Apologetics without apology
Perhaps not surprisingly, nearly a third of them say they want to ensure their children receive religious and/or moral instruction as part of their education experience.
The Monroe County Homeschool Group fits squarely in that mold and its participation in the National Christian Forensics & Communication Association-a nationwide speech and debate organization for home-schooled children-seems only natural.Apologetics, the highest form of argumentation in matters of faith, is a favorite activity for Jordan Richter, a home-schooled "freshman" from Waterloo.
"In apologetics, you will get to explain the meaning and significance of something that is important to the faith, like the Trinity," Richter said. "You learn about the writings of church leaders as well as Karl Marx and other (antagonists of the Christian faith) and how to answer their arguments with facts."
Robyn Starkey, one of a handful of parents who work with the Monroe County Homeschool Group, said the NCF&CA, "is really about teaching young people to be better communicators."
"And in the big picture, to be better communicators for Christ," Starkey said. "We're Christians and we want to let people know what this is about. You have to be able to defend your faith, but you also need to know how to speak to people who aren't believers in a persuasive way."
Starkey said most, if not all, of the members of the home-school group belong to local churches.
"It takes an army of volunteers to do what we do," Starkey said. "(Home-schooling) requires bringing many different skills and talents together. With the St. Louis Speech & Debate Club, we also need people like attorneys and other professionals to serve as judges."
Richter said preparing and practicing apologetics has actually helped to deepen his Christian faith.
"The great thing about it is you're spending a lot of time in the Bible and other resources," he said.
