Posted on 05/18/2004 12:14:08 PM PDT by hsmomx3
VA. - An institution that intends to have a significant impact on the future leadership of the country has been quietly growing in Purcellville and will graduate its first full four-year class of students this month. Patrick Henry Bible College is not your ordinary school of higher learning. "The campus is immaculate, everyone is clean-cut and cheerful. The students about 75% of who have been taught at home rather than in schools - are required to sign a statement of faith before they arrive, confirming (among other things) that they have a literal belief in the teachings of the Bible."
They are trained with extremist view to "lead our nation and shape our culture with timeless biblical values".
Now let's look at an Islamic Madrasa (an Muslim/Islamic religious school).
What is a Madrasa? In a report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in 2003 by, Febe Armanio, describes a Madrasa as follows: An institution of higher learning offering instruction that "promotes an Islamic based curriculum based on the Quran. They teach to stand against what they see as the moral depravity of the West." The primary goal of these schools is to develop the future leaders of the Islamic world based on what some believe to be extremist views.
What's even more interesting about Patrick Henry College according to Andrew Buncombe, is that "this spring, of the almost 100 interns working in the White House, seven are from Patrick Henry. Another intern works for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign, while another works for President George Bush's senior political adviser, Karl Rove. Yet another works for the coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad. Over the past four years, 22 conservative members of Congress have employed one or more Patrick Henry interns."
Locally, Patrick Henry also enjoys support from the board of supervisors. Board members Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling) and Lori Waters (R-Broad Run) sponsored a resolution commending Farris on the occasion of PHC’s upcoming graduation. In addition to being a prominent figures in conservative Republican politics, as director of the “pro-family” Eagle Forum, Waters also has a PHC student, Danny Davis, for an intern. Mike Hengemuhle, another PHC student, is an assistant to Supervisor Stephen J. Snow (R-Dulles).
During the past four years, 22 PHC students have secured internships in the offices and on the campaigns of conservative congressmen and senators. When Bush signed a law outlawing partial-birth abortion, PHC President, Michael P. Farris was, one of five Christian conservatives who got an invite, according to the New York Times.
Wait a minute. Would the Bush-Cheney team recruit students from Islamic Madrasas to intern? It's only fair. If they're going to invite right-wing Christian extremist to run the White House, why not invite right-wing Islamist extremist?
Yet, the Bush administration continues to deny that this war on terror is not about Christians against Muslims. Then why are his top aides singing a different tune?
In February of this year Paul Bremer, the “American King” of Iraq, made it quite clear that he will not allow Islam to be the main source of law in Iraq. Yet, this administration leans more and more on the law of the Christian Bible.
When Rumsfeld was asked about Islamic Clerics running the new Iraq he said, “That isn't going to happen," Washington Post reported Friday, April 25. But the Bush-Cheney theocracy has no problem employing or giving serious consideration to those who come from this right-wing Christian extremist college.
Even though the board of trustees, its faculty and students may not call themselves clerics or preachers or pastors, the fact that their goal is to"lead our nation and shape our culture with timeless biblical values" the assumption is clear. They are religious wolves dressed in sheep's clothing.
But the comparison to the Madrasas can't be ignored. The indoctrination process begins with the faculty of the Madrasas and so it does at Patrick Henry College. "Before being hired by Patrick Henry, all members of the teaching faculty, too, have to sign a pledge stating that they share a generally literalist belief in the Bible."
Even the biology staff must hold a "literal view specifically of the six-day creation story."
Could you imagine Rumsfeld or Ashcroft hiring someone who believes literally that when they die they'll be received by 77 virgins? NOT!
What I find most alarming about PHC is it's Strategic Intelligence Program (SIP). It's curricula is directly tied into developing "careers in the intelligence community (Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, etc.), domestic counter-terrorism and law enforcement (Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, etc.), and diplomacy (Foreign Service, State Department, etc.). These graduates will eventually work their way into positions to positively influence and shape this increasingly important part of our culture."
