Imagine having first-hand, verifiable knowledge that patrons of a particular restaurant routinely experience food poisoning. After eating there, their stomach and intestinal distress is so bad that it leads to serious illness. Imagine reading about the effects of prolonged exposure to this establishment's unhealthy conditions, not doubting the veracity of the accounts at all. Now imagine arriving at the conclusion that it is acceptable for your children to eat at this restaurant because, well, it's free. I mean, you don't have to pay extra -- it already comes out of your tax dollars; besides, you want them to be missionaries to those who think the restaurant is a fine place to eat.
I believe I have made my point. The fact that so many professing Christians continue to patronize the secular educational establishment of the public school which has widely acknowledged failures across the board -- academically, spiritually, emotionally, physically, and socially -- speaks to the moral apathy and irresponsibility of our day. Moreover, it will doom the next generation to the poisonous mindsets and solutions of our day that have, as their baseline, antipathy to God's holy Word.
The issue is how God's people will prepare themselves to be useful members of His Kingdom. If the answers in all disciplines (economics, history, political science, medicine, and counseling, to name a few) are not grounded in the Word of God, then the future belongs to those who hate God and the Bible. If however the Faithful continue to challenge every thought and bring each idea into captivity to the obedience of Christ, then God will be glorified and pleased to bless His people. In order to accomplish this, Christians must surround themselves with instructional materials and teachers that are self-consciously biblical and which not only profess allegiance to Christ but also teach a deliberate biblical application as well.
Back to my restaurant analogy… It's time for those who bear the name of Christ to stop eating and approving of "bad food." And, it's time for those of us who know better to no longer mince words.
- Andrea G. Schwartz
Andrea Schwartz is Chalcedon’s family and Christian education advocate, and the author of eight books including: A House for God: Building a Kingdom-Driven Family, The Biblical Trustee Family: Understanding God’s Purpose for Your Household, Empowered: Developing Strong Women for Kingdom Service, Woman of the House: A Mother’s Role in Building a Christian Culture, and The Homeschool Life: Discovering God’s Way to Family-Based Education. She’s also the co-host of the Out of the Question podcast, the Chalcedon podcast, and has an active teaching schedule with women and high schooled students.. She can be reached at [email protected].