A friend sent me this link a Voddie Baucham article on public schools. After some reflection, here are just a few of my thoughts.
I have been a fan of Voddie Baucham for a long time. I have heard him preach dozens of times and have always left with a greater sense of God and a greater resolve to live pleasing to God. I'll never forget the first time I heard him preach at East Texas Baptist University. Someone introduced him as the "speaker" for the evening. The first thing Voddie said was, "Speakers come from Radio Shack. I've come to PREACH." I was immediately hooked!
However, I disagree with his emphasis in this and other articles he has written.
I share his passion for the glory of God and desire to be faithful to God’s Word. I agree with many of his conclusions regarding education, family, and society. However, I fear that in this article he is elevating his convictions above Biblical standards. He is clearly saying that to send one’s kids to public school is a sin and dishonoring to God. I think he is missing an important link: It is possible to go to public school and still be discipled well by parents and church. It is possible to go to public school and remain pure. It is possible to go to public school and challenge the unbiblical ideas being taught. It is possible to go to public school and remain faithful in all aspects.
I agree with Voddie that:
For parents to rely on the schools for their kid’s discipleship is sin. It is the parent’s primary responsibility.
For a kid to adopt unbiblical worldviews is sin.
For a kid, teacher, or parent to compromise any aspect of Christian discipleship is sin.
However, none of these happen by simply going to public school. That is the missing link in Voddie’s thinking.
If Voddie’s resolution were to pass (calling Southern Baptists to abandon the public schools), it would be the same in my mind as the resolution from a year ago calling all Baptists to abstain from all alcohol. The Bible condemns drunkenness but leaves open the possibility of having a drink and not sinning. Thus, why should we go elevating our preferences above Biblical standards? Without a clear Biblical command, we should allow freedom in Christ.
I don’t drink and I’m not planning to send my kids to public school. However, if some other Christian chooses to have a glass of wine at dinner and allows their kid to go to a public school, who am I to condemn?
Now, if my Christian friend has a little too much to drink and is neglecting their duty to disciple their kids, I must challenge them based on clear Biblical commands.
Also, I think Voddie’s answer to what he calls his most common objection is a little weak. He said that the most common objection is that Christian kids can be missionaries in the public schools. Voddie answers that by saying that if this were the case, then all Christian families should send their kids to public school in order to fulfill the great commission. Nobody would say that.
If Voddie doesn’t think it is possible for a Christian teenager to be a witness in a public school then he should also be against a missionary going to China to spread the gospel. There is a genuine slippery slope here. In order to impact this culture for Christ, Christians must go and preach the gospel to all nations. We must expose ourselves to the ideas of this world in order to preach the gospel to them. Yes, I agree with Voddie that Christians should be different and set apart. However, we cannot withdraw from the world and join the monastery.
I am zealous to preserve the distinction between mere preferences and clear Biblical commands. It is often hard to distinguish between the two.
I am grieved by what goes on in public schools. Many Christian parents should remove their kids. However, I see no Biblical reason to say that Christians in public schools are sinning.
Help me think through this. Am I missing something? Are there other examples where we elevate our preferences too high?
10 comments:
I too think Voddie has let his views outweigh Biblical standards on this issue. Both of my children are in the public school system and yes they sin, but more often than not they are a godly example among their peers on campus. My son is now in college and throughout his high school years and as he enters into college he was/is known around campus as a Christian and had/has opportunities to share his faith in Christ. My daughter is younger and isn't as bold in her faith as her brother however she is willing to share her faith with others as well.
I agree that it us up to the parents to teach their children and disciple them so that when they are out in the world they will be grounded in their faith and be able to share with others if not in word but in actions.
I wonder if next Voddie will suggest we adults quit our secular jobs and find jobs that are only in the Christian realm. I don't think Christ ever intended for believers to stay at home or only go places that other beliebers were. I say train our children to be strong in their faith so they might proclaim Christ name among their peers instead of keeping them at home shielding them from the world.
I agree with all you say here Justin. I was a product of a teenager that stayed true to her faith, stayed pure until I married you, challenged my friends who where Christians, lived out my faith, and saw some of my friends come to know Christ. Public school is not a sin, it is an opportunity for all children to get an education. Being an example to others is what God's us to be. I pray that our children will be able to stand up for thier faith.
Good thoughts. I think Voddie just wants to preserve the absolute antithesis that exists between believers and unbelievers. Being a Calvinist, I know you understand that the lost are enemies of God, hating him and seeking to suppress his truth (Rom 1). They have become foolish in their thinking (Eph 4.17-18), and have only a knowledge falsely so called (1 Tim 6.20). We are to avoid all empty philosophy and vain deceit (Col 2.8). The wisdom of God is foolishness to the unbelieving (1 Cor 1-2).
All this has major implications for who we let 'educate' our children. In principle, the unbelieving see NOTHING the same way we do. To be consistent with our theology would demand no public schooling, which I think Voddie is doing.
Blake, I resonate with your point. However, I think the line we want to draw is not with education but influence. We don't want to be influenced by the unbelieving world's Godless ideas. I don't think we would want to say that Christians cannot be educated by unbelivers. If that were the case, we shouldn't read books written by unbelievers, read news stories written by unbelievers, or learn how to hit a golfball by watching unbelievers.
Yes, you are right: the unbeliving world sees NOTHING the same way we do.
Clear thinking, Justin. The tension (as in other "gray" areas) is ub holding firm convictions but not condemning others whose convictions are different.
