"While the public school system continues to degenerate into a drug-stupid, sex-oriented, illiterate morass of misfit, Marxist clones, the
homeschool movement is producing intelligent, clear-thinking, confident citizens ready to stand in the middle of cascading corruption and declare their allegiance to God and family."
I found this paragraph on
this website, and as a product of the public school system, I completely resent that entire paragraph.
Please don't get me wrong, I married a home-
schooler, have many friends who are products of homeschooling and our current opinion is that we will
homeschool our children.
However, that said, this kind of ignorant drivel is precisely what gives
homeschoolers in general a bad name! (That's right, I know what drivel means, and I only ever took English at a public school!) All of the families I know who
homeschool would be furious if someone made a blanket statement about "the
homeschool movement." And I know that many are made all the time:
homeschoolers are less socially adept than public
schoolers, families who
homeschool are all
uber-conservative, anti-modern, etc, etc." We've all heard them. And while there are truly some people who fulfill these stereotypes, the vast majority does not.
I feel that the same can be said about the public school world. I concede that there are many people in the public school system who fulfill what Pearl is saying to a "t," and the percentage may be higher in that case than in the case of the homeschooling stereotypes, but I find it ignorant and offensive to dismiss public schooling as a whole just because of some of its negative aspects. Many, many wonderful Christian people have dedicated their entire lives to teaching in the public school system, and I know many, many "intelligent, confident, [and] clear-thinking citizens" who graduated from public school. Not to mention godly, pure, and morality intact!!!
As I was reading more of their material, I found these statements:
"Their oldest son just jumped ship. He has a wild tattoo, pierced his ears, and dyed his hair." (1)
"Many parents have had their faith shaken. 'We
didn’t watch television or associate with sinners; we taught our children Christian principles; why
didn’t it work?'"(2)
"even in the protected vacuum of a Christian home"(3)
Where to even begin!?!??!
Why is the church so judgemental about these external things? "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart!"
Why didn't they "associate with sinners"? Jesus Himself spent nearly ALL of his time with the "sinners"!!! Isn't one of the most important "Christian principals" go INTO all the world and make disciples"??!!?! If we do not associate with "sinners" how will they ever hear about the love of God? And news flash, I'm a sinner, you're a sinner, there's no way around it, we all fall into this category!!! How self-righteous can we be? And since when is a "Christian home" supposed to be a "protected vacuum"? This seems completely contrary to Christ's command that we are to be "in the world, but not of it"!
I am sorry to rant, but I am so flabbergasted by the hypocrisy!!!
Maybe the deeper reason that teenagers are "jumping ship" is that the Christianity with which they have been presented is so small and narrow for such a big God! They have not been taught that their God is huge and powerful and can handle any of their questions, so when their parents' small faith cannot answer their doubts and their fears, they have nowhere to turn, but to the world that seems to have all the answers!
I have been reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, and he puts it so well:
"I can't tell you the number of people in their late teens or early twenties I know, or those I have been told about, who experience truth outside the boundaries of their religion and abandon the whole thing because they think it's a choice . . . They are experiencing truth in all sorts of new ways, and they need a faith that is big enough to handle it. Their box is getting blown apart, and the faith they were handed doesn't have room for what they are learning."
It scares me, honestly, that the world sees our faith as something that is so small and narrow and constricting. This is the image we have portrayed to them. They did not arrive at this conclusion independently. And there are people all over the world (and all over the web) who consistently prove them RIGHT!!! Which is so WRONG!!! Am I making any sense? People, my God is huge! My God does not wish for us to live in restriction, but in the most wonderful freedom! "I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it to the full!!!" It breaks my heart that someone might miss Him because of the twisted image others are portraying.
That said, I really have to take a long, hard look at myself. What kind of image am I portraying? Do the people I work with know that I love the Lord just because I say so, or because I live like I love Him? Are my friends and family encouraged and blessed by me, or am I needy and whiny and high maintenance because I am depending upon them for fulfillment in areas where I should be depending on Christ?
Not exactly a light beginning to our week, but certainly much needed introspection for myself. Thanks for reading, and have a fabulous Monday.
