express gender. Gender expression education will include
information about the manifestations of traits that are typi-
cally associated with one gender. Crossdressing is one form
of gender expression.” Students are taught that they can
choose their own identity. 11
Long before gender became the issue, secular education
was taking a strong stand against biblical sexual norms. For
decades, we have been giving kids condoms, teaching that
having sex before marriage is good and acceptable, absti-
nence is impossible, and filling their minds with the lies of
homosexuality.
I will never forget the two 16-year-old kids that came to
me distraught over the pressure they were under at their
secular high school. They had committed to sexual purity,
but every day they were harassed because they hadn’t had sex
yet. These recently saved teens wanted to do what was right,
but their teachers and fellow students at school thought
they were crazy! Some may say kids can be missionaries in
secular schools, but it’s simply not true for the majority of
Christian kids. According to statistics, Christian kids are
being evangelized to believe the lies of the world, and not
the other way around.
6. The truth about American history and heritage
Most of America’s founders were men and women greatly
impacted by the Judeo-Christian worldview. Men like
George Washington said, “It is impossible to rightly govern
the world without God and the Bible.” The Bible heavily
influenced our founding documents, and it can safely be
said that much of our success is a result of our Christian
ethic and understanding.
However, America was never a perfect Christian nation
and has sinned grievously at times. Slavery was perhaps the
worst blight on our history, and it took the shed blood of
more than 620,000 men in the civil war to begin the process
of redemption from that sin.
In spite of her failures, America has been a unique and
special nation. I personally never met my Grandfather
Keaton because he gave his life fighting to stop Hitler from
taking over Europe. The United States has been the greatest
defender of freedom and justice the world has ever seen.
This is a direct result of her Christian founding.
America’s Christian heritage must be taught to our chil-
dren. However, children in far too many secular schools are
taught to despise America’s “racist and bigoted” past, and
this is causing a loss of national pride and respect. Athletes
are refusing to stand for the national anthem. One group
of high school football players actually laid on their backs
during the anthem. Because the educational establishment
in America’s universities has grown so hostile toward Chris-
tianity, they are producing K-12 teachers who are willing to
ignore our Christian past, except when they can convince
our kids it was not good.
Parents and pastors must get serious about addressing
these deficits if they hope to save their children from aban-
doning the faith. At Renewanation, we highly recommend
enrolling children in a Christian school or homeschool. We
are also working on a biblical worldview training program
to address these deficits. This program will be designed for
churches to offer to their secular school students. Millions
of children from Christian homes no longer believe in God
and the Bible. It’s time to acknowledge that a battle is raging
for the hearts and minds of our children, and we must do
something new and concrete to win it! A banner hanging
in the lobby of Sherwood Baptist Church says, “Whoever
wants the next generation the most, will get them.” Are you
willing to do what it takes to get them?
Jeff Keaton has been a successful pastor, church and school
planter, and ministry entrepreneur. As the founder and CEO
of Renewanation, Jeff now works across the United States and
Canada to help awaken the church to the great need to give ev-
ery child a biblical worldview. Jeff is married to his high school
sweetheart, Michele, and has two daughters and a son-in-law:
Julianna, Andrew, and Heidi. He is the author of The Life of
Radical Faith. Visit his website at jeffkeaton.net.
FOOTNOTES
1. Ken Ham, “Pew Research: Why Young People Are Leaving Christianity,” An-
swers in Genesis, September 8, 2016, https://answersingenesis.org/christianity/
church/pew-research-why-young-people-leaving-christianity.
2. “Six Reasons Young Christians Leave Church,” Barna Group, September 27,
2011, https://www.barna.com/research/six-reasons-young-christians-leave-
church.
3. “State of Atheism in America” Barna Group, March 24, 2015, https://www.
barna.com/research/2015-state-of-atheism-in-america.
4. Ken Ham, “Yes, We Are Losing the Millennials,” Answers in Genesis, May
13, 2015, https://answersingenesis.org/christianity/church/yes-we-are-losing-
millennials.
5. Carol Kuruvilla, “The Holy Bible Is Now One Of The Most Challenged Books
In America,” The Huffington Post, April 13, 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.
com/entry/the-holy-bible-is-now-one-of-the-most-challenged-books-in-america_
us_570d2d33e4b01422324a4465.
6. Todd Starnes, “Teacher Tells Student He Can’t Read the Bible in Classroom,”
Fox News, May 05, 2014, http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/05/05/
teacher-tells-student-cant-read-bible-in-my-classroom.html.
7. Rinehart and Winston Holt, Holt Science Spectrum: Physical Science (Holt,
Rinehart and Winston, 2008).
8. Michael Lipka, “Why America’s ‘Nones’ Left Religion Behind,” Pew
Research Center, August 24, 2016, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-
tank/2016/08/24/why-americas-nones-left-religion-behind.
9. “Evolution Vs. God Movie,” YouTube, August 6, 2013, https://youtu.be/
U0u3-2CGOMQ.
10. “Public Praises Science; Scientists Fault Public, Media,” Pew Research Center,
July 9, 2009, http://www.people-press.org/2009/07/09/public-praises-
science-scientists-fault-public-media.
11. Health and Physical Education Standards (Superintendent of Public Instruction,
2016), http://www.k12.wa.us/HealthFitness/Standards/HPE-Standards.pdf.
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