Maher: Santorum Homeschools Kids in His 'Christian Madrassa' to Keep Them From Knowledge
Bill Maher on Friday attacked Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, Christians, and anyone that homeschools their children.
In his final New Rule on HBO's Real Time, Maher said, "Rick Santorum homeschools his children because he does not want them eating [from the Tree of Knowledge]. He wants them locked up in the Christian madrassa that is the family living room not out in public where they could be infected by the virus of reason" (video follows with transcript and commentary, vulgarity warning):
BILL MAHER: But I bring up the old tale of the poisoned apple -- no, not "Snow White," that's a fairy tale - because the Adam and Eve story is taken literally by half the country and it's no coincidence that the type of tree which god forbade Adam and Eve eating from was the Tree of Knowledge. Rick Santorum homeschools his children because he does not want them eating that f--king apple. He wants them locked up in the Christian madrassa that is the family living room not out in public where they could be infected by the virus of reason. If you're a kid and the only adults you've ever met are mom and dad, and then they're also the smartest adults you've met, why not keep it that way? Why mess up paradise with a lot knowledge? After all, a mind is a terrible thing to open.
It's of course not at all surprising that besides his anti-religious bigotry, Maher believes homeschoolers receive less of an education than those in public schools.
Nothing can be further from the truth.
The 2009 Homeschool Progress Report found "homeschoolers scored 34–39 percentile points higher than the norm on standardized achievement tests. The homeschool national average ranged from the 84th percentile for Language, Math, and Social Studies to the 89th percentile for Reading."
The average is 50.
Homeschoolers also score higher on the popular college entrance exam ACT.
The 2003 study Homeschooling Grows Up offered more evidence of Maher's ignorance:
Homeschool graduates are active and involved in their communities. Seventy-one percent participate in an ongoing community service activity (e.g., coaching a sports team, volunteering at a school, or working with a church or neighborhood association), compared to 37% of U.S. adults of similar ages (Table 2). Eighty-eight percent of the homeschool graduates surveyed were members of an organization (e.g., such as a community group church or synagogue, union, homeschool group, or professional organization), compared to 50% of U.S. adults.
Only 4.2% of the homeschool graduates surveyed consider politics and government too complicated to understand, compared to 35% of U.S. adults(Table 2). This may account for why homeschool graduates work for candidates, contribute to campaigns, and vote in much higher percentages than the general population of the United States (Figures 2 through 7). For example, 76% of homeschool graduates surveyed between the ages
of 18–24 voted within the last five years, compared to only 29% of the relevant U.S. population (Figure 7). The numbers of homeschool graduates who vote are even greater in the older age brackets, with voting levels not falling below 95%, compared to a high of 53% for the corresponding U.S. populace. Interestingly, the three participants in the age-55–69 category were also more civically active than their peers nationwide (but the sample size was so small that this category was/is not included in the figures).
58.9 percent of homeschool grads report that they are "very happy" with life compared with 27.6 percent for the general U.S. population. 73.2 percent find life "exciting" compared with 47.3 percent.
Also of note, 98.5 percent read at least one book in the past six months compared to only 69 percent of the general population. 99.6 percent know how to use the internet versus 37 percent of the general population.
Yet this is what Maher considers a "Christian madrassa" preventing children from knowledge and reason.
What a dunce!
Update: For more recent homeschool statistics, please see "Academic Achievement and Demographic Traits of Homeschool Students: A Nationwide Study, 2010."
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Comments
Billy Boy has stuck his head. . .
Submitted by rickbren on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 2:57pm.
. . . up his 4th point of contact. AGAIN!
BECAUSE MAHER HAS EXPERIENCE IN RAISING KIDS, RIGHT?
Submitted by Sgthulka on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 3:16pm.
He has the same expertise as he does in auto repair - NONE.
His initials, "BM", say it all.
Because I know that the world's greatest experts on everything are English Lit grads from Cornell.
"God opposes the proud" (I Pet. 5: 5)
Submitted by Qtaug on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 3:20pm.
Rush? Rush? Is that you?
hey Bill mouth off in the Middle East
Submitted by Less1leg on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 3:26pm.
