist spirit must be developed differently.”
- Of course this is one of many examples but I won’t delve into Larryboy.
Milehi…I think you’re on to something. The whole government thing is just a distraction from the real goals of good grammar. This approach completely flies in the face of eubonics, bilingual ed, and the relegation of grammar to dusty books in the back of the room.
Dave, that’s how I’d go about it, too. But what do I know…our family is going to breed ourselves into an empire. Four kids already…
Bilingual ed - snort.
My grandfather’s family immigrated from Czechoslovakia to Texas, not speaking a word of English.
On the first day of school, my great grandmother wrote their name on a card and pinned it to their clothes, and sent them on their way.
All 8 of the kids managed to learn English and become productive members of society, including an engineer and a school nurse.
And they didn’t need no stinkin’ bilingual education.
Thank you for your perspective on this,Dana. I always appreciate your well thought out arguments. I respect your ideas.
Lori