reb•e•lu•tion (reb’el lu shen) n. a teenage rebellion against the low expectations of an ungodly culture.
Well, Alex King, one of our faithful readers and author of the blog SmartHomeschool seems to think so. Our conservative, homeschooled readers will appreciate his current series that draws a parallel between the current blog movement and the homeschool movement of the 80's and 90's.
They're not too long, so be sure to read Part One and Part Two, and feel free to leave a comment if you enjoy the read.
While perusing the blog Waiting To Go Home, by our reader, Sarah, I came across the following excellent entry about the low expectations of her college professors. A sophomore at Olympic College in Washington, Sarah has given Brett and I permission to share her post with the rest of our readers. Her insight is one that, sadly, very few young men and women come to understand before it's too late. We would encourage all of our readers to carefully consider what Sarah has written, and to take it to heart.
I’m being cheated out of my college education. I made this appalling discovery when I received my worst ever grade on an English paper. Plentiful teacher scribbling covered the pages, and a note at the end included this sentence, “There is much room for improvement should you choose to revise.” I was shocked. Since I started college, I had not received such a devastating comment on any of my papers.
My most challenging English professor, Pearl Klein, saw right through my attempts to skim the material, and she didn’t give me a ‘one size fits all’ evaluation on my paper. She didn’t write, “Needs work, grade B.” She said ‘much room for improvement’, added lengthy comments, and I could tell she had read and seen potential in my pathetic paper.
I had to revise, but I doubted my ability to write any better. However, two hours of extensive reworking produced a much different draft, and a revelation. If I wanted to be truly prepared for adult life, I would have to take more responsibility for my own education. I could see now how much potential my other teachers had failed to elicit.
One might think that doing the assignment and fulfilling the professor’s expectations would produce a quality learning experience, but not when the said professor has created a class that should be titled, ‘Credit for Dummies.’ After a year at Olympic College and ten different professors, I’ve realized that five of those ten professors didn’t expect enough out of me.
At first I felt relieved by the low expectations; I could hold down my job, do the minimum amount of homework and still make the grade. However, when I revised one of my mediocre papers and saw how much better I could do if challenged, the light went on. The ‘Oh! I’m not actually learning anything’ light.
My own experiences, coupled with the realization that many of my classmates still didn’t have a grip on basic punctuation, make me wonder if college professors don’t demand enough out of their students.
Student supervisor Ralph Givens said, “Both high school and college classes are ‘dumbed down’ when they try to make one size fit all.” On a college campus where diversity and uniqueness are emphasized, the last thing one would expect is the ‘one size fits all’ attitude, which fails to provide an exemplary education.
I’ve written papers that I knew lacked originality, understanding, and professionalism, and yet I still made the grade. From past classes, I’ve realized that I can’t rely entirely on teachers to provide me with the necessary challenge and incentive to produce quality work. If I desire to turn into an educated adult, I will have to set my own bar, and exceed that bar.
A good grade may be easier to come by if you take the ‘easy’ teachers, but you’re only cheating yourself. Did you come to college to hide in your comfort zone or to prepare yourself for a career in the adult world?
Updated on June 29, 2006
Alex and I love so many things about the World Wide Web—the fact that it puts the collective knowledge of mankind at our fingertips, for instance. However, this abundance of information has its downsides; one of which is that extremely excellent material can go unnoticed and unrecognized simply because no one ever finds it.
Today The Rebelution would like to recognize some excellent material. And perhaps, more specifically, an excellent individual: Karen Kovaka, a seventeen-year-old from Corydon, Indiana, has gone largely unnoticed while authoring one of the best-written and intelligent blogs Alex and I have had the privilege of reading.
Her blog, Rhetorical Response, is an analytical exploration of literature and worldview, and though I could attempt to describe this treasure trove I will simply borrow from Karen’s vision statement, which I cannot improve upon:
I revel in the beauty of a well-written story. I delight in analyzing the meanings behind man’s greatest literary achievements. I relish opportunities to show the superiority of the Christian worldview in relation to all others. I trust and pray that God will use this blog to further all these activities. In view of my passions and their practical applications, I am committed to writing about two primary things: the techniques that make literature great and the worldviews presented in said great literature.The Rebelution’s favorite posts from Rhetorical Response:
This blog is representative of my commitment to strengthening the existing network of like-minded Christians so we can ‘encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today’ (Heb 3:13a). Rhetorical Response is a link in the relational chain of Christian rebelutionaries.
I want to be a world-changer. I want to inspire others to be the same. I want to form relationships with other visionaries and influencers. May Rhetorical Response, through literature and worldview study, urge us all to move, in the words of CS Lewis, ‘further up and further in.’
The Rebelution is not your average blog. We don’t mean to say it’s “better” than most, but merely that it’s “different” than most. We don’t focus much on current events (with the exception of "Teens in the News"), we don’t sell anything, and we don’t randomly muse.
One could argue that The Rebelution isn’t really a weblog at all, at least, not in the traditional sense of the word. Rather, it’s a message of reform, communicated through the blog medium. It’s a self-help book, written quickly and sometimes sloppily, but in clear sections and with a common theme. It’s an online teen magazine, with comic strips, guest commentary, lively discussion and a sense of community. It’s a challenge, a vision, and a mission.
Now I don’t mean to indulge in vain or idle speculation. To the contrary, I have reached the conclusion that clarifying the nature of The Rebelution is critical to YOU getting the most out of your time here.
Though some of you may visit for no other reason than to read Jiffy N’ Lou, we hope that the vast majority of you find something exciting about our message of teenage responsibility.
The Rebelution represents a radical overthrow of basically every assumption our culture has about teenagers. For that reason Alex and I have purposefully spent these first few months laying down many foundational principles that flow counter to the lies of our culture. Including, the Myth of Adolescence series, the World Is Flat series, and our posts regarding the power of companionship, heroes vs. celebrities, our culture’s preoccupation with fun, and the rise of adultescence. (These are just a few of the many topics we’ve addressed.)
These series and independent posts represent the core message of The Rebelution. Fortunately, for those readers eager for fresh content, Alex and I plan to move on to address new topics, specifically, how these foundational principles affect different areas of life, including how we speak, what we wear, where we go, etc. etc. etc.
However, because of the unique nature of The Rebelution, even those readers who just recently started reading our blog should not skip these core principles. You see, because The Rebelution is written much like a book you will get the most out of it by reading it from beginning to end, rather than from middle to end (or something to that extent).
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to go back and read every post we’ve ever written. And it also doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to understand or relate to our new topics if you haven’t read the old ones. However, I would encourage you to take the time every so often to explore the past series and "popular independent posts" listed on the sidebar to the right. Because The Rebelution is a cohesive message this will serve to compliment your future reading and give you a better understanding of what we’re all about.
Thanks for your time.
It's time once again for America's favorite comic strip: The Adventures of Jiffy N' Lou! Brought to you courtesy of the late New Attitude Magazine, Joshua Harris, and The Rebelution. Click on image to enlarge.
Comment Section Starter Questions: What is your position when it comes to relationships? Out of curiosity, how many of you have read our older brother's books, "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" and "Boy Meets Girl?"
Read the rest of the article here.Jack Kelly: No shame
The federal response to Katrina was not as portrayed
Sunday, September 11, 2005
It is settled wisdom among journalists that the federal response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina was unconscionably slow.
"Mr. Bush's performance last week will rank as one of the worst ever during a dire national emergency," wrote New York Times columnist Bob Herbert in a somewhat more strident expression of the conventional wisdom.
But the conventional wisdom is the opposite of the truth.
