Reuters (Oddly Enough)
Germans value letters attached to their name more than money, love or having children with nine out of ten rating a good qualification as their most important aim in life, a survey showed Wednesday.
In Germany even minor academic degrees appear on business cards and doctorate titles adorn many letter boxes.
According to a survey of 1,000 people by insurer Allianz just eight in ten Germans said finding love for life was their top priority and even fewer rated financial security as their number one goal.
Perfect bliss may be to have a title that runs longer than the length of a name, such as that of “Uni.-Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Horst Wildemann” at Munich’s Technical University.
That is so fantastic. Germany is going to become the country of knowledge. Products coming from Germany will be of the highest quality. There will be no equivalent in education. They will reach beyond the spheres of the common human intelligence, and explore many high and new things. They will make many breakthrough discoveries. This is the highest fulfillment of humanity.
Why then are ‘those who have been trained so knowledgeably’ predicting a great downfall in Europe? Why is it that there is a looming collapse of all Europe ever stood for? Why is it that they are facing at this point “a slow but inexorable exit from history”? Should this not be the time when everything begins to happen? Shouldn’t this be the time when history is beginning to be written? You’d think so.
But there is one thing that is causing concern.
The year 2000 saw a turning point for the region when its population started on an emphatic decline. Nor is there prospect of a change in direction any time soon. .... even if women started having more children again and at younger ages, there would still be too few potential mothers to make an immediate difference. So the region’s population will keep on falling for decades.
Europe could soon encounter what demographers call “negative momentum” when a shrinking population goes into an ever-steeper spiral of decline. ... Twelve of the major 27 countries feature falling numbers. If present trends persist, the decline will become still bigger and arrive faster in more distant decades as the region increasingly falls prey to negative momentum.
Already Europe features 35 people of pensionable age for every 100 people of working age; by 2050 and supposing present demographic trends persist, the total of pensioners will climb to 75 for every 100 workers. Italy and Spain could even see their ratios soar to reach 1:1. Italy, France and Germany pay their pensions out of their current tax revenues, which means that taxes will expand massively if they are to keep funding pensions at the generous levels established thus far. German workers already assign 30% of their income, and Italians 33%, to state pensions. ... The old-age dependency ratio, i.e. those aged 65-plus in relation to those aged 15-64, would soar by three quarters in the near future
What is it about education that is making family go out the window? What is it about education that is killing society? I personally have relatives in europe who are doing the same thing. Trying to complete an education, 30, 35, not married, not really interested. Has education been teaching them more than just medicine or law? Has it also been ingraining in its students a life like this? Is this the same thing happening here in America? Well… Just remember:
Homeschooling is illegal in almost all of Europe
And read this:
...Let’s note that its situation is quite the opposite of the United States with its annual population growth of 1.1%. This is by far the highest of the developed countries (and even higher than China’s), producing an additional three million people per year to go with the 293 million or so already in the United States. If that rate of increase were maintained—and there are no measures thus far to reduce it—today’s baby would, by the time he or she reaches old age, be sharing the country with almost 600 million fellow Americans.
Needless to say:
The outlook will also affect the hopes of many Europeans to create a superpower to rival the United States.
...In fact numerous experts such as Paul and Anne Ehrlich, David Pimentel and John Holdren have urged that Europe and America should consider a long-term commitment to cutting back on its human numbers in light of its drain on planetary resources.
I don’t want to get too much into the political side in this commentary. But looking at this situation provides some interesting diversion. It appears that ‘the hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world’.
What part does homeschooling have to play in all this? Back in 2001, two million children were being homeschooled, the number growing by 15 to 20% every year. Homeschooling is undergoing ‘positive momentum’. But what’s happening to these students? We know, that many go on simply with an even better education, but we also know that there are those who keep the attitude they learned from their parents. Tell me what mom will homeschool and work full time. Moreover, it appears that there is something more meaningful than letters or money to certain homeschoolers. 18% of homeschooling families earn less than $25000 a year. People ask, “How can you afford it? We both work and we don’t have any children and we can hardly pay our bills.”
