Wintertime, you couldn’t be more wrong. More and more Christians need to get into public education - not out of it. In addition, Christians need to vote for conservative school board members, conservative county and state representatives, and of course conservative federal representatives. These are the ones who determine the curriculum.
There are many, many strong consevative teachers who pass on conservative values to their students. What better mission field for consevatism and Judeo-Christian values than in the public school!! It is true I cannot “preach” to my students and try to get them to “convert” to Christ - but I can give them all the sides to historical, moral, and political issues. Kids are not stupid - if given the truth, they can figure it out.
Also, many parents who cannot afford to send their students to private school appreciate teachers giving their kids good moral values. Most parents are conservative in their views about right and wrong - even the ones who are not particularly religious. I have been teaching in public school for 13 years and I have never had a parent complain to me about including traditional Christmas carols in our school programs (I am an elementary music teacher). I get to expose my students to the music of American culture (our folk music, spirituals, American composers), the “unrevised” version of American history, and the Judeo-Christian historical background to 95% of our holidays.
For the last three weeks I’ve been able to tell over 700 students (mulitply that by 13 years and it comes to over 9000 kids) that attend my school the story of Christmas and I get to tell them where the story comes from - I do the same for Hanukkah as well (which is also mentioned in the New Testament). I can give them the facts - I don’t have to tell them what they have to believe. At least they hear the truth - and you would abandon these wonderful kids??? I have made this presentation on Christmas in front of our assistent principal and had no problems. Of course there are some public school principals who are “gun-shy” about any mention of religion - but this is more from lawsuit happy lawyers than antagonism toward religion. Presenting information to kids is non-religious. I tell my students that this is what Jewish people believe or this is what Christians believe - and then I give them the facts. I haven’t preached at them or advocated anything - just gave them the facts. And you want me to give this opportunity up? No way!
You are trying to frame the question as a “lying - don’t lie” issue. It isn’t lying to give students all sides of a subject - even sides that the teacher may personally disagree with - their students are going to have to face these opposing views sooner or later - why not from someone who will give them both sides? Why leave them to the mercy of the ACLU and the NEA. Which by the way, I do not belong to our teachers union - I belong to Christian Educators Association. Most teachers are conservative, but are scared into joining the local union for the liability insurance because they are unaware of other sources of this insurance.
You are a discouragement to those conservative, (often Christian) teachers who doing their best to make a positive impact - instead, you shoot us in the back when you should be cheering us on. But, I’m not a quitter. There may well come a time when giving all the facts will get me in trouble. If it does, so be it, but for now I do all I can to teach my students all the truth I can. Why don’t you help instead of surrendering?
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I am right. I have posted a powerful idea, and it WILL catch on! (please read my tag line)
I agree: We need MORE conservative teachers...not less.
Are all sides equally valid? I certainly do not think so. Christ is the one true and best way. How can you give "all sides" to that vital message? If you with hold this opinion then there isn't much light be shown, or much salt added to the salad.
Is the "Giving-All-Sides" method of teaching, a "trick" for somehow sneaking in one tiny Christian grain of salt mixed up in a great big secular, atheistic, agnostic worldview package? It sounds that way to me.
Also, many parents who cannot afford to send their students to private school appreciate teachers giving their kids good moral values. Most parents are conservative in their views about right and wrong - even the ones who are not particularly religious.
It appears to me that what these conservative parents would **really** like are good private schools, with clear understandable values that also happen to be Christian values! The longer government schools are aided, abetted, and propped up by enablers the longer this choice will be withheld from these conservative parents.
I have been teaching in public school for 13 years and I have never had a parent complain to me about including traditional Christmas carols in our school programs (I am an elementary music teacher). I get to expose my students to the music of American culture (our folk music, spirituals, American composers), the “unrevised” version of American history, and the Judeo-Christian historical background to 95% of our holidays.
A few Christian Christmas carols does not make a truly Christian educational experience.
For the last three weeks I’ve been able to tell over 700 students (mulitply that by 13 years and it comes to over 9000 kids) that attend my school the story of Christmas and I get to tell them where the story comes from - I do the same for Hanukkah as well (which is also mentioned in the New Testament).
Nothing like a little moral and religious equivalence here. What message is this sending to the children? How about the clear and unambiguous message of Christ's mission?
I can give them the facts - I don’t have to tell them what they have to believe.
Well,,,,I bet there are a whole lot of Christian homeschoolers who were told by their parent to believe that it is ONLY through Christ that our eternal souls can be saved!
