Today while driving, I heard a Christian talk show host and his guest, a local pastor, discuss the “negatives” of homeschooling. Both noted that at one point they had homeschooled their children. In so many words, they indicated that failing to place children in the public schools demonstrated an isolationist mentality that was antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The pastor made the outrageous statement, “My Master would have put His kids in public school.” He supported this statement by indicating that Jesus was against the Pharisees and their false piety. His solution was for families to learn how to deal in the “real world” by going to church, Sunday school, Wednesday evening service, and many other “church” events that would arm parents so they could prepare their children for the missionary work of spreading the gospel in the public schools.
It cannot be stated too often or too strongly that the “real world” is the world where Jesus Christ is Lord over every area of life and thought. Any other world is the world of myth, falsehoods, and deception. What naiveté to assume that Christian children can learn any academic subject honestly and correctly if the Word of God is not the foundation and starting point, let alone act as missionaries. What arrogance to claim that Jesus would want children in the hands of God-haters in their formative years.
With friends like this, who needs enemies!
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The first half of your post was very disheartening; that a pastor would be giving advice like that. But the second half put it all back into perspective again. Sometimes I wonder that because I choose to 'shelter' my kids (by the world's standard) is that the best for them? And you just solidified that yes, the 'real world' is right here at home! Thanks, Andrea!
ReplyDeleteI think this is a classic example of Christians applying their thinking to the Bible, rather than applying the Bible to their thinking. I have yet to find anywhere in scripture that says we are to send our children out to be teachers. In fact, to the contrary, Duet.6:7 tells us to teach them diligently the commands of God. How can we do this if they are spending most of their waking hours in the hands of God haters. I also wonder how those who argue that our children should be "light and salt" in the government school deal with Matt. 18:6 where we are told that it would be better to have a millstone hung around our necks and be drowned than to cause one of these little ones to sin/stumble. Even unbelievers who homeschool often do so becuase they see the dangers of sin and stumbling presented to their children in the government school setting.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, if you look closely at the life of Christ, even he did not start his public ministry until he was in his thirties. And I don't think the diciples were children. Of course, there was that one incident when he was a boy but if I remember correctly he was sitting in the temple, not with the prostitutes and tax collectors.
I would also like to know how these same people deal with Matthew 19:14 when Jesus says, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them...." In light of this verse I just don't see how someone can justify sending there children into the government school where "coming" to Jesus is clearly forbidden.
As for sheltering/isolationism, Steven and Teri Maxwell have a great section in their book "Keeping Our Children's Hearts" on this very topic. They discuss how to teach your children to be in "in the world" but not "of the world." John 17:11,14.
Yes, it is possible for PARENTS to shelter their children while at the same time teaching them to Bibleically minister to the lost world around them. What a wonderful concept!!!