I'd love to see the metrosexual Bill go to Iran or Saudi Arabia and mouth off about Islam and religion in a place where the " Religion of Peace " practice their faith. Love to see him mouth off about the Mullahs, and leaders of their society.
Funny how these well protected shleps expect protection for their version of "freedom of speech".
A clown...
Submitted by P. Aaron on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 3:27pm.
Laughing at normal decent folks.
More idiocy from the face of
Submitted by celator on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 3:38pm.
More idiocy from the face of Obama's re-election campaign.
Maher is an ass!
Submitted by Vandamage2000 on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 3:49pm.
Good luck getting people to cancel HBO, folks!
Good luck getting this troll to tell the truth here
Submitted by The Vet on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 5:27pm.
braindamage2000: So how come when people like Michael Steele and Sarah Palin criticize him, the GOP makes them backtrack?
braindamage2000: When Michael Steele criticized him, the RNC made him apologize.
braindamage2000: ...I can't give you a document that proves that the GOP pressured Steele to apologize to Rush.
I don't think that Donkeyface
Submitted by killa37 on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 3:55pm.
I don't think that Donkeyface has any kids - and for that the world should be grateful..................but, having said that, I don't think this dope has a clue about saying ANYTHING about kids, or parenting, or any of that type of thing. But, of course, his ignorance on any subject matter has never stopped him from flapping his stupid Donkey mouth.
He is a Maher-stake
Submitted by Abu Aramiah on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 4:00pm.
He is a Maher-stake.
PS, it was a fruit on the tree of knowledge of good and evil. At least say the joke properly...
When you call yourself a "comedian"...
Submitted by AuVox on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 4:09pm.
...aren't you required to be funny? Even once in a while? Or ever?
Bill Maher:
Submitted by 26CX on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 4:10pm.
The voice of the Left.
He is going to stand before a
Submitted by ricklail on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 4:25pm.
He is going to stand before a God that he does not believe in and have to answer for the way he talks about Christians. Then he will be told depart from me into the lake of fire.
Isn't that just east of
Submitted by DC2280 on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 8:17pm.
Lake Tahoe ?
Bill Maher and hateful
Submitted by Liberallies on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 4:51pm.
Bill Maher and hateful atheist like him, know next to nothing about history or are willfully ignorant of it so they do not have to be bitten by the virus of truth.
France was bitten by the virus of reason during the French Revolution, countless of French became atheists and what did they do? They raped countless of Catholic nuns, they murdered countless of priests, they slaughtered countless of men, women and children merely because these were practicing Roman Catholics. Roman Catholic Churches were turned in whore houses by atheists, women and young girls were raped by the atheists bitten by reason.
The goddess of reason was the "virtue" of the French Revolution and the horrors carried out by the atheist are in countless of cases as horrific if not worse than what the Nazis did in Germany and Communist did in the USSR, China, etc.
this is what always happens when atheism wins the day in a nation, in a culture. Religious people of all religions are slaughtered at the hands of atheists. Now get an atheist who claims to be all about reason to admit to this historical fact.
Atheists have mass murdered many more 100s of millions throughout human history than all religions combined.
this, of course, is something that atheist like Maher never want to talk about.
Maher on Santorum and Home Schooling
Submitted by Steve Cakouros on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 5:10pm.
I still maintain that News Busters should blacklist Maher. He is pathetic, an attention getter with no academic qualifications. He says nothing that is important because he has nothing going on intellectually.
Maher is the type of person who is happiest when people dislike him. This is a defense mechanism that he shares with Gore Vidal etc.
Alinsky tactics...
Submitted by lotr on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 5:19pm.
...from a narcissistic spineless coward who doesn't clearly doesn't have a clue what he's talking about. "Infected with the virus of reason" my ass. Newsflash: Public schools in America aren't what they used to be, to put it very very mildly.
Maher
Submitted by mmilesll on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 5:36pm.
I see the freak has calmed down in his crap he spews out-sure. But I forgot, he is a "comedian" and is allowed to say this crap. First of all, he is NOT remotely funny and second, who watches this stuff and thinks it is funny.
Wait a minute........
Submitted by djwolf12 on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 6:23pm.
I thought that King Hussein declared that families of candidates running for president are OFF LIMITS from the media. Once again, Bill Maher proves that he is a total douchebagger.
