Why Do I Homeschool?

Danielle Bean encouraged us to answer The Philosopher Mom's question about why we homeschool. (With a link from Danielle Bean, this lady is going to have a lot of visits!).

Here is the comment that I left in response:
The reasons we decided to homeschool 22 years ago might not be the very same (or only) reasons I would make that choice today. We made the decision because it was our understanding at the time that religion, as taught in the local Catholic schools, was "watered-down", at best. I also felt that both my own experience with public school and my childhood best friend's experience with Catholic school were bad experiences, socially.

Why have I continued to homeschool? (And yes, I have four years to go).
1) We can incorporate religious education into the curriculum anywhere we wish (for example, history, literature, or just as we go through the day). We can adapt religious instruction to the student's ways of learning, and to what we learn as we go through life.
2) We have a strong, closely-united family that sticks together and helps one another through life's trials. (I'm not saying others don't. I think the many hours spent together at home have helped us with this, but that doesn't mean there aren't families whose children go to school who are close also. I can only speak from my own experience and what's worked for us.)
3) I think that the independence of the work, and the flexibility of the structure, have fostered our children's creativity and the development of their own interests and their confidence in being who they are, without regard to what others think of the way they dress or how smart they are or whether or not they are "different".
4) Homeschooling has given us stability while working through relocations, the sudden and severe vision loss of one of our children (and then two), deaths in the extended family, and major changes in financial circumstances.

In summary: religion, family closeness, flexibility, stability.

Thanks for asking! :)