Homeschool Day at the Capital
In honor of tomorrow, "homeschool day at the capital." I submit the following quote.
"The first and basic premise of paganism, socialism, and Molech worship is a claim that the state owns the child. The basic premise of the public schools is this claim of ownership, a fact some parents are encountering in the courts. It is the essence of paganism to claim first the lives of the children, then the properties of the people...How can we expect God to honor us, or bless us, when we give our children to the state schools and surrender their minds daily to the teachings of humanism? It is sin and madness to believe so, and those who try to justify their sin only increase it. The true believer will, like Hannah, see children as a gift from the Lord, to be given to the Lord as long as they live."
"The Roots of Reconstruction," Rousas J Rushdoony Page 10
posted by John | 4/07/2005 11:10:00 PM
3 Comments:
Great quote John.
While I fully agree with your statements regarding the government owning the children as paganism, I would ask you however at what time do you feel children ought to be introduced to the secular world where they will have the chance to wrestle with what's being put in front of them and what God's word says? I agree that the public school's are battlefields now day not just physically but mentally. But Christian parents need to instruct their children in the way of the Lord while letting them know much of the world challenges what we as Christians believe. So where is the balance? Do we keep our kids out of public school completely? Or perhaps do we equip them for battle in their early formidable years and let them experience their Christian faith in the real world when they reach middle school age? I understand your heart, but we want our kids to be equipped with God's word and then to go into the world and not be of the world. Ambasador's do no good when they never leave home. Just a thought. Write more, I enjoy your thoughts!
Jacob,
I'm all for fighting with the world... I have a degree in Philosophy and History from a secular university and I'm active in politics. My kids (5 boys & 1 girl) are pretty tough and two of the older three could easily stand up for themselves if they thought something was wrong...
I don't think that they are sheltered, they love to hang out with our neighbor who is now a christian, but used to have a drug problem. He smokes a lot, even while they are around, but I think he is overall a great influence because he is really down to earth. They also hang out with my father-in-law who is really into athiesm and science. I am not always the picture of piety myself.
That said, I don't think it is a good idea for us to allow our kids to be trained by the state for a number of reasons:
The sheer amount of time that a child in public school spends away from thier parents and with teachers and other kids disposes them to be influenced by the world rather than by their parents.
Schools teach children to blindly follow directions, to wait in line and are run at the pace of the slowest child in the class.
Children should learn to interact with people of different ages.
There are many subtile influences which are present in school that I don't want my kids exposed to. The latest expensive fasions, Television Programs, the influence of other kids in sex, drugs and additudes to authority.
Where is the balance? That's a tough question.
Oddly, my wife and I have decided not to let our oldest son continue to go to Sunday School because we aren't impressed with the program or its leaders. He will either study for the Bible Bowl program he is in, go to one of the Adult Sunday Schools with us or help out in one of our younger children's classes.
I will give you two principles which may help answer your balance question...
First, Haggai 2:11-14"Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Now ask the priests concerning the law, saying, "If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become Holy?" Then the priests answered and said, "No." And Haggai said, "If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these things will it be unclean?" So the priests answered and said, "It shall be unclean." Then Haggai answered and said, "So is this people, and so is this nation before Me," says the Lord, "and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean."
Second, I wrote a sermon on Numbers 25 which talkes about Phinehas and the sin of the Israelites with the Baal of Peor... That Chapter is the turning point in Israel's history from the old faithless generation to the new generation. Phinehas is jealous for the Lord and slays his wicked countryman. Because of his example, the new generation follows God whole heartedly.
The point being... Corruption is spread by contact, but Faithfulness is spread by example. Using these two principles as a guide, we must evaluate any given situation and make our decisions accordingly. I would argue that we have a primary responsibility to our children first and to others later... IE, "You will be my witnesses in JERUSALEM and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth." Build up your house first and then, once you are ready, reach the world...
John
PS... Do you have kids yet?
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