Header image by Deb Dowd on Unsplash.
As a secular homeschool dad, I am sometimes alarmed by what passes for education in certain religious homeschooling groups and in some religious schools and programs.
Before I get into those details, I want to briefly defend the value of a secular education. Secular just means not religious. From a secular perspective, the purpose of education is to teach kids how to read, write, and do math and to help children understand the basics of human history and of the natural world. In a broader sense, education is about helping children gain the knowledge and skills they need to live a successful and flourishing life.
A secular approach to education contrasts with a sectarian religious approach, which sees the primary purpose (or at least a major purpose) of education as to indoctrinate children into specific sectarian religious views. Although, theoretically, a religious education could promote eclectic religious beliefs among children, in practice religious education in the United States generally means promoting Christian beliefs, whether Catholic or Protestant. A great deal of sectarian Protestant education is of a traditionalist or fundamentalist and culturally and politically conservative variety.
Usually a religious approach to education is not purely so; it combines many features of a secular education with a religious orientation. Few parents would be content with their children learning only religious material, reading the Bible and singing “Jesus Loves Me” and the like all day. Some religious schools are quite academically rigorous. Still, a religious approach views otherwise-secular topics through a sectarian lens.
So, for example, a secular education embraces mainstream scientific findings such that the universe as we know it is around 13.8 billion years old, the Earth is around 4.5 billion years old, and all life on earth arose via biological evolution. Although some religious perspectives embrace evolution at least to a degree, a religious approach to education sees the primary purpose of natural science as revealing the wonders of God’s handiwork. Sometimes a religious approach badly distorts the basic facts of science, such as by claiming that the earth is only a few thousand years old.
A secular education sees the Judeo-Christian Bible as an extremely important work of literature, ideology, and history when read by modern academic standards, one such work among many. A religious approach to education sees the Bible as literally true (hence Young-Earth Creationism) or at least as directly inspired by God of a particular tradition, and it sees the main point of reading the Bible as drawing closer spiritually to the Judeo-Christian God.
A secular education sees the progress of human history as the product of human thoughts and actions in the context of the natural world. A religious approach to education sees God’s hand as driving or at least influencing history, as with the idea of “manifest destiny.”
In short, a secular education understands people as part of the natural world, whereas a sectarian religious education envisions people, or at least God’s chosen or favored people, as participants in God’s divine plan for humanity.
Note that many religious parents embrace secular education and add religious content on the side, say in Sunday School or Torah study. In defending secular education, I am not ruling out such extracurricular religious studies and activities.
The Case for a Secular Education
Religious people as well as nonreligious people can, and I think should, embrace secular education for their children. I see three main reasons for this.
First, secular education focuses on the natural world, natural causes, and facts known through reason and evidence. Hence, the focus of secular education is to help children learn about aspects of reality through reason. People oriented to the natural world and capable of learning more about it are better-suited to navigating within it.
Whereas the core religious answer to “why” questions — why do flowers smell good, why do bees make honey, why do the stars twinkle at night, why is the sun hot, why do boys have a penis, why did Columbus sail across the ocean, why do people fight wars — is “because God made it that way” or caused it or allowed it, the secular approach looks to an explanation rooted in nature, biology, psychology, or ideology. Even religious people who look for a role for God also can seek natural explanations and so can embrace secular education.
Second, secular education better facilitates peace and understanding between people of diverse backgrounds. According to Pew drawing from 2023 to 2024, around 30% of Coloradans are Protestant, 14% are Catholic, 3% are Latter-Day Saints (Mormons), 2% are Jewish, even fewer are Muslim or Buddhist, 8% are atheist, 10% are agnostic, and 22% are “nothing in particular.”
Because the doctrines of religion derive fundamentally from faith in the sense of belief without evidence and from alleged divine revelation, ultimately religious disagreements are beyond the reach of reason. By contrast, learning about reality through reason is the point of secular education. Because all people are capable of observing aspects of reality and thinking by reason, all people can participate in secular education on equal footing.
The 1844 riots in Philadelphia illustrate the divisiveness of sectarian education. Protestants wanted their children to read a Protestant version of the Bible in school, but Catholics understandably wanted different options for children of Catholics. Surrounding tensions led to mayhem, murder, and the torching of Catholic churches. It seems far better to treat religion as a private matter and to approach education fundamentally as a secular matter, open to all.
