The Principal's Place

"That I may know Him; the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of his suffering, being made conformable unto His death."

Phil. 3:10

                                        Meet Your Enemy:  Good!

Last night a friend and I passed out leaflets advertizing Bible School, which was to be held the following week.   We knocked on the doors of some lovely homes, big homes, finely furnished, possibly 4 and 5 bedrooms, and living inside were mostly couples with NO children.   I jokingly said to one young man that he needed to “get busy,” to which he replied, “No way; I like my freedom too much.”

One might think, “Well, that’s good.  Better to wait and enjoy your life while you’re young and not get in a hurry to have kids.”    I had 5 children when I was young.   They have brought me great joy.  An older friend once said to me, “Betty Jo, you’re a rich woman.”   I knew exactly what she meant.   I don’t think that young man has chosen a “bad” way but I don’t think he has chosen the “best” way either.  He may be rich and live in an expensive home and drive an expensive car, but I am rich because I have 5 beautiful kids and 17 wonderful grandkids.  I live in a modest dwelling and drive a modest car, but I love the family with which God has blessed me.  As I grow older, I am aware that to be surrounded by people who love me is much more gratifying than things that collect dust.

Which brings me to another thought about this “good, better, best” idea.   Given the difficult state of the economy why are some Christian families willing to sacrifice and put their children in a Christian school like Anchored.   After all, Bowling Green has a GOOD school system; some would even say BETTER than most.    Is it because these families  won’t  settle for good or even better but want what is best for their kids? 

Many  children have gotten a good education in the public schools, and some schools are better at providing this education than others; however, ALL public schools teach humanistic ideas that our young people have to tolerate and wade through in order to get that education: it’s the proverbial “steak at the bottom of the garbage can.”    I’m sort of shocked that so many people are not disturbed by this encroachment.  Do they even know what humanism is or has it just become an idea they feel is thrown around to be used as a scare tactic?   For those who haven’t thought about it recently, look at this definition of humanism:

“Humanism is the attempt to function as a civilized society WITH the exclusion of God and---and this is the part most forget---without His moral principles.”   

Hey,if it’s not God’s “moral principles” then where do we get moral principles?  From the culture?   Whoa that’s scary.  Let’s see…that means we have Lady Gaga telling us what’s right or wrong.    And this is what I see in our schools: teachers trying to teach the principles they believe in and doing this without bringing God into it.   Frightening if one will think of all the possible ramifications of that.

The other disconcerting thought for me is that the Humanist’s most important plank is evolution.   Not that many years ago it was against the law in some places to teach evolution.  Now the reverse is true.  The Bible is banned and there is no serious discussion in our classrooms concerning creationism or intelligent design.  There is no mention of falsified fossile findings or drawings faked to support evolution.  Evolution embodies what the humanist believes:  there is no God and people are no better than dogs and cats.    Even when a science teacher attempts to integrate creationism into the curriculum, he or she does so with an almost apologetic attitude.

Evolutionary teachings (since there is no God) place the burden of determining what is right and wrong in the hands of individuals,  creating a black hole into which young people are being sucked.  We live in a very dark culture as reflected in music and literature.  The lack of moral principles is most evident in the dress codes and music and entertainment  tastes of this present-day culture.   On TV we have “Dancing with the Stars” which is pornographic  according to standards of my generation; “The Bachelor” which teaches young people that the physical connection must be experimented with in order to know whether it’s love or not –consequently the Fantasy Suite; “Sister Wives” which we should have seen coming as culture has determined to redefine “family”; and then there is academy award winning movies like Black Swan, which I am told, should turn one’s stomach inside out if one dares to view it. 

One might argue students are not watching these shows at school.  These are going to be temptations for the Christian school student also.   That is true.  But here’s the point.   At school,  whether it’s a community-action project; the literature that is read; the political discussions in history; the environmental issues; the music that is sung—all of it has to be done WITHOUT the mentioning of God.  All lifestyles and gender issues are to be accepted.  Students are never to judge one another.  Every good thing that is taught is taught WITHOUT God being a part of it.   That is the danger!!!!   We don’t want to live in a civilized nation that has rejected God.   Your child is subtly being taught that (and sometimes overtly).  Forty hours a week where God is NOT allowed.   And sadly many parents are glad of that, and Christian parents are blending right in with them and lending their voice to the idea that we don’t need God.

