You must remember that the goal of the Twelve Tribes is to keep their children and themselves from being polluted by the world
Sure it sounds good
if you happen to believe the same things as the people doing the isolating.
Think big picture: think some people with truly awful beliefs completely isolating their children like this. Would this be right? Do you think its ok for such children to be denied access to knowledge of better ways to live, to the point when they reach adulthood they don't even realize there's a choice? I don't think so myself.
If its not right for awful belief systems, its not right for anyone.
We all need to move on from absolute surity in our own belief systems to a bit of humility, and not seek to rigidly impose them on other people, even our own children. Belief systems that can only be passed on in isolation are false belief systems anyways. If what you believe is true and right, you need neither force nor isolation to pass your beliefs on. Plus, you should respect your children enough to prepare them to make their own informed choices. I'm sure this can be done with a bit of effort, even in a mostly isolated community with mostly homeschooling. Not that I'm an expert, but maybe some classes or leisure activities (sports? band?) outside the community, to get the children used to dealing with other types of people, good teaching about other cultures and the history of their surrounding culture, and probably 20th century history and politics so they know the world they live in, field trips to cities to visit museums and see how other people live and stuff... just ways to get the children some exposure to other cultures and ways of living, without necessarily completely immersing them in it. Plus of course, knowledge of choices outside the community, enough education to get into college, and emotional support should the eventual adults wish to leave the community (I don't wish to accuse the twelve tribes of not offering this one, for all I know they might be completely supportive in such a situation... but some isolated cultures are not). All good stuff.
Personally if it were up to me I'd go further, since I believe in some form of children's rights. I'd mandate classes on critical thinking (without reference to religion... apply to religion on your own time) and basic psychology for everyone, as soon as they were at a required education level (probably highschool). I wouldn't mandate public schools (they can suck) but I'd probably mandate some form of yearly public testing to make sure education is up to standards, and a strict standard for the minimum education required, which would be enough to get you into college. Only people who can meet these standards would be able to homeschool. Maybe some of that is already done, dunno!
Well whatever! I'm pretty sure we're arguing in circles at this point, I've probably said half this stuff before. Please at least consider the value of cultural exposure just to teach love and tolerance =). And think of the good example they may be setting for other children.. can't have that if they are in total isolation.
Sorry for the delay in responding! I'm having trouble keeping up these days
Got very little time recently myself =)
- Tracy
Edited by thughes, 18 December 2008 - 04:49 PM.