The media has been replete with news on the Intelligent Design debate. This time however, the issues have taken a more serious nature. Intelligent Design advocates believe they can make a strong enough case for allowing certain features of design to be taught in Public Schools alongside the untouchable theory of evolution. Though I have much sympathy for the Intelligent Design Movement, I have maintained for the last three years that to attempt to implement a theistic world view into a system that is overwhelmingly pagan is an exercise in futility. Though not a popular view, my proposal as well as a growing consensus of evangelicals and confessional Christians (Presbyterians) is that children are entitled to a thoroughly Christian education.
The Chalcedon Foundation has recently published a small but telling approach to the Intelligent Design Controversy. I wholeheartedly support their commitment on this area. Here is the section from their discussion.
For Chalcedon, Intelligent Design (ID) is moot because we believe a Christian child should not participate in the humanistic institution of public education. Parents and churches must work together to raise godly children that can discount the theory of evolution as scientifically and philosophically untenable.
My prayer is that Christian parents will respond to the Dover case as a further confirmation that their child’s education is their responsibility, not that of the state. Groups like the Discovery Institute could be of great benefit to Christian parents by creating resources to be used by homeschoolers and Christian academies. Let the Christian community work to create alternatives.
The future prosperity of the Kingdom of God is not contingent upon public schools teaching ID. After all, were Judge Jones to rule in favor of ID would Christian families begin sending their children BACK to public schools?
The Christian world view is a system and must be taught as such. Prayer in school to the god of your choice, or science classes that grant equal time for ID as well as evolution, are not solutions. In fact, they are hindrances. Uninformed Christian parents may leave their children in the public school system simply because of 60 seconds of silent prayer to the “marvelous upstairs person.”
They will not be taught that the Triune God created the world by His powerful Word in the space of six days and declared all, very good. They will not be instructed in the application of God’s law to every area of life and thought. Even worse, they will grasp the ungodly concept of neutrality — that 2+2=4 even if God doesn’t exist.
They will lose sight of the centrality of the church and the family; and will likely send their future children to the same godless institution. Education is the responsibility of parents. And parents do not control the public school system. The state controls education; and in doing so, they control the future. Let’s take that power back. Let’s use what’s left of our liberties and resign from this system. Millions of Christians have already done so. Millions more should. Choose ye this day whom you will serve, God or the state?
Hi ##name##, this is year one of home schooling for us. My wife is a real trooperindependent home study My schedule does not allow me to help as much as I wouldlike. She shows the patience and the kids are learning. We are thankful that we are going this route. Please pass on any good homeschool tips.independent home studythanks
I highly recommend Veritas’ press (http://www.veritaspress.com/store/home.asp)
and the chalcedon website. They have a section reserved for homeschooling tips and other helpful articles.