I've always wondered why we as human beings have never wanted to be told what to do. It's so innate that we just have to touch that wall that says "Do Not Touch: Wet Paint", always crossing the line. We know that something is probably wrong, yet we cross it. Always, every time, without fail. All of it comes down to one rather annoying word: pride.

People hate being told what to do, whether it be what you should be wearing, how you should be speaking, or what we should or shouldn't be eating and drinking. People go absolutely "bonkers" if you tell them that modesty can be defined, that you shouldn't be cussing, or you probably shouldn't be drinking that beer.  

I think it is like that anywhere -- no one ever likes being told what to do. We're free to choose what we want, not to follow a bunch of legalistic rules. Christians have rights too -- some things are left open for debate in the Bible. And it gets messy when you decide to have a position on those points.

It's here that I propose to you a solution to some of these problems: get back to the basics. The gospel is the main thing, and the main thing must stay the main thing. So many of the issues within our churches could be solved if only we began to preach the pure gospel, unfiltered and without sugar. We can't continue to preach a watered down gospel, or our churches will continue in the watered down state they are in. Our churches are so bland, so empty -- and it's because of a lack of preaching the wonderful cross.

The Gospel Defined

The first step for us is to define what the gospel is. Truly, if we boil it down, the gospel would defined as the "good news." But how is it good news? Is it good news because God loves us? Is it good news Jesus died for us? Couldn't he show us love in another way?

"Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man," said Paul, "I was shown mercy." The gospel starts with you and me. We are blasphemers. Liars. Thieves. Adulterers. Coveting. Murderers. Disobedient. You name it, we've done it, whether in thought or deed. And it breaks us -- it kills us. We quickly realize what God has demanded of us -- perfection -- and we've fallen so dismally short. We're so terribly sinful that we should be completely annihilated.

"For all have sinned," says Paul in Romans, "and have fallen short of the glory of God."

Just taking one look at the Law of God should break us into a million pieces, and lead us to understand that none of us are good, and we all deserve hell. This is essential in understanding the glorious gospel.

God was not willing that any should perish. "For God so loved the world," says John, "that He gave his only Son that whoever would believe in him will not perish, but will have eternal life." God sent His Son to take our place, becoming a sacrifice for God, serving and up-keeping justice. Christ took upon Himself all our sins, allowing us to repent (turn away from our sins), believe in Him, and turn to Christ as our Savior. So simple, such a paradox, and so beautiful.

If only our churches would preach repentance and faith, repentance and faith, repentance and faith! Many issues would solve themselves, and we can all agree once more on the basics, the literal Word of God and that glorious gospel. 

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So, what is the world saying about that resolution coming before the Southern Baptists this June?

Jeff says:

Whatever happened to Christian liberty? Where does it say in the Bible that Christians must withdraw their children from public schools? This is EXTREME LEGALISM. I hope that messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention do not impose this legalism upon the conscience of Southern Baptists. Nothing should bind the conscience of a Christian except for what is explicitly taught in Scripture. I will be extremely EMBARRASSED if the SBC passes anything like this. And I am confident that it will not happen - our churches are full of both public school children and public school teachers. Thousands of SBC church members are teachers in public schools, and they are tired of the SLANDER that comes from the homeschooling fanatics. Parents in SBC churches want to raise normal children, not homeschooled freaks with no social skills.

This is scary. The noose of legalism draws tighter and tighter around the throat of evangelical Christianity every day. Legalism is deadly. It is time for somebody to stand up to these obnoxious legalists who want to take away our Christian liberty.

Mother Music says

Making resolutions in Southern Baptist Conventions might NOT be the best way to begin, however. It may threaten those who are entrenched in the public school system, threaten the political hard left who already believe that the religious conservatives are out to get them and take over the world, possibly causing a backlash of panic-stricken legislation which would only make the problem worse. Further, resolutions have not been known to be effective in stimulating any action.

