The Debate That Turned An Election
You may have been like me last week and watched with interest the results of some elections that took place. What especially caught my attention was the gubernatorial race in the state of Virginia. Now, most of the time a governor’s race in a distant state wouldn’t garner much attention. However, last week’s race in Virginia had national attention because of what took place during a televised debate.
In that debate one candidate boldly proclaimed that parents had a right to be involved in their children’s education. The other candidate took the opposite position and actually said,
I’m not going to let parents come into schools and actually take books out and make their own decisions. I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.
I wrote about this in an earlier blog. As the campaign came to its conclusion, the candidate who made this brash statement continued to double down on his belief that the state has the final authority in the education of children and youth. The other candidate even went so far as to promise voters that certain human ideologies would not be taught in the government schools if he were elected.
The results in this race sent shock waves all across the country. This is because the candidate who was little known and was predicted to lose by a large margin actually won convincingly. When Youngkin was declared the winner, it was noted that parents rose up and carried him across the finish line. One news report stated that Youngkin,
…seized on a late-stage stumble by McAuliffe, who during a debate suggested parents should have a minimal role in shaping school curriculums.
Let me state right up front that I was thankful that this election turned out the way it did. It did send a message that the education of children is the responsibility of parents and not the state. However, I am fearful that results like we saw in Virginia will give parents, especially Christian parents, a false sense of security. Allow me to explain.
Even if the governor elect in Virginia is successful in removing various teachings from the state’s schools, does it make secular education safer? I agree that some teachings such as CRT and social justice are grounded in an unbiblical worldview and are very dangerous ideologies to be taught to children and youth.
However, what is still a reality when it comes to public school education is that it has been completely secularized. Secular education, as I have written about many times, is in no way spiritually neutral. It denies or, at least, ignores the existence of God and, therefore, betrays its students. Futurist, Alvin Toffler, said it best when he wrote in the 1960s,
All education springs from some image of the future. If the image of the future held by society is inaccurate, its educational system will betray its youth.
American society is secular, period. Its view of the future does not include an eternity with heaven or hell as everyone’s eternal destiny. By believing that this life is all there is, today’s secular society has developed an educational system that will not only betray our youth but also will not prepare them for the real future as is set forth in Scripture.
I have witnessed some other things that happened in the past that caused Christians to have a false sense of security when it comes to the education of their children. I will only take time to mention one such occurrence. Quite a few years have passed since the very first See You At The Pole rallies occurred.
Since that time, students, teachers and parents have gathered outside around school flag poles to pray for students and their schools. Again, I want to clearly state that I am thankful for these sacred assemblies and the thousands of students who openly take a stand for God by participating in these important events.
When these were first taking place, I heard many Christians joyfully make statements that demonstrated their exuberance to see God and prayer brought back into the nation’s public schools. Unfortunately, no such thing ever happened. This is because once the time around the flag poles ended, students went into buildings to receive a totally secular education where the God that was just worshipped and prayed to remained at the flag pole.
I am encouraged that parents are now waking up and are willing to take responsibility for the education of their children. However, parental responsibility can’t be limited to how one votes. Parents must do everything in their power to make sure their children receive a biblically based, Christ centered education. Only then will we be able to give our children an education that will prepare them for the real future and not betray them.
“Instructions in the schools will be, but a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal when not founded upon and sanctified by the undefiled and regenerating religion of Jesus Christ.’” Egerton Ryerson.
Ryerson lived in the 19th century Canada and was the founder of the Ontario public school system. How prophetic his words are for current public educational systems in American states and Canadian provinces – even the ones that appear to be returning to traditional curricula.
Thanks for the blog Glen. It is always thought provoking and usually reminds me how important it is to pray for our cause.
The problems run deep. Christian parents, for the most part, lack a Christian worldview and haven’t been taught to discern the truth between a true Christian worldview and cultural Marxism, the leading worldview of public schools. The American Christian church turns a blind eye to this. The parents lack the understanding that Christ is the central figure found in every subject but the public schools deny this truth and thus deny Christ. Another problem is the education establishment runs way too deep to be effectively reformed back to a Western Civilization (ie Judeo/Christian) worldview. The textbooks are loaded with a more subtle version of cultural Marxism and the certified teachers are steeped in cultural Marxist ideologies and teaching methodologies. Prior to adoption of CRT and LGBTQ+ issues over the past couple years the public schools and traditional Christian schools were churning out cultural Marxists which included between 90-95% of self professing Christian high schoolers.