While PHC links to the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court have been documented, Farris could not provide information as to how many students in the school’s Strategic Intelligence Program, which started this year, have internships with the CIA, the FBI or the nation’s other intelligence agencies.
In the fall semester, SIP students toured some of the most secure intelligence facilities in the entire United States (as per our agreements, we may not disclose the names of these 3-letter agencies), and they were invited to observe training exercises at the FBI Training Academy in Quantico.”
While the extent of their access to intelligence information is unknown, SIP students have enough information to pen “a weekly digest of all major drug, immigration, and security incidents at America's border crossings called the Border Security Alert. The BSA, produced entirely by Patrick Henry students, is distributed by subscription to national security professionals and is available to the intelligence and law enforcement communities through a classified network.”
Eliot Jardines, Assistant Director of SIP at Patrick Henry said,"The preservation of our liberty requires constant vigilance. Who is going to do it? Who better than these young men and women...?
I just can't see how right-wing Christian extremist from the Patrick Henry "Madrasa" will be able to preserve the liberties of homosexuals, single mothers, women's right to choose, pagans, transgender peoples and Muslims.
Patrick Henry College is just one of many schools in America that is dedicating itself to the teachings of extreme right-wing Christian political agenda. If you think that Bin Laden and his thugs are bad news, just look at the list of right-wing zealots already in America's government.
My biggest fear is not just that the graduates from PHC will make our country into a theocracy, it's that they will make it into a military industrial theocracy just like the German Nationalist Party did in 1935.
The CRS Report for Congress -Order Code RS21654-October 29, 2003-Islamic Religious Schools, Madrasas: Febe Armanios contributed to this article along with other sources.
www.voiceoffreedom.com
Being a new and very small school, PHC is not looking to be a science powerhouse, hence not needing a strong math and science department.
They do have law, political science and a number of other similar liberal arts type programs. One of the cool things is that each evening, the entire student body meets in a common area for a town hall debate session. (that sounds worth the price of admission right there)
If I'm correct, PHC students have recently won a number of national debate competitions
This is a new and small school, operating exclusively off private funds. Setting up a science or math department is expensive because it takes more lab equipment, computers, software...
My bet is that PHC is focusing on those subjects where so many other schools are producing a particularly objectionable product. Besides, my home educated kids will be half done with two technical degrees by the time they leave for college. That's the standard we should be setting for high school.
I agree. It's better for this university to start off with extremely solid courses in a limited area, then they can expand.
Besides which, responding here to other posts, I respectfully don't think it necessary for a legislator or policymaker to have an extensive background in calculus, physics, statistics and the like. Critical thinking skills would be my main criteria there! The idea that someone can't make sensible financial decisions or evaluate budget decisions on something like NASA without a background in physics or calculus strikes me as elitist. JMHO. It's simply not possible for everyone to specialize in everything and have an extremely extensive college mathematics background at the same time one is specializing in another area. Everyone has different gifts to bring to the table. Would I send my daughter interested in engineering to Patrick Henry? Absolutely not. Would I sent a child interested in political philosophy or journalism there? Absolutely! It sounds like they are developing an excellent program very early out of the box.
Ummm...no, because Christianity is the foundation on which Western culture is built, and Islam isn't.
Furthermore, Christianity is valid, and Islam...isn't.
Well, we disagree. So many political issues we face today have a technical component that it is my opinion that an education is deficient without two years at the college level of chemistry, physics, biology, and computer science, all of which should require calculus, linear algebra, and multivariate statistics. All of that is easily completed before leaving for college if one only redesigns the curriculum. Both my kids will have a year of college calculus under their belts before their thirteenth birthdays. One will do it before she's twelve. She was factoring quadratics when she was six. No, it's not that she's a genius, it's the method.
The idea that someone can't make sensible financial decisions or evaluate budget decisions on something like NASA without a background in physics or calculus strikes me as elitist. JMHO.
