Scholé News – March 2026

Dear friends of Scholé

At the end of the January news I actually wanted to say something about the Fourth Commandment, but then a few more important aspects occurred to me, so I postponed the topic until today.

The first three commandments of the Jewish and Christian law, which concern our relationship with God, are followed by the Fourth Commandment as a bridge to the six commandments that concern our relationship with other people: on closer inspection, the Fourth Commandment sets out the corresponding image of humanity. “Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long and that it may go well with thee on earth” – I understand this as a justification of patriarchy. It establishes a cult of God the Father, a divine right that heads of families, associations and states can invoke, as of course can the “Holy Father” in the Church. The last decades have, I think, sufficiently proven that not much changes when a woman is put on the throne instead of a man. I would therefore suggest reversing this commandment: THOU SHALT HONOUR THY SONS AND DAUGHTERS AND ALL CHILDREN, SO THAT LOVE AND PEACE SHAPE PEOPLE’S LIVES FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. I am convinced that this wording corresponds much more closely to the spirit of the Gospel and might even cause Christians to identify with the Son of God and try to follow him, instead of banishing him to a throne or an altar.

But feelings towards God the Father could also change for the better if he were no longer seen as a strict patriarch demanding obedience, but as a generous creator who is present as the spirit of holiness in each of his creatures and respects and loves each one in its uniqueness.

In animal communities – be they wolves, lions, ants or birds – the protection of the young has absolute priority. Only humans come up with the perverse idea of tearing their young from sleep for no reason out of obedience to an authority, or even letting them be sacrificed in wars. Only humans force their offspring to turn against their parents in order to claim their right to self-determination when they grow up. In the pack or the herd, the young find their place from the very beginning and gradually grow into their tasks in the community. My friends, the free learners, have proven many times over that human children are by nature no more stupid or helpless than animal children – indeed, that on their individual paths through life, without prescriptions and compulsion, they make even easier and better progress than pupils.

People who have grown up in security and love will, I am firmly convinced, also find it much easier to keep commandments 5 to 10, for as you call into the forest, so it echoes back: whoever is respected and honoured for their own sake will be much less troubled by ambition, vindictiveness, envy and jealousy, the roots of all sins and crimes. And when everyone feels equally well, that is surely the best precondition for seeing one another as brothers and sisters and joyfully sharing what they have.

The changed image of humanity would, however, have its most profound influence on the first three commandments of the Decalogue, the two tablets of the law that the Lord handed to Moses on Mount Sinai. This stern “Lord God”, who in fact fits the Old Testament better, would be transformed into an intangible divine power that animates every newborn life – indeed, that IS life itself! To invoke this source of all life as the supreme commander of one people in war against other peoples would mean dishonouring Her/His name; moreover, there would no longer be any need for a Sabbath or Sunday to honour the divine. Rather, it should be recognised and celebrated every single day in every human, animal or plant life.

Let us do what we can to still experience the kingdom of heaven on earth, by becoming like children, by recognising that the divine and the child in ourselves and in others are identical! That life is sacred – every life! Let us leave behind the altars and hierarchies that have brought humanity so much strife and suffering. Let us look one another in the eye and recognise the innocent divine child in our neighbour. That is true work for peace!

[…] Let us do what we can to still experience the kingdom of heaven on earth, by becoming like children, by recognising that the divine and the child in ourselves and in others are identical! That life is sacred – every life! […]

Alexandra Terzic-Auer

Free thinker

More Scholé news

2nd edition of “Lernen ist wie Atmen” (Learning is like breathing)

The 2nd edition of our book meets a completely changed readership.

In 2017, the idea that learning outside school was possible at all was considered the eccentric notion of a few outsiders. Since then, all parents, whether they wanted to or not, have had to deal with forms of learning outside school.

The number of children withdrawn from school has exploded since then, and alternative learning projects are springing up like mushrooms.

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