Kirsten says

Absolutely the right way to go! It will take a long time and some hard, careful work, though. So many people need the help of the church, but such a small percentage of them will change their lifestyles that are contributing to their problems. You can't just write tuition checks and dump undisciplined and undiscipled children into Christian schools. Over the years our small church has reached out to many families and young people with love and conditional financial help and only a few of them have been willing to work with our elders to get at the root causes of their ongoing problems. We'll keep at it though, with God's blessing.

KI says

I do agree that churches should help their young parents to raise Godly children. I think there is a lot that can be done to do that. I don't think they should make a blanket statement that no children should be in public schools. I believe this will just ghetto-ize christians more. We need to be light and salt and that includes in public schools. All public schools are not alike, although I do agree that they all have problems. I know the problems christian schools have, also, and some of the negatives of homeschooling. Yes, there are problems in these types of schooling too. I've done all three at various times with my children who are now grown and doing fine. I think parents need to work deligently, pray deligently and look for God's wisdom and do what they need to do that is best for each of their children. The churches need to come alongside and help them in that.

Anlir says

I hope the SBC resolution on Christianists removing their children from the public schools passes, and I hope their parents head the call.

For the vast majority of us non-Christianists in the public school system, ya'll are nothing but trouble and a constant pain in the rear. Quite honestly, we're tired of your constant arguing over everything the public schools do and your constant lawsuits. It has reached the point where you are a negataive influence on everyone else.

Please leave, so the rest of us can go back to what is supposed to be the purpose of public schools - educating our children.

Aaron Carpenter says...

Did they miss the part where Independents did this 40 years ago?

One caution if the SBC looks within its own ranks to provide the personnel for this enterprise (and why wouldn't they?):
Christian education is an overriding philosophy, not merely a Bible elective, weekly chapel, and prayer before class. So, success means not merely church-operated Christian schools but training the teachers in a Biblical educational philosophy. Of course, this will not be seen as necessary if Mohler's call is merely reactive and passive, ie. he may be calling for Christian educational alternatives simply to keep the children of believers from being indoctrinated by Darwinism, sexual perversions, secular humanism. While they must keep these out of education, I hope they create alternatives that provide positive affirmations of a Biblical worldview.

I hope they are successful, but it will be interesting to see how this all turns out. Secular education, sans liberal agenda, plus a Bible class does not equal Christian education.

And, of course, the "big" supporters:

Dr. Paige Patterson: (President-SWBTS Seminary, SBC President 1998-99) He said that if he were rearing his children today he would home school them "for the sake of relationship, academic accomplishment, safety, and Christian commitment." (Lee Weeks, "Homeschooling-SEBTS Style" Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Outlook, Vol. 48, p.7) In 2002, under his leadership at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., over a hundred faculty, staff, and student families had chosen to home school their children.

Dr. Jack Graham: (Sr. Pastor of Prestonwood Church, SBC President 2003-2004) "The world is too much with us and so, while we are not trying to cocoon our children, we don't want to put our children in a position to fail," Graham said in a Nov. 11 interview with the Florida Baptist Witness. "I think Christian schools put children in a position to succeed spiritually." Graham is pastor of Dallas-area Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano ..."That's the whole purpose. To train a new generation of leaders to make a difference. ... To develop a new generation of young dynamic leaders who understand their faith, who are able to communicate their faith and to live their faith in whatever their career or calling may be," (http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=14723)

Dr. Jerry Johnson: (President-Criswell College) “We, Dr. Streett and I, have chosen to homeschool. We see it as the best way, your first option, for educating your child.“

Dr. Tom Elliff: (Vice President-International Mission Board, SBC President 1997-1998) “We have a large homeschool group here at First Southern Del City. I think what you are doing with SBCHEA is wonderful, and I can think of several families right now who would be encouraged by the ministry. Everywhere Jeannie and I go we talk about homeschooling.“

Dr. David Dockery: “We are to have the mind of Christ, and this certainly requires us to think and wrestle with the challenging ideas of history and the issues of our day. For to do otherwise will result in another generation of God's people ill equipped for faithful thinking and service in this new century. A Christian worldview is needed to confront an ever-changing culture. Instead of allowing our thoughts to be captive to culture, we must take every thought captive to Jesus Christ.“

