The Homeschool Movement: Reconstructionist Movement, Michael Farris, HSLDA, and Patrick Henry College

Continuing with last article's theme of Reconstructionist ideology as in the homeschool movement, I'd like to give you some history on Michael Farris, one of the key pillars in the homeschool movement.  I cannot say whether Farris would call himself a Reconstructionist, but as I shared in the last post, many times people adopt Reconstructionist ideologybh without even knowing they are a Reconstructionist.  We can see a lot of evidence that he has been influenced by the ideals of Reconstructionist:  full-quiver, teaching children at home, involvement in government, education, etc.

Here is part of his bio from the group he founded in 1983, the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) (website):

Michael Farris is the chancellor of Patrick Henry College and chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association. He was the founding president of each organization.

Farris is a constitutional appellate litigator who has served as lead counsel in the United States Supreme Court, eight federal circuit courts, and the appellate courts of 13 states.

and

He has been a leader on Capitol Hill for over 30 years and is widely known for his leadership on homeschooling, religious freedom, and the preservation of American sovereignty. 

And this last sentence is important to note:

Mike and Vickie Farris have 10 children and 14 grandchildren.

Michael Farris has the picture-perfect family for the homeschool movement and Reconstructionist ideology.  Because of his key position in the homeschooling movement, it's good to see what has influenced him and observe his actions and how he influences others.  

To remind again what this Reconstructionist ideology looks like, I found the quote below by author David Barton.  Barton is well known in the homeschooling community and his history books have been sold in homeschool catalogs for years.  He serves on the Board of Advisors of the Providence Foundation, a group which promotes Reconstructionist ideas.  (Ok, JA snark:  just now as I have been researching more on this the background of the Providence Foundation, I have found more connections with Reconstructionism on the very curriculum we have used in our home with our children.  These books are still on my shelf.  I want to burn them, but I may have to keep them to use for future blog posts!  This ideology did not come from just leaders in the homeschooling community, they infiltrated into the very curriculum that we use with our children.  I've been brainwashing my own children into this mindset without knowing it.  I thought I was buying decent history curricula for my children and now I see that it was tainted with this agenda.  Un-freaking-believable!!!  This stuff just keeps going and going and going.)  Read what David Barton has to say on this subject of the Reconstructionists:  

"The Christian goal for the world is the universal development of Biblical theocratic republics, in which every area of life is redeemed and placed under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the rule of God's law."

When Christian families decide to educate their children at home, I don't think they realize that these Reconstructionist roots exist in the homeschool movement.   The next quote comes from a very informative article, Reconstruction Theology and Home Education and discusses what a "Reconstructed America" would look like from the mindset of Reconstructionists:

In his excellent 1996 book, With God on Our Side, William Martin used a sampling of the views of several noted Reconstructionists to give a sense of how a Reconstructed America would be: "The federal government would play no role in regulating business, public education, or welfare…[S]ome government would be visible at the level of counties…but citizens would be answerable to church authorities on most matters subject to regulation…income taxes would not exceed ten percent - the biblical tithe - and social security would disappear…[P]ublic schools would be abolished in favor of home-schooling arrangements, and families would operate on a strict patriarchal pattern. The only people permitted to vote would be members of 'biblically correct' churches. Most notably, a theonomic order would make homosexuality, adultery, blasphemy, propagation of false doctrine, and incorrigible behavior by disobedient children subject to the death penalty, preferably administered by stoning…a reconstructed America would have little room for Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, or even non-Reconstructionist Christians. 'The Christian', one Reconstructionist author has asserted, 'must realize that pluralism is a myth…R.J. Rushdoony, also regards pluralism as a heresy, since, in the name of toleration, the believer is asked to associate on a common level of total acceptance with the atheist, the pervert, the criminal, and the adherents of other religions."

So, again,  with this Reconstructionist background, let's take a look at Farris.  He's an ordained pastor, an attorney, very active in legal matters, founded Homeschool Legal Defense Association in 1983:

Home School Legal Defense Association is a nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms. Through annual memberships, HSLDA is tens of thousands of families united in service together, providing a strong voice when and where needed.

Promoting the homeschooling agenda and being active in the legal system are definitely ideals in the Reconstructionist movement.  