King Baraka Sheik-yer-booti
Submitted by killa37 on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 7:36pm.
King Baraka Sheik-yer-booti Hussein doesn't seem to have any problem bringing his own daughters into the political conversation - when it suits his agenda.
Wait
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 6:28pm.
I thought the left didn't allow criticism of Madrassas.
Maher doesn't care about
Submitted by Average_JoeMN on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 8:32pm.
Maher doesn't care about education, he knows they're book smart. What he's opposed to is the kids not being exposed to sin, to things he knows God opposes, to the conscience-free liberal world view. Kids taught good, taught the difference between right and wrong, are not "educated" according to his kind.
Maher
Submitted by GregE on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 8:43pm.
"...a mind is a terrible thing to open."
Apparently so.
Madras
Submitted by dmaley1714 on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 9:53pm.
did not PrObama actually go to a real Madrassa in Indonesia?
You speak TROOF,
Submitted by killa37 on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 11:47pm.
You speak TROOF, d..............and the moooooooooooooslem wanna-be learned how to recite from the Quran, or Koran, or toilet paper - whichever it is - very well. But let's not have facts getting in the way of some good 'humor'!!!
Maher's problem here
Submitted by Rhymes With Right on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 11:18pm.
Simple -- he has no idea about how home schools are actually taught and what the curricula are. But other than utter ignorance of the subject, he is just fine.
Can you find a subject on which
Submitted by Radical1979 on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 11:28pm.
Maher doesn't exhibit utter ignorance?
Rad,
Submitted by Trix Rabbit on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 11:31pm.
Maher is absolutely and totally free from the slavery of intelligence. So, the answer is NO.
For the MSM: In your pomp and all your glory, you're a poorer man than me. As you lick the boots of death born out of fear.
Ian Anderson "Wind up"
Agreed
Submitted by BuffNBone on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 11:56pm.
He's just playing to the outdated stereotypes he and his audience have about home schoolers. Good for a cheap laugh at someone else's expense.
Considering what is at stake and what is passing for education in public schools they (home schoolers) are making the right choice.
Not saying all home schoolers are perfect but the great majority are turning out a better prepared citizens.
Angry
Submitted by Lamdog on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 11:42pm.
I don't understand how someone can be so angry all the time?
Warning!
Submitted by HardRightTurn on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 1:23am.
Bill Maher is your brain on drugs. You are what you smoke. A dope.
To more fully comprehend the Left, one must read “Leftism As Psychopathy” by John Ray, M.A., Ph.D. Caution, it might scare you a little bit.
http://jonjayray.tripod.com/psycho.html
The Tone:
Submitted by LaVallette on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 3:36am.
The Liberal media icon lifting the tone of the tone of the American political discussion.
Hypocrisy: thy name is a Democrat shill!!
Obama Must Return Maher's Christophobic Money Now
Submitted by Blue Collar Todd on Sun, 03/11/2012 - 8:31pm.
This should be a campaign issue from now until Obama is forced to have his Super PAC return Maher's money.
http://bluecollarphilosophy.com/2012/03/anti-christian-bigot-bill-maher-...
This home schooling family won't take this one lying down.
Ok Mr. Maher
Submitted by chiefpayne on Tue, 03/13/2012 - 9:36am.
Then EXPLAIN to me WHY the Obama children are going to Sidwell Friends School - which is affiliated with the Religious Society of Friends???
Is Obama want to lock them "up in the Christian madrassa that is the family living room not out in public where they could be infected by the virus of reason"???
Or are you just a complete moron which astounds medical personnel with the fact you barely have sufficient brain cells to actually inhale?
...thanks Noel, sorry I missed this
Submitted by vrwc13 on Tue, 03/13/2012 - 10:50am.
...but I was at home with my homeschooled children all day making sure I kept them from being "out in public where they could be infected by the virus of reason"
v
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne
HEY bill maher: Girl(humskuled), 6, youngest for spelling bee
Submitted by vrwc13 on Wed, 03/14/2012 - 4:20pm.
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G: Girl, 6, becomes youngest eligible for Scripps Spelling Bee
...send her a million dollars, eh?
v
The burden of life is from ourselves, its lightness from the grace of Christ and the love of God. - William Bernard Ullanthorne