Dr. Albert Mohler: (President-SBTS Seminary) “Far too many Christians neglect to pay attention to what is distinctively Christian about Christian education. In Romans 12:2, Paul wrote, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." That powerful sentence represents the very heart of Christian education. Rather than conforming to the prevailing worldview of the secular culture, Christian education is to be transformative--demonstrating the power of God's truth in human lives. A true Christian education is like a light shining in the darkness. In a day when the prevailing secular culture is not even certain that truth exists, Christian education is established in the name and to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life.“ (http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2006-04-05)

C. H. Spurgeon: (The “Prince of Preachers” 1834-1892) “Withdraw from a child the only divine rule of life, and the result will be most lamentable. An education purely secular is the handmaiden of godless skeptics.“

Martin Luther: (The “Father of the Reformation”1483-1546) “I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. Every institution that does not unceasingly pursue the study of God's Word becomes corrupt"

How about adding yours? (the resolution can be read fully here.)

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I always hate to post twice in one day, but all of you will have to get used to it for the next few weeks. I was browsing the internet, in search of some quality articles and came across this one by Nathan Finn. His article hits at the heart of the issue that is looming before all of us -- an issue that must be addressed quickly. The article hits hard, and it hits home - it entails what I am about and will be about. I'm about showing you, in the next three weeks or so, that when we look at the "Exit Strategy Resolution" we're not talking about "leaving the schools" because of "homosexuality" or "secular humanism." It's more than that, and I've attempted to get that across in the few posts that you have read. The fact is that parents are called to raise their children in godliness - they are not to give that task to someone else! Sunday school, christian schools, extracurricular activities are all supplements, not the main course. 

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I love email exchanges...the following response is quite helpful for any and all parents, anywhere. My mom did a great job in responding, but she wanted to add that it is an email and not a blog post. Enjoy!

Hello Tim,

I found your site when I was looking for resources on "Truth" and "Tolerance".  I'm assembling a CD for the high school group at our church covering truth, the reliability of the Bible, etc.

I happened to check just one of your "Awsome Agents" - "Rhetorical Response"
and found that not only you are still in high school, but Karen is as well.

My wife and I have three sons ages 11, 7, and 4.  It could be because I work at a public high school, but I am amazed at the maturity both you and Karen show in the capability of your writing and the topics you both cover.  One of the impressive aspects of you both is that while you both write so capably on worldview topics, I would guess that most of the high school students I see every day haven't even heard of the word "worldview".

Unfortunately, my wife and I are unable to homeschool our sons currently.
Considering this, can you recommend materials and/or an instruction path we can take our sons on that will help start them on the road to the capability that both you and Karen demonstrate so well.

Thank you and God bless you for your site, your writings, and for a future that will be impacted by you, Karen, and others like you both.

Hugo

Response:

Mr. Schraer,
This is Tim's mom.  He appreciated your encouragement!  He asked me to help respond to your questions.  

I will tell you some of the things "we" have done, but the older our children get, the more we are conscious that all of the work & fruit are truly by God's grace & power alone.  Tim is 16 & the oldest of 5 children.  The others are getting ready to have birthdays and will be 14-year-old boy, 12-year-old boy, 10-year-old girl, and a 6-year-old boy.  We have found (and have observed from others) that mature, responsible young adults are the result of work done when they are toddlers, preschoolers, and "grade school" age.  

Number one on our list has been to keep our children immersed in God's Word.  Until recently, we have not spent time specifically discussing "worldview."  We have focused on simply knowing &  understanding the truth!  As opportunities arise, we talk about how the truth of God's Word applies to the situation...what God's perspective is based on Biblical revelation.  It is our desire to set biblical standards for our children, even if those standards seem unreasonable or unreachable to the world.  Apart from Christ, His grace, and the power of the Holy Spirit, biblical standards are impossible.  Knowing this helps us to focus daily on our need for the Gospel.

We have studied the Bible at home, at church, and in additional studies.  We have used a wide variety of material to help us in family devotions & Bible study for school.  In all of our studies, we have taken the opportunity to connect God's Word to daily life.  We are kind to others, not just because it is a nice thing to do, but because each person is made in the image of God.  We treat them according to the value God has placed on them.  We pick up our toys & belongings in our house out of respect for others, but also because we recognize that everything we have has been given to us by God and He has given us stewardship responsibility.  We have memorized Scripture, prayed together in a variety of ways, sung hymns and worship songs together, acted stories out, etc.  

