An Army in the Making

This past weekend I spent a day and a half representing the Chalcedon Foundation at our local homeschool convention. This year the overall attendance was less than last year, which was down from the year before. Many long-term attendees were saddened by this fact. Some attributed the smaller numbers to the economy. Others felt it had to do with many homeschoolers casting their lots with public school independent study programs that lured them with cash-in-hand for music, swimming, or horseback riding lessons. Still others felt that prospective homeschoolers were concerned that the political climate would soon turn nasty toward those who homeschool.

Although the numbers may have been less, the dedication and resolve of those I spoke with are as strong as ever. It was encouraging to see how many fathers were actively participating in curriculum decisions. (Years ago, moms carried most of the weight.) I had wonderful conversations about biblical law, the need for a Christian curriculum, and the new Chalcedon Teacher Training Institute for homeschool moms.

Many other exhibitors came to our booth thanking us for our presence, as we were one of the few booths that provided material that would equip parents to be better teachers. One of the featured speakers and Chalcedon’s good friend, Israel Wayne, expressed gratitude for our presence as he gladly picked up a copy of the newly released Sermon on the Mount. He also brought attendees from one of his sessions to our table to purchase Mathematics: Is God Silent? saying “This is the book I was telling you about. It will explode your mind – in a good way!”

For many , this was their first introduction to Rushdoony’s materials. Many homeschool dads commented, “This man wrote on just about every subject, didn’t he?” One woman who had purchased The Messianic Character of American Education last year told me, “You were so right about that book. What an eye-opener.”

So the number of attendees may have been down, but a small army is awakening – awakening to the fact that homeschooling is not an end unto itself, but an activity that is integral to seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. How do I know this to be the case? This past weekend, I saw more pregnant women walk through the exhibit hall than I see in a month in the general public. Moreover, there were more strollers being pushed around with books and curriculum brimming out the sides, which included the recently released Chalcedon Position Papers:

Education, Liberty, and the Bible,

Economic Crises and the Bible

Judgment, Politics, and the Bible

Taxation, Liberty, and the Bible

National Defense and the Bible

Chalcedon is positioned to be an integral part of the growth and instruction of this future army, not to mention the present one made up of its parents.

To God Be the Glory!

Another Good Reason to Avoid the Public Schools

Informed Choices

Tough economic times cause people to make choices. Families that take regular vacations or frequent restaurants look for respite in other activities. There are varieties of righteous options that do not compromise the moral and ethical standards of Christianity.

Sometimes, the choices that are presented by a culture at war with God are not really choices at all. An example would be the options given young women in dealing with unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Rather than encourage the most basic and foolproof method -- abstinence until marriage – society offers “solutions” to these “problems” which include over the counter medications, various devices and vaccinations, and surgical murder. Like I said, not a good choice in the lot.

Cultural assaults begin even earlier when the fashion industry becomes an accomplice in the moral degradation of young girls and women. It is no accident that it is nearly impossible to find clothing that does not entice or provoke sexual response. Either the neckline is so plunged as to make imagination impossible, or the bottom of the top is significantly separated from the skirt or slacks to draw attention to this portion of a woman’s anatomy. The clothing selections in major department stores are deliberately abysmal so that one’s standards must be compromised if one is going to purchase anything. Is it any wonder that as a society we are seeing an ever-increasing number of families and individuals torn apart by pornography, promiscuity, and all sorts of perversion? What would have been categorized as degradation and humiliation in decades past, has now become fashionable.

This is another arena where Christians can reclaim and reconstruct the culture. In the entrepreneurial spirit outlined in Proverbs 31, worthy women can provide godly choices for their sisters in the faith. There are many possibilities, whether creating patterns that are easy to follow while being attractive and economical, or setting up shop and making custom clothing. IF Christians are willing to be both the proprietors and the customers, new cottage industries could spring up. Sewing and tailoring would become more than hobbies or family necessities, they could become a means by which we provide godly alternatives in the midst of a sea of poison.

I know women are out there with an eye for fashion. I also know that there are those who have talent in marketing and advertising. Further, there are those with capital looking for businesses to invest in that seek to honor God and keep His commandments. In these uncertain times, domestic skills like sewing and design should be included in any serious curriculum.

I Once Was Lost….But Now Am Found

A number of years ago I acquired a portable Global Positioning System (GPS) to lessen the amount of time I spend getting lost. Prior to this, I would call for directions or print off point-to-point directions from internet-based maps. If I were traveling to a museum from my home, I would print out the directions with my home as a starting point. However, if I left for a museum from a relative’s home, I would have to print out the directions from that starting point. This meant I had a binder full of directions for all the possible stops I might make.