Four weeks ago, fellow blogger Agent Tim and I teamed up to interview American expatriate and rebelutionary, Hans Guenther, regarding the persecution of homeschoolers in Germany (to read the interview click here). Thrilled with the quality of content in Hans's answers, Brett and I invited him to write a guest post for The Rebelution. Please pay heed to the following, excellent, critique of modern man's obsession with the superficial.
Living in secular Europe for the past ten years has given me a great amount of insight into what lies behind the rapid secularization that is taking place in all of western culture. With immoralities on the rise, most conservatives would agree that, generally speaking, the western world has been heading down the wrong path. But few realize the complexity of our problem. Let us now examine an issue I believe deserves more attention.About the Author: Hans Guenther is a 19-year-old Christian homeschool graduate from southern Oregon. He has been living with his parents and four siblings in Germany for the past ten years. Now studying online at Troy University, Hans is also an assistant to his father, Richard Guenther, who manages German homeschool legal defense organization Schulunterricht zu Hause e.V.
These are not new problems. However, the inventions of the photograph and television have caused problems like these to escalate like never before in recorded history. By focusing on the surface, our eyes become dimmed to the inner realities that lie beneath it. People begin to 
Voters are beginning to choose candidates based on their looks rather than their political agenda. This has been a growing trend in Germany, and is a logical outcome of our society. Politicians put a lot of time and effort into their physical appearance. Changes of eye color, make up, and hairdo are becoming increasingly popular among today’s politicians. Prior to the 2004 Vice Presidential debate, I laughed when the news showed John Edwards looking into a mirror adjusting his hair for over a minute. But is this really funny? It shows the importance our society is placing on outward appearance.Please take the time to consider the following questions and to share your thoughts with the rest of our readers:
1.) Nearly everyone would recognize that American culture, as a whole, is too caught up in the superficial. What about the Christians? How do you think this way of thinking has effected the church?
2.) Many people like to think that they are invincible to outside influences. How susceptible do you think the human mind is to the subtle effects of media and culture?
Tom Shales, style columnist of the Washington Post, demonstrates the very concern I raised in my recent post, "Commander in... Chieftess?" In yesterday's column, Shales lauds actress Geena Davis, star of ABC's new primetime drama, "Commander in Chief," saying:
Geena Davis can veto my legislation anytime. Starring as the first woman to hold the highest office in the land, Davis reminds us what we have missed in most of our past, real-life presidents: cuteness. She's got a twinkle in her eye, a twinkle in her smile, a twinkle everywhere. She's President Twinkle -- just what we need to tame the extreme, charm the militant, inspire the troops.My initial reaction to this statement was that of alarm. Such an approach reduces the presidency to nothing more than a beauty pageant. And yet, the indubitable Mr. Shales was miles ahead of me, saying:
Davis is [a] tantalizer all sublime. Maybe the presidency should be a beauty pageant; it's hard to imagine that the results would really be that much worse than we get already.This is exactly what we do not need. In a time that requires increasingly careful thought and cautious action, too many Americans, much of whom are already fed up with the Iraq war and President Bush, will consider a female Hillary to be a great improvement. While I do not see this moving the most loyal of the party faithful, it will have a profound effect on the ever-growing category of the independent and moderate conservative.
I am pleased to announce that the people have spoken and Jamie Kiley [that's her on the right] is the Civil Discussion Ruler Of The World. I won't even mention that it's ironic for this to occur right after Alex posted about female presidents.
The real purpose of this post is to alert those who were following the excellent discussion in the comment section of my recent apologetics post "God Is Dead, Science Has Killed Him," that my long awaited response has finally been posted.
You may read it here. Keep in mind that due to its length, my response had to be posted in four parts. For that reason you won't be able to just read the latest comment in the thread.
[Note: I though I should clarify that the picture of a nuclear explosion is intended to relate to the nature of the discussion (i.e. whether the Bible is referring to nuclear fission in 2 Peter 3:12) and is not meant to communicate any sense of foreboding regarding Jamie's new position of power . . . In case you made that connection.]
Tonight marks the premiere of ABC's new primetime drama, "Commander in Chief."
Geena Davis is Mackenzie Allen, vice-president of the United States, until President Bridges unexpectedly dies. Pressured to resign in order to make way for the speaker of the house to assume the presidency, Allen makes a last-second decision to take the oath of office and become the first female president of the United States.
While the first episode has received mixed reviews from critics, many expect the show to be popular with the American public. Earlier this year, a CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll found that over 70 percent of Americans would be likely to vote for a female presidential candidate in 2008. According to a Fox News Poll in January, 56 percent of Americans believe that America is ready to elect a female president, up from 51 percent in 1998.
With oft-mentioned presidential prospect, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, likely to make a run for the White House in 2008, and with speculation swirling around Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice as well, ABC's new show may well serve to further soften the political ground for a real life female president.
In an echo of a common theme on The Rebelution, Marie Wilson, president and founder of The White House Project, is quoted as saying, "Culture is a powerful tool for moving us to where I think we have to go." Likewise, Martha Burk, chair of the National Council of Women's Organizations, hailed the primetime drama as an important political step "because things in the popular culture often do become legitimized in real life." In other words, as Chicago Sun-Times columnist, Lynn Sweet, writes, "[T]he abnormal becomes the normal."
The primary agent for this change? As always: Mainstream Media.
It is only a matter of time before a woman presidential candidate becomes a reality. I will be voting in 2008, and so will many of you. Regardless of the outcome, it will undoubtedly be marked as a historic landmark in America's political history. Unfortunately, a show like "Commander and Chief" only serves to foster a media-saturated culture that will cast their ballot, not for a candidate, but for what they perceive to be the most interesting real "reality TV show."
In response to my recent post, “I’m Pro-Choice: Choosing To Grow Up,” Lauren, one of our faithful readers, posted the following request:
“Today one of my friends and I were talking after school… At one point he said, “What if I don’t want to grow up? What if I want to stay a kid for the rest of my life? I just want to have fun.” Immediately this made me think of what you wrote on this post. I wasn’t quite sure what to say. What is a simple argument for a comment like that?”
This isn’t the first time I’ve been asked this question. A few weeks ago another one of my readers asked me, “Since the people who read your blog probably already agree with you, how are you going to get the message out to people who really need to hear it? How will you convince those who disagree with you?”
The point you’re trying to make is that even if they feel like little Peter Pans they don’t live in Neverland! They’re going to grow up. Adult responsibilities are going to come. Therefore, the only question is, “Are they going to be ready?”
Now, imagine that instead of just telling you to take the pills the doctor told you that smallpox was spreading rapidly all over the world, that even people who were vaccinated were contracting it, and that unless you took these pills twelve times a day it was almost inevitable that you would contract the disease and die.In the comment section, please answer one or more of the following questions:Continue Series with Part Six: Pursuing the Inevitable
1.) Do you think young people in general have an unrealistic view of how long they can avoid adult responsibility?
2.) Have you ever had a friend talk about "staying young" and "just having fun?" Did you say anything to them about it? If so, what did you say?
3.) Whether its speaking to your friends about the rebelution, evangelizing, etc. have you fallen into the trap of telling people all about the "pills" and failing to adequately explain the nature and danger of the "disease?"
I was trying to upload another of The Rebelution's famous comics. Unfortunately, I am being unable to load it. Ironically, the title of the comic was "The Beginnings Of A Bad Day."
We'll be posting later today. We're at science class right now.
