Serving God and Family: Why Christian Parents NEED to Educate Their Own Children

In the coming weeks I will be writing a series of blogs on "Why Christian Parents NEED to Educate Their Own Children". This is only the first of many!

Homeschool versus government public schools is a hot topic these days within the Christian community. In my humble opinion there is no need to "debate" this issue as I (and many other evangelicals) believe that the issue of "education" is plainly discussed within scripture in the context of the "training of the mind". The Bible does not specifically speak of government run public schools because it knows of no such thing. To try and make an argument using the exact verbiage of "public school" would be an argument from silence, and I do not venture into these muddy waters of semantics. I will however stick with what scripture DOES say.

"Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 20 And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth."

Deuteronomy 11:18-21

"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it."

Proverbs 22:6

"A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher." Luke 6:40

Recently we purchased Dr. Bruce Shortt's book "The Harsh Truth About Public Schools", and after reading just a few chapters we are even more convinced that it is counter-productive for Christian parents to send their children into the government run public school system. We were already convinced of this when we married in 2004. We already knew then that we would homeschool our children but didn't have all the statistics and facts on the implications of a government public school education. My husband and I both are products of the government public school system and we suffered through many trials because of it. These trials most definitely could have been eliminated had our parents realized the condition of the public school system and the effect they would ultimately have on our Christian faith. The "facts" are frightening and should cause every Christian parent to shutter at even the notion of allowing the government to educate their children. However, "90% of Christian Evangelicals make the same educational decisions as the secular world. This is pretty crazy when we Christians can't even agree on which version of the Bible to use, or which denomination to associate with." (Dr. Voddie Baucham discusses this further in his presentation "Children of Caesar") When it comes to the responsibility of our children's education, Christian parents in America have given in to the lie that government public school is the best option or even an acceptable option. Many Evangelical leaders and lay persons would greatly disagree as would scripture.

The responsibility of the discipling of children is placed on parents. This doesn't mean that we have the right to pass this authority to someone else. The common objection to this is that "our public schools are different". I strongly urge those who believe this lie to read Dr. Bruce Shortt's book and many other resources that contain information that suggests otherwise. There are so many facets to how the public school system is run that many Christian parents haven't got a clue that their schools aren't so different after all.

Here are a few quotes found on Dr. Voddie Baucham's Website. Please read his blog entitled, "SBC Education Resolution 2007"

"Non-Christian education puts the child in a vacuum…. The result is that child dies. Christian education alone really nurtures personality because it alone gives the child air and food…. Modern educational philosophy gruesomely insults our God and our Christ. How, then, do you expect to build anything positively Christian or theistic upon a foundation which is the negation of Christianity and theism?…. No teaching of any sort is possible except in Christian schools."

-Cornelius Van Till

"This whole process of education is to be religious, and not only religious, but Christian…. And as Christianity is the only true religion, and God in Christ the only true God, the only possible means of profitable education is the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

-Charles Hodge

"I am as sure as I am of Christ's reign that a comprehensive and centralized system of national education, separated from religion, as is now commonly proposed, will prove the most appalling enginery for the propagation of anti-Christian and atheistic unbelief, and of anti-social nihilistic ethics, individual, social and political, which this sin-rent world has ever seen."

-A.A. Hodge

Gary Demar of "American Vision" answers a few common issues with the reluctance of Christian parents pulling their children out of public school in his article "Balaam's Donkey Speaks Again".

""My child is a witness for Christ in the public schools."

He or she may be. But I wonder how much witnessing actually takes place in public schools. Most of the time children are sitting at their desks listening to a teacher lecturing on a secularized curriculum. From the time I entered public school in the sixth grade, no one ever presented the gospel to me. It's the friendships that are developed after school that lead to witnessing opportunities. Witnessing can take place anywhere. Jesus met people at work and in their homes. He even went into the temple. If you want to follow Jesus' example then go witness to Jews in their local temples. Jesus never witnessed in a school.

"Our school is different."

I heard this one from the head of a prominent Christian ministry. I told him that it's a common response. In fact, as much as I hear it, it seems that no one's school is bad. It's always some other community's school system that's in need of reform. My guess is that most parents have no idea what's going on in their child's school. If they don't hear any bad news, they assume that all is well. Keep in mind that public school children are not comparing their education with the public school education that was prominent forty years ago. And it wasn't that great back then. The education students are receiving right now is normal for them. It's the only standard they know, and it's not a very good one. Anyway, a school that does not teach from a Christian perspective is at best third-rate.

"I want my child to be exposed to the 'real' world."

Who defines what constitutes the "real world"? The real world is where Christ dwells and where His Word is taught. Christianity is not unreal. If it is, then why not worship with pagans since their domain is the "real world." Remember, Adam and Eve "fell" from what was normal, that is, from a world where they were in intimate fellowship with their Creator. A world without Christ is an insane and irrational world. The Christian school is a place of re-creation, a redemptive attempt to get back to the original design. Schools that Christians establish should act as magnets for unbelievers to be brought back to the garden. Christians should be setting the agenda for what's real, honest, and good so as to be a light for those who are in darkness."

I am praying that Christian parents will put the condition of their children's soul as the ultimate goal in determining their child's education, not merely following in step with what has become a rite of passage or an American tradition. I am praying that Christian parents will diligently do their research before going along with the crowd (which we teach our children NOT to so) and placing their precious ones in an environment that is hostile to the Christian worldview.

Here is a list of resources that may be helpful to those who are concerned about how to educate their children in a manner that will honor the Lord and more closely reflect Biblical teachings:

www.hslda.org

www.consideringhomeschooling.org

www.nheri.org

www.sbchea.org

www.gocin.com

www.classicalhomeschooling.org

www.homeschoolheadquarters.com

www.homeschoolcentral.com

www.youcanhomeschool.com

www.homeschoolingtoday.com

www.face.net

www.visionforum.com