Now with my faithful GPS system that makes use of satellites, I key in my location and get step-by-step instructions to my destination. The GPS takes my destination location and calculates directions, driving time, and provides a map showing me my progress along the way. If I should happen to make a mistake – for example missing an exit – the program immediately alerts me and begins to “recalculate” the correct route from where I happen to be. With this device, I am assured of getting to my destination with less stress, confusion, and lost time. It is a great feeling when the GPS program announces I have arrived at my desired location.

The Word of God is much more than a GPS system, although there are similarities that bear mentioning. The satellites that make a GPS system work are positioned above the earth to be able to cover the entire globe. God, being the Creator of space and time, exists outside of them, and thus has the omniscient view that allows Him (and His law-word) to be our only reliable set of instructions as to how to glorify and enjoy Him. In addition, God’s Word has a “recalculating” function, alerting us when we have strayed from the narrow path that leads to life, and providing instructions for the way to return to it. Moreover, we are assured of arriving at our ultimate destination (heaven), free from the self-inflicted stress of indecision or autonomy that makes the journey more complicated than it need be.

Hands-on parenting, especially in the homeschool setting, provides the opportunity to help children make use of the Word of God in every area of life and thought. The Bible is the Christian’s – G.P.S. -- God’s Positioning System.

"Education and Sovereignty"

The following is an excerpt from RJ Rushdoony's Sovereignty.

Our culture is in sympathy with the devil because it resents the claims of the sovereign God of Scripture. As a result, it will stomach any absurdity in the name of education; it will continue to tolerate the destruction of its children morally and intellectually; it will continue to tolerate crime in the streets and in every corner; it will continue to tolerate degenerate men as politicians. It will continue to do these things and more because it has said of the sovereign, Jesus Christ, “We will not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14).

Let me highly recommend a lecture series that speaks to the heart of this issue, The Crown Rights of Jesus Christ.

Targetting the Family

As if the death of 40 million plus babies at the hands of the abortionists were not enough, there are now societal protocols in place to eliminate more and more children with the net result of further weakening the institution of the family. In spite of all society’s pressure to kill her baby, if a woman decides to remain pregnant, there is the bill making its way through the halls of Congress called the Mothers Act, designed to “help screen new mothers for depression” and mandate treatment if indicated. Here is a description from a website critical of this legislation:

The MOTHERS Act, a bill that clearly violates informed consent and places mothers and children at risk. This bill would mandate the government to screen all new mothers for subjective mental conditions. This special interest bill entitled The MOTHERS Act should fool NO MOTHER into thinking it is harmless! It is truly lethal.

One shudders to think how the questionnaires might read to determine “fitness for parenting.”

With the economic situation we face, is it surprising to note that some in the media elite are touting abortion as a recession survival tool? In a recent blog entry Bonnie Erbe, contributing editor to U.S. News and World Report and host of PBS' "To the Contrary," included these "pearls of wisdom" to her readers:

But in the long run, can we not agree that an unwed couple's decision not to bring a fourth child into the world when they are having trouble feeding themselves and three children is no tragedy? It's actually a fact-based, rational decision that in the end benefits the three children they already have and society as well.

As in the days of the Hebrews in Egypt, there is a concerted effort underway to eliminate more and more children. Recall that Pharaoh’s agenda was put in place to prevent opposition. Truly, our society is similarly hell-bent, repeatedly countering the biblical notion that children are a blessing from the Lord and a full quiver is a good thing. All one has to do is note the antipathy to women who mother more than one or two children. They hear quaint remarks such as “Don’t you know how to prevent children?” or “How many more of those do you plan to have?” If women do not voluntarily kill the fruit of their womb because of peer pressure, how long before deeming them “psychologically unfit” will be the rule of the day?

Do not be fooled into thinking that because you homeschool these realities will not touch your children. These wicked ideas are contagious and few of us are free from exposure to them in some way or another. Instead, parents need to be pro-active in educating their sons and daughters into biblical perspectives and help them become good apologists (to themselves and others) in order to be ready to share the hope of Christ that is within us.

Additionally, it is imperative that we think twice about all aspects of the educational process, carefully determining how much there is to be learned in “higher education” settings from those whose presuppositions are based on a hatred for God and His word. We must seek and provide alternative methods of further study so that in the process of wanting to serve the Lord, we are not feeding our children as fodder to His enemies. From where will the opposition arise to combat evil, if not from within our ranks?

"Wise People" Program Link

Thanks to those who contacted me to offer congratulations on my recent radio interview on Jim Norman's show, Wise People, which airs Sunday mornings in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Others reported that they attempted to download the interview but the program hadn't been archived yet. I'm happy to report that if you go to the Pastor's Perspective page, you will be able to access the program.

I encourage you to share this link with families in your life who are considering homeschooling. The host asked me many of the pertinent questions surrounding the subject and I was able to address many of the relevant issues fairly extensively.

Since Spring is the time of year when parents make decisions for the next school year, this is a good time to get people thinking in the direction of homeschooling.