Yes, it's true. You didn't misread my title. In fact, I dare say that a day doesn't go by in my homeschool that the subject and tenets of evolution don't come up, either directly or indirectly. This topic makes its way into our study of science, history, philosophy, and theology, not to mention its implications in cultural affairs and current events. You might be wondering, isn't this the very reason many Christian parents remove their children from state schools -- to get away from such teaching?
Evolution is a topic that repeatedly enters into our curriculum the same way that sin is a topic that gets covered in depth. How am I adequately educating my child if I fail to cover in detail the lies and deceptions that are prevalent in our humanistic culture? The Christian homeschooling parent must be prepared to understand, articulate, and refute the preposterous claims that currently serve as explanations for the origins of life and the presence of all creatures great and small. Fortunately, there are many good books and publishers that have taken the time to make this task much easier.
This kind of teaching and learning further prepares our students to be salt and light as they make disciples of all nations. Unless they understand what their contemporaries are being taught, they will be hampered when they engage in discussions with those steeped in lies. Furthermore, they will be better equipped to explain how the law-word of God is the relevant component in understanding life itself, the Creator of life, and His requirement of obedience.
Secular government schools insist that the foundation of a child's education be based on deception and falsehoods specifically designed to alienate the child from the God of Scripture. It is precisely for this reason that statist educators want children at younger and younger ages, while they are so impressionable. And, it is precisely for this reason that Christian parents should never relinquish their God-given responsibility to train up their children -- especially to those who either explicitly or implicitly deny the Holy Word of God.
- 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].