Fellow-blogger, Agent Tim, posts an interesting opinion piece published in Thursday's edition of USA Today, regarding the severe lack of men on college campuses today. The article reads:
Currently, 135 women receive bachelor's degrees for every 100 men. That gender imbalance will widen in the coming years, according to a new report by the U.S. Department of Education...The piece cites employment rates, annual income, incarceration statistics, and even, adultescents, to support its argument that the male sex is facing great inequity in the world today. It concludes:
[T]he inequity has yet to provoke the kind of response that finally opened opportunities for women a generation ago. In fact, virtually no one is exploring the obvious questions: What has gone wrong?... Surely, a problem that creates crime, increases unemployment and leads to hopelessness deserves attention. Where are the boys? Too often, going nowhere.As would be expected, such a piece sparked protest among feminists. Nancy Gandy, the president of NOW (National Organization for Women), was quick to dismiss the editorial as nothing but a "panicky article" that misrepresented the true facts. She writes:
[D]ominant groups find ways to protect their members. Much as they might deny it, people get special privileges for belonging to dominant groups (whites, men, heterosexuals).In fact, in seemingly ironic deviation from the historical feminist view, Ms. Gandy is not even happy about women holding such a large edge in post-high school education. Rather she forecasts that women attaining greater education will only serve to decrease the emphasis that businesses place on education and capability, instead leading them to focus on the number of hours employees can work. This, she argues, will greatly discriminate against women, because of their housekeeping and child-raising responsibilities:
Women do more than 80% of unpaid family work, even though two-thirds of us work outside the home. Let's face it — women can't "have it all" if we're expected to do it all! Women's greater education will be a moot point until our society provides better policies for working parents.Ms. Gandy then points out that while men and women have had equal post-high school education for the past 30 years, little has changed. To prove this, she lists statistics of women as percentages of Congress, law firms, mayors, judges, and Fortune 500 CEOs, before finally concluding:
Bottom line? I don't see a few more degrees signaling the fall of patriarchy. We already know women are smart. But no matter how smart you are, it's tough to win when the rules keep changing and you have to choose between work and family... [O]ur movement for genuine equality is still needed, NOW more than ever.There are several obvious errors in Ms. Gandy's arguments, as well as a few alarming and revealing statements regarding NOW's true social objectives. Among them: Her call for better (read "more") government childcare policies to free parents from the home, and the statement that true equality cannot exist while women must continue to choose between work and family.
For those of who you have long sense despaired of finding polite and civil discourse, despite disagreement, look no further than the comment section of my recent post, "God Is Dead, Science Has Killed Him."
Our reader "J", who authors the beautiful blog Jamie Kiley, has engaged me in an incredibly intelligent discussion regarding the use of certain Scripture passages to make the point that the Bible was/is scientifically accurate before its time.
Needless to say, keeping up with Jamie has eaten up the time I would usually spend writing blog posts. For that reason I am pleased to announce that September 24th is now National Civil Discussion Appreciation Day!
Here's what NCDAD (National Civil Discussion Appreciation Day) involves:
1) I don't write new blog posts. I just write civil dicussion posts for the comment section.
2) You don't get to read new blog posts. You just get to read civil discussions in the comment section. AND, if you haven't already, you get to read The Rebelution's commenting guidelines which have been adopted by blogs across the blogosphere.
3) ALSO, you all get to vote for the Civil Discussion Ruler Of The World. Anyone is eligible. Include at least one reason for your vote. The comment section of this post is reserved as a ballot box.
UPDATE: It isn't that I don't want Jamie to win. But our voter turnout percentage is somewhere around 2%. For your own sakes, be responsible citizens and vote for dictator (I mean ruler).
It has come to our attention that certain people's browsers are doing "funny things" to The Rebelution's sidebar. If everything is working correctly, you should see a bonafide sidebar to your right. It will include a photograph of Brett and myself, a quote from Dawn Eden's New York Daily News column featuring our blog, links to our current series, recommendations from our readership, and links to popular posts, fellow rebelutionaries, etc... And it should not be at the very, very bottom of the page.
If you would be willing to assist us, please take the time to leave a comment notifying us as to the status of the sidebar in your browser. Be sure to include what browser you are using. Thank you!
UPDATE: It appears that a majority of our readers, those using MSIE 6.0, do not see our sidebar. This greatly detracts from your visit and we hope to remedy the situation as soon as possible. Until then, the sidebar is available... At the bottom of the page. Or, of course, you could always just switch to a Mac.
NOTE: This post is hopefully the beginning of another permanent, weekly feature on The Rebelution: Christian Apologetics. While we will do our best to avoid making blatant assumptions, our non-believing readers must be considerate of the fact that many aspects of our faith, while nearly always supported by what we can observe, must still be accepted with a measure of faith. For that reason we are not attempting to convince you beyond a shadow of a doubt that what we say is true. That standard is unreachable by any position.
Our positions and the discussions they spark are intended to encourage those who share our belief and provoke thought in all of our readers. The comment section will be strictly monitored in accordance with our clearly stated commenting guidelines.
NO FINAL CONFLICT: SCIENCE VS. SCRIPTURE
Francis Schaeffer, famous Christian apologist and writer, wrote in his book, "No Final Conflict," that "we should not fear to investigate scientifically the facts of the created world but should do so eagerly and with complete honesty, confident that when facts are rightly understood, they will always turn out to be consistent with God's inerrant words in Scripture. Similarly, we should approach the study of Scripture eagerly and with confidence that, when rightly understood, Scripture will never contradict facts in the natural world."
God is accurately represented through His word. Therefore for the Bible to be invincible to science is for God to be invincible to science. This invincibility to science is His knowledge of science, through his creation of the universe and His oneness with His Word the Bible.
2 Peter 3:11-12, gives us a great example in the realm of Physical Science when it says: "Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!"
Leviticus 17:11 gives us another example, this time in the realm of Medicine, when it says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood.” Now for centuries scientists believed that virtually all disease could be treated by means of venesection, more commonly known as bloodletting. However, this treatment actually weakened its patients and caused many unnecessary deaths.About The Authors: Alex & Brett Harris have been heavily involved in Apologetics competition on the national level. While competing in the NCFCA during the past two years they have ranked nationally in the top eight four times, in the top four twice, and garnered one national title.Note: Whether they show up or not, there are many, many comments on this post. Please click on the comments link below to view.
It is time once again for America's favorite comic strip: The Adventues Of Jiffy N' Lou! With special permission from the artist, The Rebelution is proud to present what many herald as the first and only homeschool comic strip! Jiffy N' Lou debuted in Joshua Harris' New Attitude Magazine back in 1994 and retired with the magazine in 1997. Then, for almost eight years, these homeschool cultural icons have vanished from the public eye.
Here on The Rebelution they are making their comeback, proving once again to the world that homeschool comic strips do indeed fill a gap that needs to be filled. Click on image to enlarge:
COMMENTARY: We appease our consciences much too easily.
Regardless of your political leanings the following article is intended to make this point:
Ordinary people can write guest commentaries, whether it be for the Ridgecrest Daily Independent, or for The Rebelution. You might even make it on Google News like this guy did: click here for the article.
A hearty congratulations to fellow blogger Agent Tim for his recent interview on The Albert Mohler Program regarding Christian teens in the blogosphere. We are thrilled that Tim is receiving the greater attention that his consistently high quality work deserves.
Agent Tim was also generous enough to mention the blogs of several other rebelutionaries, including Spunky Jr., Mission 3:6teen, and The Boyscout Blogger, which have now been linked to from Dr. Mohler's blog. The Rebelution was also mentioned on the show, with reference to the messages of The Myth of Adolescence (Part 1, Part 2), "Rebelize" Your Youth Group, Runing Our Lives With Fun, and Tim's and my interview with Hans Guenther regarding the persecution of homeschoolers in Germany.
