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Macmom
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| Posted: July 07 2007 at 10:14am | IP Logged
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Hi all! I am a newbie on these forums! But I have been homeschooling (TWTM, DYOCC) for 11 years now. I'm the mom in my group who tries all the new stuff that everyone else is reluctant to try. Usually, I'm successful... so I've become the "curriculum guru" of our support group of 60+ families.
The problem with being a guru is, I have no one to talk shop with! Here is a case in point- I just bought Omnibus III for a good look-see. The production values are gorgeous. (Why can't Catholic curriculum look this beautiful and have such meat at the same time?) It discusses books I WANT my eighth grader to read, and I see many opportunities to look at Protestant misconceptions in the text. (So far, I have really loved the chapter where the child studies the American Revolution, and Wilson discusses Revolt vs Revolution and twists himself in knots that the Reformation was an organic change that only fixed the problems in the Church, not a radical revolution!)
Anyone else used Omnibus? Opinions?
Peace,
Macmom
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hylabrook1
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| Posted: July 07 2007 at 5:41pm | IP Logged
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Is this a program of Veritas Press? Or is there something else called Omnibus that I'm not aware of?
Just wondering, as there has been some other discussion of Veritas on these boards in the past.
Peace,
Nancy
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Macmom
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| Posted: July 08 2007 at 11:51am | IP Logged
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Yes, this is the Veritas Press program.
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hylabrook1
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| Posted: July 08 2007 at 3:01pm | IP Logged
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I have not used Omnibus nor seen it *in real life*. When I have gone through the Veritas catalogue, it has looked absolutely wonderful. BUT the experience of Veritas I have had has been that it is pretty blatantly anti-Catholic. They use books that would do honor to any well-developed classical curriculum and would work wonderfully, given a *fair* interpretation. I agree about these being the materials/books you would want your children to learn from. However, Veritas leans heavily toward the point of view that the Catholic perspective is wrong, as it is not sola scriptura, and that the Church is not following Christ fully. Depending on your own educational background or on your current time and energy to work through the materials yourself and raise the counterpoints to the anti-Catholicism, Omnibus could be a great resource. I know for me, though, that I would feel drowned trying to *straighten it all out*.
You might want to search these forums for the other threads that have included discussion of Veritas to see what others have said.
Peace,
Nancy
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hereinantwerp
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| Posted: Oct 22 2007 at 6:03pm | IP Logged
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OK, I hope I can say this carefully and delicately, but we lived in the town where Doug Wilson has his church for several years, and have interacted with him some personally. The influence of his teaching and the church there was, dh and I felt personally, negative in some significant ways. I am not even a Catholic (though have all respect for Catholics!), but I would be very surprised if a Catholic would be able to digest or use curriculum from these sources. The point of view on the Reformation is always "glorious", rather than tragic (living in Europe completely cured me of this point of view!!!), it's a point of view that I can no longer stomach myself. This is just personal opinion and impression. But the teaching as it pertains to Catholics would, I anticipate, be very difficult to overcome. Again, this is all opinion, I hope I'm being careful enough!
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Mother to Simon (13), Calvin (9), and Lyddie Rose (3)
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Macmom
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| Posted: Oct 23 2007 at 11:34am | IP Logged
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Angela- you are being VERY Careful. I appreciate the warning. But, I have to tell you, I feel pretty qualified to screen out and balance the anti-Catholic material. I'm a Steubenville grad, well read in history and very interested in the social teachings of the Church. So we check everything against good Catholic books. And as a Regina Coeli instructor, I also employ the Socratic method in discussions with my kids. Its very effective!
It makes Omnibus a lot more work, and I agree, many people couldn't pull it off (is my pride showing?!? oops!), but we are a third of the way through and having a BLAST! I've had to supplement, I've had to correct, but as far as a Christian vs a secular worldview, the book is very accurate. We've enjoyed most of the readings, and had good discussions about how the divisions in Christendom a) lead so many astray and b) are such a bad witness (to men like Ben Franklin!)
