Tohru Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 I really, really like the layout of MOH. I read a sample chapter and love the flow and writing style. However we are not Christian and prefer to use secular books. I don't have a problem with Christian content, but would like to be able to edit it out at our discretion. The chapter I read from their website had no Christian references, so I'm thinking it might work ok for us. Is it possible to secularize MOH and still have a decent history program? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 I don't think so. Funny, I just posted this on another thread:D MOH is written conversationally with the author's opinion strongly showing through. SOTW is written in the same style as CHOW. It's conversational, but with a neutral tone. Nothing about MOH is neutral IMO. Even when she's talking about other civilizations, she's pointing out the Christian aspects or comparing them etc. If you're looking for something secular, I'd go with SOTW. HTH! Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 I agree with coffeefreak (love your name btw :-)). I think it would be extremely difficult for you to take the Christian perspective out of MOH. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 I agree with coffeefreak (love your name btw :-)). I think it would be extremely difficult for you to take the Christian perspective out of MOH. Sorry. Thanks!:D Guess what I'm drinking!:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tohru Posted January 14, 2010 Author Share Posted January 14, 2010 Thanks for the info. That's too bad about MOH. We have tried SOTW, but I don't really like it. All those !!!!! drive me crazy and I remember reading one paragraph in SOTW 2 that said 'India' over 12 times. It was so bad that we stopped using the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Thanks for the info. That's too bad about MOH. :iagree: We're Christians but not Evangelical and as much as I like the look of MOH, I think it would take too much work to make it non-denominational enough for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Have you considered BF? That is much easier to secularize. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tohru Posted January 14, 2010 Author Share Posted January 14, 2010 Isn't BF a supplementary guide? Kind of like a book list? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 I really, really like the layout of MOH. I read a sample chapter and love the flow and writing style. However we are not Christian and prefer to use secular books. I don't have a problem with Christian content, but would like to be able to edit it out at our discretion. The chapter I read from their website had no Christian references, so I'm thinking it might work ok for us. Is it possible to secularize MOH and still have a decent history program? Thanks! There is no way to secularize volume 1. It treats Biblical history as fact, and probably is half Biblical history. Maybe not quite that much, but there is a lot of it. It is also comes from a Young Earth (YE) point of view, which takes Creation as literal, and the genealogies listed in the Bible as literal. That means that YE stance believes the earth is only roughly 7000 years old. God created a full grow man not a baby, thus all of the earth was created with age already built in. The other volumes? Maybe, but again I doubt it. There isn't the issue with Biblical history, but Linda still writes from a Christian perspective to a Christian audience, so issues of faith will be woven throughout the book, even when the lesson could be taught from a secular perspective. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Isn't BF a supplementary guide? Kind of like a book list? Beautiful Feet? No, it's not. You can look at samples here. We use it a love it. We've only used Early American History Intermediate level, but you could easily use it if you chose a different spine. America's Providential History is from a Christian tone, and the whole curriculum is taught from the principal approach, but that would be easy to cut out. You could cut that part of the lessons out all together, or teach them from a secular point of view and discuss whether your child agrees with the principal and why. If you cut out the Christian/Religion portions of the curriculum, you would be left with great reading materials, composition suggestions, copywork, dictation, and some great discussion questions. I feel that America's Providential History is more for me-It helps me to understand the Christian principals the curriculum is teaching. We use CLP's A Child's Story of America as our spine, because my oldest dd can read it on her own. For my younger dd, I use the "If you lived in____________." So, If you lived in Colonial Times, If You Lived at the Time of the Civil War, etc. Because the IG's are only around $14, I don't have a problem tweeking them to fit our needs. I've also added books that aren't included in the curriculum. We'll be reading Toliver's Secret, and The Witch of Blackbird Pond in addition to what is scheduled. We've done some of the writing assignments and discarded others. It's really a very flexible curriculum. I think Sonlight uses a secular spine for their American History, but I could be wrong on that. WP used Children's Encyclopedia of American History at one time. I don't know if they're still using it, but that might be a good spine to look into. HTH! Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 (edited) I just realized you might be doing Ancient History. :001_smile: I haven't used BF's Ancient History guides, but I would imagine you could cut out the Christian Content in that too. If you're looking for a spine, SWB recommended Child's History of the World before she wrote SOTW. We read it and we loved it. She also recommended using Usborne Book of World History. I like Kingfisher better, but it's just a matter of preference. Blessings! Dorinda ps I looked it up in my original copy of TWTM, and I was wrong. She recommended Usborne, but I don't see CHOW. WHOOPS! Anyway, both good resources if you don't like SOTW. Dorinda Edited January 16, 2010 by coffeefreak correct my mistake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 If your issue is with the writing why not pick a wonderfully written book like E.H. Gombrich's A Little History of the World? It makes a nice spine and and can easily be supplemented with some activities pulled from the internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in VA Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Have you thought about the Guerber histories? Obviously not Ancient World (it's Biblical/Jewish history) I would think you could use Story of the Greeks and Story of the Romans for Ancient history. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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