Most homeschoolers never demanded a mansion to have their families in, to homeschool in. Some of these parents have degrees, big degrees, small degrees. But they put them aside for something better, family. There is strong evidence to show that every woman would, deep down inside, want to be a mother and stay at home. Apparently women realize that after wasting the first 35 years of their life. Then they decide to settle down and have a family. Kinda late.
As for me, I have nothing against a higher education. But it is important that every person keep in mind that this is not a phenomenon, that this is the work of higher powers. According to another article the website of the Rockefeller-Gorbachev Earth Charter declares:
The Earth Charter values and principles must be taught, contemplated, applied and internalized. To this end, the Earth Charter needs to be incorporated into both formal and non-formal*(homeschooling)* education. This process must involve various communities, continue to integrate the Charter into the curriculum of schools and universities, and constitute an ongoing process of life-long learning.
*my insert
The education is not necessarily the main problem in itself. But what’s being said, is that it’s important that people spend their life learning and forget about families. (Europe appears to be the first big fish.) America however seems to have people who are still interested in families. Thus the ‘alarming’ growth in population here.
Take into account these facts for America.
The people who are anti-family will only fizzle out unless they convert more members. Their only hope.
On the other hand, the people who are pro-family, will expand. (assuming the values are passed on to the children) Nature takes care of itself it appears.
As to me, I have only one desire for any letters after my name. I’d like three of them—R.F.A. I may attain other degrees, but I must continue to honestly be able to sign after my name, Ready For Anything. Even if the Lord would have that include a large family. Family values must continue to be taught. Education must not take priority over God’s plan for my life. I will stand strong.
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
That is the secret.
David Boskovic, R.F.A.
Added:
When I left home, I told my parents that I was going to college to get a degree. And if by chance I decided to get married, it would be to a Dr. That way, we could live in a large house and I would never see him only his money. And I would be free to pursue my own interests.
We all thrive on companionship. God created us that way on purpose. He made it that way from the very beginning; humanity was to have His companionship always, we were to walk with God, and we were to have human companionship. ‘Together’ was the word of the day.
Just like a flock of birds lifting off into the air, leaving behind them silence. Just like a blizzard suddenly closing off the outside world, man forfeited his relationship with God. What for lonesomeness! Man knew his need for God. He was still there, wanting us to trust Him, but years passes, centuries passed, millenniums passed—and we forgot all about it. We were left only with humanity. Sore, sin-sick humanity. God wanted us to know Him. He tried to remind mankind of His love; he has been trying ever since. Solomon knew the great need for companionship. In the greatest sermon ever written we read his explanation of the need for friendship, companionship, togetherness. That which has been sorely lacking since man forgot about God.
“Two are better than one;”
Man was not meant to be alone. Companionship is the greatest source of strength. In companionship is where we find help, encouragement, and accomplishment. It’s where have support and warmth. It’s where we can grow and learn. Alone, we are weakened, we are useless. We labor hard, we throw ourselves into our work, but the night comes, it begins to rain, and our harvest is not yet in. We have had no help, we have had no encouragement. We feel alone—because we are alone.
“because they have a good reward for their labour.”
There’s a reason why ‘teamwork’ is so heavily encouraged by employers. What one person cannot accomplish alone can be done by a group of people working towards the same goal. We can bring in the harvest before the rain. We can finish the barn before the winter. We can reach our goals. We have a good reward for our labor together. But alone, we have no reward, we cannot accomplish our goals. We fill our stomachs with chaff. We watch our buildings crumble—because we’re alone.
“For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”
Encouragement, help… This is what we really want in a friend; somebody to help us up when we’re down, to strengthen us when we’re weak, and to lift us up. And sometimes we’re privileged with friends like that. When we’re not, we begin to feel the effects of marching alone. We stumble, but there is no-one to keep us from falling. We fall, but there is no-one to help us up—because we’re alone.
“Again if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?”
This is what loneliness is. It’s the beginning of a chill, we curl into a ball, we try to find warmth, but “how can one be warm alone?” When we’re the only companion we have… What good are we? We lay down, but we cannot sleep. We’re cold, but there’s nobody to keep us warm. We get up and exercise, but the efforts are futile. We shiver; we shake—because we’re alone.
