Should Parents Seek Out Christian Education for Their Children?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ย. 2024
- When parents choose schooling for their children, they weigh a complicated set of variables, including finances, proximity to good schools, and the personality of each child. In this discussion, TGC Council members Juan Sánchez and Afshin Ziafat, along with TGC editor Sam Allberry, talk about how they counsel Christian parents making education decisions. They agree that no one solution is right for everyone, but a common denominator should rule parents' decision on education: "The thing I want to stress as a pastor," Ziafat says, "is that the parents are the primary disciple-makers, regardless of which route you take." As Allberry puts it, "Christian parents should be committed to Christian formation for their children. We have freedom as believers for what route we take in order to do that."
But Allberry also cautions, "There are going to be dangers and drawbacks with any route. It's not like one route is always problem-free. That's why we need to have freedom-and allow each other to have freedom."
What was glossed over as to the degree of importance is forming a total Christian worldview. When I went to the 20th anniversary of my public school graduation, they asked those who were going to attend to write a few words on what one has been doing. I wrote that I became a Christian and that I have spent much effort in trying to unlearn the atheistic worldview which had been inculcated with my education.
Public and much private schooling (Christian or not) teach us that God has nothing to do with the world we live in. He has nothing to do with science, math, history, culture or society, etc. It is not taught that man in made in the image of God and has been given a mandate by God (Ge 1). This fact alone ought to make Christian parents concerned. Of course, they too have been educated this way and, therefor, do not recognize this nor think it a concern when made aware. That these pastors do not seem to be aware of this fundamental problem is why the church is in the state it is. The sheep are uninformed, as if they have no shepherds.
Epistemology may not be a common term for most people but it is the lack of epistemological self-awareness that undermines the church today. An atheistic worldview informs most Christians thinking. Not in the sense of open denial of God but just that believers do not take every thought captive to Christ in every are of life. This, among other things, makes the witness of the Church less effective and relevant to the world.
Fantastic point psa 110. If the education doesn't include God across the curriculum then by definition it is an atheistic curriculum. I think we underestimate the corrosive nature of such an education upon our children. As Voddie Baucham said "If you said your kids to Caesar, don't be surprised if they come back Romans".
However, how would you deal with children as young as kindergarten being read books about “My two dads”, like it’s the norm; being told they could be gay; and being read books that a girl is stuck in a boys body....? Because this is going on, not in our our cities, but in most small towns too.
Ya agreed!! At our schools in Canada also!!
“Education is not evangelization. Now we shouldn’t justify where we send our kids because we think they should be evangelists when they’re eight. God does not intend for Christian children to be taught by unbelievers and to be surrounded most of the day by intense, worldly peer pressure. That’s not what childhood is for. It’s for being shaped and molded by wise, loving Christian adults.
Now this is escapism anymore than West Point is escapism, because the instructors are American soldiers, not ISIS soldiers. We prepare pretty good military for engagement with the enemy and we don’t do it with the help of the enemy. We prepare for maximum faithfulness in the world we Christians... by coming out of the world for the education of our children.” -John Piper
I do know that home schooling isn't perfect since it's being conducted by fallible people (so is any other education), but an honest look between the broken public school system and the many great curriculums and wholistic style approaches of home schooling cannot be avoided simply to say that our kindergartener needs to be salt and light. Let's not neglect truly investigating what is best for children. By the way, in the love of Christ, home schooled children should see their parents sharing the gospel with nonbelievers. Evangelism should be modeled for them throughout their childhood years by their teachers and their church. Do not say, "My kid is on mission in pubic school" when you're not on mission. That's a dangerous trap and it does not equate obedience.
Christian school is affordable. Just $1000 a month for my 2 kids.
I don’t recommend it for special needs students. Sadly by experience they are gatekeepers and exclude children with learning differences.
You lost me at state education.