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by David Odegard

Every Christian teacher with whom I have discussed secularism believes that the government schools severely limit the freedom to teach a God-centered curriculum. Many would love the opportunity to teach in a Christian school or some new setting where they could be faithful to their conscience, but there just aren’t very many options available.

Many of the Christians who are bringing up children are concerned about some of the elements in the curriculum of their local government school, but they don’t really have any options available to them either. Homeschooling is intimidating to a parent; I know because we have been intimidated by it! Christian school is often too pricey and most households operate only if both parents work. I get it.

First of all, I want you to know that I do not condemn any of you for where you are at in this discussion at this time. Second, I want you to know that progressive government policy has created every one of these difficulties for you.

Secular humanism has become the legal and de facto religion of the United States. It has been that way for a long time. In this religion, God’s Word is not the source of ultimate revelation, rather knowledge is only found in the human mind, according to the humanist. This overconfidence in humanity’s virtue and knowledge has led many to praise central planning by the government for every area of our lives—from the cradle to the grave. This scheme has been creeping up on us for a long time, but this next generation, the millennials as they are sometimes called, are more open to socialism than any other American generation. They also have the highest rates of acceptance for homosexual marriage, abortion rights, and a post-modern worldview. This is the natural result of building from a foundation of evolutionary naturalism and curriculum with God removed.

The foundation of our republic has washed away, but this doesn’t come as an accident. As I said above, this is the natural consequence of several factors. Centering knowledge in humanity dethrones God’s place in life. All humanistic societies eventually suffer collapse due to their misplaced confidence. Each collapse underscores the truths that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7) and “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save” (Psalm 146:3).

First, the humanists insist, in spite of whatever the Bible may teach, that the Lord is nothing to fear because he doesn’t exist. Or at the very least, if he does exist he is inconsequential to what should be called “real knowledge.” They believe that education should center around man’s knowledge; God can safely be left out of everything, they reason.

Secondly, the humanists style themselves as the saviors of the human race. According to them, the compendium of human knowledge is going to usher in the garden of Eden. Within the field of the history of the philosophy of education, there has been much written about the utopia that can only come about as children are reeducated along secular, progressive models. The promise of beating swords into plowshares is not the result of Christ’s return, but the education and social conditioning of the central planners. Pick up nearly any book written in the twentieth century about education and you will see this grand vision spelled out. You, Christian parent, are standing in the way of their unfolding of history.

Let me briefly explain why this the direct result of government policy (regardless of whether this was the intended result or not). First, Christianity was discarded as the source of ultimate truth in favor of secularism (see Immanuel Kant or David Hume). With no gods left to worship, the state was the most powerful remaining force. Secularists worship the state (see Germany and Italy around WWII). Secularists took over the government. Secularists took over all centers of learning and social influence that they could (see the takeover of the Presbyterian Church in the 1930’s; J. Gresham Machen). They immediately became intolerant of dissent. The executive branch of the federal government, the mainline churches, the universities, Christian academic centers of knowledge, eventually the state governments, the judicial branch of the federal government, and many city governments were infiltrated by secularism.

Central planners took over everything. Look at what they have done to the economy! Inflation is the direct result of money printing, and the government loves to print money (please refer to my blog posts on Biblical economics). Inflation lowers the standard of living of wage earners.

Look what they have done to university education. They have made it nearly impossible to acquire a classical education without incurring enormous debt. The federal subsidizing of the university is the direct cause of rising prices in college education (healthcare too, by the way). Then the government loans money for college but attaches so many strings to what can be taught that Christian schools are very much shouldered aside. In California, there was a bill last year, SB 1146, that punished Christian institutions who allowed the Bible to inform hiring policy and student conduct on campus (read more here and here for starters).

The same thing has occurred with public schools. You are going to pay for them whether you use them or not since it is taxpayer funded. Public schools are the most costly option available but parents don’t “feel” the pinch as a tuition cost—they feel it as a tax, but even this is easy to ignore. The state and federal governments take money from people, attach a million strings to it, and then restrict access to those funds as they see fit. Access is granted along secular humanist lines.

So, the reason you don’t like public education is not the teacher’s fault—they are great teachers. But the system is rigged to produce compliance with the values of the existing power structure. The powers that be are progressives to a fault; this is probably the source of your concern as a Christian parent. But your options are limited, because the secular humanists also control the economy (which is consistently providing a lower standard of living even though you make more dollars—that is why both parents often must have employment), the student loan markets, and every other area of your life. Secular humanism is anti-Christian and it is the official religion of the government.

I am not trying to make you feel bad about your participation in the public system—either as a teacher, a student, or a parent. I am simply wanting to inform you of reality. American education is completely driven by the secular humanist ideology. Perhaps not by your local school teacher, but it is intrinsic to the system. It will mold your child. This is the way things are—respond accordingly, but at least now you have been informed. Blessings.

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