EXODUS!!! its about time

[rainstorm]

Giving 'exodus' a new meaning
Cal Thomas (archive)


June 14, 2004 | Print | Send


People of both political parties and many persuasions have been talking for decades about education reform. President Bush signed a huge new spending bill that is supposed to link funding to certain reforms so that no child will be left behind.

Now comes what could be the most radical and most successful education reform proposal ever made. The Southern Baptist Convention - the nation's largest Protestant denomination with about 17 million members - is meeting this week in Indianapolis, and among the resolutions it is considering is one calling upon parents to withdraw their children from public schools and either educate them at home, or enroll them in private Christian academies.

The rationale is contained in the text of the resolution authored by Houston attorney Bruce Shortt and retired Brig. Gen. T.C. Pinckney: "Whereas, the Bible commands that fathers are to bring up their children in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4) . . . (and) Whereas, the government schools are by their own confession humanistic and secular in their instruction, the education offered by the government schools is officially Godless, and Whereas, the government schools are adopting curricula and policies teaching that the homosexual lifestyle is acceptable . . . and homosexual organizations are present as student 'clubs' in thousands of government schools and are spreading rapidly . . . ". Well, you get the idea.

In an essay published last week at ethicsdaily.com, Shortt wrote, "Government schools are converting our children to alien creeds and infusing them with false and destructive values." Pinckney added, "God gives the responsibility for education of children to the parents, not the government." Indeed. And it has been the decision by too many parents to allow government to shape their children's worldview and values that is responsible for spiritual and intellectual disorder that now inhabits the souls and minds of too many offspring of Christian parents.

The private and home school movements remain relatively small compared to the number of students in government schools. According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau figures (2003), there are 73.2 million children in school with 10 percent of them in private elementary or high schools. The number of children educated at home is estimated by home-school advocates and the Census Bureau at approximately 2 million, with that number growing by about 15 to 20 percent each year.

Most school choice advocates believe the poor would be the first to head for the exit should vouchers be approved for the parents of government school children. Numerous surveys have shown that lack of money is the only reason most poor children remain trapped in government schools and that if money were no longer a concern, poor parents would place their children in private schools. Liberal Democrats, who claim to be advocates for the poor, have failed them on this important issue because they like getting contributions from the National Education Association. While such contributions help keep them in office, poor children continue to starve intellectually and morally.

By passing the resolution, the SBC could inject new energy into this slowly growing trend toward non-government education and convert it into a powerful example with momentum. If large numbers of Southern Baptist and other Christian parents begin exiting government schools, the education monopoly will be forced to consider returning to real education standards instead of embracing every new education and social "fad." Like a business that is required to compete, government schools will either reclaim a once proud heritage, or go out of business; either way, the children will benefit, and it is their welfare, not that of the education establishment and their lobbyists, that ought to be of primary concern.

Conservatives have worried more about changing decadent culture than in changing themselves and their own children. Millions of schoolchildren reared with morals, values, ethics and faith that are endangered in the government schools would do more to enrich and advance culture than all of the political movements combined.

So, Southern Baptists, show the way and perhaps many will follow. Stop waiting for the world's permission to fully exercise your faith and beliefs (which will never come) and start training up your children in the ways your God wants them to go. That can't be done in government schools, but it can in yours or in your homes. It's time to give the word "exodus" a new meaning.

i personally think govt schools are godless propaganda re-education centers. they dont teach values. get your kids out if you can.

[stormie_skies]

Yikes! Just what our country needs!

Our education standards have already fallen behind those of much of the civilized world, so lets take it a step further and encourage our kids to quit school altogether. Lets teach 'em the Bible and nothing else - they talk well enough as it is, and that science crap is just a bunch of lies anyways.

Funny, that sounds to me kinda like the education most kids get in Afghanistan. And we all know what happens to those kids...

Please tell me how these children will get a balanced education while learning at home with parents who have no training in such things.

