So, what is the world saying about that resolution coming before the Southern Baptists this June?

Jeff says:

Whatever happened to Christian liberty? Where does it say in the Bible that Christians must withdraw their children from public schools? This is EXTREME LEGALISM. I hope that messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention do not impose this legalism upon the conscience of Southern Baptists. Nothing should bind the conscience of a Christian except for what is explicitly taught in Scripture. I will be extremely EMBARRASSED if the SBC passes anything like this. And I am confident that it will not happen – our churches are full of both public school children and public school teachers. Thousands of SBC church members are teachers in public schools, and they are tired of the SLANDER that comes from the homeschooling fanatics. Parents in SBC churches want to raise normal children, not homeschooled freaks with no social skills.

This is scary. The noose of legalism draws tighter and tighter around the throat of evangelical Christianity every day. Legalism is deadly. It is time for somebody to stand up to these obnoxious legalists who want to take away our Christian liberty.

Mother Music says

Making resolutions in Southern Baptist Conventions might NOT be the best way to begin, however. It may threaten those who are entrenched in the public school system, threaten the political hard left who already believe that the religious conservatives are out to get them and take over the world, possibly causing a backlash of panic-stricken legislation which would only make the problem worse. Further, resolutions have not been known to be effective in stimulating any action.

Kirsten says

Absolutely the right way to go! It will take a long time and some hard, careful work, though. So many people need the help of the church, but such a small percentage of them will change their lifestyles that are contributing to their problems. You can’t just write tuition checks and dump undisciplined and undiscipled children into Christian schools. Over the years our small church has reached out to many families and young people with love and conditional financial help and only a few of them have been willing to work with our elders to get at the root causes of their ongoing problems. We’ll keep at it though, with God’s blessing.

KI says

I do agree that churches should help their young parents to raise Godly children. I think there is a lot that can be done to do that. I don’t think they should make a blanket statement that no children should be in public schools. I believe this will just ghetto-ize christians more. We need to be light and salt and that includes in public schools. All public schools are not alike, although I do agree that they all have problems. I know the problems christian schools have, also, and some of the negatives of homeschooling. Yes, there are problems in these types of schooling too. I’ve done all three at various times with my children who are now grown and doing fine. I think parents need to work deligently, pray deligently and look for God’s wisdom and do what they need to do that is best for each of their children. The churches need to come alongside and help them in that.

Anlir says

I hope the SBC resolution on Christianists removing their children from the public schools passes, and I hope their parents head the call.

For the vast majority of us non-Christianists in the public school system, ya’ll are nothing but trouble and a constant pain in the rear. Quite honestly, we’re tired of your constant arguing over everything the public schools do and your constant lawsuits. It has reached the point where you are a negataive influence on everyone else.

Please leave, so the rest of us can go back to what is supposed to be the purpose of public schools – educating our children.

Aaron Carpenter says…

Did they miss the part where Independents did this 40 years ago?

One caution if the SBC looks within its own ranks to provide the personnel for this enterprise (and why wouldn’t they?):
Christian education is an overriding philosophy, not merely a Bible elective, weekly chapel, and prayer before class. So, success means not merely church-operated Christian schools but training the teachers in a Biblical educational philosophy. Of course, this will not be seen as necessary if Mohler’s call is merely reactive and passive, ie. he may be calling for Christian educational alternatives simply to keep the children of believers from being indoctrinated by Darwinism, sexual perversions, secular humanism. While they must keep these out of education, I hope they create alternatives that provide positive affirmations of a Biblical worldview.

I hope they are successful, but it will be interesting to see how this all turns out. Secular education, sans liberal agenda, plus a Bible class does not equal Christian education.

And, of course, the “big” supporters:

Dr. Paige Patterson: (President-SWBTS Seminary, SBC President 1998-99) He said that if he were rearing his children today he would home school them “for the sake of relationship, academic accomplishment, safety, and Christian commitment.” (Lee Weeks, “Homeschooling-SEBTS Style” Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Outlook, Vol. 48, p.7) In 2002, under his leadership at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., over a hundred faculty, staff, and student families had chosen to home school their children.

Dr. Jack Graham: (Sr. Pastor of Prestonwood Church, SBC President 2003-2004) “The world is too much with us and so, while we are not trying to cocoon our children, we don’t want to put our children in a position to fail,” Graham said in a Nov. 11 interview with the Florida Baptist Witness. “I think Christian schools put children in a position to succeed spiritually.” Graham is pastor of Dallas-area Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano …”That’s the whole purpose. To train a new generation of leaders to make a difference. … To develop a new generation of young dynamic leaders who understand their faith, who are able to communicate their faith and to live their faith in whatever their career or calling may be,” (http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=14723)

Dr. Jerry Johnson: (President-Criswell College) “We, Dr. Streett and I, have chosen to homeschool. We see it as the best way, your first option, for educating your child.“

Dr. Tom Elliff: (Vice President-International Mission Board, SBC President 1997-1998) “We have a large homeschool group here at First Southern Del City. I think what you are doing with SBCHEA is wonderful, and I can think of several families right now who would be encouraged by the ministry. Everywhere Jeannie and I go we talk about homeschooling.“

Dr. David Dockery: “We are to have the mind of Christ, and this certainly requires us to think and wrestle with the challenging ideas of history and the issues of our day. For to do otherwise will result in another generation of God’s people ill equipped for faithful thinking and service in this new century. A Christian worldview is needed to confront an ever-changing culture. Instead of allowing our thoughts to be captive to culture, we must take every thought captive to Jesus Christ.“

Dr. Albert Mohler: (President-SBTS Seminary) “Far too many Christians neglect to pay attention to what is distinctively Christian about Christian education. In Romans 12:2, Paul wrote, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” That powerful sentence represents the very heart of Christian education. Rather than conforming to the prevailing worldview of the secular culture, Christian education is to be transformative–demonstrating the power of God’s truth in human lives. A true Christian education is like a light shining in the darkness. In a day when the prevailing secular culture is not even certain that truth exists, Christian education is established in the name and to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.“ (http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2006-04-05)

C. H. Spurgeon: (The “Prince of Preachers” 1834-1892) “Withdraw from a child the only divine rule of life, and the result will be most lamentable. An education purely secular is the handmaiden of godless skeptics.“

Martin Luther: (The “Father of the Reformation”1483-1546) “I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. Every institution that does not unceasingly pursue the study of God’s Word becomes corrupt”

How about adding yours? (the resolution can be read fully here.) Bruce Shortt

Tags: SBC resolution, Southern Baptists, Homeschool, Southern Baptist Convention