And just what is wrong with expecting a high level of performance from every child? How is that elitist?
It's simply not possible for everyone to specialize in everything and have an extremely extensive college mathematics background at the same time one is specializing in another area.
Yes it is. We are doing it right now.
Home is the[ir] school. The subtext is that home is not a school at all, but a place of ignorance and indoctrination. Now there exists an academy for training those who will fight for christian principles in the public square, and it must rankle the left to no end. As long as christians know their place and study at non-threatening [christian] liberals arts schools (not ones that will be training lawyers, jurists, statesmen), then the left will not waste their time. PHC is a major threat, and it must be vilified.
Correct me if I'm wrong, do not state schools require the signing of "policy" statements? (i.e. no weapons, no violence, no drugs, no religous discrimination, etc.) As to "indoctrination", it occurs in a big way on government school campuses (i.e. environmentalism, multi-culturalism, naturalism, socialism, homosexualism, abortionism, ... )
Minor grammar nit. "The students about 75% of whom ..." The preposition "of" takes the objective case of relative pronoun "who."
I'm not saying a high level of expectations is elitist, it's the idea that one is not qualified to make political/budgetary decisions *without* that kind of a background. *That* was what I saw as elitist.
More power to you for accomplishing what you are with your children at a young age. It is admirable. My eldest similarly is building an extensive mathematics background. She is definitely not as advanced as your children but is a good couple years ahead of the average public schooler (has completed AP-level Calculus and is now in a combo of Trig/Algebra II at H.S. sophomore age).
However, I don't believe my own education (Phi Beta Kappa, Bachelor's in history/minor in political science at a private, highly regarded liberal arts university) was deficient because I did not take numerous college-level mathematics courses. (Indeed, there was no way I *could* logistically take all the courses suggested here and complete my required coursework!) My education was simply *different*, and I specialized in an area other than mathematics. I took many, many courses in areas such as Chinese and Soviet History, Political Philosophy, Constitutional Law, Mexican Migration to the U.S., Guerilla Warfare, World Politics, and U.S. History. Do I believe every lawmaker, indeed, every American, would be the better for having a background in all those courses in order to make wise decisions in context? Of course. Is it practical to expect that of every "well-educated" person? Probably not. Another example: As a parent, an extensive background in medicine would have been helpful at many junctures thus far...but again, that wasn't practical. My education in this area stopped at AP level physiology and basic college biology. But I use my critical thinking skills to research issues which arise with my family and decide which medical personnel/opinions I will trust. Many of us simply bring different gifts and expertise to the table than someone else who may have had extensive coursework in another area. I tend to doubt (I could certainly be wrong!) my pediatrician took numerous college courses in Shakespeare or politics, but I would hardly consider her poorly educated. The absence of extensive knowledge in one particular field doesn't necessarily mean one is poorly educated.
Now, homeschooling *is* a different kettle of fish, which is one reason I'm doing it for my three youngest :). Learning more efficiently in the pre-college years, there is time for things such as community college coursework during high school. If you can do it, I think it's a grand idea and I'm sure your children benefit. The more education under one's belt, in all areas, the better. My own children are probably the only children in our immediate area who have more than a passing acquaintance with the Renaissance and Reformation at 3rd grade and under :).
To wrap up, I simply don't agree with the idea that people aren't equipped to make wise decisions about our country without mathematics, or that extensive mathematics coursework is absolutely needed in order to be considered well-educated. I've had this debate (probably with some here!) on FR before and I think there's just a different point of view on the subject which is strongly influenced by our own academic backgrounds and interests.
Appreciate you sharing your thoughts --
bttt
First, I do not think that Bush has said this at all, unfortunately. But, he has his reasons
Second, It's the Muslims against Christians / Americans. Do a Google on 9/11, in case you have forgotten the facts.
Third, You should thank God, that the adults are now in charge of our national defense. That includes defending such sorry spew as yours.
With all do respect, the only thing required to teach math is a math teacher.