A Bible study that has played a prominent role in our family is Bible Study Fellowship (BSF).  Our children began attending in 1st grade.  This study uses the Bible itself as the textbook, and the children and adults are studying the same lessons.  They have daily questions to answer, and then a group discussion and lesson that helps them with application.  Along the way, they also learn how to do homiletics.  We attribute much of our children's Bible knowledge and ability to apply it to their BSF studies.

When our children are young we also focus quite a bit on studying character qualities.  We also read biographies of Christian heroes that help us to see how God has worked in history and in various cultures.  In our schooling, we examine God's perspective on every subject.  When our children are able to read by themselves, we begin helping them to have their own personal quiet time.  

As parents, for our little ones (other than them having their needs met & feeling loved & secure which should be obvious)our goals are to instill obedience, submission to boundaries, and self-control.  Those qualities pave the way for them to be willing to receive God's instruction through us and other teachers, and for them to have the ability to stop & evaluate a decision before proceeding, hopefully choosing the way of wisdom.  As they continue to grow, we continue to fill them with the knowledge of God and practical application of that knowledge.  We transition to asking them questions and helping them draw conclusions rather than us always giving them the answers.  I believe this is one of the elements parents miss.  At the wrong seasons of our children's lives, we fall into lecture mode instead of guiding them to think through things for themselves.  Maturity is built when they learn to think biblically and take ownership of their beliefs.

We give our children chores, etc. to help them develop responsibility.  We tend to avoid the passing fads & obsessions of the world.  When our sons have turned 13, my husband asked men of the church to write them letters giving them advice on becoming Godly men.  At that time we also  have begun helping them to acquire a personal library of resources that will be profitable throughout their lives.  We've given them books such as Bible study reference tools, books on apologetics, books on theology, classic Christian works, etc.  Around this time is when Tim started making the jump into communicating the truth of God's Word and a biblical worldview.  I think the world in general expects the teen years to be years that are basically wasted, survived, or spent on earthly pleasures.  We do not buy into that philosophy, because we do not see it as biblical.

We are fully aware of the potential pitfalls for young men, but these are some of the standards we hold:

1 Peter 5:5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
   "God opposes the proud
      but gives grace to the humble."[a]

1 John 2:14 I write to you, fathers,
      because you have known him who is from the beginning.
   I write to you, young men,
      because you are strong,
      and the word of God lives in you,
      and you have overcome the evil one.

Psalm 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
       By living according to your word.

Psalm 144:12 Then our sons in their youth
       will be like well-nurtured plants,
       and our daughters will be like pillars
       carved to adorn a palace.

Psalm 71:5 For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD,
       my confidence since my youth.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember your Creator
       in the days of your youth,
       before the days of trouble come
       and the years approach when you will say,
       "I find no pleasure in them"-
2 Timothy 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
1
 Timothy 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

Titus 2:6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

I am sure this is more than you wanted or needed.  Here are some resources we have particularly liked.  We don't necessarily agree with everything in each book, but they all have been helpful.

Blessings to you & your family,
Agent Tim's Mom

(Book list following)