“And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him;”
We reach the battle field, alone. What good are we? We are weakened already, we are cold, we are sore, and we are alone. How can we expect to win the battle? We draw our sword, but alone we fall. There is nobody to bandage our wounds. There is nobody to care. What good have we done? We have marched alone, we have worked alone, we have fallen alone, we have slept alone, we have shivered alone, we have fought alone, and we have lost alone. Our efforts have been in vain, they have been useless, futile, wasted. We crawl home—alone.
What then was the secret of Joseph, of Daniel, of Moses? How did they manage to survive alone? Or were they alone? How did they work alone, and reach their goal? Who steadied them when they stumbled? Who helped them up when they fell? Where did they find warmth to survive? How did they conquer alone? Or were they alone?
“Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Dan 3:24
Were they alone? They should have been. The king thought they were. He thought they would fall. But they didn’t. What was the secret?
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
There are varied opinions on who this quote is of, but home-schooling is just one positive result in walking the road not taken. It has always been around, but the home education revival has in the last 30 years spread like wildfire.
Public school had become a freeway. It was time for a re-orientation of what education really meant. Families knew that something had to change, but a lot of them didn’t know how. But when home-schooling began to grow, it came as water to the thirsty Christian families who were looking for a better way.
I’m a result of that.
And because of that, home-schooling has always been a system I have full-heartedly supported, defended, and—of course—practiced. You ask me why.
The experience of being educated at home was timeless. Although none of us are doing anything spectacular like finishing high-school 3 years early, we have the privilege of enjoying one factor, ‘family’. We don’t go out to school and spend all day there, and then come back to homework. We finish our school and have the rest of the day to learn things not found in books—or in public school.
People say, “You have to face the real world at one time or another.” Unfortunately it’s said in the wrong way. We are growing up in the real world. We’re growing up knowing where our world is, and where the world is. We know the difference. I’ve had people tell me I’m sheltered. To a degree they’re right. To a degree they’re not. They’re right in that I am not washed, exposed, and treated by the elements of sin so prevalent in the world. They’re wrong in assuming I’m going to have a culture shock when I step out the door. Nothing surprises a home-schooler. We’ve been balanced and stabilized at home; we’re prepared to travel the Real-Life Rd. that’s ahead of us.
What if my parents hadn’t home-schooled us?
That’s a question I’ve thought of before. I know people who’ve been public schooled and have come out alright. In fact, that’s likely your case. But if I know myself well enough, my world-view would be entirely different. But I don’t want to dwell on the aspects of ‘if’. I simply want to take the opportunity to thank God for leading my parents to bring us (6 children) up outside of the city, worldly influence, television, and public school (all of which were things they had grown up with). I can only look back and say how thankful I am for the opportunity to have a family. As I look around today and see the number of families that are broken up, disunited, split, and unhappy, and I see the children who are suffering from the effects of this evil—and I look at our family and I see, simply spoken, a lot to be thankful for. If you haven’t been home-schooled, I’m not saying you’re life has been greatly detrimentally affected by it. But I do say that you have missed an experience.
I know that many of you reading (this was written for my email magazine with a very broad subscribership) have not been home-schooled and have grown up in the city, and have had a great family life. I don’t contend. When our parents place God and their family first in life, it may not result in a home education, but it’s resulted in things we’re glad we didn’t miss out on—because God’s way is the best way. In my case it was a home education, and that is something that has bonded family ties all over the world—because of one thing, ‘home’. It has long been known that the home is building block of society; it has long been known that when home fails, society fails. America is seeing a revolution because ‘home’ is taking the priority in many more families’ lives.
One day, before my father was married, he was on a flight. When the flight attendant came around with the meals, the man sitting next to him refused his meal. During the course of later conversation, my someday-to-be-dad asked him why he didn’t eat. His response:
I’m a Satanist and today is a high day in our religion. I’m fasting for the breakup of families.
After asking a couple more questions, my father retreated into stunned silence. This man was a Satanist. His staggering answer stuck with my dad. Was he going to succumb to the efforts of Satan to break up families? Was his family going to fall into the same trap? Thank God it was not.
