Religion Today (Southern Baptists Unhappy With public Schools)

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Frustration with public education seems to be growing among the nation's Southern Baptists, with supporters of Christian schools and home schooling arguing that if God is absent from the classroom then their children should leave, too.

``What has happened is not so much that the Christians are leaving the public schools as that the public schools have left the Christians,'' advocate Ed Gamble said.

Gamble is executive director of the Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools, an Orlando, Fla.-based group that supports the more than 600 Southern Baptist schools created in the past eight years.

``As the public schools have become increasingly secular and increasingly intolerant of things Christian, people who are openly Christian have said, 'I guess they are not part of our team anymore,''' Gamble said.

The number of conservative Christian schools grew by nearly 11 percent between 1999-2000 and 2001-2002, to 5,527, according to the U.S. Department of Education's latest statistics.

At that rate, Christian schools are growing faster than private schools as a whole, and have increased their share to nearly 1 in 5 private schools in the country.

Earlier this year, a resolution proposed at the national meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention -- which guides the nation's largest Protestant denomination -- urged parents to withdraw their children from ``officially Godless'' ``government schools'' in favor of religious education.

While the measure was rejected, interest in faith-based schools has continued to spread among Baptists at the state level, particularly in Tennessee, Missouri, Florida, South Carolina, Illinois, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, California and New England, according to Exodus Mandate, a Columbia, S.C., group that promotes private, Christian and home-school education.

A recent resolution promoting Christian schooling easily passed the Missouri Baptist Convention but was quashed in committee at the Tennessee Baptist Convention meeting in Sevierville last month.

The Missouri resolution talked about the ``inherent dangers of secular educational philosophies that now permeates America's public education system'' and affirmed ``the importance of systematically training ourselves and our children in the ways of authentic, biblical Christianity.''

``What we are saying is that God has given us some very specific commands that we are to train our children in the ways of the Lord, not in the ways of the world,'' said the Rev. Roger Moran, of Troy, Mo., the resolution's author and a member of the Southern Baptist Convention's executive committee.

That means teaching creationism over evolution, that life begins at conception, and that homosexuality is immoral, as is sex outside of marriage. But it is more.

``It hits everything, when you realize the reality of life is (that) life was created by God and the entire universe is his creation. Therefore, everything has meaning and reflection on his nature, whether it is math or history or science. Two plus two equals four because God created them that way,'' said Glen Schultz, who heads the Baptists' LifeWay curriculum program for church-based schools and homeschoolers.

The Tennessee resolution came one step short of asking Baptist parents to pull their children from public schools.

``I wanted to be positive in promoting Christian education. I didn't want the resolution to be portrayed as attacking public education,'' said the Rev. Larry Reagan, of Dresden, who wrote the measure.

But the Rev. Mike Boyd of Knoxville, outgoing president of the 1 million-member Tennessee Baptist Convention, worried about the divisiveness of the issue.

``It was not wise, is all I am saying,'' added the Rev. Grover Westover, of Whiteville, chairman of the resolutions committee.

Reagan's resolution would have promoted more ``Kingdom education'' schools following LifeWay's lead. Schultz said the program has reached some 150 churches since 1996.

``We encourage our members to pray for this ministry and we encourage the promotion of an adequate system of Christian schools,'' Reagan said.

Boyd agreed there were ``some serious issues in the public schools'' to resolve but said the focus should be on supporting the teachers working in them, including many Baptists, and parents.

``Historically, Baptists have been pretty staunch supporters of the public school system, and they still are,'' said Gamble, who was not surprised to see the convention resolutions fail.

``But this is a bottom-up movement, as it is a bottom-up denomination. This is not a movement that is being led so much by pastors as it is being led by moms and dads who are frustrated.''

``And some day, I don't know how long it will be, most of the kids will be educated in Southern Baptist schools or in their homes.''

"Parents! For the love of your children, DON'T put them in goobermint skrewls!"

As a Southern Baptist homeschooling mom, I say: Do what you are capable of doing.

For the Baptists to mandate that children be pulled out of
public schools gives me a strong indication that those of us who have already "chosen" to educate our children at
home will be scrutinized over our every action.

Not every parent is capable of homeschooling, and not
every family can afford private education. Mandating
this throughout the Church increases the possibility of
child abuse and neglect situations. I do not want Social
Services at my door, wanting to nose around, because the
Church advises all parents to homeschool or otherwise.
I do not want to be lumped in with a crowd that has been
given orders.

