CHAPTER 11
Education Ceded to the State
“The Philosophy of the school room in one generation . . . will be the Philosophy of Government in the next.” Abraham Lincoln
In 1986 Robert Fulghum published a book titled,“All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”. As he listed the things that he had learned in kindergarten, the concept of what he was suggesting resonated with many people. The simple fundamentals that were taught in kindergarten were foundational for developing the character of good and loving citizens. I think that it is important to note that Robert Fulghum was born in 1937 and would have entered school in the early 1940’s. The godly influence of our founders was still predominating in our public education then. Even our politics was still laced with references from God’s Word in those days.
I once read that a child’s moral values were established by the time he was eight years old. As a believer in God’s Word I do not believe those values are necessarily locked permanently, because God has provided a path of redemption and reconciliation through faith and repentance. Nevertheless we need to understand the importance of early education and its impact on individuals and society. Robert Fulghum was still learning the basics of a civil society in his early education, but subtle changes were already affecting education from early on in the 20th century. Gradually the Christian elements were being weeded out and our historic roots compromised. The concepts of the secular enlightenment and Darwinian Evolution were gaining influence.
Difficult Times Have Come
“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these.” (2Ti 3:1-5 NAS)
It was but a few years after Robert was in kindergarten that our schools hosted the children who would play such a role in the turbulent 1960’s. These children grew up in an era that promoted family. TV programs like “Father Knows Best” and “Leave it to Beaver” were common. But times were changing and this generation rebelled. What happened, and why did the 60’s generation rebel? Had not they learned the same things in kindergarten as Robert Fulghum had? Yet the description of these young people as they approached adulthood would have fit these verses in 2 Timothy.
I think that these young rebels still held to a form of godliness. But their young minds were focused on the hypocrisies around them. They were easily led to find fault with their parents’ generation, but yet were too immature to see their own hypocrisy. The majority of these young rebels shouted slogans such as, “Make Love, Not War”. But what was lacking in their moral values was what had been eliminated from their education. They had been brought up with basic Christian moral values. But the source and authority of those values had been stripped from their education. The power of Christian morality is in its authority. The power of godliness rests in the authority of the Creator to lead and direct us. When we forget this, our moral values become compromised by selfishness, greed, and self interest.
The 60’s revolution altered the course of our nation. This generation sought to correct the hypocrisy and greed around them, but it was an utter failure. It did not correct the materialistic direction in which our country was headed. Many of these idealistic youth slipped back into an even worse course than where their parents were headed. Their children have grown up under an even worse environment. The reason for this is simple. America did not need a new revolution in the 60’s. What was needed was a revival; a return to a reverence for the authority of God and His Word. The civilized world is a product of adherence to the law of God. In the measure in which a society adheres to the law of God is the measure in which they experience civilization.
A closer look at the results of the 60’s rebellion will show that there was some good that came out of this period. There was limited revival taking place that had a profound effect in the 70’s and 80’s. There were many that turned to God during this time, and many from these conversions are the voices of reason in our present day and time. Hope was renewed for a time, that America could again be that light on a hill, an example to be followed. But the general direction of our country coming out of the 60’s was toward a godless morality that remains in a constant flux of change.
I have digressed into history to show the results of ceding the high ground when it comes to the education of our children. The quote I presented from Abraham Lincoln has proven to be true and the state of our classrooms today prophesies of a dreadful future tomorrow. The only thing that can save us from the anarchy of our future will be a revival. The Trump revival is not enough to save our future. It has been a wakeup call that has alerted some to realize the extreme direction our country is headed. But it has not been enough to bring the majority back to where we need to be morally and spiritually as a country. Each cycle our nation has experienced has ended with our country being a little further from God and our godly roots.
When we are applying the concept of the high moral ground to education we need to realize that our stance needs to be established on different levels. There are godly standards that need to be applied at every level of public education, from pre-school to a PHD. The most important high ground is ceded when we cede our responsibility to educate our children, to the state.