I know it’s almost a little dangerous to attribute where I am in life to the fact that I was home-schooled, but I want to focus for just a moment on an interesting aspect of every individual. It’s called attitude. I give myself the privilege of saying that home-schooling creates a very unique attitude in those who are products of it. We are different, but we’re better for it. That attitude is worth keeping.
With these thoughts in review, it’s quite easy to see that I fully intend on continuing the trend if the Lord should bless me with a family someday. The path has been now well trodden, my experience on it has been excellent, I have no regrets.
Yes, it’s American Thanksgiving, and I’m from Canada, but I still am going to make a post about what I’m thankful for today. I am thankful for… Oh, so many things.
My Parents
I’ll give you one guess why I’m thankful for them. Well, that’s not the only thing about them. You see, I wasn’t always so thankful for them. There was a time in my life when I actually regretted their presence quite a bit. Thankfully, God used various circumstances to bring myself to him. That was nearly 4 years ago now. I’m thankful my parents are concerned about our spiritual well-being. I’m thankful that my parents decided to homeschool us. (reminds me I should post my article on homeschooling) I’m thankful that they followed God as he led them to this place out in the country. I’m thankful, to have the privilege of growing up in a strong Christian, God-centered family. Thanks Mom and Dad, for following the Lord, and showing us the way too.
My Siblings
We. That’s the word here. It’s all of us that make the we. If it weren’t for all of us, there wouldn’t be the family. And oh, families are no fun without people in them. Right? My brother especially deserves special thanks. We’ve been pretty close the past few years. He’s that… how do you say it… balancing force? He’s able to balance out some of my over ‘enthusiasm’ with reality pretty quickly. My younger sister too. Christina. If some of you girls wonder why I don’t have any girl-phobia. It’s because of her. And all the younger ones too. Bright spots. As all of you will agree who have younger sisters.
What else shall I say I’m thankful for? God, but he knows that. Well, I’m going to be turning 17 quite soon now, and I’ve been thinking how fast the last couple years have gone. For the past couple years I’ve been looking forwards to the ‘older teen’ years. But all of a sudden I’m starting to arrive there and, wow. I’m glad for this, that I have trusted the Lord through the last few years. I cannot imagine what I would be doing now if I hadn’t. Would I have followed my older brother’s steps into the world, into a life of sin? My attitude would likely have taken me there. I chose the Lord early, and I’m thankful for that. It has blessed my life so much. It is my life purpose, goal, and heartfelt desire to continue sharing that blessing with others.
God Bless you all on this evening, the snow is blowing here and it’s down to -13ºC(9ºF) Tonight. It’s cold, it’s blowing snow, but our hearts are all warm I trust. May God be with you all, and give you cause to be thankful.
How many of us have asked ourselves this question? How many of us have wondered on the course of the vessel we’re sailing? How many of us have asked this question that searches to the very depths of our heart, looking, seeking, wanting an answer more than anything besides? If you have ever been hunting for something, and have come back with one of those looks on your face akin to despair you somewhat understand the feeling of frustration which now accompanies this question. It is a question I had asked myself, it is a question I could never answer myself, a question that produced only uncertainty, because I was asking the wrong person.
Asking the wrong person… So many times this is the very root of our problems. God is standing there, waiting for us, waiting for us to ask Him, to seek his face. He who has infinite knowledge, He who has the answer to all of our questions, is right there before us. Ask Him! “Lord, what is thy purpose in my life?” Aha! Now we are asking the right Person, now we are looking in the right place. But now, are we looking for the right answer? Are we asking God for a blueprint of our lives? Hardly! That would take all the fun out of the Christian experience! Just imagine, just for a moment, try to imagine, that you know all what God’s plan is for your life. You would never need to talk to Him again!! Oh no, we could never do that, it would spoil everything completely. Rather, what we need to do is to let Him lead us, to let Him take our hand; to trust that we don’t need to worry at all about what we’re going to do. God has one plan for all of us that you and I can grasp right now, and that is to trustingly follow Him.
