Who am I to tell Christians to stop supporting government education?

Does Caesar have a Right to be compensated for punishing housebreakers? Of course. Caesar has a duty to punish Crime (Rom 13:1-10), and has a right to Taxes for that purpose. Does Caesar have a Right to be compensated for defending against invaders? Of course. Caesar has a duty to punish Murder (Gen 9:6, Rom. 13) - including foreign murderers - and has a right to Taxes for that purpose.

Even using the logic contained above it is not a leap of any distance to conclude that the above budgets should and do contain monies for preventive maintenence. OPie says "Caesar" is the government. One of the methods used to prevent the above criminal behavior is through education. The public schools have been funded by taxpayers to achieve certain levels of education, some succeed some don't. It's an ongoing process and those who would abolish such attempts will be promoting the criminal behavior that "Caesar" is biblically licensed to address.

Every man in a county, a town, a city, or a State is deeply interested in the education of the children of the community, because his peace and quiet, his happiness and prosperity, are largely dependent upon the intelligence and moral training which it is the object of public schools to supply to the children of his neighbors and associates, if he has none himself."
--U.S. Supreme Court, KELLY v. CITY OF PITTSBURGH, 104 U.S. 78 (1881) 104 U.S. 78

No doubt the public schools need work, so do the prisons, the military and the infrastructure. Those who are quitting on the schools now, will eventually quit on the other vital needs of the country. They have withdrawn into their self styled bubble, quoting themselves and twisting scripture to fit their needs. They offer no solutions, just "Burn, baby, burn". These guys are a regular riot.

One of the methods used to prevent the above criminal behavior is through education. ... those who would abolish such attempts will be promoting the criminal behavior that "Caesar" is biblically licensed to address.

You assume that criminality is a problem of knowledge, rather than of character. This is the underlying myth behind public education -- salvation through information. The Ukrainian educational system produced top-notch linguists and engineers. Folks who are great fun to talk with. And the whole country looks like a half-assed Saturday afternoon project.

Statists believe taht people are inately "good," and only need information to do better. Christians start with the fact of original sin, and make the means of grace available to those who sill avail themselves thereof. "Means of grace" includes the consequences of bad behavior (functioning judicial system) and opportunities for redemption (gospel proclamation and charitable opportunities).

No doubt the public schools need work, so do the prisons, the military and the infrastructure. Those who are quitting on the schools now, will eventually quit on the other vital needs of the country.

Actually, home school kids are now entering colleges in force, mostly doing well, and will be well-prepared to make their civic contributions in years to come. You may have heard of the Israeli kibbutzim. These local socialist entities raise kids in cafeterias and dormitories, instead of in families. When the kids grow up, their "bell curve" is squashed to an amazing extent -- few at either extremes, a population that is overwhelmingly "average." Kibbutzim produce agricultural and light industrial products. The one thing the kibbutzim do not produce is leaders.

Thomas Paine on "The Study of God"
Delivered in Paris on January 16, 1797:
It has been the error of the schools to teach astronomy, and all the other sciences and subjects of natural philosophy, as accomplishments only; whereas they should be taught theologically, or with reference to the Being who is the author of them: for all the principles of science are of Divine origin. Man cannot make, or invent, or contrive principles. He can only discover them; and he ought to look through the discovery to the Author.
When we examine an extraordinary piece of machinery, an astonishing pile of architecture, a well executed statue or a highly finished painting where life and action are imitated, and habit only prevents our mistaking a surface of light and shade for cubical solidity, our ideas are naturally led to think of the extensive genius and talents of the artist. When we study the elements of geometry, we think of Euclid. When we speak of gravitation, we think of Newton. How then is it, that when we study the works of God in the creation, we stop short, and do not think of God? It is from the error of the schools in having taught those subjects as accomplishments only, and thereby separated the study of them form the Being who is the author of them...
The evil that has resulted from the error of the schools in teaching natural philosophy as an accomplishment only has been that of generating in the pupils a species of atheism. Instead of looking through the works of the creation to the Creator himself, they stop short, and employ the knowledge they acquire to create doubts of His existence. They labor with studied ingenuity to ascribe everything they behold to innate properties of matter; and jump over all the rest, by saying that matter is eternal.

Fisher Ames (author of the First Amendment),
quoted in Paladian Magazine, September 20, 1789:
"We have a dangerous trend beginning to take place in our education. We're starting to put more and more textbooks into our schools. We've become accustomed of late of putting little books into the hands of children, containing fables and moral lessons. We're spending less time in the classroom on the Bible, which should be the principal text in our schools. The Bible states these great moral lessons better than any other man-made book."

You assume that criminality is a problem of knowledge, rather than of character. This is the underlying myth behind public education -- salvation through information.

No, I assume that if the kids are in school, they are not out committing crimes. The education that they are supposed to receive leads the way to acquiring the skills they need for honest employment, thus averting/reducing crime. They may still have flawed characters but the church and the courts, if necessary, can deal with that. Education is a stepping stone not a cure all. Not trying to save anybody or offer salvation, didn't see that in "Caesar's" job description.

Statists believe taht people are inately "good," and only need information to do better.

Really? It's my understanding that statists believe that the general population is not so "good" and must be laden with rules and regulations to make them act right.

Actually, home school kids are now entering colleges in force, mostly doing well, and will be well-prepared to make their civic contributions in years to come.

I don't begrudge home schoolers. I encourage the practice. The numbers will never sustain the work force in this country, though. I can see now where my comments are not clear. I don't refer to home schoolers when I say quitting on the schools. That is meant for those who would abandon the students who absolutely depend on public schools. My argument is with those who advocate a total collapse of that system.

The two examples that you mentioned don't strike me as being very relevant.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.