You might ask:  Julie Anne, what is your beef?  You homeschool - - don't you appreciate Farris' efforts for the homeschooling community?  Where would homeschoolers be today if HSLDA hadn't helped with lobbying efforts and made sure all 50 states had decent laws ensuring homeschooling freedoms?  Good questions.  I'm glad you asked :)

We found out about HSLDA through a homeschool convention and discovered most of our homeschooling friends belonged to this organization.  Paying a membership fee ($115 p/year) gives homeschooling the peace of mind that should their family ever have any legal entanglements with their local public  government school, HSLDA would be there to help.  They also have helped families in cases where Children's Protective Services and other government "intrusions" may have crossed the lines.  

Included in our HSLDA membership, we received a magazine each month, The Home School Report.  This magazine listed key legal issues involving homeschooling in each state.  They also reported current stories of families with legal issues sometimes involving government intrusion, child custody issues, etc.  We were kept abreast of various laws in states with contact information to make our voices count.  

At one point, this magazine had a tear-out section listing what to do if a government official (police, school official, CPS, etc) came to our door making demands or asking for information.  We were instructed to hang this list in a location (ie, inside a kitchen cupboard) so it would be handy.  In addition to providing important phone numbers, the page included instructions like:  do not allow a government official to come in your house, instructions to advise the official that you are calling your attorney, etc.  I wish I saved a copy now, but it certainly promoted a fear of the government, that the government was not on our side.  The stories in the articles were frightening, including stories of the government's intrusion in private citizen's lives, taking children away from parents, forcing children to go to public government schools (in the homeschooling movement, people don't say "public" school, but "government school" - JA's snark meter is going crazy just typing this).  

HSLDA had a way of convincing homeschooling families that we needed them and their services.  If we did not take advantage of their service, we were risking government intrusion in our lives, worst-case scenarios were described of government officials coming to our home and removing and/or taking custody of our children.  If we did not pay our membership fee each year, we were risking unsurmountable legal fees if we got in trouble with our school district or government.  HSLDA would defend us in court if we needed them.  HSLDA would speak on our behalf.  They would fight to keep laws so we could have the freedom to homeschool. 

Here is a good example of the tone we got from HSLDA.  It is involving a specific case that HSLDA defended.  When you are about to venture into an unknown territory and experienced homeschool leaders present themselves to you in a way that they will help you, make sure you are safe from the evil government who wants to interfere with your right to homeschool, you tend to want to believe them.  Watching a video like the one below can send a fear message that there is something huge going on in the government that may threaten you as you try to teach your children at home.  It makes perfect sense to send in the $100+ membership fee and let them take care of you.  You feel safe in their hands when you write out that check, because you never know when someone will come knocking at your front door.

Did you notice the ominous music in the background?  There was a purpose - it invokes an emotional response.  It is manipulation.  This stuff drives me crazy. They spoke for all homeschoolers.  

But wait . . . do they speak for all homeschoolers?  In 2000, when we were about to move to Oregon, I joined a homeschool e-mail group to get a feel for the homeschooling environment in Oregon.  This homeschool e-mail group was a mixed group with Christians and non-Christians.  On that e-mail group I heard for the first time that HSLDA did not speak on behalf of all homeschoolers.  In fact, a lot of homeschoolers were quite upset that HSLDA presumed to speak on their behalf.  They didn't like the way HSLDA had changed some laws and thought they were interfering with their homeschool freedoms and promoting their own agenda.  Wow!    

This is when I took a closer look and saw that there was some sort of agenda going on.  It was also when I stopped paying our membership fees.  Since canceling our membership, we've had no government intrusion in our life and in fact, we've had no problems whatsoever with the two public school systems with which we have dealt.    (Not to say that there are never legal homeschooling problems, but our experience has been fine.)

While searching around for more info on Farris today, I discovered a new group geared to teens founded by Farris and HSLDA.  Here we go again.  It is a group called Generation Joshua with the intended purpose to equip teens in the political process (if it looks like Reconstructionist agenda, walks like Reconstructionist agenda . . .).  Here is the scoop:

Inspired by Mike Farris’ book The Joshua Generation, Generation Joshua was founded in 2003 by Farris, Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) President Mike Smith, and the HSLDA Board of Trustees.