Congratulations, Tim. Thanks for drawing attention to the work of your fellow rebelutionaries. Keep up the fantastic work.
I don't know about you, but when Hurricane Katrina occured I was hoping that we'd see our nation unite the way it did after 9/11. Do you remember the way politics were put aside and everyone just wanted to do whatever they could to help?
Well, I was disappointed. Everything was politics and looters and death. Then today I found the following article by Mary Laney, a writer for the Chicago Sun-Times, entitled, "Hurricane brings out the best of America," and I am encouraged. Here's what she has to say:
HURRICANE BRINGS OUT THE BEST OF AMERICA
September 19, 2005
BY MARY LANEY
Let me tell you the good news. Not much time is being spent on it these days but there is plenty of it in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. In recent days, this country has mobilized like no other to care for its own . . . .
To be a rebelutionary, we must constantly strive to reduce the focus on ourselves as individuals, and to place the focus on the community of the Church. The only way to truly combat cultural expectations is to create a culture that results in an entire community of mature and responsible young people. To effect widespread change, we must produce such a communities in churches across the nation. Sadly, the average youth group in the U.S. today is falling incredibly short of this calling.In response to the above post, our father, Gregg Harris, posted the following comment. We want to make sure all of you read it:~ From the post, "Rebelize" Your Youth Group ~
In the late 90’s hit single, “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen),” Baz Luhrmann offers sage advice in a unique and catchy graduation-ceremony-put-to-music format. He begins by telling his listeners to wear sunscreen, because the benefits are “well-documented by scientists.” The rest of the advice, he tells us, “has no source more reliable” than his own “meandering experience.” (If you didn’t notice this guy has a sense of humor.)
I must admit that I love this song. It’s like a 5-minute version of Self-Improvement 101, and it’s catchy! Unfortunately, sandwiched in between his reminders to stretch and get plenty of calcium, Mr. Luhrmann throws in this piece of advice:
“Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at twenty-two what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t.”
My initial reaction to that would be: Ouch! This is exactly what we don’t need! We do not need to be encouraged to lack direction and purpose. That’s what we’re already doing! Rather, our generation needs a kick in the pants that says, “Wake up! The stakes are high! The time is now! Get going!”
But then I realized that while Mr. Luhrmann advice was bad, he was also responding to one of the other reasons that our generation is having trouble growing up: We are overwhelmed with the responsibility of figuring out what in the world we’re going to do with our lives.
After all, we already live in a world of overwhelming choice: there are 40 kinds of coffee beans at Whole Foods Market, 205 channels on DirecTV, and 15 million personal ads on Match.com. And guess what? Unless you expect to find your life’s mate online those are all relatively insignificant choices!
What seems to trip many young people up are the 800,000+ career choices on Monster.com. It was all so much easier back when you were simply “destined” to be a blacksmith just like your father, and his father, and his father’s father, and his father’s father’s father, and his fath . . . you get the point.
But seriously, the question of life purpose weighs heavily on many young people and some of us just don’t want to deal with it. Marshall Herskovits, producer of the television show Thirtysomething, explains, “When you talk about this period of transition being extended, it’s not what people intended to do. But it’s a result of the world not being particularly welcoming when they come into it. Lots of people have a difficult time dealing with it, and they try to stay kids as long as they can because they don’t know how to make sense of all this.”
What is Mr. Herskovits referring to when he says “all this?” He talking about those questions: What are you going to do? How are you going to do it? Where are you going to go? How are you going to get there? Those questions that seem to jump you out of the blue and then plague your subconscious with their persistent nagging.
But don’t worry. I’ve been there too. I know the paralysis that comes with big decisions. However, I’ve also learned that the only way to avoid being overwhelmed with the big choices (and everybody has to make them) is to start moving. Just start putting one foot down after another.
Here’s why I say that: I think that the reason these 20+ year-olds are paralyzed by questions of direction and purpose is because they failed to start moving on these decisions when they were teenagers.
So here’s the practical application: Start planning now! Starting thinking about what you’re going to do after high school and after college. Start thinking about career paths and what you want in a marriage partner. Better yet, start praying about these things. You can’t cram on this test. The consequences are long-term.
Feel free to change your mind 200 times or even 200,000 times. But having a foggy idea of what the future holds does not bode well for you.
In closing, I know that we all get tired of people asking us, “So what are you doing after high school?” But the truth is, “There’s few better questions for them to ask!” The reason we are often unprepared for our future is that we haven’t spent enough time thinking about and planning our future.
Sorry, Mr. Luhrmann. We don't want to be "interesting" 40-year-olds or even "interesting" 22-year-olds for that matter. We are called to a higher standard.
In the comment section I want each of you to answer to one or more of the following prompts, but please don’t limit yourselves to what I have provided:Remember, the idea is simply to get you thinking about these things. Expect these answers to change over time, but if you don’t have an answer to one of the question it is likely that you lack direction in that area.
1.) At this point in time I plan to attend the following college . . .
If you are not planning on attending college don’t feel badly. College is not always necessary, advisable, or affordable.
2.) At this point in time I plan to pursue the following career . . .
Ladies, “wife” and “mother” are both suitable and admirable answers.
3.) At this point in time I desire the following characteristics in a spouse . . .
Please specify (if it is not already clear) whether you are describing a husband or wife.
In response to Brett’s recent post, Guess What? Adolescence Is Permanent, one of our readers, Allegra, made the following comment:
I find what you guys said scary. I myself am still a younger teenager, but I dread growing up. For some reason, I have it in my head that growing up is one of the worst things that can happen to someone. This ideaFirst of all, thank you for your comment, Allegra. We greatly appreciate all of our readers’ input. You have correctly identified a common negative tendency among adults. That is, their seeming inability to reach out to others, especially those younger than they are. However, this is not a result of growing up, but rather, a result of growing up the wrong way.
probably comes from observing kids my age or just a little older who are maturing, but don't have time to play with the smaller kids and less grown-up teens. Doesn't growing up involve keeping your sense of humor, playing with little kids, but just getting more responsibility and learning how to deal with it effectively?
Here's to those wonderful women who only have our best interest in mind: our dear mothers. Click on image to enlarge.
DISCLAIMER: Though my mother hasn't done any of "these" things, she has done her utmost to serve her family by feeding us healthy food (and vitamins). By posting this comic The Rebelution does not intend to make fun of responsible mothers, but rather we recognize the importance of being able to laugh at ourselves and at the common misconceptions others have about us.
In response to my post “Ruining Our Lives With Fun,” Stephen, one of our readers, posted a Doug Casey quotation for our consideration:
Stephen followed up this quotation (which is much longer than what I've included here) by asking if any of this resonated with us. Our response would be that though Mr. Casey has evidently put much thought into his writings we find it both difficult to identify and hard to covet the generation he is referencing in the above quotation.The kids born between 1982 and perhaps 2002 should be another Hero archetype. My own experience with them is that they're shaping up that way. Represented by clean-cut, straight arrow Power Rangers. Quite a reaction to the sewer-dwelling Mutant Ninja Turtles that were analogs for the previous generation. They're "'can do" kids, programmed to do the right thing in a smoke-free, drug-free, eco-sensitive, politically correct world. Like all Hero types, they respect their elders, do what they're told without much questioning authority.
~ ”Foundations of Crisis” by Doug Casey ~
The comment section is open for present and past generations to discuss Mr. Casey's description and/or anything else related. Feel free to answer one or both of the following questions:
1) Which parts of Mr. Casey's description appeal to you? Which parts do not?
2) To what extent should we attempt to be politically-correct? Are there any policically-correct views that you feel especially comfortable or uncomfortable embracing?