* Big Thoughts for Little People (Taylor)
* The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes (Taylor)
* Big Truths for Little Kids (Hunt)--we don't actually own this, but I've heard great things about it.  It might be on my list for my 6-year-old God's Wisdom for Little Boys (George)
* A Child's Book of Character Building I&II (Coriell)
* What Would Jesus Do? (Mack)
* A Hive of Busy Bees (Williams)
* Wisdom & The Millers & other Miller books(Martin)--Amish perspective, we made some adjustments Leading Little Ones to God (Schoolland)
* Day by Day Bible for Kids & Day by Day Devotional (Henley)
* One Year Book of Devotions for Kids Hero Tales (Jackson)
* Searching for Treasure (Elwell)
* Family Night Tool Chest (Weidmann)
* The Original 21 Rules of This House (Harris)
* How to Study the Bible for Kids (Arthur) & other Discover 4 Yourself studies Trailblazer biographies (Jackson)
* Christian Heroes Then & Now biographies (YWAM, Benge)
* A Faith to Grow On (MacArthur)
* Know What You Believe (Little) Know Why You Believe (Little)
* Training Hearts, Teaching Minds (Meade)
* Boyhood and Beyond (Schultz)
* Growing Up Christian (Graustein, Jacobsen)
* Parenting Today's Adolescent (Rainey)
* Shepherding a Child's Heart (Tripp)
* Don't Make Me Count to Three (Plowman)
* For Instruction in Righteousness (Forster)
* Proverbs for Parenting (Decker)
* Changed Into His Image, Student Edition (Berg)
* Don't Check Your Brains at the Door (McDowell)
* Praying the Scriptures for your Children (Berndt)
* Plants Grown Up (Forster)
* What Every Child Should Know Along the Way (Martin)
* Parenting with Scripture (Durbin)
* Foundations of the Christian Faith (Boice)
* Don't Waste Your Life (Piper)
* Humility: True Greatness (Mahaney)
* No Place for Truth (Wells)
* Spurgeon Gold (Comfort)
* The Cross Centered Life (Mahaney)
* Who Made God (Zacharias & Geisler)
* Essential Truths of the Christian Faith (Sproul)
* Preparing Sons to Provide for a Single Income Family (Maxwell) Future Men (Wilson)
* How to Bring Your Children to Christ and Keep Them There (Comfort)
* http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2005-04-21
* http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2005-04-22
* "The Case for Kids" by Paul & David Tripp from Shepherd Press.  
* "Parents, Teens, and Reasonable Expecations" by Grant Layman from Covenant Life Church (available at Sovereign Grace Ministries)

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Gena Suarez posted a fantastic interview with Dr. Bruce Shortt, who I hope to meet down in Greensboro in June. His comments on reforming the public school system, and having children as missionaries are, quite frankly, some of the best and most well-thought out responses I've ever heard. And it is quite evident he goes beyond worldly statistics, and uses God's Word and not his own to back up what he is saying. Here's a clip:

While there is a great deal that could be said on Biblical standards for education, let's stick to the basics. First, Christ tells us that we can't claim to be neutral with respect to him: we are either for him or against him [Matthew 12:30]. Education is no exception. In fact, in Ephesians 6:4 we are instructed to raise up our children in the training and instruction of the Lord. Are a few hours a week sufficient? The answer is quite clearly "no". As Deuteronomy 6:6-7 tells us, this training is to be going on all of the time. Why? Because as Proverbs 23:7 points out: "For as a man thinks, so he is..." Our education, in other words, determines more than any other single factor how we think. Christ makes this point forcefully in Luke 6:40: "A student is not greater than his teacher, and when he is fully trained, he will be like his teacher." Thus, when we give our children over to a K-12 educational system that is Constitutionally prohibited from being for Christ, we have made an anti-Christian institution our child's teacher. That is missing the mark - in other words, that is sin. But it is not merely a personal sin; it is also a sin that is likely to cause children to sin as well. All of us who are parents would do well to contemplate both Psalm 127:3 and Matthew 18:6 from time to time.

What does Psalm 127:3 and Matthew 18:6 say?

Psalms:

Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
       children a reward from him.

Matthew:

But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Previous: We Hereby Resolve
Exit Strategy Resolution
Education Gadfly

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The following two resolutions are, in my opinion, absolutely wonderful. Your thoughts?