I say, it is best to work within your means, even if it
is in a public school situation. But, parents need to
stay involved, monitor every situation in the school,
and call out the school district on every rotten decision
they make.

If you are a Christian and you know it, your children can
manage in a PS environment if you are not capable of
homeschooling. I truly believe it is not for everyone.
It's a calling a parent receives and a carefully
planned way of living.

"Keeping track of what the publik screwls are doing to your kids is far more costly and time-consuming than many would believe, IMHO."

Cleel, this was my exact experience. Before I withdrew my daughters from PS, time consumption was at its greatest, and the day-after-day (literally) arguing with PS administrative types was frustrating beyond belief. I had so many petitions going on that the School District had bi-weekly meetings with me to prevent me from going above their heads.

Homework was out of control. We would spend up to 3-4 hours a night on my oldest daughter's homework who was in third grade at that time.

There were other reasons I chose to homeschool as well; I disagree strongly with the PTA's stance, I am against forced homosexual sex ed, there is a strong lack of common sense education, the basic "R's" are not being taught enough, and total misrepresentations of our Nations history are set into children's minds daily.

Like I said, it became a calling in my particular situation. I now educate my 3 daughters, and we spend about 4 hours a day in "school". We certainly accomplish more than the PS can in their 6 hours in classes, not to mention the additional hours of homework each night.

I just want to point out that it is unwise to push parents into a situation where they may not be best suited to handle the day to day life of homeschooling.

For anyone who can possibly handle it, I say go for it and give it your all! Your children deserve it.

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Don't sacrifice your children

By Joseph Farah

Some people say America's government schools are performing so badly and miseducating children so profoundly that the dumbing down process must be part of a deliberate conspiracy.

I tend to disagree because, knowing the nature of government and how inefficient it is, if government were deliberately trying to make our kids dumber, they would likely be much smarter.

Such is my faith in government's ability to achieve results – even bad results.

But whether or not it's a deliberate plot to dumb down our kids – intellectually and morally – it's time for you to put a stop to it.

What can you do?

People often ask me what they can do to restore freedom and righteousness in America.

"Please don't tell me to write my congressman," a typical letter says. "I've tried that. They are all unresponsive. They don't care. They are part of the problem – ignoring the Constitution, passing more and more laws and spending my money on a growing list of programs that are illegal, immoral and detrimental to the health of the nation."

I tend to agree with such sentiments.

Congress is unresponsive. Congress is clueless. Congress has forgotten or ignored its responsibility to follow the Constitution.

Let me tell you about one surefire way to get Washington's attention and get our country back on track. I guarantee it will work if even 10 to 20 percent of Americans follow my advice. And, best of all, this strategy is something that will save your children from unhappiness, ignorance and abuse by the government – even if it does not touch off a freedom revolution.

I'm talking about pulling your children out of the clutches of the government schools.

It's the right thing to do for your kids and for your country.

Some 2 million kids in America are now being taught at home – a direct result of the declining standards of government schools.

When that number reaches 5 million, critical mass will have been reached. The whole system will begin to implode. It will mark the beginning of the end of the government monopoly on schools in America. It will mark the beginning of a peaceful revolution not unlike the one we witnessed a decade ago in the Soviet Union.

It starts with people saying no. It starts with awareness and resistance. It starts with saving your kids from abuse and indoctrination.

Whenever I present this message, I have some Christian parents who tell me separation from the broader culture is wrong – that it's not what Jesus preached.

Nonsense.

Listen to the Apostle Paul (II Corinthians 6:14): "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?"

Many Christians are familiar with this verse and take it to heart when it comes to issues such as marriage. But why doesn't it apply to the schooling of our precious children? Why do we feel OK about casting them to the wolves of the world?

Paul continues (II Corinthians 6:17-18): "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

Jews, you have been likewise commanded. Read Isaiah 52:11: "Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out of thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord."

No, believers, you are not supposed to expose your children to unrighteousness, nor put them under the yoke of pagans and infidels and false gods. I don't know where you get this mistaken belief. Your job as a parent is to protect your children, raise your child, not to run your child over to non-believers to be raised.

You want to know how to fix your family and your country? The most important step you can take is to pull your kids out of school and to start fulfilling your principal responsibility as a parent – educating them.

It's not your congressman's responsibility. It's your job. Take it seriously. It's summertime and the living may be easy. Come September, don't sacrifice your kids on the altar of the most high secular state.

Make a difference in your child's life, and be part of a gentle revolution to take this country back.

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