We must not be satisfied with simply being better than the average teenager. Such a classification reinforces, rather than combats, the myth of adolescence. As the old saying goes, "The exception only proves the rule."Joel, of www.chezjoel.com posted the following excellent response to my above statement. I post it here in it's entirety because he develops our thoughts in a wonderfully articulate way:~ From the recent post, "Rebelize Your Youth Group" ~
Moe is a stereotypical American teenager who enjoys multi-annual vacations, has a computer and television in his room, and spends 32+ hours per week playing video games and watching television. Not only that, but nearly all of his income is discretionary, with Dad and Mom underwriting most of his expenses. He shoulders the burden of a job only in order to pay for expensive activities he enjoys and all the while his culture blares the message of a retired Pepsi commercial: “You’re young! Have fun! Drink Pepsi.” He is irresponsible, carefree, and has all the toys he needs to be happy. Life is grand when you’re a stereotypical American teenager.
Fast-forward ten years. Moe is now 27-years-old. He spent over five years to complete college and still owes the institution $15,000. He graduated with a brand-spanking-new degree in cognitive science but is working as a waiter in a local restaurant and says he’s just getting started on finding the career he wants. He’s had three addresses in the past five years and though he’s two years away from the average age for first marriage he sees marriage as a decidedly post-30 milestone. He spends more than the average person on clothes, going to/renting movies, computers and software (including games), and eating out. A perceptive observer might conclude that Moe is either having trouble or just plain doesn’t want to grow up.
Why? Well, let’s ask Matt Swann, a real person, and another 27-year-old. Matt is very similar to Moe, he spent 6 1/2 years to complete college, received a degree in cognitive science, works as a waiter in Atlanta, Georgia, and is just getting started finding the career he wants. When interviewed for a TIME Magazine article entitled, “Meet The Twixter’s” and asked if he was looking forward to marriage, family, and owning a home, Matt replied: “I don’t ever want a lawn. I do not want to be a parent. I mean, hell, why would I? There’s so much fun to be had while you’re young.”
The reason for Matt’s predicament is found in that last sentence: There’s so much fun to be had while you’re young. It seems as if that old Pepsi Commercial had a great effect on Matt’s pubescent mind. Whatever other feelings he has towards adult responsibility we at least know this: he doesn’t think it’s very fun.
My questions are these: Who said life was about having fun? Who said adolescence was about having fun? Who said adultescence was about having fun? Does the truth of the Bible teach it or does the lying tongue of our culture spread it? Did spending his teen years having fun prepare Matt for the rest of his life? And since the answer is obviously “no,” could it be that "just having fun” is a distraction from what’s supposed to be going on? Could it be that "just having fun” is a hindrance to the character and competence that should be developing while we’re still young?
At the root of many of our culture’s problems, including our generation’s problem with growing up is this idea of fun. You can’t get away from it. It’s hammered into our heads through by every kind of media; it’s even enforced by “understanding” and respectable adults who have also bought into the lies of our culture. We live like the Nike slogan: Just Do It. We have tons of fun while we’re young.
Granted, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying yourself, but if it detracts from your development and preparation for the future it’s gone too far. Dr. Mel Levine, author of “Ready or Not, Here Life Comes,” advises parents: “Don’t overindulge kids with spectacular vacations, opulent material possessions and relentless tides of programmed activities after school and during the summers. Avoid creating hyper inflated egos living within protected spheres that will burst in early stages of a career when supervisors won’t care how gorgeous your kids are or what “cool dudes” they’ve become or what great ballplayers they were in high school.”
Dr. Levine’s message is clear: overindulgence in "just having fun” will not prepare you for life. You will reap no benefit from making childhood an impossible act to follow. Rather, you will find adult responsibility dull and unappealing. But guess what? Adult responsibility was originally intended to make up 70% of your life! What a waste to ruin the largest portion of your existence on earth by buzzing yourself numb during childhood!
If only we knew how our culture was shortchanging us by telling us to spend our teenage years just having fun! If only we knew the joys of committed marriage, of fatherhood & motherhood, of faithful stewardship and eventual leadership that are being gutted by the miscellaneous notion that life is about fun.
Here are a few practical steps to “save” the joys of adulthood:
1) Stop viewing your teenage years as a time to goof off before you have to settle down and be responsible. Putting off responsibility does not prepare you for responsibility. The teen years offer the best time of preparation you’ll every have. No other time in your life will allow you such undistracted preparation. No other time in your life is as pivotal to what you will become as these years.
2) Don’t separate what you are now from what you will become. If you hope to be a stay-at-home mom someday but at age sixteen can’t stand sitting around at home for two days straight then there’s a problem! If you won’t be able to play 20+ hours of video games per week after you’re married, don’t play that much now. Don’t expect extreme transitions to be made smoothly. Your best chance is to become now what you want to be then.
3) Begin establishing deadlines for yourself, assigning yourself responsibilities, and setting priorities. Anything that helps you develop self-discipline and responsibility. These characteristics are markers of maturity.
4) Limit your time spent playing video games, watching television, randomly surfing the web, and listening to music with headphones. All of these activities tend to isolate you and prevent you from the developing the kind of personality and character that makes living with you enjoyable. Work at simply interacting with people more, better yet, organize an activity (besides watching a movie, playing video games, etc.).
For example, my eleven-year-old brother Isaac just organized a 50+ player airsoft war on our property. He got all of these people to show up at the right place and at the right time. He made tons of phone calls to ensure that everyone had a working gun and safety goggles. He divided them all up into to even teams and we had blast last Sunday.
This story tells you that we are not against having fun, but we do believe that our fun should occur in such a way that it prepares us for the rest of life, rather than ruining us for it. Isaac developed organization and leadership skills as well as an ability to work with people that will serve him all his life. And he’s just eleven-years-old! You can do this too.
Continue Series with Part Four: I'm Pro-Choice: Choosing To Grow Up
This post will go down in rebelutionary history as the first installment of the homeschool-cult-classic-comic: Jiffy N' Lou! With special permission from the artist, The Rebelution is proud to present what many herald as the first and only homeschool comic strip! Jiffy N' Lou debuted in Joshua Harris' New Attitude Magazine back in 1994 and retired with the magazine in 1997. Then, for almost eight years, these homeschool cultural icons have vanished from the public eye.
Here on The Rebelution they are about to make their comeback, proving once again to the world that homeschool comic strips do indeed fill a gap that needs to be filled. Click on image to enlarge:
Note: There are comments on this post, whether they show up below or not. Click on the "0 Comments" link to view.
I have pondered the “specifics” over the past week, and I finally came to the following conclusion: Brett and I can’t tell specific individuals exactly what they’re supposed to do. That’s between you, your family, and God. We can, however, give you specific “generalities” for all types of roles.
In two previous entries, My iPod Is My Best Friend and A Shining Salty City On A Stand, I laid several foundational, but general, principles upon which to base a rebelution. The first was to recognize the importance of carefully choosing our companions, both human and non-human (books, magazines, television, blogs, etc…). The second was to accurately understand Christ’s commandment to be salt and light. In the comment section of the second post, an interesting discussion arose regarding the nature of a rebelution. Several comments stood out, beginning when Karen said:
My parents started homsechooling over a decade ago with the goal of being world-changers. They have had to come to terms with the fact that they probably won't see a total reformation of American culture in their lifetimes. They have played a part in what God is doing, but it has not been a very glamorous part. Their battle has been one of being disciplined and keeping the faith.Later on David added:
I believe the time is right for a reformation, and I want to take part in it more than I want just about anything else. But I have to have enough faith to remain disciplined and steady no matter what God has for me.
