“I received and read carefully the first issue of the new “Tidings”. It is very fine. I like it, and I am sure it will contribute to the welfare of the Truth. I am enclosing some material you may wish to use.” Bro. AP
Thank you for the encouragement and the contribution of material that will be most useful. God willing, we will use it in a forthcoming issue.
“Thank you for the sample copy, enclosed is my subscription. I found I could read straight through the magazine in an hour and it held my interest the entire time.” Sis. KE
We have felt for some time the “Tidings” has been a useful contribution to the ecclesias in North America and that many do not know of its existence. The readability is attributable to those who contribute material of all kinds ranging from ecclesial intelligence to articles of Bible exposition.
“I was very disappointed in the layout of the magazine. I had expected a much better job from someone who was in the printing business.”
Our apologies for the amateurism painfully evident to a professional critic. Unfortunately, some of the problems will take a while to remedy as we are experimenting with a desk-top publishing system which at times exercises a most belligerent mind of its own.
Furthermore, due to the inability of our old computer to read the floppy disk containing the “Tidings” mailing list, we have found it necessary to keyboard all addresses which has probably introduced some mistakes. Please inform us if your name and/or address are not correct.
“What is your opinion of home-schooling for our children?” Bro. & Sis.J&J
Some Christadelphian families are schooling their children at home using material developed specifically for that purpose by “Christian” oriented educational groups. So far as I am aware, the results are mediocre. The quality of instruction in reading, math and science is not up to school standards. This puts the child at a disadvantage when he does start into the mainstream of education.
In our culture, it is difficult for most people to get a reasonable job without receiving some post-high school education. This means the young person will eventually have to integrate into the normal school system. That can be traumatic if the person has received nothing but home-schooling.
In evaluating the problems with secular education, one does not want to overstate their severity. Teaching in evolution and humanistic materialism is easily countered at home if the parents are doing their job. If you do not know where to go to get helpful material on these matters, we will be pleased to supply you a list of books which thoroughly expose evolution as nothing more than a faith without foundation.
The exposure to immorality, drug-abuse and generally outlandish behavior cannot be avoided in these last evil days. Our feeling is the child learns to cope with the situation better if he learns how to do so from an early age. The alternative, of home-schooling, means raising children in a hothouse environment and then expecting them at some point to survive in the wild. That is difficult.
If the mother is not absorbed in other pursuits and if the father is devoted to the eternal welfare of his family, we feel the evil effects of our environment can be successfully countered by strong home guidance. I can not stress too forcefully, however, the importance of the mother in this regard. She needs to be very much on top of the spiritual development of her children providing them sound instruction and guidance on a continuing basis. She is really the key in most cases.
Strong’s Concordance