Should government education continue? Is government education beneficial? Is government education allowed according to powers granted to government in Constitution?
Education is good. Everyone agrees on that. Quote from Washington:
"Promote then as an object of primary importance, Institutions
for the general diffusion of knowledge. In proportion as the
structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is
essential that public opinion should be enlightened. "
-- George Washington (Farewell Address, 19 September 1796)
I know some people think these organizations are crazy but I agree with stance taken by ExodusMandate.org on education. They say Christians have mandate to leave government schools. They refute argument that children need to be an example to the world. That is more the job of the adults.
Be a light? Salt of the earth? Yes, but only in cases where the children are not in danger. The Christians sending their children to government school are assuming the education they receive is religiously neutral. Something along the lines of the Freedom of Religion or "Let all worship according to the dictates of their own conscience". Government school is not religiously neutral. It is godless, humanistic, pagan by design. Most children not yet ready for that environment and that challenge. Would the same parents send their children to Jehovah’s Witness or Unitarian Sunday school for their religious teaching? That would be spiritually forbidden and morally irresponsible.
3 years ago
How are public schools different today than they were when we grew up? Even if the school itself tries to be "religiously neutral" or "godless" they can't stop the students in the school from believing. Won't the environment at home have a greater impact on the kids than a neutral/godless school?
ReplyDeleteThe only alternatives are either private or home schooling. Private schools can be cost prohibitive for many families or depending on the community, the majority of the private schools can be of a different faith, which can be uncomfortable for some people. I don't know that I would send my kids to a Catholic or Baptist (or whatever) private school. I don't like home schooling either. So what is a parent like me to do?
Morris
Ok, what I tried to post didn't pop up so I will try this again.
ReplyDeleteI read the Salt and Light article from the website you linked and wanted to share my initial thoughts on the article.
The article contains this quote:
"Add the fact that the great majority of public school educators are non-Christians who bring their anti-Christian bias to the classroom and what you have is an environment that is not only anti-Christian, academically counterproductive and morally bankrupt, but sometimes even physically unsafe for a child of God."
I do not think this is accurate. I do not know exactly who he considers "public school educators" but at the local level the administrators and teachers at a school reflect to commumity they are in. If the community has a sizable Christian population, as almost every community in America has, the administrators and teachers will come from that Christian population. Given such an environment I find it hard to believe the calamities described in the quote will come to pass. Off the top of my head I can think of at least five teachers and/or administrators at my high school who were Christian. I suspect there were many more that I was unaware of.
I understand that local public schools are subject to district, state and federal guidelines, but I don't think that changes too much. How much have things changed since we were K-12?
The article also states this:
"Being a missionary is not kids play -- it's adult work and certainly not for children who are not yet prepared or trained apologetically to defend their faith and beliefs." (When he says kids he is speaking of K-12.)
I disagree with that statement. I think kids can and often are great missionaries in public schools.
Missionary work is also accomplished through example, not only apologetically defending one's faith and beliefs.
My high school chemistry teacher joined the church while I was in high school. One of the things that led him to the church was that he really admired the LDS kids he taught/coached and saw around campus. I suspect he and his family are very glad that those kids were not home schooled or in a religious private school.
Also, off the top of my head I can think of six people I went to high school with that joined the church either during or after high school. At least two served a misison and at least three married in the temple. In five of the six cases, it was friends from high school that introduced them to the church. In the sixth case, it was a couple of years after high school but I suspect he still had a favorable opinion of the church based upon the LDS kids he knew in high school. I suspect that those five people are glad that those LDS kids were in school with them and not home schooled or in private religious schools.
What was your experience in public school? I am assuming you attended public school. You certaintly didn't suffer the calamaties mentioned in the article. Can't your kids do the same?
Morris