Third, and related, secular education leads to greater social cohesion by promoting a shared understanding of facts rooted in reality and accessible by reason. It is a good thing that children of Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, atheists, and others sit side-by-side to learn about the world that we all share. Turning education into a sectarian religious exercise inevitably breeds division and distrust.
Some say that a particular religious viewpoint is necessary to answer questions of value, even to explain why we seek an education. But we don’t need a specific religious doctrine, or even religion at all, to notice that learning about the natural world engages us intellectually and emotionally and helps us live successfully.
At the same time, a secular education does not preclude recognition that many people do find meaning in their religious or philosophical beliefs. A secular approach to education is about welcoming in people of diverse backgrounds and beliefs to learn together within a shared framework of knowledge.
Colorado’s Homeschool Advocates Push Sectarian Education
Far and away the most-organized, best-funded homeschool group in Colorado is Christian Home Educators of Colorado, which overtly promotes sectarian religious education.
On its web site, CHEC promotes young-earth creationism, saying, “The world did not evolve over a period of millions or billions of years, but rather GOD created everything functionally mature. … Since we believe the Bible is historically accurate in all aspects, and since we believe a day is and was a twenty-four hour period, then we believe the earth is less than ten thousand years old.”
This flies in the face of overwhelming evidence from geology, paleontology, archeology, and other fields.
Worse, CHEC continues to align itself with Kevin Swanson, who used to direct CHEC, and who in 2015 called for the death penalty for homosexuals. (See also James O’Rourke’s article.)
Obviously, people who do not subscribe to CHEC’s extremely narrow form of Christian Protestantism will not feel comfortable with CHEC’s approach. (Note: CHEC also runs its own “independent school” for “homeschool” families, but technically under Colorado law people who use this service are enrolled in a private school and don’t fall under the “home-based education” laws.)
But at least CHEC self-consciously rejects tax funding in order to keep its “Christ centered” form of religious “education” (I’d call it indoctrination) “free from government control.” Various religious organizations accept tax dollars for education, with various degrees of separation between the religion and the education.
Tax Funding for Religious Organizations
Colorado introduced tax-funded preschool in 2023, and the funds go directly to otherwise-private preschools, including religious ones. Ann Schimke writes, “The state is still fighting two lawsuits brought by religious preschools that objected to non-discrimination rules protecting LGBTQ children, families, and employees.” See also Heidi Beedle’s report from 2023.
In the homeschool world, government funds “enrichment” programs, usually one day per week, for many homeschoolers. Generally this involves tax dollars going to independent organizations, some of which are religious in orientation. But those organizations are not supposed to use the funds for religious purposes.
My own family uses Home School Connection, or HSC, run through the Woodrow Wilson charter school. “HSC is a publicly funded, part-time Home School Enrichment Program, providing in person classes one day a week for K–8th graders,” its web site states. Generally, even though the program rents space from a church and so exposes the children to a heavy dose of religious materials on the walls, the program does not promote religion, and instead offers classes in science, theater, PE, and so on.
Earlier this year, however, HSC promoted a flyer for a third-party camp on “exploring God’s creation.” The scan code clicked through to Converge Rocky Mountain, an organization which seeks “to transform lives and communities by aggressively multiplying Jesus-filled believers and congregations in the Rocky Mountain West.”
When I complained about HSC using its tax dollars to promote overtly sectarian religious programming, the director responded, “As a public program, HSC does not promote any of the ads that families share with us. We simply pass them along as options for families to choose to participate in—or not.” Although a minor issue, this incident illustrates the blurriness of the lines sometimes separating tax funding and religious indoctrination.
In her 2023 report, Beedle described the relationship between Forging Pueblo, which says on its web site (as of September 6, 2025, the date checked throughout) that it aims “to impact the Pueblo community for Christ with a Biblical worldview,” and Forging Education. On its web site, Forging Education says, “All instruction is rooted in a Biblical worldview” and “upholds Biblical truth.” But the term “all” here apparently is flexible.
Notably, Forging Education explicitly rejects secular education and condemns public education on grounds that it promotes secularism:
Public education often promotes views on identity, origins, and morality that contradict Scripture. As humanist Charles Potter once noted, secular education shapes culture daily, while faith instruction is often limited. We believe the church must respond by raising up schools that teach truth every day of the week.