Our Right, Our Responsibility
“”And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. “And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” (De 6:5-7 NAS)
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (Declaration of Independence)
Let me propose that also among the unalienable rights from God is the right to educate our children. When we are considering rights that are granted to us by our Creator I will also propose that our reception of that right from God comes with a burden of responsibility. No matter which unalienable right we are talking about, each of us must take responsibility for that right if we choose to accept it. As an example: If we have a God-given right to life, then we must choose to live, and take responsibility to feed and nurture that life.
There was only one man who was created fully formed in the likeness and image of God. From him God formed woman. “Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam (or Man), in the day when they were created.” (Ge 5:2 AV) God gave to Man the gift of life and the earth as his inheritance. All of mankind is the product of that gift that was given to Adam, but none of us were fully formed in our humble beginning, nor were we taught directly by God. Each child that is born has the gift of life, but that gift and the responsibility for it was placed in the hands of his parents. There comes a time when that child becomes fully formed, and then the responsibility for his life becomes fully his own. There is a broader discussion that brings in the role of extended family, community, and nation, but I want to focus on the role of the parents and their rights and responsibilities.
From the moment of inception the responsibility of a child’s life rests with his parents. The wisdom of God designed a way to provide for life until it becomes fully formed and fully responsible for its own gift of life. That design was family: a father and mother in union. I have already touched on the importance of education emphasizing that the most important aspect of education is what we teach. Now I am emphasizing where the responsibility of that education lies. Adam was educated by God himself. Our children have been preprogrammed to look to us for their education. Primary human instincts and desires all verify the truths taught in Scripture regarding our responsibility to guide and direct our children, and our role to point them to the truth.
Most of our discussions about education focus on schools, vocational training, and exposure to the world around us. In these areas parents do have a vital role and can be instrumental in our children’s successes in these areas. I am not suggesting that parents are to be the sole source of a person’s education. What I am suggesting is that the responsibility for their education falls on the shoulders of their parents. When parents do not fulfill their responsibility it is ceded to someone else. Not all of those willing to fulfill this responsibility have your child’s best interests at heart.
When does a child’s education begin? I don’t know. But I do know that a child’s education begins long before they are born. You may laugh at people who read to their children before they are born. Logically it would seem impossible that the child would understand the words and story line. But we do know that the atmosphere and relationship of those in the household do have an effect on the development of that child. The unborn cannot put their feelings into words, or understand words, but they are learning and experiencing love, or hate, or whatever else is going on. In many ways their identity is being forged even while they are in the womb.
Ceding the high ground on the right and responsibility of parents to educate their own children is one of the most important areas in which the high ground has been ceded. This is one of the important inalienable rights that God has granted us and we have not argued for it from that perspective. I hesitate to say that this is the most important point of my whole book, but it may be. Passing on eternal truth to the next generation is pivotal in determining the outcome of entire people groups for generations into the future. So we need to examine this issue more closely.
“I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Thy works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from Thee, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Thy book they were all written, The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.” (Ps 139:14-16 NAS)
One of the most influential films concerning abortion was “The Silent Scream”. Before a baby had the ability to express its feelings it was able to experience pain. We now know that babies are affected by the things his mother consumes. Babies are affected by alcohol, drugs, and cigarette smoke. They do not understand what is happening to them, and they have no means of communicating the discomfort that they feel, but it is very real.
Likewise, there is programmed into each one of us desires that were intended to help us develop and mature to the stature of God’s design. Especially in our early development, we do not understand our cravings, know how to fulfill them, or even have the ability to do so. Once we are free of the womb we express our unfilled desires by crying. There are times during this stage of our development that both child and parent experience frustration because of lack of understanding why the baby is crying. When we supply the need of the child (such as feeding them) they become content and the crying stops. If the need was never supplied eventually the crying would become silent and the baby would die.
We all know that babies need more than just milk and can be crying for a lot of different reasons. I have merely used this illustration about milk to point out that the innate desires that we have are there for important reasons and are best fulfilled when we live life as God intended. Modern society has tried to use shortcuts and unnatural means of providing support for our innate desires, but time and again we are confronted with effects of unfulfilled desires. There is more to the benefits of breast feeding than just the milk it provides. It is also true when we provide substitutes for our many desires; they all fall short of God’s provision.