Too many people have lost the zeal for God's House that once marked the Church.While this was not the extent of the discussion, I would like to focus, in this post, on the need for a specific type of reformation. The big focus of A Shining Salty City On Stand was the necessity of both individuals and community. While I did not directly mention this in that post, what we were talking about was a perfect description of the Body of Christ, the Church. A body has many different parts, all of which have different strengths and weakness, different functions and responsibilities, but who work together to accomplish the purpose of the Head, Jesus Christ. This is also true of a rebelution, which is why our first step must be to awaken the church.
I want the comment section to be brainstorm central. Start by thinking about, and then pooling your answers, to the following preliminary questions:Please do not limit yourself to the above questions. Further questions and thoughts on the posts are encouraged. Soli Deo Gloria!
1.) What is the current state of the youth culture in your church? Does it embrace or resist our society’s expectations?
2.) Who do you need collaborate with within your church in order to bring about change?
You can read this article by Dennis Prager at our sister's excellent blog, Fearlessly Feminine. To read Part Two, click here. When you're done, come back and join the discussion below.
This concludes the mini-series. I would encourage you to take advantage of the following questions, whether or not you post your answers in the comment section. They are intended to help you think critically about what you read and apply your new-found knowledge to your own life:
1) Would you agree with Mr. Prager that the elimination of women's traditional roles have left them less powerful? Why or why not?
2) Do you think immodest dress is an expression of power for some women? Do you think that this is calculated or subconscious? Why or why not?
3) Do you agree with Mr. Prager's that we should eliminate all sexual harassment laws (except those prohibiting threats) or apply them equally to women? Why or why not?
4) Are women naive when it comes to immodest dress? What are your thoughts?
5) Would you agree with the statement, "What you attract them with you attract them to," when applied to immodest dress?
There are only two major differences I can see between Peter Pan and most kidults. The first is that Peter Pan looks as young as he acts and the second is that Peter Pan can fly. However, once those differences are out of the way I can easily see most adultescents crowing gleefully with Pan, “I want to always be a little boy and have fun!”
To put it bluntly, nearly 20% of Americans ages 18-28 are no more than Peter Pans that shave (I never thought I'd find a picture to illustrate this point, but the slightly disturbing picture on the right does so).
The sad truth is that American adolescences are preoccupied with fun and consequently grow into adults who—you guessed it—are still preoccupied with fun.
A culture’s priorities can be measured by looking at two things: how it spends its time and how it spends its money. The fact that our culture throws time and money after fun is proved in many areas, but for the sake of brevity I’ll focus on just one: gaming.
In America last year over seven billion dollars were spent on video and computer games, more than double what it was in 1996. 239 million games made it into the computers and gaming consoles of American households in 2003 and a recent study by Purdue University and Boston College showed that American eighth-graders spend an average of 17.5 hours per week playing video games; boys average 23 hours a week and girls 12 hours. Furthermore, the girl’s average should be expected rise as game developers continue their recent strategy to create games that specifically appeal to female gamers.
If our obsession with video games is indicative of our culture’s priorities we can conclude that American adolescents will grow into adults that spend large amounts of time and money on “fun” activities and products. That being the case, we can also expect that there are myriads corporations and advertisers who prefer that adolescents stay the way they are: tractable, exploitable, pre-adultish—living at home, spending their money on toys.
David Morrison, President of Twentysomething Inc. admits, “[Kidults] are the optimum market to be going after for consumer electronics, Game Boys, flat-screen TVs, iPods, couture fashion, exotic vacations and so forth. Most of their needs are taken care of by Mom and Dad, so their income is largely discretionary. Many [kidults] are living at home, but if you look, you’ll see flat-screen TVs in their bedrooms and brand-new cars in the driveway.”
Here’s the hard fact: The entertainment industry doesn’t want us to grow up. Their affluence depends on our immaturity.
Unfortunately, millions of American teenagers have gone along with the program. Where are they today? They’re adultescents. They’re Peter Pans that shave. And they’re still playing video games.
Peter Vorderer, a professor of communications at the University of Southern California, shares, “The thought for a long time was that the kids who played games would grow out of it. But that seems not to have happened. Instead we have seen a continuous increase in the average age of the gamer.”
According to industry estimates, that average age is now 29.
Mr. Vorderer continues, “[The fact that gaming] is a primary tool of youth and adolescents means it will have tremendous impact on how the next generation or two plays itself out.”
That’s exactly what we’re doing Mr. Vorderer: playing ourselves out.
Note: Before I realized that gaming made a point in-and-of-itself I was planning on including two steps we can take to avoid the trap our “culture of fun” has laid for us. Those steps will be shared in my next post: Peter Pans That Shave (Part 2). For now, please discuss the following questions:
1) Do you think the level of fun most teenagers are accustomed to is maintainable once they have shouldered adult responsibilities (i.e. full-time job, marriage, family, etc.)? Why or why not?
2) Have you noticed any of the subtle and/or obvious ways that our culture pushes us to stay young and have fun? Explain.
3) How much is too much when it comes to video games and other similar activities? What are your standards?
4) Do you find that picture disturbing? (If you don't know which picture I'm referring to the answer is most likely "no")
You can read this article by Dennis Prager at our sister's excellent blog Fearlessly Feminine. To read Part One, click here. When you're done, come back and join the conversation below.
Please answer one or more of the following questions:
1) Would you agree with Mr. Prager's assertion that women expose themselves in order to express their "femininity?"
2) Would you agree that classical femininity is dead today? What is the most powerful evidence of this you have witnessed?
3) Do you think things are going to get worse or better in regards to women's dress?
4) What should Christians do to be "salt and light" in this area?
Announcing an excellent post by Karen Kovaka of Rhetorical Response regarding one of the greatest strategic oversights of those seeking to reform their culture. Essential reading for the rebelutionary.
Social scientists have discovered a new category of age: adultescence. TIME Magazine announces in its January 2005 cover article ‘Meet The Twixters:’ “In the past people moved from childhood to adolescence and from adolescence to adulthood, but today there is a new, intermediate phase along the way. The years from 18 to 25 and even beyond have become a distinct and separate life stage, a strange, transitional never-never land between adolescence and adulthood in which people stall for a few extra years, putting off the iron cage of adult responsibility that threatens to crash down on them”
These “kidults” still live with their parents and hop around from job-to-job and relationship-to-relationship. They lack direction, commitment, financial independence, and personal responsibility. They are boomerang kids, adult teenagers, and they are much more than a generational hiccup or a temporary fad.
In fact, according to sociologists, psychologists, and demographers they are a permanent trend. So much so that many countries have already named them: they are called “Kippers” in England, “Nesthockers” in Germany, “Mammones” in France, and “Freeters” in Japan. In many countries they comprise over 20 percent of their age group, and the numbers are rising rapidly. In Italy, for instance, over 50% of young people over age 20 still live with their parents.
In America the percentage of 26-year-olds living with their parents has doubled since 1970, from 11% to 20%. That means one in five American 26-year-olds lacks the financial independence, personal responsibility, or courage to leave the shelter of their parent’s roof.
How do we explain this? Unfortunately, we can almost predict that the world is going to say something like: This is OK! Irresponsibility is good!
In fact, several of the prominent social scientists that have studied this new life stage see it as a positive development. They argue that these “adultescents” aren’t lazy; they’re just reaping the fruit of decades of American affluence and social liberation. They believe that “this new period is a chance for young people to savor the pleasures of irresponsibility, search their souls and choose their life paths.”
