Christian Message Boards: Public School 'Anti-God' Philosophy Dangerous

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Posted by barrykind (Member # 35) on :

Pastor Says Public School 'Anti-God' Philosophy Dangerous

By Jim Brown
July 29, 2002

(AgapePress) - Christian parents in Connecticut are calling on a local middle school to ban children's books that promote Wicca.

Parents in Cromwell, Connecticut, want books like The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Harry Potter removed from the school library on the grounds that they give a negative portrayal of Christianity and expose young readers to magic spells and witchcraft. But the school is not backing down.

Dr. J. Michael Bates is pastor of nearby Emmanuel Baptist Church in Newington. He says concerned taxpayers have every right to protest the books -- even if their children are in a Christian school.

"The public school needs to know that there are people out there who resent this stuff," Bates says. "But the problem is the philosophy of the public school system is such that even if they removed these books today, they'll put something back next month or next year that's going to be just as bad -- because their philosophy has a 'poison' in it."

Bates suggests parents sit down with their kids and point out the dangers associated with such books. "I would explain to them exactly what's wrong with it and why it is anti-God and pagan," the pastor says. "They need to know that it's not just 'I don't like fanciful stories' and 'I'm against the Three Bears and Goldilocks and Superman stories.'

"It's not that we're against fantasy altogether because fantasy is a part of childhood," Bates explains, "but we're against the kind of fantasy that actually teaches a system that is anti-God."

Bates says since the philosophy of the public school system is so defunct, the best solution for the sake of the child is to remove them from that system. He believes the situation in Cromwell is grounds for either placing one's child in a Christian school -- or starting one.

© 2002 AgapePress all rights reserved.

Posted by Gem (Member # 218) on :

I'm new to this message board and felt compelled to respond to this posting about public schools being "anti-God."

I am an elementary teacher in a public school. Three years ago, I asked Jesus into my heart which has brought me a peace beyond understanding. [Smile]

Since then, it seems I become more and more aware of the direction public education is going making it harder to be a Christian teacher in a public school. I pray daily for the system, other teachers, my students and their families. I am not surprised that Christian parents are pulling their children out of public schools. Some of the agendas of our national education union fly in the face of Christian beliefs.

As a Christian, I can "be a light" in the classroom and to my co-workers. I can encourage values, work to build good character traits, etc., but it breaks my heart to see hurting children (and their numbers are growing at a faster and faster rate) and it's against the law to point them to the very one that can heal their hurt, Jesus. I pray for them, leaving it in God's hands.

Some parents request me for their child's teacher because they know I'm a Christian, but the truth is, they won't always have the option and for every one like me, there's one with unbiblical agendas...if not more. Many have just bought into the humanism/pluralism ideology, and claim to be Christians--"good" people who think they're doing the right thing because our classrooms have become an array of different religions/beliefs or the students come from varying lifestyles--a true reflection of what today's society has become. Our children are suffering.

I struggle with these thoughts...not sure why I am sharing them...maybe to ask for your prayers for those of us in the public school trenches.
Thanks and may His blessings be upon you,
Gem

Posted by Susan (Member # 131) on :

First off, I thank the Lord for you. I pray for more Christian teachers. But I must tell you this. I was a daycare teacher for 3 and 4 year olds in a 'Christian' daycare. I chose to work only in a 'Christian' daycare so I would have the freedom to tell the children about Jesus. Not all parents claim to be Christian who take their kids to a Christian school.
Let me tell you I only lasted there for 8 months!
I could not stand the abuse the children went through and the foul language every day by the management and other teachers. It was horrible!
The owners were ex ministers. ( how does one become an EX minister???)

Anyway, I hope parents will check out the 'Christian' school before pulling their children out of public schooling. Just because it says Christian doesnt mean its a good place to send your kids.

Thank you, dear teacher, for being a light for the children in public school.

Posted by helpforhomeschoolers (Member # 15) on :

welcome to our board! and I second the Thank God for you. I took my middle school child out of public school last year and am homeschooling. I I feel strongly that Christian parents must take responsibility for what goes into the minds of our children and for me, I could not longer keep my daughter in public school and reconcile this.

