Objection # 3 : Parents choose Christian education because of fear rather than trusting God .
Objection # 2 : I went to a public school , and I love Jesus .
Many Christian parents rationalize that they went to a public school and still love Jesus , so why shouldn ’ t their children do the same ? I know smokers who never got cancer and obese individuals who never had heart disease . Certainly , we wouldn ’ t point to these instances as a reason to start smoking or eating poorly . We can also point to Christian children who attend a non-Christian school and love Jesus . Similarly , we would be unwise to use the positive outcomes of the few as justification for choosing non-Christian education . We must remember the end never justifies the means , and experience is not our standard of authority . Please do not make the mistake of using your experience , or that of others , as the standard for your educational decisions . The Bible must be our authority , and it tells us the what , why , who , and how of education .
In addition , public schools today are fundamentally different than the public school you remember and exponentially more secular in every way . Gone are the days when chewing gum in class and running in the halls were the biggest concerns . Christianity and biblical morality have largely been banned from schools and replaced with a woke agenda , LGBTQ ideology , declining academics , escalating violence , anti-family agendas , and atheism in the curriculum . Voddie Baucham once said , “ We cannot continue to send our children to Caesar for their education and be surprised when they come home as Romans .” We would be wise to recognize this reality .
The primary reason Christian parents should pursue Christian education is to obey the commands of Scripture so that they raise children to know , love , and serve Christ their whole life . The Bible has a lot to say about education , using the words knowledge , learn , instruct , teach , wise , mind , and think . The Bible is very prescriptive about what children are to be taught ( Deut . 4:9 ; Ps . 78:4 ; Ps . 34:11 ), who is to instruct a child ( parents , grandparents , and the church , not the government ), the purpose of education ( 2 Tim . 3:17 ; Col . 1:28-29 ; Col . 2:6-8 ), and how children are to be taught ( Deut . 6:7-9 ; 2 Tim . 3:14-15 ; Eph . 6:4 ). The biblical vision for a child ’ s education is centered on and saturated with God ’ s Word , laws , work , and character , the fear of God , and godly living .
The Bible also provides principles about what Christians are to think about and the kind of people Christians are to be around . Paul tells the church at Philippi , “ Whatever is true , whatever is honorable , whatever is just , whatever is pure , whatever is lovely , whatever is commendable , if there is any excellence , if there is anything worthy of praise , think about these things ” ( Phil . 4:8 ). Christians are called to meditate on God ’ s Word day and night ( Josh . 1:8 ). We are told that bad company corrupts good character ( 1 Cor . 15:33 ), and that education is discipleship where the student becomes like the teacher ( Luke 6:40 ). If anything , it is the fear of the Lord that drives parents to choose Christian education , not fear of man . Parents can no longer accomplish what God instructs through public education .
40 THE RENEWANATION REVIEW