Philosophy and the Box: Thoughts at 3 a.m.

My friend Sam wrote this in her journal earlier this year. Like most college students, we both have existential epiphanies at 3 am during midterms. I talk about the Box a lot. It’s my term for fundamentalism and growing up homeschooled and isolated. My early school years were all in a converted storage closet withContinueContinue reading “Philosophy and the Box: Thoughts at 3 a.m.”

Isn’t this why we don’t send our homeschooled kids to public school?

I was four years old. We were visiting my dad’s childhood home in New York, and we went to the house of an elderly lady who used to be his neighbor. She had a caretaker, a single mom homeschooling her son, who was around my age. My favorite TV show was Barney the Dinosaur, myContinueContinue reading “Isn’t this why we don’t send our homeschooled kids to public school?”

I can’t save my siblings

Growing up homeschooled means you get a lot more time with your siblings than other kids. As an older sibling, it also means you have much more responsibility for them. My parents told me I didn’t need friends, I had my siblings. They also told me I was the example for them, the prototype. ThisContinueContinue reading “I can’t save my siblings”

Three year anniversary: #WhyILeft Fundamentalism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fQ0JSImpzM Three years ago yesterday, I left my parents’ house. They’d delivered an ultimatum: transfer from UCCS to Bob Jones University or move out. I chose freedom. Last year, someone told me, “That’s one thing I love about you. You’re incredibly American, in the most fundamental way. You’d rather be free than comfortable.” Which isContinueContinue reading “Three year anniversary: #WhyILeft Fundamentalism”

We’re not just ‘rebels.’ What fundamentalist Christianity demands is unreasonable.

In my last post, I talked about why I don’t trust authority. Many people like me who were raised in controlling environments tend to not get along with authority outside that context, breeding difficulties in maintaining employment and interacting within society. But the older generations often discount why we’d react this way. “You’re just aContinueContinue reading “We’re not just ‘rebels.’ What fundamentalist Christianity demands is unreasonable.”