Patience, I intend to use all this to help us understand God’s plan for education, even though you may be scratching your head wondering where I am taking you. Much of our society has strayed so far from the natural, they can’t recognize it when they see it. So I will try to use the natural fulfillment of a baby’s desire to parallel our natural desires that lead to the fulfillment that comes through receiving the proper education.
As a baby grows so do his innate desires. We do not usually refer to their exploratory nature as a quest for knowledge, but in a sense it is. Soon after a baby takes its first breath it begins exploring the world around it. To begin with, their world is very small and contained within their limited sight, reach, and hearing. The speed at which their world expands is largely dependent upon those who care for them. The natural inquisitive nature of a child is enhanced by his parents’ desire to instill knowledge and understanding. Without the direction and protection of caregivers a child’s natural inquisitive nature would probably be the death of him. Often in a person’s development their ability to explore exceeds their ability to discern between that which is good or bad, and that which is beneficial or harmful.
Let me wrap all this up by presenting what I think is evidence of the importance of parental education. I think that God has programmed within the parents and the children desires that are only met when the family is functioning properly. When a baby is born, a mother is born. We could spend a great deal of time reviewing the connection a mother has with her children. Even a casual observer can see the incredible bond that develops between a mother and her baby. But even the father is preprogrammed to embrace his children. In our culture we often see fathers distancing themselves from their children, unwilling to accept the responsibility that comes with raising children. But often that resolve is broken down if that father is present at the birth and holds his newborn child. In our present culture where fathers are having a diminishing role in the raising of our children, there still remains within the father an inner craving to connect with their children in a meaningful way.
From my observation there is a God thing going on here. God intended people to provide for their children and there are innate desires that draw them to long for a relationship with their own children. In spite of the fact that our culture is trying to redefine family and relationships, there remains a fierce conflict with our God-given nature that draws us to our children. Just think about all of the things that have been inflicted upon this generation that are at enmity with the God-designed family: sexual perversions, divorce, adultery, feminism, secularism, government interference, etc. Or we could sum it up by just saying sin and selfishness. Yet the unfulfilled relationship between parent and child continues to plague and torture men’s souls. My conclusion is that this innate desire was intended to align our children in a position to be educated by their parents.
Likewise, is the desire of children to their parents. I suggest that it is as powerful as the desire of a newborn babe for his mother’s breasts. Even much more powerful if you consider how long it lasts and the ramifications if it should be left unfulfilled. In our present culture in which 40% of babies are born out of wedlock, and divorce and dysfunctional families make up much of the remainder, the unfulfilled relationship between father and child has become pronounced. What is it that inspires people to still be searching and inquiring about who their father is, often continuing late into their lives? Is not it the same thing that inspires a six-year-old to say, “I want to grow up to be like my dad”? Is not it the same force that causes people to spend their lives seeking to have their parents’ approval? If a person’s parents are absent or if their parents do not fulfill the role of mentor and educator, a person is left with a painful longing that seems to be insatiable. Often this desire is not easily understood and rarely articulated clearly. In some ways it becomes another silent scream, a cry not easily expressed, so it is hidden in an aching heart.
“And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” (Ge 18:17-19 AV)
Every innate desire created in us was for a purpose in God’s plan. God’s plan was that we would raise up our children in the ways of the Lord, to do justice and judgment. That intense desire for the one on one relationship between parent and child was for this purpose. Somehow, in spite of the testimony of our innate desire and the admonition of God throughout His Word we have ignored this right and responsibility parents have to their children and children have to their parents. Deceptive voices have lured us to lower levels and convinced us that our duties were fulfilled simply by assuring that our children were educated. The important thing is WHAT we are taught, not that we are taught. And being taught the right thing is enhanced when it comes from our parents.
Ceding this high ground in our discussions and actions has allowed the enemy to virtually kidnap most of an entire generation of children. It has resulted in the transformation of our culture before our very eyes. Our Christian culture has become a pagan culture while we hopelessly stand by and wonder how and why this came to be. Much of it can be attributed to this one issue in which the high ground was ceded and we allowed the enemy to educate our children. Just as in the movie, “The Silent Scream”, we have seen the writhing action of children in disobedience, oblivious to the cause of their discomfort and in essence their silent scream, their cry for a meaningful relationship with their parents.