Saving America through homeschooling

[MW]

I wanted to highlight this useful blog post from Rev. Mathis:

Saving America through homeschooling? a review of 'Take Back the Land' - Blogs - The PuritanBoard

I might quibble with a few statements -- e.g., the gospel as a remedy for moral decline -- but taken as a whole Rev. Mathis is alerting the church to a very serious problem which reformed home-educators need to be on their guard against. This problem is not confined to America, but is also appearing in Australia.

There was a time (roughly 60s through 90s) when reformed people identified a number of activities of the State as evidence of a "Messiah complex." As a part of "redeeming" culture Christians have been encouraged to "take back" some of these domains. But in the process it appears that they have also assumed the "Messiah complex." It becomes apparent whenever the redemptive-historical imagery which was typical of Christ and fulfilled by Him is adopted and adapted to the activities of Christian people, e.g., "take back the land," "the hearts of the fathers turning to their children." It manifests itself blatantly whenever people speak of God "calling" them to redeem this, that, or the other, and of these activities as "missions" to the world.

Moral action and renewal have their place, but they cannot redeem. There is only one Redeemer. Ministers of the gospel should be jealous and zealous in proclaiming salvation through Christ alone. Perhaps you will not go as far as I do in saying that redeeming culture leads to a Messiah complex, but I do hope you will give serious consideration to the problems associated with the concept of redeeming culture in general and more particularly of identifying Christian activity with redemptive history.

 

[rbcbob]

I have considerable sympathy with your critique. Perhaps we would do better to think of neither redeeming or reclaiming the culture, but rather of influencing it by godly living. We ought to be living in our setting in such a way as to prompt the question "what is the reason for the hope that is in you?"

 

[MW]

but rather of influencing it by godly living.

I understand the thought behind it, and agree with the idea of it to a certain extent, but even here there is a tendency to identify social actions with "godliness." A home educator might be ungodly or ungodly, and a godly person may or may not home educate. Also, whether this godliness might "influence" society and in what way is important to consider. They that will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. I also think the idea of "influence" can have a detrimental effect on godliness because godliness ceases to be pursued for its own intrinsic worth.

 

[rbcbob]

My reply was too compact. I might have better said that the lived out godliness of the truly regenerate ought to have it's designed effect upon any and all ungodly society. That is to say that we are to be salt and light. Insofar as this reality impinges upon homeschooling it cannot, with success, be separated from real and vital holiness.
This, of course, raises still further questions and clarifications.

I agree wholeheartedly that much homeschool philosophy in America is shortsighted and naive relative to societal influence.

 

[Staphlobob]

I agree wholeheartedly that much homeschool philosophy in America is shortsighted and naive relative to societal influence.

In regards to "societal influence" - maybe. How about in regards to public education?

 

[rbcbob]

I agree wholeheartedly that much homeschool philosophy in America is shortsighted and naive relative to societal influence.

In regards to "societal influence" - maybe. How about in regards to public education?

Not sure what you're asking. Could you elaborate a bit?

 

[RamistThomist]

I would have thought that a lot of this triumphalist rhetoric would have toned down a bit after the Doug Phillips debacle.

 

[earl40]

I have considerable sympathy with your critique. Perhaps we would do better to think of neither redeeming or reclaiming the culture, but rather of influencing it by godly living. We ought to be living in our setting in such a way as to prompt the question "what is the reason for the hope that is in you?"

When the answer is "because of the grace shown to me in Jesus" and the person is not regenerated? All I know is when I give a full answer to that question I suffer because of a myriad of reasons. C'est la vie.

 

[Staphlobob]

Not sure what you're asking. Could you elaborate a bit?

I have no problems with the notion that homeschooling has problems regarding its understanding of - and solution - to society's ills. But I'm wondering about homeschooling vs. public schooling in particular. It's my understanding that public education is pro-homosexual, very secular-minded, and anti-Christian. Would homeschooling provide any solution to this problem? Or should we adopt Machen's understanding of a "Bureau of Education" in his disagreement wit the government?

Just curious is all.

 

[Herald]

Not sure what you're asking. Could you elaborate a bit?

I have no problems with the notion that homeschooling has problems regarding its understanding of - and solution - to society's ills. But I'm wondering about homeschooling vs. public schooling in particular. It's my understanding that public education is pro-homosexual, very secular-minded, and anti-Christian. Would homeschooling provide any solution to this problem? Or should we adopt Machen's understanding of a "Bureau of Education" in his disagreement wit the government?

Just curious is all.