In the book, Farris casts a vision for this next generation to build on the foundation their parents built. 

Generation Joshua is a 501(c)(4) member organization and works with the HSLDA-PAC, an advocacy group. This allows Generation Joshua to conduct non-partisan educational activities while also being able to participate actively in the election process through the HSLDA-PAC. Since it was founded in 2003, Generation Joshua has grown to over 7,500 members and has established over 100 clubs nationwide. 

As the Generation Joshua Program continues to grow, more conservative godly youth get involved in the political system making a real difference in our nation. The future of Generation Joshua will continue to be an exciting journey as the next generation shapes this nation and becomes tomorrow’s leaders.

This group was alive and well during this year's elections.  Here is a promotional video Generation Joshua produced for the occasion:

Ok, that's a brief history of some of Michael Farris' groups, HSLDA and Joshua Generation, including our experience with HSLDA over the years.  Let's now move along to Patrick Henry College which Mike Farris founded in 2000.  Read their mission and vision statements (keeping in mind the Reconstructionist agenda):

The Mission of Patrick Henry College is to prepare Christian men and women who will lead our nation and shape our culture with timeless biblical values and fidelity to the spirit of the American founding.  Educating students according to a classical liberal arts curriculum and training them with apprenticeship methodology, the College provides academically excellent baccalaureate level higher education with a biblical worldview.

The Vision of Patrick Henry College is to aid in the transformation of American society by training Christian students to serve God and mankind with a passion for righteousness justice, and mercy, through careers of public service and culture influence. 

We cannot dismiss the fact that Patrick Henry College is strategically located in close proximity to our Nation's capital so students are able to participate in political meetings, hearings, lobbying efforts, meet government officials, etc.  Yes, indeed, not only does Farris personally work within the legal system, he has been raising up homeschool warriors to infiltrate the system.  This fits the agenda to a tee.

Prior to 2000, in the homeschool movement, we heard from top leaders that there are other alternatives to college for our homeschooled students. Colleges were sometimes labeled as evil influences, even conservative Christian institutions, and girls especially should not go to college, but remain at home under the protection of their patriarchal fathers.  But strangely, something happened overnight in 2000.  Somehow, Mike Farris got a free pass and convinced homeschool parents that the new college would be different.  I remember the big build-up of this college even before the groundbreaking.  This was to be the first college that would be specifically tailored for homeschoolers.  Other students would be able to attend, but first priority would be to homeschool students.  He made PHC okay for not only homeschoolers in general, but young ladies as well.  Remember, he comes from the Patriarchal camp where young daughters typically remain at home until their daddies find them appropriate spouses through the courtship process.  I don't know how Mike and patriarchal homeschool daddy's wrestled this issue, but there are in fact young ladies who attend this college.   

JA snark:  I guess if you are part of this agenda and God tells you a patriarchal daddy that his daughter might be a special daughter who can infiltrate the government for God's glory, then daddies are able to cut the cord and let those special daughters do their good works.  But . . . what happens if those young ladies find a young man without their daddy around?  Who will oversee her while she is away at college?  Who will make sure the relationship meets daddy's criteria?  

Stay tuned for the next post on what originally got me worked up and what led to this series on Reconstructionism.  

The Homeschool Movement: Its Reconstructionist Roots and Rushdoony's Influence

"We are authorized by God to challenge all that is not godly!" Rushdoony thundered. "God is angry with the wicked every day, and the sins of the wicked deserve the infliction of God's wrath in this life as well as the life hereafter!"  Rushdoony

I know the title of this post seems dry and boring.  If spiritual abuse is a concern of yours, I encourage you to take the time to read this post carefully.  Check out the links and do some research on your own.  The information I have found has compelled me to keep blogging, to keep telling my story, and to keep sharing the stories of others.  I am just a little worked up on this topic.  