It is unfortunate... Christians who don't send their kids to public schools look down on those who do... and Christians who do, call those who don't "elitist" or "holier-than-thou."
Justin,
Dr. Baucham has too spoken wonderful things into my life. I respect hims as an expositor of the Word and as someone who loves the spritir of adoption. I believe he is someone I can learn much from.
With this said, I would agree with your thinking here. I have discussed this briefly with Dr. Baucham via email and would agree with your arguments. I recognized the lost as enemies of God, as I once was. This is true wheter they are teachers, grocery store clerks, bankers, candidates for president who masquerade as Christians, or the neighbors I love. I also believe the Lord will ingather his people from all nations and all places.
In my opinion, and I recognize this as my opinion, I find that in a couple of places Dr. Baucham points to distinctions in the Hebrew culture during Biblical times and ours now. However, he seems, and I know this may be my perception and not his action, to ignore the many cultural distinctions (that may play a role in this argument) that exist between a nomadic, Hebrew culture 3500 years ago and the one in which we live todday.
I repect his right to hold this view, but truly see it as conviction elevated.
Jim, that is exactly my point. I am afraid we sometimes transfer our convictions to others and the result is condemnation.
I don't think Voddie or anyone would disagree that this is a problem. However, they would probably say that this is more than a personal conviction but a Biblical mandate. I am not convinced it is.
Boy do we love to debate gray areas or what? LOL!
Dallas and I have had to do some thinking on this one as well. For now I can say that our desire is to be able to homeschool Naomi- but we are leaving it up to the Lord...and even when we get there, we will pray and take it one year at a time.
I also think this is a decision you have to make as you examine each of your children. One child may do just fine in public school- where one is more drawn to temptation....and it would not be wise to put that child in that type of settign until they are mature enough to handle it.
We heard an AWESOME message by Carey Hardy on this very subject. He has like 10 kids, and at some point he had all of his kids in all three types of schools at the same time (public, private, home)he ponted out the good and bad for each choice.
But one good thing that I really appreciated is that he said that if you choose private or homeschool for your child. At some point before they graduate highschool- while they are still living under your roof, place them in public school to see how they do. And really its not before long that they will be out of the home and off to college- whre you have no control really over what they do. So atleast take the opportunity to sheppherd them through it while there is still hope. I thought it was an amazing point!
But I think this is one of those topics that is taken too far on all sides. It is based on conviction- and I know for me that I have to be so careful not to be legalistic in this area- and so for a while I couldnt even tell people what my desire was for our children because I was so prideful in that I thought homeschooling was the most godly choice- and the thought crossed my mind that the Lord may not allow me to homeschool because of my pride about it!!!! So that made me really pray about it and learn to give it to the Lord and leave it up to what He desires for our family....but I am so thankful for Gods grace that allows me to be balanced- and to say not my will, but yours Lord!!!! (
But my desire is to be able to teach Naomi here at home. I just think what a privledge to teach her how to read and write- and learn about the world and history from Gods perspective!!! Its exciting to think about!)
To answer one of your questions too...I think that there are lots of areas that we elevate our prefrences too high.
Modesty- Are we worried about men's approval or Gods when we ladies get dressed each morning? Who gets to decide if high heals are appropriate or how much make up is too much? (Obviously there are some no brainers) but it just amazes me even in my own heart when getting dressed- am I afraid of the standards of my fellow sisters, or am I more concerned about God's glory?
What constitutes as a quiet time? Is it okay for me to use my ladies bible study as a quiet time? I have been told by some that isnt enough- that my ladies study is secondary....my response to that is- am I in the word? am I searching my heart and allowing God to convict me of my sin? Am I spending time in prayer- confessing, repenting, worshipping? Then I would think its okay....but again- am I living for the approval and standards of others or am I loving to spend time with my Savior?
I am just seeing this kind of stuff more and more- and it is good in a way to search my heart and ask why do I hold the standards that I do? Things that are not crystal clear in scripture- music, movies,(when it is not dishonoring to the Lord or anything in His word) going to the mall, eating at a restraunt that has a bar section- how much time do I spend with non-believing friends? How much ministry and service do we get involved with at church?
Its so sad when our lives become a set of man made rules- and how inslaving is it to live that way? Dallas and I were just talking about this very subject last night-he was sharing with me a message he heard by Mahaney- and how the life of legalism is like a guy trying to keep all of his plates spinning- on his own for his own glory...and do we really think that the holy angels and God are really impressed with our spinning plates?
I am just so thankful for the freedom we do have in Christ to read the word and love the Lord and His glory and live by His standards- not others...and not pressuring others to live by ours.
To those who would argue that we have a responsibility as Christians to keep our children in public schools where they can be "light in the darkness," examples and influencers in the name of Christ: NOT ME, brethren! I don't find anywhere in Scripture that I am to use my children as tools to accomplish what God has placed on MY shoulders. That's why my children are in Christian Schools being shaped by a distinctly Christian world view, while I volunteer in the local public school to be a reading buddy, to coordinate work projects at the school, and to offer prayer support for our teachers there. When my children are ready to go out on their own, I believe they will be prepared to be a "light in a dark world" and will be an example to those who are observing their lives. But until that day, my job is love them, teach them, and protect them, and certainly not to "use" them for the Kingdom. If adult Christians were doing THEIR part at being light in the world, there'd be no reason to pressure our children into accepting that mantle before they are ready.
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