Lab time, is helpful, but not crucial for teaching physics.
Critical analyses of scientific research require copies of scientific research papers and the educational background to comprehend the method and results.
(Psst...Only public institutions need computers to teach these classes.)
The core curriculum reading list, Malaspina Books, not only includes works by Jane Austin, Aristotle or DaVinci, but it also includes the great discourses of Einstein, Faraday and Newton.
a young woman in our homeschool group just received a scholarship to PHC--she'll be attending in the fall... she is one of the few impressive young adults i've come across ever... if she is what our nation has to look forward to, i am counting the days... God will bless America again!
my 3-year old and 8-year old (second grade) are doing Renaissance and Reformation this year! are you giving your children a "Classical Education?" which state are you in?
It strikes me as a tad peculiar you are taking Patrick Henry to task over a lack of math expertise on the staff when your own post reflects a lack of spelling and grammar expertise ("do respect," "Austin," "lab time, is helpful"). I'm not saying this to be snarky, but simply to point out that perhaps you're not being fair...I'm sure you're very well educated, but perhaps your background in English is as lacking as mine is in mathematics :) :). We each have our strengths and weaknesses. One can do very well in life focusing on particular areas when it comes to higher education -- most people can't or don't have the interest to specialize in everything across the educational menu. I wouldn't suggest Patrick Henry is offering a poor education simply because they have chosen to specialize, in their first years, in strong teaching in particular areas rather than attempting to be all things to all people.
Best wishes --
i agree--and the young woman i know who is attending PHC this fall had been doing "high school" course work since 7th grade, and taught herself calculus...
We use the K12 curriculum (www.k12.com)...it's not, strictly thinking, what I'd think of as classical education but it is based on a "core knowledge" philosophy and includes elements from THE WELL-TRAINED MIND. (Susan Wise Bauer wrote some of the history...) We love the curriculum. The children listen in on each other's history and the cross-related art lessons so my 5-year-old can go on at some length about Michelangelo, among other things :). What are you using for your lessons? I really regret that my older children were not exposed to history, art appreciation, etc., at young ages.
My oldest, a HS honor student, has commented several times that her younger siblings are being exposed to concepts at an early age that she didn't learn about until high school, unless she happened to read about it in books we gave her. (I consider her "afterschooled" in the sense of the materials we gave her outside school hours, grin.) As we became increasingly dissatisfied with her education, we "graduated" from public to private school with #2, then homeschooling with #3 and #4, and next year #2 will join us at home.
We are in So. CA...and you?
Best wishes --
This author is a bit niave if he thinks little tiny PHC will make a big impact.
Actually, graduates from PHC are landing plum positions in government, including working for Karl Rove in the White House. I'd say they are definitely positioned to make an impact :).
What is important? What are your values? I am not a wise old sage by any stretch of the imagination, but after having been allowed 54 years on the earth and raising 5 children, with some margin of success I hope, I think I do have some experience.
I have a BS with hardly any solid math but several courses in hands on technology. Now, I work as "number cruncher" or "bean counter" for the Army. The math we use is simply logic, give the kids lots of that. Teach them how to think for themselves and reason things out.
We have home schooled our youngest three children. The oldest one of them graduated from Georgetown College (NOT University) on May 8th, Summa Cum Laude. She is now heading off to graduate school with a full (label that 100%) scholarship and a healthy stipend for expenses. How much math did she have? The minimal, we used Saxon and she loved it. It laid a solid enough foundation that she made it through with a 4.0 GPA and attended Oxford for a semester as an exhange program, where she also received an "A" in all courses. When we ask her how she did it, she gives credit to being able to think for herself, to reason things out.
BTW, the recent college graduate started a College Republicans Organization at the local community college while still a High School Senior and was active in the organization while at college. Guess these conservatives are out to take over the world.
What a nut. Reminds me of a quote a friend of mine sent me, "He desires to be a great oak, but is only a tiny nut..." or something like that.
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