The RenewaNation Review 2017 Volume 9 Issue 2 | Page 28

and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad” (Mt 12:30). There is no neutral position here. If the education system is not for Christ, then it is against Him. If the text- books do not harmonize with God’s truth, they will naturally teach the opposite of that truth.   Let’s face it: children are being contaminated as a result of their secular education, the secular media, and their secular friends. In a world of no absolutes, evolution, sex outside marriage, gay “marriage,” attacks on gender distinction, humanism, and false religions—children are being tossed to and fro.   There are now generations of adults who attend church but are so contaminated by the world that they think like the world.   Private Christian education is an option, but don’t assume anything when it comes to the curriculum’s content or the faculty’s convictions. Don’t assume the students there are going to be a positive influence on your children. Do your research on the school; monitor everything carefully; and never shirk your responsibility to be the one who trains your kids.   You must be pouring the “salt” into your children—and this salt should be as uncontaminated as possible. This process is most assured in a home-based education where the parents can take hour-by-hour responsibility for the task.   Maturity comes with training, discipline, renewing the mind according to Scripture, and learning to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit rather than in the power of the flesh. That doesn’t come naturally! It comes with maturity, and maturity takes time. Children are not miniature adults. They are unable to discriminate between good and evil. They don’t have the discipline to choose between the truth and the cleverly crafted evolutionary philosophies.   Some people object to my education recommendations by saying, “Wait a minute! Don’t homeschooling and Christian schools force Christianity down kids’ throats?”   When parents humbly start with the Word of God and build “from the foundation up,” it makes a world of differ- ence. Starting with the logical foundations of all the doctrine in Genesis, not trying to prove the Bible with science, but using the Bible to understand science, parents can teach children how to defend the faith by giving them answers to skeptical questions of the age.   Christianity then is presented as a logical and defensible faith that makes sense of the world and is confirmed by real observational science, instead of what seems to be just 28 a collection of opinions. This is how we need to teach our children—from the time they are born until the time they leave home.   Even when homeschooling or a private Christian educa- tion seems like the best option, however, circumstances can make it impossible. If you are one of the people in this category, the fundamentals still apply. You may have to work harder than others, and you may have to access more help, but you have the same responsibility to provide foun- dational scriptural instruction to your children. You have the responsibility to belong to a strong Bible-believing and teaching church, and you have the responsibility to manage the circles of influence that your children are exposed to. Checking homework and monitoring your children’s friend- ships will be of the utmost importance. Are You Ready? Our whole Western world is changing. But really, it’s the fail- ure of so many Christian homes and churches who have not understood the times, have not stood uncompromisingly on the authority of the Word of God, and have not trained coming generations in the Christian worldview.   Who has the courage to stand up and challenge homes and churches concerning the reality of what has been happening to generations of children and now the dramatic changes in the twenties generation? As one person in his twenties said to me: “The loss of the twenties generation is really in many ways a failure of the previous generations in our homes and churches.” I agree!   So, are you ready to return? Will you help this generation return to God? If so, let’s join together and fight for their souls. Much is at stake, and the time is right now!  This article originally appeared in the 10/2015 issue of Answers® maga- zine. Copyright © 2015 Answers in Genesis. All Rights Reserved. The article is reprinted here by permission of Answers in Genesis. (Answers® and Answers in Genesis® are registered trademarks of Answers in Gen- esis, Inc.) For more information regarding Answers in Genesis, go to AnswersinGenesis.org and CreationMuseum.org. Ken Ham is a former public school science teacher and the founder and president of Answers in Genesis, the highly ac- claimed Creation Museum, and the world-renowned Ark En- counter. He is one of the most in-demand Christian speakers in North America. Ken has edited and authored many books about the authority of God’s Word and the impact of evolution- ary thinking on our culture, including the best seller, Already Gone. Read his blog at answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham. FOOTNOTES 1. The 2014 research was conducted on those who are attending church. One in five said they primarily attend a Baptist church (this was the biggest denomination represented). One in nine said they primarily attend a Roman Catholic church. However, when the Roman Catholic denomination was taken out of the groups, the statistics in regard to the answers did not change.