My review of our first 8 weeks is here:
http://4real.thenetsmith.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15492&PN=3
and we had a GREAT conversation on the role and limits of government yesterday, after reading the first article of the Constitution. He started out (as any kid would- kids are liberals at heart) arguing that the government ought to pay for people's retirement, college educations, and health care. But we discussed the principle of subsidiary, the threat of rationed health care, the real possibility of government-sponsered euthanasia, and the discrimination against Catholic colleges/ hospitals receiving government funds. (As well as personal examples from our family. He made a good point that many modern families are estranged and need someone to take care of the kids AND grandma, since they are too fractured/ busy/ disinterested to provide for their own. But I explained how that doesn't excuse the government usurping the role of the family.) By the end of the session, he agreed that government should be limited, and families should be empowered to take care of themselves. He also told me he felt more "mature" for getting to discuss these topics with Dad and I, and he understood his Catholic faith more.
Currently, we are reading Ben Franklin's autobiography. We have touched on how Ben Franklins experience of the fractures in Protestantism lead him away from Christianity. (A GREAT supplement for this is "Spirits of 76: A Catholic Inquiry" by Donald D'Elia.)
I have SO enjoyed the discussions this curriculum has produced. I wish it was Catholic, yes, but there is NOTHNG like it out there for Catholics.
No offense taken!
Macmom
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Catholic family life works on the same principle as a washing machine- clothes get clean by agitation.
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hylabrook1
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Macmom -
It sounds like you're having a lot of fun with Omnibus! Good for you! It sounds like looking at this from all angles is right up your alley!
Peace,
Nancy
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Hoosiermama
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| Posted: Dec 17 2007 at 7:10pm | IP Logged
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I hope nobody minds that I am resurrecting this old thread.
We are half-way through Omnibus 2. It has been a most interesting and educational expierence, to say the least.
The very last book that we are supposed to read is Martin Luther's "Bondage of the Will."
Could someone recommend a book from a Catholic perspective instead?
Thanks so much!
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Macmom
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| Posted: Dec 18 2007 at 10:09am | IP Logged
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Me again...
you know, we have SKIPPED some books like Omnibus III's "Autobiography of Charles Finney." We just read the essay and the prologue questions, and discussed the fractured nature of American Protestantism, the wacky "rapture" ideas. I couldn't see wasting too much time on the topic. If you want to, skip Luther... or most of Luther. It is good for the kidlets to be exposed to his ideas, and then take those ideas apart so they can debate the other side.
You might want to read documents from the Council of Trent to balance Luther. Also, St. Lawrence of Brindisi (one of the obscure Doctors of the Church) wrote specifically against Luther.
Peace,
Macmom
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Willa
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We have not done Omnibus, but we read some of the documents of the Council of Trent during our study of this time period. Also, St Francis de Sales wrote specifically against the Reformers (mostly Calvin) and I have read his book just for my own sake -- it is very good (but long)
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Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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Hoosiermama
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Thanks so much! I'll take a look into those recs.
I've really enjoyed the Omnibus II book. It's fairly Catholic friendly, at least at the beginning of it, not sure how it will go as we get closer and closer to the Reformation though.
Actually, the studies that we have done on the early church have only strengthened my resolve to return to Catholicism. A fact I have to now explain to my Protestant friends that we have been co-op-ing Omnibus with.
I'm not sure we are going to stay with the co-op. Son#1 wants to stay and try to defend our faith. I'm not sure that's the right thing to do. I'd really,really appreciate your prayers for this situation.
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Macmom
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Welcome home Hoosiermama! Your son has alot of spine, God bless him! It's something you'll have to discern- wether to stay and defend the Faith, or just find it easier to study Omnibus on your own!
One thing I am adding to Omnibus III is more de Tocqueville! I see why Wilson avoids him- he's hard on Protestantism! But his insights on America, nationalism, industry, poverty.... they are so DEAD ON! (I am reading his "Memoir on Pauperism" right now, and coming up with discussion questions from it! When you get to Omnibus III, I'll share my "supplements" with you!)
Peace,
Macmom
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4Real Forums : Philosophy of Education
Topic: Omnibus