Without embracing the "saving America through homeschooling" mentality, homeschooling does provide parents an opportunity to control the amount of secular influence the world has on their children; especially in the formative early school years. Parents need to take care that they do not view homeschooling as an inoculation against the ungodly elements of society. In the United States children will receive over 14,000 hours of education from K-12th grade*. That is a lot of time for the secular state to be teaching a child. And this is not a case of "less is more". Withholding a child from state provided education is not enough. Christian parents who homeschool have a responsibility to adequately teach their children according to a Christian worldview. This is an important distinction from homeschooling in general. Not every homeschooling family is a Christian homeschooling family. But on the basis that the parents are Christians, they have a unique opportunity to influence their children according to biblical principles. There is no guarantee this will protect their children from the social ills that are prevalent in society, but it is preferable to willingly allowing the state to fill their minds with unbiblical philosophies.



*Center for Public Education

 

[rbcbob]

The OP referenced a blog by Rev. Mathis which is a good read. It makes a number of helpful criticisms of the "take back our country" goal of some homeschool movements.

I say this as a father who has (chiefly in a support role to my wife) homeschooled four children now, as adults, are living in post-Christian America.

 

[RamistThomist]

I also plan to homeschool my daughter, but I do get nervous at the homeschool-or-death mentality.

 

[kvanlaan]

As homeschoolers who have seen this man speak in the flesh, I do agree that sometimes passion can override fact. I do know that certain phrases have been bandied about for ages about how certain presidents were homeschooled, etc. without citation but I think the article also swings the pendulum a little too far the other way. While he takes issue with the lack of annotation of Mr Boyer's claims, I see some of the same in the Nehemiah Institute article. Where are the homeschool student pool stats drawn from? Are they simply examining every homeschooler that they could lay hands on? Are they homeschoolers from faithful churches or from society in general? If included in there are homeschoolers from Joel Osteen-like churches or simply back-to-the-land or anti-establishment-type hippies, then I think the pool is indeed tainted. Let's compare apples to apples. The audience Mr Boyer is addressing is that of young Christian homeschoolers. And let's face it, we are talking rather conservative folks here too. The OCHEC conventions we've attended are full of articulate and by-and-large christian children, who are largely running the show. My brother always makes fun of it; he calls it the 'denim-skirt convention' - baby strollers and long dresses/skirts are the norm and it does look a bit throw-back-ish in general. BUT there are specific worldview sessions every year that make the Nehemiah institute article look ridiculous. It is a major focus in this area, not a nebulous implication. Maybe this is unusual for the rest of the homeschooling world, but if the OCHEC convention and its attendants are any indication, these articles are well off base.

PS - if it is true that 85% of the Christian community (and I also wonder what demographics this entails) is enrolling children in public schools, then WOW there are huge issues right now and they will birth wide-spread apostasy in the next generation. Yes, there are some faithful families who send their children to public schools due to certain issues and who are adamant in their tracking and stewardship of their children's education, but I don't think that is the norm (sorry, no citation on that opinion either!)

 

[Miss Marple]

How does "Raise up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it" fit into your thoughts? How do we understand this proverb?

 

[Peairtach]

How does "Raise up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it" fit into your thoughts? How do we understand this proverb?

I don't think anyone is against Christian education, whether at home or elsewhere, but the point is that we must not put our faith in it to save.

 

[Mushroom]

I didn't decide to homeschool my kids to 'save' anything. Just wanted to give them an education that, as all things ought, acknowledges Christ as King. And to keep their little minds out of the hands of the degenerates that lurk there. In 1970, at the age of 11, the most popular teachers were warning us kids with a wink not to bring any pot to school because a search was eminent. The one teacher who spoke of a Creator was held in great derision by the other teachers and most of the students. I doubt things have improved in the ensuing 44 years.

 

[Staphlobob]

Dear Bill Brown,

I completely agree with you (and with Richard Tallach). Thanks for both of your responses.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Great post Matthew. I'm a homeschooler but have never considered it to be for the sake of some cultural mandate. I think too many people view Christianity as something where we're trying to supplant a faulty worldview with another worldview and that Christianity's fundamental mission is to make sure that it doesn't have people who do not have a full-orbed worldview. There's sort of a sense that some folks have that we're going to "win" because our kids will be so much better equipped to think rightly about everything.

My fundamental goal with my children is that their education would be focused on regularly reminding them of their need to lay hold of Christ. I have to rely upon the Spirit to perform the work by His Sovereign power but I want to raise them in the realization that all of what they learn is aimed to His glory. What He desires to do for His glory through Him is by His Providence. I don't want them to think that their fundamental aim is taking back America. I want them to be focused on pressing into the Kingdom of God and seeking His righteousness and let other things be added as He sees fit.

 

[kvanlaan]

I don't think it is a cultural mandate specifically (not in the way it is presented here) but it is interesting coming to check up on this thread after viewing the R2K thread. Is there something of a disconnect?