And yet, insofar as Forging Education accepts tax dollars, it becomes part of the public system. The tax-funded, public side of Forging Education is in obvious tension with its sectarian religious side.
Here is how Forging Education describes its “hybrid programs”:
Families enrolled in our classical hybrid programs have the flexibility to choose between two options: a free, state-funded half-day program or an optional full-day paid program. The half-day option—made possible through Colorado enrichment funding—includes core subjects like math, science, and physical education and is provided at no cost to qualifying homeschool families.
For families seeking a more comprehensive experience, the full-day option adds language arts, history, Bible, and other rotating subjects to create a complete, two-day classical education model. In both formats, students attend classes on campus twice per week and complete at-home assignments on the remaining days, allowing for strong parent involvement and flexibility while benefiting from structured, Christ-centered instruction.
Here is how Forging Education describes its ENGAGE program:
Forging Education is excited to partner with Enrich Colorado to bring the ENGAGE program to communities around Colorado. . . .
Colorado provides funding for homeschool enrichment programs to be offered to parents for free. Students who are not enrolled in public schools (home-school and private) or another publicly funded educational program qualify to attend a homeschool enrichment program like ENGAGE. Parents don’t pay anything for their students to attend ENGAGE for one full day per week of programming, open to K–12th grade.
So how does Forging Colorado fit these apparently secular educational offerings (classes like music, art, and creative writing) with its religious worldview? Here’s how Forging Education tries to draw a line:
At the end of each day all students are invited to join us for our one-hour Biblical Worldview lesson. In these lessons, students will learn the abundant evidence for the truth of God’s Word and will be equipped to share their faith and ‘be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you’ (1 Peter 3:15) The worldview class is great for strengthening the faith of students or introducing them to the overwhelming evidence for God and the Bible.
Outside observers might be forgiven for thinking that these tax dollars pretty obviously promote sectarian religious indoctrination, even though officially children and their parents can decline the end-of-day “invitation.” Wink, wink. Because there’s nothing at all pressuring about a student’s teachers “inviting” the student into a session in religious indoctrination.
Notably, on its web site, Enrich Colorado does not mention a word about the strong religious overtones of some of the organizations it supports with tax dollars. Instead, it says its programs cover “everything from teaching core subjects like mathematics, aviation training, and outdoor exploration.”
Enrich Colorado emphasizes that it is tax-funded and so “free” to families:
Colorado is one of many states that provides funding for home-school families to send their students to ‘enrichment’ programs around the state. . . . Enrich Colorado partners with Education ReEnvisioned BOCES to provide a variety of enrichment opportunities. . . . The home-school enrichment funding makes these programs absolutely free to parents around the state, removing financial barriers to attendance.
Okay, so what is “Education ReEnvisioned BOCES?” BOCES stands for Board of Cooperative Educational Services, and it describes a collaboration of multiple school districts. Education ReEnvisioned BOCES is a specific BOCES headquartered in Monument. Its web site states:
The BOCES serves Colorado families through schools we authorize and oversee, including brick and mortar schools, online schools, and homeschool enrichment programs.
Our schools offer a variety of services for our students. One of our schools specializes in closing the gap for students with reading challenges, including dyslexia. We also serve students in blended and online learning schools and programs through unprecedented collaboration, accountability and support. The BOCES also offers a portfolio of homeschooling enrichment programs.
There is, again, no word about the strong religious overtones of some of the organizations it sponsors.
There is, again, no word about the strong religious overtones of some of the organizations it sponsors.
By the way, the Colorado Department of Education reports that, for fiscal year 2023–24, Education reEnvisioned BOCES received nearly $58 million in state funding.
Some programs draw a brighter line than others. Mt. Zion Christian School says on its web site that it is “Christ-centered” and that it teaches students “the importance of . . . a meaningful relationship with Jesus.” The school trains children “to be ready to follow Christ in any field and in every season.” But apparently Christ is nowhere to be found on the campus on Fridays between the hours of 8:30 am and 3:45 pm during “enrichment classes.” Call it “Jesus-Free Fridays,” I guess.
A representative from the school told me that tax-funded Colorado Homeschool Enrichment Friday classes “are state-funded homeschool enrichment classes” and that the program “follows strict state guidelines to ensure that no religious content is included in its programming.”
