Heresy within the Church
by Robert Dreyfuss Vol. XXI, No. 8, October 2008
Advocating sending a child to be trained in an anti-Christian worldview is not a minor theological issue. It is contrary to the historic and universal understanding of the Christian Church regarding what the Holy Scriptures teach about raising children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and contrary to God's will as revealed in Scripture.
In Deut.6:4-9 God doesn’t say I suggest, or I recommend, or It would be a good idea for you to raise your child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. In spite of what we would like, He says, I COMMAND you.
We're witnessing a growing trend within Christendom wherein many liberal church leaders worldview is, 'If God's Word doesn't agree with my view on morality, then I'm right and God is wrong - He needs to get with it. Why not support and send our children to an anti-Christian Government school? No problem.'
Consider. A report by the Baptist Council on Family Life in 2002 found that 88% of children from evangelical homes who attend government schools leave the church within 2 years of graduation from high school, and most never return! That is the optimistic study! George Barna states that the number of children lost to the world approaches 96%. Contrast this with another study by Michael Ferris which showed that 94% of home schooled children accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Only 0.4% of Southern Baptist Churches have a Christian school. Doesn’t the mission field include discipling children? Does 1 – 2 hrs a week in Sunday school fulfill the church’s responsibility in this regard?
The church is largely engaged in ‘Cliff Side Evangelism’ which has been described as a rescue service that waits at the bottom of the mountain for cars that fail to make a dangerous curve with no warning signs or barricades preventing them from going over the side of the cliff.
Most of those that plunge into the gorge are lost despite the expenditure of large amounts of time, energy and money by rescuers to save them. How much better it would be for them to erect warning signs and barricades preventing them from going over the side.
An analogy is the loss of our children to the world. The church spends 85% of its time, energy and money on adult evangelism. It would be much better to spend the greatest percentage of our time, energy and money giving children a Christian education and a biblical worldview either in the home or a truly Christian school in order to save their souls, who would then become spiritual champions impacting the culture in whatever vocation they choose.
Granted that home schooling or placing them in a Christian school is more difficult than simply putting them on a yellow bus and sending them to a state school. In spite of the difficulties many single parents and poor families homeschool their children. Today there are websites, coops and curriculum dedicated to assist parents such as the Robinson Curriculum which costs only $196.00 and will carry a child (with the exception of math) from the 1st – 12th grade. A major mission of the church should be to help single parents and those with limited funds to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Any church with unused space from Monday – Friday can set up a one room school at practically no cost.
The struggle to release children from anti-Christian schools, has many similarities to William Wilberforce’s struggle was to bring about an end to slavery in England.
· Wilberforce’s struggle was a long term struggle.
· He was fighting a long established institution.
· There were many defending the institution including many Christians.
· Relatively few people supported him.
· The struggle was very important.
· The opposition was seemingly insurmountable.
· He suffered ridicule and criticism.
The salvation of our children’s souls and preparing them to become spiritual champions so that they can labor with Christ to reclaim the world is the most important issue facing parents, church and nation. When will Christians begin to see the consequences of their inaction which impacts every other issue that matters? It is nearly impossible to convince an uneducated citizenry that doesn’t read or reads only pap and receives its information and worldview from TV that e.g. abortion is wrong. For 34 years the pro life movement has been very dedicated and perseverant in its struggle to end abortion with little success.
People are generally free to say and do what they want, but if Southern Baptists are going to call themselves Christian, the least it can do is honor the Bible, not rip out and trash the pages it doesn't like. There's nothing Christian about that. I pray that there are committed Christians who will have the courage to address this issue and start a dialogue on how the church can best do this. If we fail to act swiftly, we will complete our cultural suicide.
Dr. Bruce Shortt asks, “If you have placed your children, God’s gift to you, under the authority of pagans and the godless during their most vulnerable and impressionable years, do you truly expect to be told at the end of your race, “Well done, good and faithful servant?”
What does it matter if we gain the whole world and lose our children?