by Marc Hays
One month ago, Answers in Genesis published an article by Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. entitled “Is Public School An Option?” In it he addresses the brief history of public schools as well asĀ the more recent “progressivist” agenda of John Dewey and his fellow humanists. Dr. Mohler then addresses the “political and ideological” secularization of the public schools. He states, “The ideological revolution
has been even more damaging than the political change. Those who set educational policy are now overwhelmingly committed to a radically naturalistic and evolutionistic worldview that sees the schools as engines of social revolution. The classrooms are being transformed rapidly into laboratories for ideological experimentation and indoctrination. The great engines for Americanization are now forces for the radicalization of everything from human sexuality to postmodern understandings of truth and the meaning of texts. Compulsory sex education, the creation of ācomprehensive health clinics,ā revisionist understandings of American history, Darwinian understandings of science and humanity, and a host of other ideological developments now shape the norm in the public school experience. If these developments have not come to your local school, they almost surely will soon.”
He wraps up by re-asking his opening question, “Is public school an option?” He answers,
For Christians who take the Christian worldview seriously and who understand the issues at stake, the answer is increasingly no. The number of Christian parents coming to this conclusion increases each year. We can understand the nostalgia that many Christians hold about the public schools. I spent every minute of my school life from the first grade to high school graduation in a public school. And yet, I saw the ideological transformation of the schools before my own eyes. Long ago, the public schools entered a Brave New World from which no retreat now seems possible.”
You can read it in its entirety here.
Most often, when one offers his opinion publicly, some folks will think he went too far, other folks will be sure he didn’t go far enough, and still others will say he’s just plain wrong. Such is life, and I’m sure Dr. Mohler is not taken aback by this. He’s been at this a while.
One very recent, very popular article that would most assuredly disagree with Dr. Mohler’s answer was published on Christianity Today’s website on October 7. It is entitled “Why we send our kids to the poorest public school” and was written by Jennifer Slate. The subtitle is, “It’s not just my own kids’ well-being that matters anymore.” In the article Mrs. Slate rejoices in how God has used the trials and hardships of being involved with extremely poor children in their public school to open doors of Christian ministry in their lives. She sounds like a very dedicated mother and neighbor and sees all these ministry opportunities being made possible via their involvement in the public school system. Toward the end of the article she states,
But it is worth it. Not only for the other children to have experiences of dignity and hope and joy, not only for my children who are learning that everyone is not just like them, and that the world doesn’t revolve around them either. It is worth it also for me. I am trusting God, and trusting that the “best life” is this one that he has given us. Trusting that he is the One ultimately working for common good, trusting that he is inviting me to work with him, and with all the other families, teachers, coaches, and neighbors here.
She never expressly disagrees with anyone’s position nor does she malign those who would educate their children at home or a private institution, but she’s believes she and her family would be less active in the kingdom if that was the case for them.
It would be fairly easy to take my children back to an all-white, all-Christian, all-moneyed, educated world. And in times of doubt, I think about doing it.
Lots of folks are enjoying this article. It’s up to about 14,000 Facebook “likes” as I write this. You can join that number by clicking here.
Another author believes Dr. Mohler did not go far enough. His name is Dr. Joel McDurmon and has published a critique over at The American Vision. His article is entitled, “Al Mohler calls for public school exodus, sort of.” Dr. McDurmon begins by stating that Dr. Mohler begins “laudably.” Dr. McDurmon’s concluding assessment contains far less approbation,
So when he [Dr. Mohler] concludes, āIs public school an option? For Christians who take the Christian worldview seriously and who understand the issues at stake, the answer is increasingly no,ā I have to remain a bit miffed. While I am thankful if this leads more Christians to abandon public schools, they will be doing it with misguided thinking, and they will be liable to return to the mire. Indeed, some will be tempted to stay there based upon even the slightest excuse, merely because Mohler hinted that public schools may be an option for some. The correct answer he should have given his readers is not āincreasingly no,ā but āNo, never, and should have never.
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I’m totally with Joel here. Government schools should have never been an option for Christians, as they were designed from the start as temples of secular humanistic religion. If enough Christians pull their kids out, the system will not hold; it will collapse.
My beliefs are also more consistent with Dr. McDurmon’s. The public school system has been organized around the production of passive, obedient, workers who are homogenized and conditioned to stand in lines and trust whoever sits at the desk in class. I can never in good conscience send those entrusted to my care into such a regimentation program. While there are many excellent and well-intentioned people who work in the public school system, it remains a bureaucratic system which takes a toll on the individual to benefit the collective. Going to school does not guarantee an education, but it does guarantee indoctrination.
I’m not entirely comfortable with the idea that there are simply three different perspectives from which Christians are free to choose, based on their own level of humanistic reasoning. In the Old Testament law, fathers are commanded to educate their children when, “you rise up”, “lie down”, “sit in your home”, and “walk by the way” I don’t think the picture we Americans generate from this scripture is accurate. The ancient Hebrews weren’t walking their children to school and giving the poor kids a five minute sermonette before their progeny faced an 8-10 hour day of humanistic indoctrination. Children participated in the lives or their adult parents and God intended that his special people mentor their children on a daily basis.
My point here is not to say that someone is a bad parent if they have to work two jobs and have no hope of keeping their children close and teaching them personally. What I am saying is that the American System works against the family and it is wrong. Once a parent realizes this fact, that is when our human reasoning can decide how we will mitigate the reality of a dire situation.
Mike and Arpista,
Thank you for stopping by KC, reading the article, and joining in the conversation. My placement of Joel McDurmon at the end of the article definitely had an ulterior motive: I wanted to end on a high note.
I wondered if my closing statements would engender the notion that these three articles presented three, equally viable options for Christians. That was not my intended purpose. I was presenting them as three very real, very well-stated perspectives on the issue at hand. This is also not to say that the opinions with which I disagree have no apparent merits, but those merits must be placed on the balances of God’s Word and weighed to see if they are found wanting.
Peter Jones does just that in an article today on KC entitled, “Charles Hodge on True Education.” I am thankful for his positive assertion of the Bible’s description of education in the wake of my post yesterday. I highly recommend that article if you haven’t read it yet.
Thanks Marc!