However, I still have a junior in highschool in the public school system and I felt this was the best thing in her situation. I am so thankful that in my district there are Christian teachers still in the system, and I will also say God help us if those who are calling for a complete exodus of Christians from the public school system are successful!

We need Christian teachers in the system, and we need Chriatian parents involved in the system even if they choose to homeschool because it is in the best interest of their own children.

God bless you sister, and hang in there you are needed right where you are in the most desparate way! My hat is off to you and our prayers with you!

Posted by Gem (Member # 218) on :

Thanks for your responses. I started another message back to you and everything froze up. Maybe I was saying too much. [hmm]

Simply put, has anyone read the book, "The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America" by Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt? I heard her on the radio after I posted that first message in here and I thought that was "strange." It really got me thinking. She is a former senior official with the US Dept. of Education who researched documents found at the dept. that showed the dept's goals in education. She published the documents in her book that showed that since the 1960's the education agenda changed from academics to emotional health, from importance of the individual to the importance of the group. She also has a website if anyone's interested. Deliberate Dumbing Down of America webpage

She's also saying that school vouchers aren't the answer because once a school receives federal money, the government can tell the school what they must teach.

Also, I have witnessed a lot of what she's talking about both as a student and in my teacher education (which is a continuous process), and in trainings we receive each year.

For example: This fall we will be getting training for a new "discipline" program called "restitution." (the programs always have a positive, nice sounding title to them). A part of it is called "straight thinking vs crooked thinking." My concern is, with all the agendas out there, who will decide which is straight and which is crooked thinking? It sounds like values training to me. Is the educational system attempting to teach all students to think alike, hold the same values no matter what's been taught at home?

Sad to say, however, many of my elementary students do arrive with little or no moral standards. It's necessary to teach them cheating is wrong, for example, and I'm sure some would argue that! However, it's gone beyond the basics into "who's to say what's right and what's wrong?" There have been generations of students (now adults) taught that. Do you see it evident in America today?

I'm not an expert, but an observer in the trenches. I'd love to hear what anyone else thinks.

To parents planning to send their children to public schools: prepare your children to identify when what's being said is in conflict with what you're teaching them. Tell them they will mostly likely be challenged in their beliefs...give them words to respond to others. Some of those doing the challenging may be staff they like or look up to, friends, etc. It takes real courage and the armor of God to keep one's stand. Pray for your children as they face the challenges.

Posted by nikkiana (Member # 233) on :

I am a recent graduate from high school, and throughout my twelve years of schooling, I've seen a lot of what these posts have talked about from a student's point of view.

I attended public school for my first eight years of school, and a Catholic school for my high school years.

I was not raised in a decidedly Christian family, so I came into the school system like any other unbeliever, highly trusting in the system that was to give me my education, and my first three years of it were fine because we did a lot of independant learning and were able to work according to our own abilities. (And I thank God for my teachers doing that in those early years, I know it's so much more difficult to teach in that fashion). But by the time I hit fourth grade, my school went drastically downhill. We did everything as a class, which I've found to be one of the most dangerous methods to teach because it's settling for pure medeocrity. The smart children are bored out of their mind, the slower children are completely lost and the children in the middle are just fine.

Fortunately, my school had very little disturbences in the way of religion goes. Most of our town is Christian, or if they aren't, they're extremely tolerant of the faith. I remember singing religious Christmas songs at the Christmas concert when I was younger. And the only complaints I ever remember hearing about reading Christmas stories to the students were from a family that didn't want their children to hear Santa Claus stories. I don't know if it's like that today, somehow I'd suspect it isn't.

My high school experience disgusted me because my school claimed to be a Catholic school, but as far as I'm concerned, the school poorly upheld the faith. In many ways it reminded me of a liberal public school in which it was okay to discuss, or in the case of my school disrespect Christianity and pretty much any other faith that existed. I don't understand HOW the school tolerated the type of negativity and insults the students gave out on a daily basis.