Dr. Al Mohler's book, Culture Shift, is one of the smartest reads of this year. It is a short, succinct manual for engaging the culture with Christian truth. I am a very critical reader, and I have very little criticism for Culture Shift. One point of criticism was the insertion of chapter nine: "Needed: An Exit Strategy from Public Schools. The Crisis Christian Parents Face."It seems strange to write a book on engaging culture but then include a chapter on withdrawing from a critical cultural battleground. Dr. Mohler did a lot to clear up this discrepency when I interviewed him last week, but it is something that I think will still strike readers as odd. That is why I wrote Experiencing Culture Shift for RelevantMagazine.com.
My educational background is a patchwork of Christian schooling and public schooling with a year of homeschooling in the middle. If your experience is similar to mine, you probably have some strong opinions about public schools and Christian schools shaded with humorous, hurtful, awkward and wonderful experiences.
What is your educational background like?
What are personal views about Christian schooling/homeschooling/public schooling?
Any good stories?
4 comments:
Let me apologize in advance for the soapbox I will probably end up on.
I did all thirteen pre-college years in public schools and I wouldn't wish it to have been any different. I believe I learned a lot and actually grew closer to God through my interactions with friends at school. I received a good education, both in the classroom and in life. I learned about various views people hold, I had positive interactions on a daily basis with people who held different beliefs than I did, and I loved the chance to show Christ to others through my actions.
I think homeschooling and Christian schooling have their places. Academically, sometimes the only way to ensure that children receive a good education is to do it yourself, or to put them in a private school. If that's the motivation behind such a move, then I would agree wholeheartedly. If, however, the motivation for not putting a child in public school is to shelter them from the world, then I have a problem with it.
(Here comes the soapbox): Sheltering children, and the church in general, from the world only serves to create a Christian ghetto. Jesus didn't die for us to spend our time huddling, trying to block the attack of the enemy; He gave us armor to fight. We should be out there every day engaging the world and doing our best to bring glory to God. If we're not doing that, then what are we doing with our lives?
I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but taking kids out of public schools doesn't guarantee that they will be safe and secure and innocent forever. Eventually they will have to encounter the world. Isn't it better that they learn from an early age how to have positive interactions with people who don't share their beliefs, rather than have it sprung on them when they go to college?
Jonathan,
I've known you and your family since May of 1983. You were YOUNG. I consider your dad a personal friend and the greatest pastor of the 20th Century. My wife and I love your Mom, too.
Here's where I am on this "global warming" thing. I have always been highly suspicious of anything
touted by a Democrat, so as I checked into Mr. Gore's claims, I found out that the earth had warmed up 6/10 of one degree in the past 100 years. Whether that is true or false I do not know. I think I found the info on a US Government site on the WEB.
Jonathan, really want to know what you've discovered, since it would appear that your research has led to the signing of an SBC Statement on climate change.
Because I teach young adults in Bible Study, who have children who are getting a full dose of the "left" side of things in public school, I'd like to address them on the issue with some amount of accuracy. I don't want to spend vast amounts of time reading volumes of material and data. I will trust whatever you tell me for it would seem you have done an exemplary job for the SBC.
May God richly bless your life,
Robert & Valerie Lightsey
#46 Gavin Subdivision Road
Laurel, MS 39443-0726
rlightsey@lifeguardmedicalalerts.com
866.760.8899
p.s. We visited with your parents at Crosspointe last April and had dinner with them and your brother James. I hope to meet you one day. I'm sure you could enlighten this old man. (I'm a year younger than your father, and we all know how OLD he is!)
I was wondering does the Baptist churches condone Genetically Modified foods? I hear none of the Churches speaking out against this. This GMO foods are killing people by the thousands, and why wouldn't it? Full of Cancer causing Roundup. Nasty. I want to see the Churches telling their families what they are feeding to their babies.
Mr. Merritt, This is the latest information I have seen regarding "Global Warming".
"Sue Al Gore?
At first glance, global warming does not seem like a values issue. But we periodically comment on it because of the growing nexus between the socialist Left and politicized science that is trying to use the brute force of government to impose a radical anti-business, anti-family agenda on the country -- all under the guise of saving the environment or combating climate change. It’s not at all clear that the stated goals of these climatic “doom and gloomers” are achievable, while the unstated goals and unintended consequences of the liberal policies they propose would do considerable damage to our economy, our security and our values. Here’s a summary of some news that might be of interest.
Most of the U.S. is experiencing a cold winter. Snow fall in many areas is reaching record levels. You may have noticed that it has snowed in Baghdad and Jerusalem in recent weeks as well. China is experiencing one of its coldest winters in a century. What happened to global warming? According to research scientist John Lott, Jr., “global temperatures have been cooling dramatically over the last decade. Global temperatures have now largely eliminated most of the one degree Celsius warming that had previously occurred over the last 100 years.” Today, the online magazine DailyTech reports that a Hungarian physicist and former advocate of the Kyoto Protocal no longer refers to global warming as a crisis, because he now believes that old theories of greenhouse gas emissions are totally wrong. And on Monday, at a conference on climate change in New York, the founder of the Weather Channel suggested that Al Gore be sued in order to expose the fraud of global warming."
I have no doubt you are a serious youg man. I would; however, like to know what your agenda is. Are you seriously worried about Global Warming....If so I suggest studying all the research before possibly leading any of Jesus' little ones astray in either direction. If on the other hand you have a leaning toward a more socialist state where individual rights are subservent to the state then I have absolutely no faith in your opinion and certainly do not condone your method.
Kind Regards,
Dub Phillips
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