I originally started writing this as part of my Am I Using the Best Homeschool Curriculum post. I quickly realized that I had a lot to say on this topic and it deserved its own post. If you have been in the homeschool world for all of a minute, you have probably heard of The Good and the Beautiful. In Christian homeschool circles, any mention of The Good and the Beautiful usually comes with a warning. Here is what I originally wrote for my other post (go read it for context).

“I heard the writer is a Mormon and I’m pretty sure she eats babies. I have never seen any religious content or baby eating in the curriculum, but if you use it your children might not go to Heaven.”

While the above is meant to be a complete exaggeration, it does illustrate how ridiculous I feel the controversy is over this curriculum. I will dive into what started the controversy a little bit later in this post, but for now I want to talk about whether or not it is okay for Christians to use The Good and the Beautiful or any other non-Christian curriculum.

Before I dive in, I do want to say that I am a full-fledged, born again, Bible reading, church going, evangelical Christian. While the LDS (Mormon) church also uses the Christian label, our beliefs differ greatly, I’m talking big, fundamental differences. Okay, now with that disclaimer out of the way, here we go.

It’s Okay for Christians to Eat Secular Groceries

Alright, this heading is a little strange and seems off topic, but stay with me for a minute. I like to shop at Costco. It is probably my favorite store. I love that I can buy my entire wardrobe, shoes for my kids, and groceries all while snacking on delicious food samples. And I can buy toilet paper in bulk. This proved very valuable last spring. The items I buy in the store have a large impact on my family. These items nourish and clothe the bodies of my children. I would say Costco plays an important role in our lives. Do you know what religious beliefs the Costco CEO holds? Neither do I. Not a clue. I have no idea where the manufacturers of the bulk toilet paper go to church. Should I stop shopping at Costco because of this? No, it would be ridiculous to base my grocery buying solely on the beleifs of another person.

In this same way, I don’t think it’s necessary for Christians to avoid curriculum from authors and publishers who have differing beliefs. While I would never hand over a resource to my kids that teaches something in direct conflict with our faith, I don’t think the differing beliefs of a publisher should make a curriculum off limits. This is a matter of personal conviction and it’s not something some influencer or blogger or competing publisher (more on that later) should decide for you.

Curriculum is a Tool

Have you ever used Mormon scissors? How about a Catholic hammer? I once felt convicted and threw away my Jehovah’s Witness screw driver. Does this sound ridiculous to you? Of course it does. A tool is just a tool. If you are letting a tool be the spiritual leader or influencer in your child’s life, then there is a whole lot of reevaluating that needs to happen.

Curriculum is not Responsible for Spiritual Upbringing

There is a certain publisher that had a spiritual growth guarantee attached to their curriculum. This made me cringe every time I read it. It was basically, if your child doesn’t grow spiritually after using our curriculum, we’ll refund your money. If you don’t find that statement cringe worthy, read it a few times until it sinks in.

Is it the rightful place of any homeschool curriculum to guide your child’s spiritual growth? No. As parents, it is our job to guide them so they can develop their own spiritual lives. A curriculum that claims to do that for you is just using a marketing gimmick to sell more books. If you have nothing but a Bible to teach your kids about God, that is enough. You don’t need a spiritually strong curriculum to do this for you. I have seen theological issues even in what people consider to be very godly curriculum. God’s Word is completely trustworthy. Curriculum is not.

Consider the Source

At the beginning of this post, I said I would get into what started this controversy. Basically, a popular homeschool blogger that used and endorsed The Good and The Beautiful Curriculum stopped using it and made a video announcing why. The reasons seemed to be dripping with self-righteousness, but whatever. I am not easily influenced by Christians who tell me how I should behave or act in order to be a good Christian. I actually didn’t take issue with her giving her opinion. The internet is full of opinions. Shortly after this, the blogger came out with her own, competing curriculum. A lot of people found the timing suspicious.

Opinions are great. This post is admittedly very opinionated. It’s always important to consider the source of the opinion and if they have something to gain, especially when it’s financial gain. Never take a person’s opinion as gospel. The internet is great for ideas, but don’t give influencers, publishers or bloggers (including me) a bigger place in your life than what is deserved.

Why Did I Write this Post?

I have no relationship with The Good and The Beautiful. I don’t even use the curriculum, but have come close to choosing it several times. The free Language Arts has been downloaded to my computer for a couple years but I ended up using other things. The only reason I decided to write this post is because I don’t think Christian homeschool moms should feel guilty for using what works for their kids. You don’t need a spiritually superior or the most godly curriculum to influence your kids. That’s what you are for. If a curriculum works for your kids and you love it, that’s awesome and that’s enough reason to like it. It is okay to use a curriculum solely for the academic benefit. That is its purpose.