SBC Leader Urges Churches to Discuss 'Exit Strategy' From Public Schools

[Andy T.]

I think his quote was that the "exodus mandate" was against the desire of God. Meaning that the denomination mandating parents pulling their kids from public schools.

Your comments seemed to take his comment a little bit out of context.

But he ended his statement with "completely against the desire of God for our involvement in our worlds around us." In another post, he also says, "Our obligation as Christians is to be salt and light before an unbelieving world. We can't do that from the bomb-shelters of homeschooling and Christian schooling." Ergo, if your kids are not in public schools being involved in the world around them, then they are "completely against the desire of God." So the implication is that it is a sin to homeschool or Christian school.

Maybe he can clarify for us.

 

[tinytim]

I graduated from Public School. My wife graduated from public school. We have been teaching in Christian Schools for over 30 years. We just spent a semester being substitute teachers in what is considered an excellent Public School system. We subbed at all levels - K through 12. The teachers were mostly Christians and almost all of them felt that they were fighting a losing battle in trying to be a Godly influence with their students.
The worldly forces that are prevalent are stronger every year and the spiritual opportunities are rare and getting more scarce.
The curriculum was academically outstanding but humanistic to the core. Christian parents are deluding themselves to think that they can correct 35+ hours of humanism a week at home.
I would liken it to sending your child to a Jihadhi School for years and then expecting their child to come out pro Israel.
Sending your child to a Public School is just not a reasonable option.

Oh, but it is a reasonable option for us since we have prayed about it, and God has directed us to keep our sons in public schools.

A Christian School may be nice, but it is not a fix all either.
Too many of my friends growing up went to Christian schools, and were as bad as the other ones when they graduated...Some worse...
One preacher's daughter was sheltered her whole life, and upon Graduation went wild... can't get her back in church now.

 

[ShotGunWillie]

One preacher's daughter was sheltered her whole life, and upon Graduation went wild... can't get her back in church now.

That's easy to explain, the deacons kids probably influenced her to turn that way. In all seriousness, satan goes after kids of ministers stronger than he does other children. He will do whatever it takes to destroy the work of God, and will use your kids to do it. If a preacher can't be the shepherd of his own home, how can he be the leader of a congregation. His credability is questioned when his children rebell.

I for one don't think public school is for our Chrildren, as I stated previously we will be starting a Christian Academy this fall.

 

[tinytim]

That's easy to explain, the deacons kids probably influenced her to turn that way. In all seriousness, satan goes after kids of ministers stronger than he does other children. He will do whatever it takes to destroy the work of God, and will use your kids to do it. If a preacher can't be the shepherd of his own home, how can he be the leader of a congregation. His credability is questioned when his children rebell.

I for one don't think public school is for our Chrildren, as I stated previously we will be starting a Christian Academy this fall.

It's always the DKs fault! They entice the PKs!!
That is what my boys say anyway! :wavey:

And as a PK, I agree!!! :laugh:

 

[4boys4joys]

For Clarification.

This is probably one of the most random comments I've read yet!

What on earth are you getting at?? Do angels begin to sing, and bright lights shine on the halls as you enter the Christian school doors? This is funny...I'm picturing it right now.

No they do not. The point I was making was this. In a Christian school worth it's salt, would you see kissing in a hallway everyday without it being dealt with. It is not the fact that you could not see this in another school arena it is the frequency and magnitude of the sin they will see and hear over the formative years of their education.

At a public school it would be multiple incidents of which the administrators may not be able to handle. At a Christian school these incidents are more isolated and can be dealt with. We are home schoolers so I do not know what happens when the doors open. But I went to public school and I won't even get into the things that I saw,heard and learned there. Oh btw, I had a child in Christian school before so I do have some experience there too.

 

[tinytim]

Just saw this and thought it was funny....


http://www.reverendfun.com/index.php?date=20070706

 

[Rufus_1611]

Baptists turn from public schools

Baptists turn from public schools

Convinced that God has been erased from public schools, Southern Baptists are now working to open their own schools, where Jesus is writ large and Bible study is part of the daily curriculum.

Church leaders are not calling for a wholesale exodus from public schools, which would be a monumental hit, considering that Southern Baptists make up the nation's largest Protestant denomination with 16 million members.

Rather, they talk about alternatives to public schools capable of educating a new generation ready and willing to advocate for biblical principles rather than popular culture.

"In the public schools, you don't just have neutrality, you have hostility toward organized religion," said Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest. "A lot of parents are fed up."

...

..........

 

[North Carolina Tentmaker]

The difference is not in the school, it is in the home.

The entire mentality of, “Lets send our kids off and let someone else educate them,” just baffles my mind. They are your kids, entrusted to you by God for their upbringing.

We homeschool our four children.

If you don’t feel qualified to homeschool that is fine, use the schools. I have no problem using outside experts to help you teach your children. Use schools, private or public, but stay active in your children’s education.

Last year my oldest needed to take drivers Ed. In NC he cannot get his learners permit or drivers license until he has a certificate saying he passed drivers Ed. I talked with our local High School Principal (who is also a friend of mine and attends our church) about letting my son take drivers Ed at the school. I was a little apprehensive about asking him expecting an anti homeschool bias. But I was completely wrong. Tentmaker, he said, (well except he used my real name), you pay taxes like everyone else in this county, if you want to use part of our system but not all that is great, bring him on up here. Does he want to play in the band or on any of the sports teams? Does he want to take any of the shop classes?

