Comments on: A Laundry Room Life?

By: Vicki Tillman

Vicki Tillman — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:39:26 +0000

Hey, I enjoy getting lost in the metaphor- my telos in the world of laundry is: someone else do it for me.

By: Lisa Schea

Lisa Schea — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:13:21 +0000

ok, I’m stumped. All this time I’ve fretted because our family could never seem to get clothes sorted into baskets, and now you’re telling me the one big pile is a GOOD thing?
I guess that analogy would work if the telos on top was the shirt I wanted to wear today, but around here it is usually a shirt from last season that has a hole or stain. And thus Aristotle’s dilemma – if my ultimate goal is happiness, or what I think will make me happy, I’m going to spend most of my life unhappy. Now if my highest telos is glorifying God, then my happiness isn’t such a big deal, becaus he is glorified even in our suffering. Oy – now I’m back to that whole James thing of counting it all joy, which I believe is of much greater value than happiness anyway.
I think that homeschoolig DOES help each member of our family to live a life more focused on enduring truths, because we don’t spend as much time trying to fit into social or cultural “normal behavior”. In that way, we don’t need to be so compartmentalized just to get through the day.
Micah- I really enjoy your posts here – please keep it up!

By: Gene Chase

Gene Chase — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:37:26 +0000

I agree with Mom in two ways.

First, I think that for Christians there is a single telos at the top, as the Westminster Shorter Catechism says: “Man[kinds]’s chief end is to glorify God and to fully enjoy Him forever.” Lest it leave any doubt about the hierarchy involved in this telos, the Longer Catechism says “chief and highest end.”

Second, I agree that happiness should be a byproduct not a telos. Micah, help us out here: Does Aristotle say that happiness is at the top or that it ought to be at the top? “It is in giving that we receive; it is in blessing that we are blessed,” said one of my favorite authors, Anonymous.

By: Mrs T

Mrs T — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:49:21 +0000

The telos of Mt Sophia is students becoming culture changers.

The telos of being a culture changer is pleasing God.

The telos of pleasing God is a telos, however, we get the benefit of feeling fulfilled- which is a happy thing.