Jeffrey Arnett, a developmental psychologist at the University of Maryland says, “It’s too easy to write them off as overgrown children. Rather, they’re doing important work to get themselves ready for adulthood. This is the one time in their lives when they’re not responsible for anyone else or to anyone else. So they have this wonderful freedom to really focus on their own lives and work on becoming the kind of person they want to be.”Only a culture with exceedingly low expectations of young people can view the existence of these twentysomething Peter Pans as a positive thing. A proper look at the situation will lead us to the conclusion that whatever cultural machinery used to turn kids into grownups has broken down and that their replacements: adolescence, and now, adultescences, create “adults” without the moral backbone and financial wherewithal necessary to take their place in the adult world.
Be sure to take a look at an interesting discussion developing in the comments section of Agent Tim's and my interview with Hans Guenther. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate.
In my previous post, My iPod Is My Best Friend, I began my response to Lauren’s question regarding corporate change, by laying a personal foundation. In response, Jake posted the following:
Assume for a second we, as teens, really get it. We are watching/listening to the right things, choosing our friends wisely etc. But what do we really need to do to affect the people around us?First of all, I’m very glad Jake asked this question. If people weren’t asking these kinds of questions after reading our posts, something would be very wrong.
In Part 2 of my series, The Myth of Adolescence, I examined the effects of our media-saturated culture on our youth. I argued that it is squeezing young people into a mold where the attainment of Christian character and competence is nearly impossible, while offering in its place an ersatz maturity—technological, sexual, and superficial in nature—that will result in a generation of empty heads and shallow hearts.
My cry was not one of hopelessness. Rather, it was a challenge to my fellow young people to recognize that their restraints are illusory, not inherent, and to free themselves from the shackles of our culture’s expectations.
In response to that challenge, one of my good friends commented with an excellent follow-up question. In short, her inquiry was this: “How do we alert our fellow young people to what is happening? How do we fight this on a larger scale?”
Thank you, Lauren, for taking the time to really think about these things and ask questions. When our fellow young people take the truths that Brett and I have been discussing and begin to act on them, it validates everything that we’ve been talking about.
[Note: If you have not yet read Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, I would strongly encourage you to do so before continuing.]
Before we can change the culture, we must first change ourselves. To do so, let me begin by outlining a foundational concept of a rebelution.
In Proverbs 13:20 we read, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” The meaning of this verse is clear. To put it plainly, we become like our companions. This is a simple but foundational truth. For us as young people to make our peers our primary source of companionship is to effectively pool our ignorance and foolishness. To walk with the wise is to walk with those who are older, wiser, and godlier than we are.
However, we will not glean the full wisdom of this verse unless we recognize that our companions are not limited to just people. Our companions include, not only our friends and family members, but also the books, magazines, newspapers, and comic books we read, the movies and TV shows we watch, the video games we play, the blogs and websites we surf, and the music, radio shows, and podcasts we listen to. 
In today’s information-charged world, many people spend more time with these non-human “companions” than with their peers. According to a study published by Business Week, the average American spends 9 1/2 hours a day watching TV, going to movies, renting videos, reading magazines, listening to music, and surfing the web. This was in 1998. Since then, Internet use has skyrocketed, DVDs have supplanted VHS, and the iPod has ushered in a new era of isolation from fellow human beings.
The mistake that many young people fall into is this: while we may be careful as to who our human companions may be, we give little to no thought regarding the countless other companions that we constantly allow to influence us. This is why media, of any kind, is such a powerful societal weapon. We do not think of it as a companion.
If we truly wish to walk with the wise, we must choose the media we read, watch, and listen to, with the same care we apply to the selection of our friends... Because, they are our friends.
[Continue to A Shining Salty City On A Stand.]
If you want to help, but you don't know how...
Stephanie Freiss of Louisiana is heading up a drive to supplement relief efforts of organizations like the Red Cross.
Karen Kovaka (Rhetorical Response) has posted information on how to help homeschool families suffering from the devastation of the hurricane.
Finally, continue to pray. Our country needs it desperately.
If I had to sum up my feelings regarding the growing threat China poses to American young people I would most likely end up saying something like: Ready or not! Here China comes!
To me this exclamation, most commonly associated with the game of hide-and-seek, accomplishes a very important thing; namely, it informs us of our only two options: to be prepared or to be unprepared.
I wish I could say that American young people are working hard to stay ahead. That we are striving diligently to ensure that we continue to deserve the levels of success and affluence associated with the United States of America. Unfortunately, even my bent towards optimism cannot hide a distinguishing characteristic that plagues America’s youth. Indeed, I am of the opinion that American young people are prone to what I call “The Entitlement Complex.”
This entitlement complex could also be termed The American Idol Syndrome. If you’ve ever seen the faces American Idol contestants when Simon Cowell tells them they have no talent, you understand what I mean. Many American young people cannot accept the fact that they don’t deserve high-paying jobs, that they aren’t “beautiful,” or that their voices sound funny.
As one of my readers told me, “Young Americans today [believe that] it’s their “right” to have a education, Social Security, a job, a nice house, a fun car, and plenty of money.” We’ve taken the American dream a “step farther,” she says, “Not only can everyone have an opportunity to achieve their dreams, everyone has a right to have their dreams (the results of the opportunity)—without doing the work.”
In a stark contrast, the majority of Chinese teens are doing the work. They are motivated and they are diligent. They have direction and they get moving. In fact, one of the consular officials who oversees the granting of visas at the U.S. embassy in Beijing said, "I do think Americans are oblivious to the huge changes. Every American who comes to visit me [in China] is just blown away . . . Your average kid in the U.S. grows up in a wealthy country with many opportunities, and many of the kids of advantaged educated people have a sense of entitlement. Well, the hard reality for that kid fifteen years from now Wu is going to be his boss and Zhou is going to be the doctor in town. The competition is coming, and many of the kids are going to move into their twenties clueless about these rising forces."
My friends, we are not entitled to the affluence our ancestors left us. They have granted us a figurative “cruise control” but we’ve still got to stick behind the wheel. Our continued diligence, provided we focus on important areas, will allow us to stand on their shoulders, but let us never assume that success is a right. It is earned, and right now the Chinese earn it more than we do.
With that understanding I close with an African proverb, which not surprisingly can be found posted, in Mandarin, on the factory floor of ASIMCO Technologies, an American auto parts manufacturer located in China:
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better start running.
Agent Tim (a.k.a. Tim Sweetman) and I recently had the opportunity to “sit down” with American expatriate, and good friend, Hans Guenther.
Hans lives in Germany with his parents and siblings. His father, Rich Guenther, is the director of School Instruction at Home, the German equivalent of HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense). Serving his parents as a secretary in their endeavors to legalize homeschooling, Hans graciously consented to the interview, giving us an inside look at the current situation for homeschoolers in Germany.
Agent Tim, a highly recommended fellow blogger, has been following the developments in Germany on his blog, where further information can be found here.
The Rebelution (TR): To begin, would you be able to share with us a brief history of your family's involvement in the homeschool movement in Germany?Hans Guenther (HG): My parents, Richard and Ingrid Guenther, were early homeschool pioneers in Oregon, and saw the need for legalizing home education in Germany. Together with HSLDA’s senior council, Christopher Klicka, and several other attorneys, they founded the legal organization Schulunterricht zu Hause e.V. (Schuzh) [School Instruction at Home]. The organization was formed to provide legal help for homeschool families in Germany. My parents’ involvement with Schuzh has since become a family ministry. We have been serving the German homeschool community for over ten years.