Some say it is good enough if families have their children in Sunday School and other church activities.  Also, if the family has quality time at home to study scripture and monitor television and internet activities, this  is even better!    These families still haven’t taken into consideration, however, the 40 hours a week instruction and influence going on in the local school.   Wouldn’t the BEST choice be to have children in an atmosphere where the teachers, staff, and parents were on the same page as to  what world view they want taught to their children.   You can not  do better than a Biblical Worldview.   This is the BEST that you can give your kids.   To do any less is to weaken their chance to emerge as grounded adults ready to cope with this world and its challenges.    This is why 85% of Christian young people are not staying in church or believing in God after high school.   They do NOT have a Biblical worldview.    This is a staggering statistic.

I would exhort families to do what it takes to put their children in a Christian school:  downsize if necessary; turn off the cable; don’t eat out so much; plan simpler vacations; cut the extravagance and invest in the future and send your children to Anchored Christian School or another school in the vicinity.  Good can be your enemy if you settle for anything less.  Evaluate your situation:  Are you giving your kids a good foundation; are you planning on doing better; or have you already determined to give them the best?

WHAT ANCHORED CAN NOT OFFER...

It's enrollment time, and I am wondering what ACS can offer that others schools can not.   Instead I kept thinking what ACS can't offer.

Here are some of my thoughts.   We can NOT offer

* The possibility of a teacher's strike.  We just can't offer it; we don't have a union or board meetings where adults fist fight over contracts, cuts, and new buildings.  Our teachers are here for the "kids."

*  Free speech.   I really do support this right; however, we just can't allow the profanity, bullying, and taunting that exists in other schools.  Students won't be allowed to assert their opinions into every discussion or decision.  Sometimes there just has to be an adult in the room who is willing to "own" the responsibility to guide and lead. 

*   Policeman in the halls.   ACS has an officer who checks in once or twice a semester to see how things are going, but we just don't need him here all day long every day.   There's not enough to keep him busy.  We don't have fights; we don't have drugs in the locker or car; and most discipline problems are so minor that a simple "demerit" takes care of the problem.  We still make that "50's List of Discipline problems" where gum chewing was considered a huge offense.  We are so old-fashioned.

*Sex in the Hallway.   Maybe we're just too out there on this one, but public display of affection (as we used to call it) hardly describes what goes on in schools today.   We just can't offer that here.  Sorry.   We believe boys and girls ought to be friends, get their educations and pursue God's will for their lives.  This "other" is Satan's trap to deter them from that goal.

*Skimpily-dressed girls.   I still don't understand what happened to that "woman's movement" that promised to teach girls that they were not created to be sex objects but had bright minds and even the ability to "do math."  It seems to me that more than ever before girls are expected to dress to entice guys, then satisfy their physical needs, and expect nothing in return.   We value our girls here.  We want boys to respect them as "special" and whose value is more than the "price of rubies."  We will not tolerate their being exploited.

*     "Hip" Teachers!   Sorry if our teachers just aren't cool.  Sorry if they are not here to be your child's best friend or surrogate parent.  Sorry if they don't dress like the world, talk like the world (our teachers don't cuss in the classroom), and think like the world.

They won't be inviting your child over and giving him the key to their liquor cabinet.  They are different even a bit "peculiar."  Our teachers believe in family, love this country, and enjoy serving God. 

*   Humanistic Teachings.    I know man is a splendid creature.   Afterall he is God's workmanship, created in His likeness, unto good works, but we do not believe man and reason have the answer to life's most pressing questions.  Consequently, we have no choice but to use God's Word as the reference point for all learning.   It just makes sense to us, as man is always having to rewrite his textbooks, but God has never had to!  

I supposed I could go on, but I won't.   What does ACS offer that others schools don't?   ACS offers everything that is important: a good education, a caring and cultivating setting, a place where virtue and honor are reverenced, the complementing of the teachings of the home and church, and the training of those called by God for Christian service.   Every parent ought to quit justifying "why" they continue to keep their children in government-run schools and go to their knees asking God to show them "how" they can see their way clear to enroll them now in Anchored CHRISTIAN School.  

Betty Jo Hicks