Posted on 08/26/2007 7:53:03 PM PDT by jern
Convinced that God has been erased from public schools, Southern Baptists are now working to open their own schools, where Jesus is writ large and Bible study is part of the daily curriculum.
Church leaders are not calling for a wholesale exodus from public schools, which would be a monumental hit, considering that Southern Baptists make up the nation's largest Protestant denomination with 16 million members.
Rather, they talk about alternatives to public schools capable of educating a new generation ready and willing to advocate for biblical principles rather than popular culture.
"In the public schools, you don't just have neutrality, you have hostility toward organized religion," said Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest. "A lot of parents are fed up."
Southeastern is leading the push, sponsoring a Christian School 101 workshop Monday and Tuesday. The program is designed to train church leaders to open private schools.
At Southeastern and elsewhere, Southern Baptists have become convinced that fighting to change the system is futile. They say public schools have long demonstrated a commitment to teaching evolution over creationism, world faiths over Christianity, sex education over abstinence, moral relativism over Christian claims of truth.
A history of alienation
The denomination's disenchantment with public schools is not new. It dates to the 1920s, when states debated the teaching of creationism vs. evolution. Evolution increasingly won, despite the famous Scopes Monkey Trial in Tennessee, which gave the victory to creationists. The 1962 and 1963 U.S. Supreme Court decisions banning prayer and devotional readings from public schools only increased Southern Baptists' ire.
Since then, alienation with public schools has grown alongside the nation's culture wars, pitting evangelical Christians against secularists.
"Southern Baptists see the new religious establishment in this country as secularism,"
(Excerpt) Read more at newsobserver.com ...
Actually Dublin, NH has a Christian Boarding school. I went to high school 40 years ago at a Christian School in Chicago (run by an independent Baptist Church).
Anyway - had a teacher who had gone to the Christian school in Dublin - later at Bob Jones I meant a few kids who had gone to school there... Don’t know how solid they are now - but back then they were VERY good.
http://www.dublinchristian.org/
Please name one.
I had a thought on the whole “salt of the earth” thing the other day...
I don’t understand the philosophy .. I might for when a kid goes to college - at that point he/she is no longer a child and quite frankly needs to make those decisions (with guidance). But prior to college I think it’s best to keep the kids (if possible) in a Christian education environment - whether at a Christian school or homeschool.
I think it is wrong for parents to expect the kids to go to public school “to be a testimony” ... what if the child has NOT made the decision to accept Christ in their hearts. The results could be disasterous.
Good.
Everyone using the government schools should feel defensive and be fully prepared with lists of excuses.
OUCH & AMEN!
“Most evangelicals are biblically ignorant and uninformed,” said Edward E. Gamble, director of the Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools, a Florida outfit that is hosting this week’s workshop. “We think it’s time we took ownership of the education of our children.”
We started home schooling when our oldest was ready for K, 13 yrs ago. That is all we have known...the private schools are just too expensive for us. We wanted our kids to be strong, grounded Christians and we also wanted them to learn what they’re supposed to learn.
They have a solution, same solution that the left ALWAYS uses - the FORCE of government. They'll try, successfully or not, to use government to force your kids to learn the curriculum that they want to teach.
My wife and I have toddler girls, we have already decided that they will go to private Catholic schools. We will make whatever sacrifices for them to get a good Christain education.
"Whater sacrifices" - check into home schooling if you're that committed.
Read this - it's what convinced me:
http://www.amazon.com/So-Youre-Thinking-About-Homeschooling/dp/1590520858
Interesting!
WOW — now that is cool — I am forwarding that to our youth minister. Thank you!
We have ruled this out. One for money reasons and two we want them to go to a school with other kids. We have a fair number of good Catholic schools in our area. And keep in mind my wife was educate K through college in private Catholic schools, this is the option we have choosen.
Good on your nephew. Missouri is also one of the best states in the country for homeschooling, with lots of supplemental resources available. :-)
good on you both. my oldest daughter is headed to an authentically Catholic college [U of Dallas], as a freshman, this very week. my kids have gone to catholic school from preschool on.
If you follow this closely, you would know that there have been splits in the SBC over the past few years. Here in Missouri, most of our Baptist colleges went with the split from the SBC. The SBC has, however, maintained inerrancy as one of it's tenants. Those who chose to disagree have moved on.
In the state of Washington the public skewels don’t give a fat rat’s ass because they still get our tax money.
I am a homeschooler who completely agrees with that statement.
The issue is expense to parents.
Technology could be the key.
There could be one national Southern Baptist High School with a “Saxon” training emphasis in all subjects; not just math.
The denomination could come up with the curriculum and have it approved by the accrediting agencies.
They could then farm it out to churches and homes with computer lab/terminal hookups.
Group education could be at churches with “guides” (teachers) trained to handle most subject matter issues.
Social activities could be organized through larger “central” churches.
is an excellent explanation exactly why Christian kids should NOT be in government skoolz!
I meant to ping you to my post #59
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