Many home schooling parents choose Christian distance education as an alternative to public schooling. The curriculum is based upon Christian principles and beliefs. The Bible is the foundation for all subjects. Secular theories and ideologies are not presented as truth. In addition to the benefits of avoiding the influences of drugs, alcohol, and crime, the laws governing the separation of church and state do not restrict Christian distance education students. For example, prayer is allowed. Students acquire a high school diploma, while simultaneously strengthening religious and moral beliefs.

Beyond the high school diploma, Christian distance education affords individuals the opportunity to study for the ministry. Students may aspire to become a full-time pulpit minister or a youth minister. Contrary to popular belief, speaking on Sunday is only a small portion of ministry, and education is necessary. Ministers counsel, teach, comfort, and physically labor for the various needs of a congregation. In addition, youth ministers answer to the unique needs of today’s youth. Many youngsters come from broken homes. With drugs and alcohol so prevalent in today’s society, home may no longer be a child’s safe haven from the world’s troubles. Youth ministers may fill the roles of a parent, friend, counselor, teacher, and confidante. Again, youth rallies and fun activities are only a small portion of a youth minister’s job. Christian distance education may enable an individual to enter the ministry and benefit the community, without uprooting a family, or losing a means of support.

Laymen may also seek distance education, thus benefiting the community through Christian psychology and counseling. Many people are more comfortable seeking help, if the counselor or psychologist shares a foundation in Christian principles and ideals. Also, Christian counselors and psychologists want to practice according to personal moral and religious beliefs and not by worldly standards. Therefore, Christian distance education answers the needs of both patients and doctors.

In summary, in answer to the growing problem of violence, drugs, and alcohol in the public schools, parents are opting to enroll children in Christian distance education. Many graduates may also seek a post-secondary education in the ministry or Christian-based careers in psychology or counseling. Whether a student signs up for a correspondence course in a particular subject, or a degree program, accredited Christian distance learning is now a reality.

Dana Stephens is a freelance writer for several online publications and websites. For more information on distance learning programs please visit http://www.eLearningTips.com today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dana_Stephens

What does that mean for homeschoolers? Some Christian homeschoolers accept psychology wholesale, some reject it entirely, and some wrestle with which aspects to accept and which to reject. This article suggests that whatever you believe about psychology, the time to address academic psychology is BEFORE your student leaves home for college.

If your student goes to college, there is an excellent chance he/she will take an introductory (at least) psychology course. Most medical schools, liberal arts colleges, seminaries, and teacher’s colleges require students to have some exposure to psychology. Psychology is one of the most popular undergraduate majors at public and Christian colleges and universities. College enrollment in psychology courses outpaces every other scientific discipline. Christian students are often ill prepared to confront the criticisms of Christianity and the anti-Christian worldview presented by modern psychology. The material taught in introductory psychology courses WILL challenge their worldview. University level instruction in modern psychology is generally atheistic and humanistic. Psychology departments often are home to the most anti-Christian intellectuals on college campuses. As a group, psychology professors have high levels of agnosticism, skepticism, and atheism. The psychology professor is unlikely to be sympathetic to your child’s Christian worldview and may attack their faith as unscientific, irrational, prudish, exploitive, controlling, inhibitive, oppressive, and naïve.

If psychology is fraught with such danger, shouldn’t Christian homeschoolers reject it completely? Maybe. But isn’t the humble investigation of all of God’s creation part of what it means to love God with one’s mind? Do Christians, and by extension Christian homeschoolers, have a duty to explore all of God’s creation? Does that duty to explore extend to His grandest creation; Mankind? Does that duty extend to Mankind’s mind? Though the conflicts between modern psychology and a Christian worldview are many and perilous, it may be a mistake for Christians to completely reject the study of psychology.

The bottom line is this. Beginning with Darwin’s Origin of Species, all sciences, including psychology, underwent a transformation. Scientific data were interpreted in ways to exclude supernatural beliefs. Darwinian evolution imposed itself on the Christian understanding of life (biology) and then tried to exclude anything Christian. Darwinian evolution imposed itself on the Christian understanding of Man (psychology) and then tried to exclude anything Christian.

The study of the soul, the mind, the brain, and behavior (psychology) are right and proper for Christian homeschoolers. The goal of Christian education, in biology, physics, theology, chemistry, and in psychology, is to understand God’s creation and, in the words of Johannes Kepler, to “think God’s thoughts after Him.” Christians have a duty to assert the Christian worldview in academia and Christian homeschoolers have an opportunity to lead that effort. The involvement of homeschoolers in the study of psychology is an integral part of that effort.

Now browse your favorite homeschool catalogue. Count the number of biology, physics, history, and chemistry texts (and every other academic discipline) written from a Christian perspective. Lots right? Now count the number of psychology texts. Zero right? This article suggests that the absence of material for Christian homeschoolers to study psychology is a function of those critics referenced in the opening paragraph.

Those who condemn psychology cast their nets too wide. Those on the web and in Christendom who criticize psychology are generally critical of “counseling” psychology. The criticisms may be correct, but psychology is much more than counseling. It is not the purpose of this article to evaluate the criticisms of counseling psychology. Many critics seem to be thoughtful God-fearing Christians. But painting the entire discipline with the same brush used to paint counseling psychology causes many Christians to shy-away from the whole field. The study of the mind, memory, emotions, learning, development, sensation, neurons, and all the other topics that comprise psychology, is right, proper, and important for Christian homeschoolers.

Want to use this article in your website? You have my permission, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Tim Rice, D. Min. is the author of Homeschool Psych: Preparing Christian Homeschool Students for Psych 101 available at http://www.homeschoolpsych.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Rice