Pregnant, not married professionals . . .

[nmoira]

If your child were in the class and you decided to talk to him/her about the "error of the teacher's ways", but decide NOT to say anything to the teacher -- well, your child is going to say it for you, either to the teacher or to other kids who will say it to the teacher.

I would hope that parents discussing something that wasn't their business -- and going so far as to judge another person without even knowing their circumstance -- in front of their children would also talk about compassion and forgiveness. Shouldn't Judgment be tempered with Compassion? And if the parents in questions were pro-life, I'd hope they would add that no matter what the transgressions of the professional in question that they were doing the right thing by choosing to continue their pregnancies.

[Desert Rat]

Well spoken Karen.

[dragons in the flower bed]

I think I'm surprised by these situations because 1) they're not young people who got "trapped" by immature decisions and 2) they set an example for those they teach every day.

 

Would these situations affect your feelings if your child was in the class? (I know, many of us homeschool because we want to be the shapers of our dc's values.)

 

No, I would be judging the teacher based on how well she did her job. I would teach my children to judge her mothering (if ever they were in a situation where doing so was appropriate) by how well she does that, not by whether or not she has legalized a commitment to a partner.

 

My partner and I discussed the upcoming wedding of his son, just this morning. I told him I think it's a waste of money to have a ceremony. It's an intrusion into what should be a religious domain by the government to have a justice of the peace do it. I also find disturbing the historical foundation of marriage as passing ownership of the female from one male to another. Frankly, I just won't do it.

[angela in ohio]

I have a friend who is very defensive for pregnant-out-of-wedlock girls. She says it is one of the few sins that bears a physical mark. I have to agree with her. Gluttony is another similar issue. The same person judging a person for being overweight or pregnant is probably really glad that addiction to pornography, greed, anger, or some other such sin do not "show" as a physical mark on the body.

 

FWIW, I am probably the most conservative person I know, especially in regards to women and family.

 

As far as a single pregnant woman being my child's teacher, we would deal with it the same way we do whenever we encounter sin in others or ourselves (on a daily basis); we would discuss it in the context of our view of sin and salvation.

[PineFarmMom]

I'd probably just discuss God's plan for a family with my own children, ask them not to talk about our conversation with the other kids at school, then let the issue go.

 

T