Author Topic: Homeschool Resources to be Avoided (Read 4194 times)

MaterDominici · « **on:** July 17, 2013, 12:22:05 AM »

I signed up for the CathSwap list last week and noticed that they have a list of items which are not allowed to be resold -- presumably due to their anti-Catholic nature. I thought this could be a useful list and so I'm posting it here along with a link to a website of a similar nature.

If you have any disagreements or additions to this list, I'd love to hear about them!

First, the website:
Keeping It Catholic's Pit List

Below is the CathSwap BANNED list:
The following publishers include math texts:

Abeka, Alpha Omega (Lifepacs, SOS, Weaver), Beautiful Feet, BJU, Christian Liberty Press, Christian Light, Learning Language Arts through
Literature, Moody Publications, Pathway, Rod and Staff, Veritas Press

The following specific titles or categories:
• NON-Catholic Spirituality & Theology Books
• Left Behind Series
• Greenleaf Press: Guide to the Reformation and Famous Men of Reformation,Guide to the Old Testament
• Titles by G.A. Henty
• Titles by Charles Kingsley
• Titles by Peter Marshall: From Sea to Shining Sea for Children - God'sprovidential history of America (not the one by CHC) Light
and Glory for Children - God's providential history of America (not the one by CHC)
• Protestant Bibles and/or Bible Studies
• Elsie Dinsmore Titles
• The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
• Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee
• Small-Town Girl by Ellen Cooney
• Robert Cormier's Other Bells for Us to Ring
• Whatever Happened to Janie? by Caroline B. Cooney
• Queen Eleanor, Independent Spirit of the Medieval World by Polly Schoyer Brooks
• Cynthia Voight's Jackaroo
• Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi

Cantarella · « **Reply #1 on:** July 17, 2013, 12:25:50 AM »

Thank you very much for this post. As a homeschooler mom, always trying to choose a good curriculum, this comes very handy!

Tiffany · « **Reply #2 on:** July 17, 2013, 05:41:23 AM »

I'm not in the secular is better than Protestant camp. I wouldn't use something like ABB Old World History (5th) but generally speaking I would rather use a Protestant resource than a secular one.

IMO seeing pictures of normal family life/parts of a Christian life/absolute values with a Bible verse from the KJV from a fundamentalist Baptist publisher is better than exposing a child to the anti-Christian/anti-Western sentiment that you find in secular texts. How they present the information can be ungodly too. Apart from Saxon math I can't stomach most secular texts I've seen.

I can see why a moderator of a large group would just ban specific publishers to make it easier, but I wouldn't use that to decide. There are good materials from the fundamentalist Baptist and Anabaptist publishers.

I've always liked the KIC site. The Mother's Watch info is very good and everyone should be aware of that filth.

Most Catholic homeschoolers don't agree, they see secular as being neutral.

ShepherdofSheep · « **Reply #3 on:** July 17, 2013, 06:43:49 AM »

We used some Alpha Omega and Rod and Staff books back when I was in school (I was homeschooled through my senior year of high school). Both are Protestant (Rod and Staff is Mennonite) so there is an anti-Catholic bias in their books. Some of them are quite good, so I wouldn't rule them out, but I'd avoid history and reading/literature at least.

Rod and Staff has an outstanding English/grammar series that I would highly recommend- their fourth grade book goes above and beyond what most public school high school students know. Your children will likely vehemently complain about having to diagram sentences almost every day and such. It's a very well-done course. There may be very occasional anti-Catholic comments in later grades but this is very infrequent.

Their phonics is supposedly very good as well, but I took that so long ago I can't comment.

MaterDominici · « **Reply #4 on:** July 17, 2013, 03:07:57 PM »

Yes, there's certainly a worthwhile conversation that can be had here. I looked into a couple of the things on this list and was developing the impression that this isn't just a list of Protestant publishers, but rather ones who are outright anti-Catholic.

I read about Veritas Press, for example, and if there's anything they publish that refers to the Catholic Church as "heretical" and "apostate" (which there is), I'm not interested in buying anything they sell. And, yes, they have some really nicely done things that could just be polished up by the teacher to address the anti-Catholic POV, but it would mean giving them my money which I wouldn't want to do.

My impression right now is that there are just too many homeschool options to support such a publisher. Your thoughts?

Mabel · « **Reply #5 on:** July 17, 2013, 06:01:01 PM »

Quote from: MaterDominici

Yes, there's certainly a worthwhile conversation that can be had here. I looked into a couple of the things on this list and was developing the impression that this isn't just a list of Protestant publishers, but rather ones who are outright anti-Catholic.

I read about Veritas Press, for example, and if there's anything they publish that refers to the Catholic Church as "heretical" and "apostate" (which there is), I'm not interested in buying anything they sell. And, yes, they have some really nicely done things that could just be polished up by the teacher to address the anti-Catholic POV, but it would mean giving them my money which I wouldn't want to do.

My impression right now is that there are just too many homeschool options to support such a publisher. Your thoughts?

Same thoughts here. I had a discussion years ago, so the specifics are fuzzy but Greenleaf press, even Protestants have warned me about them. That is how bad they are reputed to be.

Tiffany · « **Reply #6 on:** July 18, 2013, 04:35:51 AM »

Quote from: MaterDominici

Yes, there's certainly a worthwhile conversation that can be had here. I looked into a couple of the things on this list and was developing the impression that this isn't just a list of Protestant publishers, but rather ones who are outright anti-Catholic.

I read about Veritas Press, for example, and if there's anything they publish that refers to the Catholic Church as "heretical" and "apostate" (which there is), I'm not interested in buying anything they sell. And, yes, they have some really nicely done things that could just be polished up by the teacher to address the anti-Catholic POV, but it would mean giving them my money which I wouldn't want to do.

My impression right now is that there are just too many homeschool options to support such a publisher. Your thoughts?

I suspect some publishers are on the list in the Cathswap first group because one of the Catholic curricula used a book from there either now or in the past like MODG used A Beka Math, CHC used R&S for preschool, I think Seton may have used a BJU text for Science. Again it's a large group, it may have been done to keep moderating simple.

For where your $ goes in Catholic Homeschooling MKC made a point about Protestant publishers not having sodomites working there and they try to follow the 10 Commandments unlike secular publishers. I know with the fundamentalist Baptist publishers they require modest dress including no pants for women and they have safeguards in place so men and women are not alone in close quarters.

momofmany · « **Reply #7 on:** July 18, 2013, 12:39:37 PM »

There are enpigh good Catholic books or morally neutral secular books. (Math and certain sciences, grammar) that there is little reason to buy anti catholiic publishers like bju, abeka and rod and staff. The only lack has been science and state histories andd those voids are being filled rapidly. I know a woman working on a Texas history for Catholics for example.