4boys4joys is right

Home school is more than just an option it is a life choice. Home schooling means that I am deciding that I am going to the main social and spiritual example in my childs life.

But I don't think you have to homeschool to make that choice. Public, private, Christian, or Home schooled you still can be the main social and spiritual example in your children's life.

And then when we look at statistics like "90% of our kids drop out of church" or whatever, why are we blaming churches and schools instead of parents?

 

[Andy T.]

But he ended his statement with "completely against the desire of God for our involvement in our worlds around us." In another post, he also says, "Our obligation as Christians is to be salt and light before an unbelieving world. We can't do that from the bomb-shelters of homeschooling and Christian schooling." Ergo, if your kids are not in public schools being involved in the world around them, then they are "completely against the desire of God." So the implication is that it is a sin to homeschool or Christian school.

Maybe he can clarify for us.

Bump...I would still like to see clarification from preachinjesus whether or not he thinks Christian or homeschooling is sinful.

 

[preachinjesus]

Bump...I would still like to see clarification from preachinjesus whether or not he thinks Christian or homeschooling is sinful.

apologies, I forgot about this thread completely.

I don't think homeschooling is sinful. Of course I don't think something like that can be equated as sin (often we have a convulted idea of what sin is.)

I just don't think it is God's desire that Christians hide their lights under the bushels of seculsion when we can be champions in the world.

Desire and will are two different concepts imho.

thanks for the bump, I post on four or five other forums and don't always remember what is what, especially when my schedule gets slammed.

 

[npetreley]

Even though the schools here seem pretty good, I would love to pull my kids out of public school. Can anyone tell me how I can reach the SBC Leader so I can give him my address? He'll need it so he'll know where to send the tuition check.

 

[Andy T.]

I just don't think it is God's desire that Christians hide their lights under the bushels of seculsion when we can be champions in the world.

Desire and will are two different concepts imho.

Can you elaborate on this more? You seem to be saying that public schooling is more desirous by God than private or homeshcooling. If someone is not following the desires of God, then how can they be following the will of God?

 

[preachinjesus]

Can you elaborate on this more? You seem to be saying that public schooling is more desirous by God than private or homeshcooling.

I could care less about whether someone homeschools or sends their children to a Christian school or not...although it seems too many people care whether I do or not..you make your decision for your situation.

In my opinion Christians are called to be actively involved in the culture and in society and not hiding in their collective huddles. I believe the teaching of Jesus it is about being in the culture being actively involved in society, not huddling up and staying away. Christ seems to go out of His way to point out that our life is in the world not contained to the walls of the ecclesial community.

If someone is not following the desires of God, then how can they be following the will of God?

The desire of God doesn't necessarily equal the will of God. Notice 1 Timothy 2:4...God's desire is that all people get saved but does desire equal will? Just a thought. I can flesh that out more too.

 

[rbell]

repeat after me: Priesthood.......of............the............believer.............

 

[JustChristian]

..........

Statistics can be used to prove just about anything you want to prove. The question isn't whether home schoolers do better than average on college entrance exams. The question should be whether they do better than they would have if they had attended public school. Don't you think that those who are home schooled are in the say top third of students. Bottom level students would be unlikely to have a parent(s) who would (a) have the money to stay at home to school them, and (b) have the ability to do an excellent job of schooling them.

Although growing up in a single-parent family is frequently viewed as a risk factor for a child, single-parent families are now fairly common. Of children born since 1984, more than 60% will spend an average of 5 years of their childhood in a single-parent family [3; 6; 13]. Moreover, 30% of all children in the United States spend their entire lives with single parents [6]. Many people have questions about the influence of single-parent families on a child's academic achievement and the ways single parents can help their children succeed in school.

Even when they have the same academic abilities, children in single-parent families are three times more likely to drop out of high school than children from two-parent families [13; 15]. Because they are the primary and frequently sole source of financial support for the family, single parents have less time to help children with homework, are less likely to use consistent discipline, and have less parental control, and all of these conditions may lead to lower academic achievement [1; 9; 13]. Among children in single-parent families, those from mother-absent households earn lower science grades than children from father-absent homes. No matter which parent is missing, children from single-parent families generally find it more difficult to connect with school [9].

I would argue that few children from single parent homes are home schooled. Therefore, the statistics about home schooled children doing better than those from public schools might be due to factors other than the fact that they were home schooled. They had two parents who loved and supported them and that makes a world of difference.

 

[Andy T.]

I could care less about whether someone homeschools or sends their children to a Christian school or not...although it seems too many people care whether I do or not..you make your decision for your situation.

In my opinion Christians are called to be actively involved in the culture and in society and not hiding in their collective huddles. I believe the teaching of Jesus it is about being in the culture being actively involved in society, not huddling up and staying away. Christ seems to go out of His way to point out that our life is in the world not contained to the walls of the ecclesial community.

In previous posts on this thread you derided Christian and homeschooling for "not being actively in the culture and society", which is why I asked for clarification. I'm still not sure where you stand, because even in this most recent post, in the first paragraph you say you don't care, and then in the second paragraph, you do seem to care, repeating the "actively involved" mantra. So I'm left a little confused.

You don't need to reply - it's not worth haggling over.