There is much more to homeschooling than just educating children.  There is much more to patriarchy and courtship than fathers being heads of home and parents involved in the process of finding mates for their adult children.  You must know that there is an agenda going on.  This agenda ties these practices together.  I thought I was homeschooling my children because I could do a better job than the local public school system.  I thought I was homeschooling my children so I could include Bible in their education and also protect them from negative worldly influences. That was pretty much my agenda.  But that was not the agenda of the people I looked up to - the leaders in the homeschooling community.  We looked to the leaders because they knew what they were doing and could help guide us on our foreign path.  But there was an underlying agenda that I didn't know about, that they did not disclose.  It was there all along, but it's not so obvious.  I want to expose that NOW! 

Many of you know that this blog started with the intent to share about my family's experience at a spiritually abusive church.  There has been much heartache in that experience and then 3-1/2 years later, it continued as my former pastor filed a defamation lawsuit against me and 4 others (and lost) this past summer.  I have seen the impact on my family and have done a lot of soul searching:  what led us to that church?  who influenced my life as a Christian?  who influenced my life as a mother?  who influenced my life as I ventured into homeschooling my children?  As I researched my primary influencers, I found a common thread of destructive ideologies within the homeschooling movement.  

My first article on the homeschooling movement opened up a whole can of worms on a culture that I have been a part of for the last 20 years or so.  Some of these teachings (courtship, modesty/purity, full-quiver) have infiltrated churches and families who do not teach their children at home.  It is a powerful movement and I caught on to the movement without realizing I was part of it.  I embraced certain aspects of it, brought those aspects that I agreed with to my churches.   As we moved around the country (my husband was in the Navy), I shared these aspects with my friends and friends shared the aspects they learned with me, etc.  That is how this movement spreads.  It can be one particular teaching or many, but they all intertwine, feeding the agenda.

It is important to have knowledge of this movement because even if you have no desire to homeschool your children or maybe you are single or empty-nesters, this movement spreads to churches in some way or other and as we have seen with courtship, patriarchy, and other teachings, some of the teachings leave a devastating path with emotional and spiritual turmoil.  

The other night I read an article about Michael Farris that got me worked up. Mike Farris is known as one of the key pillars of the homeschool movement.  I wanted to share my thoughts on a situation regarding Michael Farris, but realized without sharing more background information, you wouldn't get the full picture.  So, please allow me to do that now.  

Before Michael Farris was a pillar in the homeschool community, there was another very prominent figure, Rousas John Rushdoony (1916-2001).  I believe Rushdoony set the trajectory for the homeschooling movement.  Although Rushdoony died in 2001, he established the basis of the movement long before.  These roots are in Christian Reconstructionism.   

I found this article which described Christian Reconstructionism very well.  As you read the variety of quoted materials included in the post, I encourage you to keep in mind how the ideas of patriarchy, courtship, full-quiver tie in with this belief system.

What is Reconstructionism?

Reconstructionism is a theology that arose out of conservative Presbyterianism (Reformed and Orthodox), which proposes that contemporary application of the laws of Old Testament Israel, or "Biblical Law," is the basis for reconstructing society toward the Kingdom of God on earth.

Reconstructionism argues that the Bible is to be the governing text for all areas of life--such as government, education, law, and the arts, not merely "social" or "moral" issues like pornography, homosexuality, and abortion. Reconstructionists have formulated a "Biblical world view" and "Biblical principles" by which to examine contemporary matters. Reconstructionist theologian David Chilton succinctly describes this view: "The Christian goal for the world is the universal development of Biblical theocratic republics, in which every area of life is redeemed and placed under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the rule of God's law."

More broadly, Reconstructionists believe that there are three main areas of governance: family government, church government, and civil government. Under God's covenant, the nuclear family is the basic unit. The husband is the head of the family, and wife and children are "in submission" to him. In turn, the husband "submits" to Jesus and to God's laws as detailed in the Old Testament. The church has its own ecclesiastical structure and governance. Civil government exists to implement God's laws. All three institutions are under Biblical Law, the implementation of which is called "theonomy."

Source

Let's learn a little about Rushdoony.  This is from Wikipedia:

Rousas John Rushdoony (April 25, 1916 – February 8, 2001) was a Calvinist philosopher, historian, andtheologian and is widely credited as the father of Christian Reconstructionism and an inspiration for the modern Christian homeschool movement.^[1][2] His followers and critics have argued that his thought exerts considerable influence on the Christian right.^{[3] (Source)}

I was glad to find this video on Rushdoony and his Reconstructionist beliefs. It is an interview with Bill Moyers of PBS and is very good.  It's still difficult for me to wrap the idea around my head that part of this belief system is to bring the Old Testament laws into modern times; ie, death penalty for those who commit adultery, death penalty for homosexuals, etc.  

