REVIEW: Let My People Go

by    T. C. Pinckney                                                                                                                                     Vol. XV, No. 7, August 2002

      Let My People Go, by Rev. E. Ray Moore (Gilead Media, 2002, 338 pp.) is a recently published book on kindergarten through 12^th grade schooling. Ray and his wife, Gail, have homeschooled their children since 1977 and have seen homeschooling grow from what was considered by many an extremist fringe to an increasingly welcomed and admired national movement. During this same quarter century government schools have continued to deteriorate academically and morally.

Let My People Go sets forth a succinct history of government schools in the United States, demonstrating that from their very beginning they were (and are) designed to remove children at the earliest possible age from the influence of their predominantly Christian parents and the church. Moore is careful to point out that many sincere Christians teach and administer in government schools, but he also notes that they are increasingly restricted in their Christian witness by the entire system: centrally imposed subject matter, texts approved by the state, teacher certification training, and methods of instruction.

The book next observes that neither the Bible nor the United States’ Constitution gives any power to government to educate children. The Constitution does not mention the subject. In the Bible God clearly commands parents to educate their children. Read the book for biblical texts and the full case.

Moore acknowledges that some parents will not or cannot educate their children themselves, and he strongly supports churches setting up truly Christian schools. He estimates that approximately seven million out of a total 52 million U.S. children “attend private, parochial or Christian schools, or are home schooled.” He also says that the number of students attending Christian and home schools is growing 8 to 15 percent per year.

The last chapter rebuts, inter alia, the five common objections to removing our children from government schools: (1) The theological objection, that Christian children should remain in government schools to be salt and light. (2) The financial objection, that the family cannot afford to homeschool their children or send them to a Christian school. (3) The educational objection, that government schools provide a superior education. Moore notes that quite the opposite has been proven with home schooled students winning national competitions and being sought by the most prestigious universities. (4) The socialization objection, that children need to spend twelve years associating only with other kids within one year of their own age. (5) The neglect of the poor objection. Every objection has a convincing rebuttal.

You can order the book from www.Emeraldhouse.com online, by phone at 1-800-209-8579, by fax at 1-877-209-8570 for $14.99 per copy. You may also write to www.Emeraldhouse.com, 427 Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville, SC 29609.

There is also a Let My People Go video available from Jeremiah Films for $19.95. Order online at www.jeremiahfilms.com or by calling 800-828-2290.