Tim Sweetman is an 18-year-old journalist, blogger, and student who lives near our nation's capital,
Washington D.C. He is much more widely known by his "code-name," Agent Tim. This name also serves as
the name of his popular blog, which has received over 750,000 visits since its debut three years ago. Contact Tim 
Gena Suarez posted a fantastic interview with Dr. Bruce Shortt, who I hope to meet down in Greensboro in June. His comments on reforming the public school system, and having children as missionaries are, quite frankly, some of the best and most well-thought out responses I’ve ever heard. And it is quite evident he goes beyond worldly statistics, and uses God’s Word and not his own to back up what he is saying. Here’s a clip:
While there is a great deal that could be said on Biblical standards for education, let’s stick to the basics. First, Christ tells us that we can’t claim to be neutral with respect to him: we are either for him or against him [Matthew 12:30]. Education is no exception. In fact, in Ephesians 6:4 we are instructed to raise up our children in the training and instruction of the Lord. Are a few hours a week sufficient? The answer is quite clearly “no”. As Deuteronomy 6:6-7 tells us, this training is to be going on all of the time. Why? Because as Proverbs 23:7 points out: “For as a man thinks, so he is…” Our education, in other words, determines more than any other single factor how we think. Christ makes this point forcefully in Luke 6:40: “A student is not greater than his teacher, and when he is fully trained, he will be like his teacher.” Thus, when we give our children over to a K-12 educational system that is Constitutionally prohibited from being for Christ, we have made an anti-Christian institution our child’s teacher. That is missing the mark - in other words, that is sin. But it is not merely a personal sin; it is also a sin that is likely to cause children to sin as well. All of us who are parents would do well to contemplate both Psalm 127:3 and Matthew 18:6 from time to time.
What does Psalm 127:3 and Matthew 18:6 say?
Psalms:
Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.
Matthew:
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
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Tags: SBC resolution, Southern Baptists, Homeschool, Southern Baptist Convention
May 13th, 2006 at 8:49 pm
He makes a mistake in his logic: Government schools are constitutionally forbidden to be either pro- OR anti-Christian.
May 15th, 2006 at 7:16 am
Thanks, Tim.
May 21st, 2006 at 7:54 am
Agent Tim:
You make us homeschooling parents proud! By the way, I see you are coming to the 2006 SBC Annual Meeting in Greensboro, NC. You may be interested in coming to our 2006 Kingdom Education Summit on June 14th, which is Wednesday of the convention. http://www.sbchea.org Bruce Shortt will be there, and we invite you to live-blog from our SBCHEA annual conference, supporting Southern Baptist homeschooling families. Oh, on a personal note, I have a 16 year old Southern Baptist homeschooling daughter, that will be working at the summit as an intern.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Elizabeth Watkins
June 5th, 2006 at 11:42 am
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