Christian Reconstructionism in a Nutshell from Bruce Prescott on Vimeo.



This quote describes how Rushdoony took his Reconstructionist views and made a case for educating children at home and thus became known as the "father of the homeschool movement" by many:

Key to this strategy was the homeschooling movement.  Education, Rushdoony realized early on, was the best way to distribute his message. To that end, he wrote multiple books on the history of American education, charting its transformation from one-room schoolhouses and parochial schools to urban institutions. These books became guideposts for Christians who believed that public schools were indoctrinating their kids in the false faith of secular humanism. McVicar, the Ohio State scholar, says, “Rushdoony understood that if he changed the way Christians educated their children, he could change the way they thought.” (Source - ja note:  this article goes on to discuss current people in politics influenced by Rushdoony's ideologies  - very interesting article)

The homeschool movement is comprised of specific teachings/beliefs.  These teachings come from various groups or individuals who share the common thread of homeschooling.  These groups work independently and may have different focuses, are in different locations, but again, the foundational agenda can be found in Reconstructionist roots.

Interestingly, I had the above paragraph typed up a couple days ago and a few minutes ago I read an article by Frederick Clarkson originally published in June 1994 about this Reconstructionist "movement" and how it has spread over the years:

A Movement of Ideas
As a movement primarily of ideas, Reconstructionism has no single denominational or institutional home. Nor is it totally defined by a single charismatic leader, nor even a single text. Rather, it is defined by a small group of scholars who are identified with Reformed or Orthodox Presbyterianism. The movement networks primarily through magazines, conferences, publishing houses, think tanks, and bookstores. As a matter of strategy, it is a self-consciously decentralized and publicity-shy movement.

This is exactly what I have seen happening in the homeschool movement and why it is so hard to pin down because it is not localized in one church, one denomination, or organization.  Both the Reconstructionist and homeschool movements are so invasive and have spread the same way.  You or people you know may be part of either the Reconstructionist movement or the homeschool movement and have adopted ideologies without even realizing it.  I realized through my research that I furthered the homeschool movement by sharing books, CDs, talking to my friends about my new-found ideas.  I had been a part of it all along endorsing it and spreading it quite convincingly among my friends and church acquaintances.  

Here's a little more on Rushdoony.  In 1965 he founded the non-profit organization called Chalcedon Foundation to promote the Reconstructionism.  Read Chalcedon's vision statement here.  

Here's a brief summary from Wikipedia:

The Chalcedon Foundation is an American Christian Reconstructionist organization founded by Rousas John Rushdoony in 1965. Named for the Council of Chalcedon,^[2] it has also included theologians such as Gary North, who later founded his own organization, the Institute for Christian Economics.

The Chalcedon Foundation provides educational material in the form of books, newsletter reports and various electronic media, toward advancing the theological teachings of Rushdoony's Christian Reconstructionism movement. It is notable for its role in the influence of Christianity on politics in the U.S.^[3] and has been described as "a think tank of the Religious Right.^[4] Rushdoony's son, Mark now heads the foundation.

The Chalcedon Foundation has been listed as an anti-gay hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Centerfor, among other reasons, supporting the death penalty for homosexuals.^[5]

We can see in the above summary that this Reconstructionist organization has infiltrated the education systems and politics in America with their Reconstructionist agenda.  

Here are more articles I found interesting in researching this topic:

Invitation to a Stoning

Chalcedon Foundation Leads Christian Reconstructionists in Campaign to Convert Conservative Fundamentalist Churches

His Truth is Marching On

When we think of spiritual abuse, we think of it in the confines of a church.  The homeschool movement is different because it has no confines - it is scattered all over the country, people can become as involved as they want in various groups, but what I've noticed is that there are behavioral characteristics used by those in the homeschool movement which are similar to behavior used by spiritually abusive church leaders.  There are different dynamics, but the end results can be the same.  This is why I keep sharing personal stories about these topics here.