Posted on 06/09/2004 12:53:26 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
Baptist resolution gets
critical endorsement
Homeschool organization pushes plan to shun government education
The Home School Legal Defense Association, or HSLDA, has endorsed a resolution before the Southern Baptist Convention that would direct its members to yank their children out of public schools and either homeschool them or send them to Christian schools.
As WorldNetDaily reported, the resolution, introduced by activists T.C. Pinckney and Bruce Shortt, asks "all officers and members of the Southern Baptist Convention and the churches associated with it to remove their children from the government schools and see to it that they receive a thoroughly Christian education, for the glory of God, the good of Christ's church, and the strength of their own commitment to Jesus."
The measure has been referred to the SBC Resolutions Committee, which makes recommendations to the floor of the Baptists' convention occurring in Indianapolis next week.
"HSLDA strongly supports this resolution," the organization said in an e-mail to supporters. The group, the largest of its kind in the nation, urges homeschoolers who are Baptist to contact members of the Resolutions Committee and tell them to "allow an up or down vote on the Christian Education Resolution."
"Homeschooling is growing rapidly and successfully producing mature Christian citizens with a biblical worldview," the notice said. "It's time for the wider Christian community to make the choice for homeschooling."
Shortt told WND he views the public-school issue as one of "spiritual blindness," noting that roughly 85 percent of Christians send their children to government institutions.
"If you had a congregation where 85 percent of the people had a drug problem or an adultery problem, you'd hear about it from the pulpit," he said, "and yet in most churches right now, this is an issue that's not discussed."
The activist says he considers sending children to government schools as "the grossest kind of sin," saying Christians don't want to be confronted with the issue because it would be inconvenient and financially challenging to kick the public-school habit.
Interesting. I used to be a So. Baptist...been homeschooling since 1990.
Reminds me of the woman in California who pulled her children from public schools (in order to home school them) because she considered the schools to be a form of child abuse.
The libertines should be crawling out of the woodwork anytime now.
Well, schools in CA are a form of child abuse especially when they subject students to mandated homosexual indoctrination against their parents wishes. Can you imagine the confusion a student must feel when he learns one thing at home or in his church, and then when he attends a CA public school, he is practically ordered to "embrace" homosexuality and is mocked out if he doesn't, like the CA kids subjected to a Planned Parenthood exercise where students were singled out for their dissent? Or if he wears a t-shirt with a religious message on it condeming the practice of homosexuality he is suspended? I believe it's called cognitive dissonance. It sets up confusion and drives a wedge between the family and the school. It is child abuse.
I don't think this resolution will be passed, but it might wake some parents up to the fact that they should make sure that the schools they send their children to (public or private) are schools that they can trust. If they can't trust the schools to uphold their values, perhaps they should look elsewhere.
I certainly agree. One of the most commons reasons, imo, that parents who would like to have their children homeschooled or taught in a Christian school is a lack of money.
Perhaps a fund to pay the teachers a competitive salary would also be helpful.
There are many teachers who would prefer to work in religious or private schools, but can't afford to do so.
BTTT
I just ran across this thread and saw your comment. Excellent. I am planning to Homeschool my children too. The youngest is 1 and the oldest just turned 5. My wife has been working with him since he was 3 and he reads and does simple math.
Your cognitive dissonance argument came up today in one of our discussions at church. You wouldn't believe the number of members we have that are homeschooling, pulling their kids out of public school, or have put their children into private christian schools.
IMHO the schools here in Florida are an embarrassment.
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