(This is a rough draft of an article I am working on. Please excuse any typos or mistakes in formatting. I am copying this from the OpenOffice version I have. Once I get the thing finished I will publish it as a free pdf.)
Modern Public Education
an Abomination to God,
bringing the threat of hellfire
upon all parents who send their children
to Public Schools;
with Scriptural proofs, and objections answered.
All Scripture quotations from the King James Version.
Parents who send their children to public school are in danger of hellfire. They are in danger as much as the adulterer, thief, fornicator, or idolater are in danger. They may escape the judgment of God if they repent, but if they refuse to repent they will die in their sins. Thus,
parents who send their children to public school will die in their sins and be eternally lost unless they repent.
I shall demonstrate that,
1 God holds parents accountable for their children's education and upbringing.
2 God holds parents accountable for what others teach their children.
3 God commands Christian, Biblical education of children.
4 Those who teach children to sin are damned unless they repent.
5 Those who allow children to be taught to sin are likewise damned unless they repent.
6 Public education is designed to teach children to sin.
7 Public education is controlled by the wicked.
8 All objections are useless – whether the good school district excuse; the salt and light excuse; the sunday school excuse; the family influence and devotions excuse; the exception excuse; the can't afford private school excuse; the can't homeschool excuse; or the state forbids it excuse.
9 All objections being refuted, it follows that parents who send their children to public school hate their children in their heart, which makes them doubly guilty of sin.
10 The responsibility of parents; churches; ministers/teachers; children is clear.
1 God holds parents accountable for their children's education and upbringing:Deuteronomy 6:6-7 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: (7) And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Nurture: paideia
Thayer's Definition:
1)
the whole training and education of children (which relates to the cultivation of mind and morals, and employs for this purpose now commands and admonitions, now reproof and punishment) It also includes the training and care of the body
2) whatever in adults also cultivates the soul, especially by correcting mistakes and curbing passions.
2a)
instruction which aims at increasing virtue
2b) chastisement, chastening, (of the evils with which God visits men for their amendment)
“Bring them up, etc - Εκτρεφετε αυτα εν παιδειᾳ και νουθεσια Κυριου· literally, Nourish them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. The mind is to be nourished with wholesome discipline and instruction, as the body is with proper food. Παιδεια, discipline, may refer to all that knowledge which is proper for children, including elementary principles and rules for behavior, etc. Νουθεσια, instruction, may imply whatever is necessary to form the mind; to touch, regulate, and purify the passions; and necessarily includes the whole of religion. Both these should be administered in the Lord - according to his will and word, and in reference to his eternal glory. All the important lessons and doctrines being derived from his revelation, therefore they are called the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Clarke's Commentary)
“But bring them up - Place them under such discipline and instruction that they shall become acquainted with the Lord.
In the nurture - ἐν παιδεία en paideia. The word used here means “training of a child;” hence education, instruction, discipline. Here it means that they are to train up their children in such a manner as the Lord approves; that is, they are to educate them for virtue and religion.” (Barne's Notes)
Parents are commanded to teach their children, therefore they are accountable for their children's education, it's content, and morality. The education of children is nowhere mandated in scripture to anyone but parents. Anyone else who teaches children does so as proxies of the parents, and therefore as their agents. Therefore whatever is taught, the parents are accountable for.
2
God holds parents accountable for what others teach their children. Already proven above, but now more fully demonstrated:
Revelation 2:14-16 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. (15) So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. (16) Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Revelation 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
Christ had a few things against the angels of the churches of Pergamos and Thyatira because they allowed people to teach His servants to commit fornication and be involved in false religion. The angel of the church was responsible for what was being taught, even though he himself was not doing the actual, direct teaching. How much more will parents be responsible for what is being taught to the children He has given them, even if they themselves are not doing the direct, actual teaching itself? If the children are being taught immorality and false religious ideas (such as evolution, atheism, agnosticism, etc) then the Lord will have more than just a 'few things' against the parents! Those given the oversight of others are responsible for what is taught their charges by hired proxies and agents (such as the public school system). If wickedness is taught, then not only are the teachers guilty, but so are the ones who knowingly allow such wickedness to be taught to those entrusted in their care. And thus the angel of the church is told to
repent for allowing false teachers to seduce those under his care, and parents likewise are to repent for allowing false teachers to seduce the children under their care. A command to repent implies one will be lost if they do not, for unless you repent you will die in your sins.
3
God commands Christian, Biblical education of children.Deuteronomy 6:6-7 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: (7) And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Deuteronomy 11:18-19 (18) Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. (19) And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Parents are commanded to ensure they teach their children the ways of God, and are commanded to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. As before shown, “nurture” means the paidea, or whole system of instructing and educating children. The child's education is to be specifically Biblical and Christian. Failure to give one's children a Christian, Biblical education is a violation of the commands of God, and therefore sin. And unrepented sin will drown the soul in the lake of fire.