Hey, maybe, just maybe, that is why 90% of them remain active and valiant in the faith, and 85% of Christian government schooled kids do not. Perhaps after 180 days a year, 6 to 7 hours a day, in government school, hearing that even an immature kid "can make up their mind about something so important" ( hey! Accept it or reject it!) that government schooled Christian kids don't know what to believe. Maybe a few good Christian teachers should start telling kids what to believe. If kids don't know what to believe they will fall for anything.
At least they hear the truth - and you would abandon these wonderful kids??? I have made this presentation on Christmas in front of our assistent principal and had no problems. Of course there are some public school principals who are “gun-shy” about any mention of religion - but this is more from lawsuit happy lawyers than antagonism toward religion. Presenting information to kids is non-religious.
What Christan kids need is a clear and unambiguous **religious** message! They need to hear the kind of message that is illegal in our god-less, atheistic government schools. Sneaking a Christian message into to the government schools is like putting out a raging forest fire with a garden hose.
I tell my students that this is what Jewish people believe or this is what Christians believe - and then I give them the facts. I haven’t preached at them or advocated anything - just gave them the facts. And you want me to give this opportunity up? No way!
Sounds to me like trying to sneak in a Christian message. What is this? That somehow Christianity is merely another equivalent, one world, multi-cultural philosophy? And,,,yes, I suggest the Christian teachers serious consider ( and seriously pray about) giving it up! Sneaking in Christian messages isn't going to cut it. What it teaches the non-Christian students is that Christians are sneaky and weak. If Christ spits out luke warm Christians out of his mouth, is it any wonder a non-Christian and even Christian kids are nauseated by this sneaky and luke warm message as well?
You are trying to frame the question as a “lying - don’t lie” issue. It isn’t lying to give students all sides of a subject - even sides that the teacher may personally disagree with - their students are going to have to face these opposing views sooner or later - why not from someone who will give them both sides? ,/i>
Not telling the **whole** truth is lying. The WHOLE truth is that it is only through Christ's atonement that we can gain salvation and live with God in heaven forever. In a truly Christian education that message is woven throughout the entire curriculum and supported by ALL of the school policies. That message is impossible for any Christian in any government without getting fired.
Why leave them to the mercy of the ACLU and the NEA.
This is why all Christians should immediately abandon government schooling, work to establish an alternate system of universal K-12 education, and organize a massive school tax revolt to defund the government school monstrosity.
Which by the way, I do not belong to our teachers union - I belong to Christian Educators Association. Most teachers are conservative, but are scared into joining the local union for the liability insurance because they are unaware of other sources of this insurance.
Congratulations for not belonging to the NEA. I understand that in some states that is not an option.
You are a discouragement to those conservative, (often Christian) teachers who doing their best to make a positive impact - instead, you shoot us in the back when you should be cheering us on. But, I’m not a quitter. There may well come a time when giving all the facts will get me in trouble. If it does, so be it, but for now I do all I can to teach my students all the truth I can. Why don’t you help instead of surrendering?,
Yep! You are absolutely correct. My goal is to discourage anyone from trying to reform the unredeemable.
Wintertime, you couldn’t be more wrong. More and more Christians need to get into public education - not out of it. In addition, Christians need to vote for conservative school board members, conservative county and state representatives, and of course conservative federal representatives. These are the ones who determine the curriculum.
Government schools are not reformable because the premise is faulty. Government schools can NEVER be religiously neutral. If they aren't Christian then they are some other religion. At the the moment government schools are preaching a secularist Marxism.
It is just as wrong for government to force a Christian curriculum on non-Christians as it is for the atheistic Marxists who run our government schools to force their worldview on Christians.
We have a First Amendment to protect us against government crushing our rights to free speech, free press, free expression of religion, free association, and government establishment of religious worldview ( religion). Government schools, no matter who runs them, always have, are now, and always will trash every one of these human rights.
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The above should read:
And,,,yes, I suggest that Christian teachers serious consider and pray about giving it up!
One more thing:
What I have posted is true. These ideas will catch on because they are true.
Thank you for what you do !!! My 3 children attended public school (with some home schooling in later years) and I was always grateful for the teachers who had the courage and wisdom to teach them a broader spectrum, to include the Judeo-Christian perspective.
Interestingly, this was most obvious in our kids’ elementary school in the music program. After the traditional teacher left, she was replaced by one whose selections strained to be politically correct. Conversely, my daughter’s high school music teacher could not have been much more outspoken in professing her beliefs and NO ONE complained. Her musical selections were exquisite.
The idea of fleeing instead of fighting the cultural war going on in education today does not help our students in public schools. Look at our inner cities schools to see the result of ‘white flight.’
The notion that all Christians should flee public school instead of staying and spreading the word would be a short term fix, at best.