I wish I was exaggerating, I still have nightmares over some of the things I was taught that were seen as perfectly normal  in that group, and there are days I wonder if it's paranoia or not.

All I know is that it is difficult for me to even watch the daily news some days because it triggers panic attacks--because it reminds me of the stuff I escaped from clawing and screaming, and I refuse to be dragged back into that.

And some of my nightmares consist, quite frankly, of their dream of a dominionist government coming to pass.

For those of you who haven't been in dominionist groups--take what you've seen, and make it about three times worse.  That's what they're teaching the people in those churches...

And yes, they are increasingly targeting kids and people with kids, because they know if they can indoctrinate people as children it will be far more difficult for them to ever escape. :(

by dogemperor on Fri Dec 09, 2005 at 01:58:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Lulled by a period of stability which had seemed permanent, they find it nearly impossible to take at face value the assertion  of the revolutionary power that it means to smash the existing framework.  The defenders of the status quo therefore tend to begin by treating the revolutionary power as if its protestations were merely tactical; as if it really accepted the existing legitimacy but overstated its case for bargaining purposes; as if it were motivated by specific grievances to be assuaged by limited concessions.  Those who warn against the danger in time are considered alarmists; those who counsel adaptation to circumstances are considered balanced and sane. . . . But it is the essence of revolutionary power that it possesses the courage of its convictions, that it is willing, indeed eager, to push its principles to their ultimate conclusion.

You've got more links and connections than I knew existed.

I'm sure glad you are on this website to share them.

by Mainstream Baptist on Fri Dec 09, 2005 at 03:15:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

One of the more common ways this is done is for homeschooling laws to be written in such a way as to require bachelorates for education of high school level--except if you are working through a correspondence course or register your homeschool as a "satellite school" of a church school.  

Another way is for dominionist "homeschool" groups like Home School Legal Defense Association to push through laws requiring homeschoolers to register through a central "homeschool association"--and then making sure that the HSLDA-affiliated, pro-dominionist homeschool groups are the only certified homeschool associations in the state.  (This was the case in South Carolina until a very few years ago--non-dominionist homeschoolers, including "unschooling" groups and parents educating special-needs kids (such as autistic children needing intensive therapy), literally had to sue the state to be certified because the only way you could legally homeschool in the state was to go through HSLDA.)

Homeschooling is Legal has an excellent analysis on how HSLDA not only has an explicitly dominionist agenda, but how HSLDA has blatantly tried to shut out inclusive homeschool groups (including promoting groups that require a dominionist statement of faith to join) and working to blatantly lock out non-dominionist homeschool groups in multiple states.  (Of note, this same site also has links to inclusive homeschool associations that do not require one to subscribe to the dominionist party line.  What is particularly telling is the group's listing of HSLDA-promoted groups in comparison to other homeschool associations in the US; in some states, there are no statewide groups besides dominionist organisations supporting homeschooling.)

In fact, people who want to get information on non-dominionist homeschooling (such as "unschooling" and "open schooling" as well as specialised homeschool programs for children with various learning problems) often have a difficult time of doing so because most of the widely publicised homeschool groups have been largely hijacked by dominionists or the dominionist "homeschool" groups (which should probably be termed "correspondence school" groups) are promoted in preference to non-dominionist homeschooling.

by dogemperor on Fri Dec 09, 2005 at 06:38:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Salon Magazine article on dominionist hijacking of homeschooling (in particular interest to the post on how dominionists are also targeting public education)
Article detailing dominionist hijacking of homeschool associations
Info on HSLDA promotion of Christian Reconstructionism and hijacking of homeschool associations by Christian Reconstructionists
Info from Home Education Magazine on how dominionist "homeschool" (more properly "correspondence school") groups are locking legitimate homeschool groups out of discussions including even regarding awareness of non-dominionist homeschool programs and are--by design--endangering non-dominionist homeschooling's legality


by dogemperor on Fri Dec 09, 2005 at 06:54:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]