TR: Would you be able to give us a brief introduction to the current political situation in Germany and Europe? Are there any distinctive features of the German government that are relevant to our topic?HG: Germany is a constitutional democracy similar to the United States. Something most people fail to recognize is the fact that East Germany and Russia had good constitutions throughout their socialistic regimes. However, in order for a constitution to be effective, the courts of the land must uphold it. When the courts fail to uphold the constitution, the people lose their rights. Germany is often said to have a post-democratic statism, a government that manages its citizens. The interests of society override individual rights. Since Germany is the most influential country of the European Union, the development in Germany is very significant and dangerous for the rest of Europe.
Agent Tim (AT): Quoting from an interview I did with a German last month “According to our Basic Law the State is the guardian overlooking the parents’ performance in their upbringing and education of their children and especially over the whole schoolsystem. This includes that also the State has a constitutional duty for the education of children. So the State can interfere with the parents’ right to education.” What’s your opinion of this statement?HG: That is a [Court] interpretation. According to the German Constitution, the parents have the right to choose the education of their children. While the State has the duty to oversee the school system, it is unconstitutional for the state to determine the education of the children against the educational goals of the parents. The Constitution ensures that the parents have the primary duty to educate their children. Unfortunately, Germany’s Constitutional Court interprets the obligation of the state to include mandatory school attendance.
TR: What are some of the primary reasons why Christian parents are so adamant in educating their children independent of the government school system?HG: Christian homeschool parents became aware of the immoral social contents and new teaching methods in the schools. Others see that the schools cannot fulfill the academic needs of their children. The teachers insist on their own methods and agenda including immorality and occultism, opposing the educational goals of Christian parents. Mobbing and violence in the schools is also a great concern.
AT: I know that, according to law, it’s illegal to homeschool. What steps would we take to change the law, and even the constitution? Is it possible?HG: As I said, the Constitution or federal law does not need to be changed. All school laws are left up to the individual states. While all 16 states have adopted mandatory school attendance laws, most of them have a clear exemption clause. The officials may legally grant exemption should an important enough reason be given. The problem is that the authorities refuse to grant this exemption. Religious reasons are not an acceptable argument, even though the Constitution guarantees a freedom of religion and conscience.
TR: How bad is the persecution against homeschoolers in Germany today?HG: Generally speaking, the government first applies financial pressure by issuing tremendous fines of up to hundreds of thousands of euros [Note: 1 euro = $1.24]. The next step often taken is taking the child by police force to school. Most families comply or leave the country before this takes place. In some cases, the state takes the custody of the children away from the parents, forcing the child to live in a foster home. In such instances, the state typically refuses to inform the parents of their child’s whereabouts. The authorities argue, and judges affirm, that a child cannot develop properly apart from public school attendance.
AT: Is there really a feeling of animosity towards homeschoolers in Germany? Or is it just “concern for the kids”?HG: There is a strong animosity towards Christian convictions in general. The society here is extremely secular. According to most Germans, homeschooling parents misuse the custody of their children by denying them school attendance. There is a fear of religious parents keeping their children at home in order to indoctrinate them. The idea is to integrate all children into society and society’s standards. Most Germans believe that, apart from the school system, a child cannot develop properly and will not fit into today’s society.
TR: What are the Christians in Germany doing? Are they protesting the government's treatment of home educators?HG: Good question. What we have in Germany is a collapse of traditional family values, even in Christian circles. Even though many Christians are dissatisfied with the school system, they are afraid their children would not be qualified for life without school. There are only 75 Christian schools in all of Germany, all of which use state curriculum and fulfill the state’s educational goals. So there is no real alternative to public school. On a large scale, Christians are closing their eyes to reality. However, Schuzh has been successful in persuading many major publications to publish positive articles on homeschooling. Christians learning about the government’s unreasonable actions taken against homeschoolers, as is happening now in Paderborn, are slowly beginning to show sympathy to the cause.
AT: Would you say that the actions by the government are “control of society”?HG: The government is enforcing integration. In their own words, multiculturalism is over, now everyone must integrate into the society. The government defines the societal values.
TR: Now, is the situation with homeschoolers in Germany receiving much media attention in Germany or the United States?HG: Schuzh constantly receives requests from major TV stations, newspapers and magazines. We supply them as much as we can. Most homeschool families wish to remain underground. Germany’s top TV show invited a very well versed homeschool mother. The national press, which has been surprisingly open-minded, is eager to explore the issue. Local press, agitated by the government, tends to slander Christian homeschoolers.
AT: As for media coverage… [Assuming it is anti-homeschoolers.] What can we do to change that? What’s our action plan?HG: As I said, the national media coverage has been relatively neutral or even positive. We continue to work with them. Our main problem has been government interference with the media.
TR: What are the most important steps that concerned, Christian young people in the United States can take to support your efforts to legalize homeschooling in Germany?HG: Other than through prayer, I really am not sure what to tell you. American homeschoolers need to continue to be an example for the rest of the world and strive for excellence. Through you, we have the statistics. For example, Dr. Brian Ray’s study, Homeschooling Grows Up, has been very effective in raising interest in and arguing our case. Through you, we have proof that homeschooling works. You must continue to lead the way.
In my recent article “World Champions Of Triviality” I outlined our culture’s preoccupation with “silly activities” and how our obsession with entertainment and celebrity has distracted us from recognizing true heroes.
In response one of my reader’s posited some excellent refutation, which I answer here. Elien, who I believe is a girl, had several positive things to say, though I have edited out most of those sections in order to focus on the points where she disagreed and/or requested clarification. Her questions included “how does our tendency towards triviality weaken us?” and “what’s wrong with people becoming celebrities if they use it to do good?”
I would highly recommend that if you haven’t yet read the original article that you do so before proceeding. It is short and engaging, but highly relevant and important. If we want to change the culture we must understand the culture.
Elien: interesting post, but i think that the term "significant" is rather subjective and u haven’t provided your readers with your definition.Brett: I would argue that September 11th was significant, that Hurricane Katrina is significant, and that the Iraq War is significant. I understand that that isn’t exactly a traditional definition, but those examples are some of what I had in mind when I said our preoccupation with the trivial will render us incapable of responding to the significant.
Elien: i agree, america is obsessed with the most trivial of things. i don’t think that attacking individuals involved in this "triviality" will change things.Brett: I’m sorry if I came across as attacking any of the people I mentioned. Besides the Miss Universe beauty pageant, which I avoid as a Christian young man, I enjoy following the exploits of all the champions I mentioned. In fact, I believe I said so in my article.
Elien: of course, a lot of girls see miss universe and wish it was them walking on that stage. but not all of us live up to society's standards of beauty. where do u place these people? people need to find their niche in this world and feel better about themselves, a type of validation.... if a girl feels happy being crowned miss universe, let her be.Brett: I completely agree. My only qualifier is that it is not ideal for young girls to feel that validation only comes from these shallow accomplishments. Though it might be wonderful for a young girl find fulfillment in a trivial pursuit is it not far better for her to find fulfillment doing something of even greater worth?
Elien: even if this competiton is not as shallow as we think it is, no one would take a country girl seriously if she were to talk about human rights than is she was miss universe. no matter how shallow her award may be, she is using her publicity to get people to at least listen to her cause. i think that momentum is ncessary for progress.Brett: I would love it if a young person attain celebrity status for some “silly” activity and then use that celebrity status to accomplish meaningful things. And there are many celebrities doing precisely that. But again, my preference would be that our culture makes people celebrities for accomplishing meaningful things!
Elien: again, i was unclear about how u used the term "weaker" in ur last paragraph. how are we "weak?"Brett: I am of the opinion that we often turn to media (entertainment) to help us escape from our problems. Heroes on the other hand help us face our problems.
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