Day 52 Counter-convictions

Image from "Pierre", by Maurice Sendak

“…many a revolt has been brought about by the undue rubbing in of the Bible, in season and out of season, even in nursery days.”

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“Probably very little hortatory teaching is desirable. The danger of boring young listeners by such teaching is great, and there is also the further danger of provoking counter-opinions, even counter-convictions, in the innocent –looking audience. On the whole we shall perhaps do well to allow the Scripture reading itself to point the moral.”

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“Of all ways of arriving at the truth, perhaps discussion is the most futile, because the disputants are bent upon fortifying their doubts and by no means upon solving them. The will unconsciously takes a combative attitude, adopts the doubt as a possession, a cause to be fought for; and reason is, as we know, ready with arguments in support of any position that the will has taken up. But, give the young skeptic a good book bearing on the questions he has raised, let him digest it at his leisure, without comment or discussion and according to his degree of candor and intelligence, he will lay himself open to conviction.” 
 
 
Examen:  What will it take for me to let my student come to something, rather than urging and exhorting a position or outcome? Why is this particularly a concern in moral or spiritual matters?


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...many a revolt:  Charlotte M. Mason,  Home Education, 1:251.
Probably very little: Charlotte M. Mason, Towards a Philosophy of Education, 6:166.
Of all the ways: Charlotte M. Mason, Formation of Character, 5:343.

​Day 52 Counter-convictions meditation/100 Days copyright Laurie Bestvater 2025

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