[rainstorm]

sorry, the teachers unions have destroyed our schools, and the secularists. you make my point for me. i dont want the religion of moral relativism and secularism forced on kids in govt re-education centers, where parents values are wiped away

[Guest]

I thought my public school education was fine.

The idea of living in straw huts doesnt appeal to me.

[WXBUFFJIM]

It would be nice if children got a well balanced, and fair education. It's only fair that every child receives his or her education than to have it be worse by some educational reform or some crap from the educational school system. They're there to learn and get educated.

[Derek Ortt]

I love this idea. Time to get the satanic left out of the minds of our youth; thus, enabling them to receive a proper upbringing

[rainstorm]

i agree, the last thing we need is the leftist nea propagandizing our kids

[coriolis]

I'm a product of Catholic elementary school and am better for it. In highschool you could tell the difference. The classmates from our school were more sucessful and were leaders. My kids go to the public schools here. We were fortunate in that our kids went to one of the suburban elementary schools in this school district. The ones in the city are a disaster. It's not as much the school's fault as it is the disfunctional families in the city. The schools are trying unsucessfully to undo the messes that these kids are. Those kids are out of control and prevent any education from going on. It's a partnership between the schools and the families. If one part isn't there, the kid doesn't suceed.

From what I've seen from my own kids lessons is that it's not all that bad. There have been some instances of subtle and not so subtle messages, in the lessons, but overall, if a kid is well grounded in good values, the kid will be ok. That doesn't happen at school.

As far as private schools, they're great. They instill more discipline and accountability, which kids need. One problem is that the private schools can be "exlcusive," thereby keeping the riff raff out. The tuition is also a barrier.

Home schooling works. There have been instances of parents failing to keep up with the lessons, and accountability is needed there too.

I think that most kids, by the time they're adults and get into the "real" world, will make up their minds for themselves what they are going to believe, and they'll sink or swim. I don't think that we need to worry about an army of brainwashed people taking over. But having good habits instilled from an early age is invaluable.

[abajan]

Okay...okay...

First of all let's stop calling children kids, okay?

A kid is a young goat. Do you really think that your child is a goat? Of course not! Does anyone know where this strange usage of the word kid originated?

Now to the matter at hand. The Good Book (a.k.a. The Bible) says to train up a child in the way he should go so that when he is older he will not depart from it (or something along those lines). So if the public schools are filling those little minds with junk...well I think you can see the problem.

[Skywatch_NC]

Okay...okay...

First of all let's stop calling children kids, okay?

A kid is a young goat. Do you really think that your child is a goat? Of course not! Does anyone know where this strange usage of the word kid originated?

Now to the matter at hand. The Good Book (a.k.a. The Bible) says to train up a child in the way he should go so that when he is older he will not depart from it (or something along those lines). So if the public schools are filling those little minds with junk...well I think you can see the problem.

Not sure what they call 'em in the West Indies...but in the states they're often called kids (a 'slang' term).

[Guest]

I also frown on public schooling. Dustin will definitely attend a Christian school. Ed, you're right, children need more discipline as well as learning responsibility. The financial aspect might be a hurtle, but it's a hurtle that is worth overcoming.
...Jennifer...

[rainstorm]

liberals stand in the way of vouchers, in order to appease the NEA.

[streetsoldier]

A little history lesson for ya...

Before 1850, ALL American schools were church-based; the first publicly-funded and based Board of Education (in Michigan, I believe) was instituted in that year, amidst much controversy. The argument was that the State was infringing on the rights of free exercise of religion (inclusive of educating young people), and was at that time considered a VERY dangerous precedent.

Church-led schools still held sway until after WW I, when public education began to take hold on state levels, then Federal standards were imposed with the creation of HEW (now two departments, HHS and Dept. of Education) under FDR.

It's been going downhill ever since...and IMHO, those complaints in 1850 were justifiable.

And FYI, I obviously didn't "suffer" under a Catholic education supervised by Jesuit hands.

[coriolis]

Well, I'm an old goat, so my kids are KIDS.