This is one thing that people commonly seem to have a problem with. “Follow Him?!? You mean I can’t plan my own life? No thanks man.” But… here is where the biggest mistake of all is made, an assuming that God is going to do something scary, a fear of the unknown. Really, if you have these same heart tremors I’m not surprised at all. It is something that we all experience when we aren’t quite sure we want to give up our own will. But just stop here for a moment and let reason conquer the unreasonable. How much do we see? What do we know compared to God? We have plans for our life. God has a plan for our life. Who has the better? What if you want to be a plumber or a police officer or the president? We all have dreams like that, we all want to be someone or do something, and God knows all that. Yes, He knows our deepest heart longings, yet greater still He knows what is best. God created each of us as personal individuals, he knows. And if God really and truly does know, we can trust Him with our lives!
Trust… this is the alternative to fear. Now we are left with what it has all boiled down to, fear or faith. In fact at this moment I think it would almost fit to put the typo I just made, which is, ‘fear of faith’. You know, even though both of those words have an uncanny poetic similarity to each other, there is so stark of a contrast between the two that not even the illustration of black vs. white would do justice to the difference. Fear or Faith, one gives us a lifetime of stress, worry and sorrow; the other gives us an eternity of peace. On paper the difference is so clear, but in our hearts we are so often tempted to fear. Why? The Prince of fear… that depraved serpent, who instilled his likeness in Adam and Eve, is the answer. By that fallen nature we are filled with fear. Since the beginning of sin, fear has filled the universe. It has been placed in every living creature. Only He who is “perfect love” can cast out all fear. Only when He dwells within us can all fear be cast out. Satan will try to fill us with fear; he will try to muddle our minds. There is not a doubt about it. But when we are filled with fear, we know exactly where to go to find peace. Fear can only last as long as it takes for us to fall to our knees, only as long as it takes to trust God. Fear entered the world at the beginning, and it will remain until it is overcome by faith.
Here we are… making choices, choices that will affect us throughout our life. We have the opportunity to place our ship under the guidance of our Savior. We have the opportunity now, to let God lead us, to trust Him that He knows this ocean and that He has traversed the waters before us. We have this opportunity, this wonderful opportunity! Come along with me and let us let Him guide our ships, not only on the tempest, not only on the starless nights, but even when we are sure we know the way. In fact, that is the time when we need Him most. There is something that seems to happen a lot to those excellent navigators, when they are sure of the way, when they are positive about their position. Something happens, and they lose the way. Lost in the deep… we see so many of these young pilots today, sailing their ships hither and yon, hunting, searching for a landmark, trying to find their way, asking themselves, asking the wrong person. They are being blown closer and closer to the reef, their veins bulge, their muscles are sore, their sails are tattered, but their mouths remain silent. Daily, ships are smashed to pieces on the rocks, daily captains lose their lives.
“Oh Lord! Use me! Use my ship; use my ship to guide some weary pilots who have lost their way, help me guide them to Thee.”
To foster discussion and debate on various topics for the furthering of understanding.
To serve as a homebase for some of my most meaningful blogging.
David Boskovic -- eighteen, Canadian, Conservative, and sibling to 5 -- writes a practical
mix of journalism, commentary, theology, and inspiration from the perspective of a
Biblical worldview and a homeschooled education. Here at Oneway Purpose he tackles life,
culture, and purpose, taking to task many of the problems that this generation is facing
on the front lines in the battles of the Christian life.
Well, that’s not the only thing about them. You see, I wasn’t always so thankful for them. There was a time in my life when I actually regretted their presence quite a bit. Thankfully, God used various circumstances to bring myself to him. That was nearly 4 years ago now. I’m thankful my parents are concerned about our spiritual well-being. I’m thankful that my parents decided to homeschool us. (reminds me I should post my article on homeschooling) I’m thankful that they followed God as he led them to this place out in the country. I’m thankful, to have the privilege of growing up in a strong Christian, God-centered family. Thanks Mom and Dad, for following the Lord, and showing us the way too.
My younger sister too. Christina. If some of you girls wonder why I don’t have any girl-phobia. It’s because of her. 