CHE likewise sent me its agreement with participating programs, which states: “Although we are primarily a religious organization, we also provide classes outside of that purview for educational purposes. These courses are designed in-line with the Colorado state standards. We don’t engage in discipleship or proselytizing during the courses offered for this purpose.”
CHE also funds “adventure classes,” the listed contact for which is from Venture Off. On its web site, Venture Off says it partners “with the Holy Spirit to ignite a passion for Jesus, be transformed by him and make disciples.” The organization further states, “We believe that we were created for God. Therefore, it is our deepest desire to glorify Him and please Him in everything we do as individuals and as an organization. We are passionate followers of Jesus who are dedicated to helping others become passionate followers of Jesus.”
But, again, the term “everything” here apparently is flexible when it comes to accepting tax dollars. A representative of the organization told me that “classes provided for Colorado Homeschool Enrichment (CHE) students are strictly non-religious.” Further: “CHE has a clear non-proselytizing agreement with openly religious vendors, and we honor that in full. Our CHE-funded classes focus only on technical skills and leadership, without religious instruction.”
Renaissance Innovation Academy describes one of the programs it funds, Sojournings Academy, without mentioning the strong sectarian religious stance of that organization. Sojournings itself is not as reticent; on its web site it says it “exists to see a generation rooted in their God-given identity, passionately following Jesus on an adventure of discovery and miracles, both in and out of school.” Further: “Sojournings Academy seeks to give our students an organic apprenticeship with Jesus. . . . We desire to not only equip kids academically, but to also instill in them an awe of God. It is our hope to shine His light in all of our daily encounters.” As before, the term “all” seems flexible when tax funds are involved.
A representative from RIA told me:
RIA operates state funded enrichment programs at a few locations in Colorado. These programs do not include any religious content or studies. The Sojourning’s site provides an opportunity for a very small group of students in the Golden/Boulder area to participate in art, steam, and creative activities and projects with contracted instructors in those topics. We are aware that Sojourning operates a private school at other times during the week.
The Interplay between Education, Religion, and Tax Dollars
As discussed, I believe parents, including religious parents, should choose, and educators should provide, a secular education — one focused on teaching students about people in the natural world, not one seeking to indoctrinate children into sectarian religious views.
I also believe parents have a right, within broad guardrails, to educate their children as they see fit. If parents want to subject their children to a religion-infused education, I think that’s a bad idea, but I think parents have that right.
So far, most people will agree. Hardly anyone thinks that private education, including religious education, should be banned.
The big disagreements arise over the use of tax dollars. The standard progressive line is that no tax dollars should go to private organizations for education. But Colorado, in fact, does offer tax dollars to private organizations for education when it comes to preschools, enrichment programs for homeschoolers, and charter schools. And some of the private organizations offering preschool and enrichment programs are expressly religious in orientation, although they’re not supposed to use tax dollars for religious instruction.
The federal courts have made clear that they will not allow governments that offer funds to private organizations to exclude specifically religious organizations. Colorado does restrict how the funds may be used.
I personally don’t have a big problem with religious organizations taking tax dollars for non-religious programs, so long as they actually follow the rules. I do think parents should keep their eyes open.
However, I think government would do better simply to give that money directly to the families in question. And, given my libertarian leanings, ultimately I’m skeptical of government spending in general, whether on private or public enterprises.
Here I merely want to acknowledge that progressives generally want education tax dollars to go only to public schools for a secular purpose, not to private organizations. But, in Colorado, that ship seems to have sailed. I also think it’s unfair for parents who do not wish to use the regular public schools to receive no benefit from their education-directed tax dollars, but again I realize many progressives disagree.
I also want to point out that the religious organizations that accept tax dollars seem to thereby compromise their explicitly stated missions. If a person seriously believes that education should be infused with sectarian religion, then saying “except during the tax-funded hours” must be aggravating. This points us to the concerns of various religious educators, including people involved with CHEC, who argue that by accepting tax funding a religious group necessarily compromises its ideals.
I close by summarizing my main case. If we want children to learn about the world and how to live successfully in it, to learn alongside other students of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints, and to acquire a shared body of factual knowledge on the basis of which we can fruitfully participate in our society, then we should promote secular education and demand it for our own children.