RESOLUTION ON DEVELOPING AN EXIT STRATEGY FROM THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT WOULD GIVE PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE NEEDS OF ORPHANS, SINGLE PARENTS, AND THE DISADVANTAGED

April 24, 2006

Submitted by
Roger Moran,
and
Dr. Bruce N. Shortt
Whereas, in June 2005 Dr. Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, called for responsible Southern Baptists to develop an exit strategy from the government schools, stating further that there is no reason to believe that each year will not bring even more urgent concerns related to public education1; and

Whereas,  federal circuit court judges held in November 2005 in Fields v. Palmdale that "parents have no constitutional right ... to prevent a public school from providing its students with whatever information it wishes to provide, sexual, or otherwise, when and as the school determines that it is appropriate to do so"; and

Whereas, in December 2005 a federal judge ruled in favor of government schools indoctrinating children with dogmatic Darwinism; and

Whereas, government schools continue to adopt and implement curricula and policies teaching that the homosexual lifestyle is acceptable; and

Whereas, Christian educational alternatives to government schools are desperately needed immediately by orphans, children of single parents, and the disadvantaged2 and can be an effective means for evangelistic outreach; and
Whereas, the Gospel of Luke instructs us that a student is not above his teacher and, when he is fully trained, will be like his teacher; and

Whereas, the government schools are required by law to be humanistic and secular in their instruction; and

Whereas, children are our most important mission field, and the overwhelming majority of Christians have made the government school system their children’s teacher; and

Whereas, studies by Barna Research, Dr. Christian Smith, and The Nehemiah Institute have found that a large majority of children from Christian families do not have a Christian worldview3; and

Whereas, an article by Dr. Thom Ranier published in the spring 2005 issue of the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology reported, “nearly one half of all [Southern Baptist] church members may not be Christians”4; and

Whereas, the Southern Baptist Council on Family Life reported to the 2002 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention that 88 percent of the children
raised in evangelical homes leave church at the age of 18, never to return; and
Whereas, the Messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention’s 2005 Annual Meeting urged parents in Resolution No. 1, On Educating Children, to embrace their responsibility to educate their children by choosing a means of education that would “…ensure their physical, moral, emotional, and spiritual well-being, with a goal of raising godly men and women who are thoroughly equipped to live as fully devoted followers of Christ”; and

Whereas, in light of government school curricula, court rulings, and the influence of the NEA, parents cannot satisfy the criteria for the education of Christian children set forth in Resolution 1 by educating Christian children in today’s government schools; and
Whereas, article XII of the Baptist Faith and Message states, “the cause of education in the Kingdom of Christ is co-ordinate with the causes of missions and general benevolence, and should receive along with these the liberal support of the churches. An adequate system of Christian education is necessary to a complete spiritual program for Christ's people”; and

Whereas, the next clause in article XII makes it clear that this education is to be provided through ‘Christian schools, colleges and seminaries’; and
Whereas, Southern Baptist congregations can draw upon many existing buildings and other resources to provide an alternative to educating children in government schools; and

Whereas, Southern Baptist congregations have many adults, including pastors, who can assist in the education of children as a ministry; and
Whereas, satellite, DVD, internet-enabled multi-media computer technology, and other more traditional forms of self-paced learning are effective ways of providing Christian education and are now very affordable; and

Whereas, churches can collaborate in providing alternatives to the government school system:

BE IT NOW RESOLVED that the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention encourages each church associated with the Southern Baptist Convention to heed Dr. Mohler’s call to develop an exit strategy from the government’s schools; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention urges that particular attention be given in the development of such exit strategies to the needs of orphans, single parents, and the disadvantaged; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention urges that the agencies of the Southern Baptist Convention assist churches in the development of exit strategies from the government schools and help coordinate efforts, including partnerships with churches in low income areas, to provide a Christian educational alternative to orphans, single parents, and the disadvantaged; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention applauds the many adult members of our congregations who teach in government schools, and this resolution should be construed to encourage adult believers who are truly called to labor as missionaries to unbelieving colleagues and students to continue their missionary work in the government school system.

The other resolution can be found here.

I understand many of you are not Southern Baptist, but what do you think of a group of believers passing a resolution such as this? 

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WARNING: SPOILERS

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose”.
–Jim Elliot

First of all, let me begin by saying that The End of the Spear was a powerful movie. It was surprising how well done the film was technically, even with a lower budget. The story was, as I knew, incredible. The scenes were touching, and reached out to the audience, leaving a stunned audience to sit in silence at the end of the film, not moving anywhere to leave the theatre.

Before going into the theatre, I knew one huge fact about this movie. It's name, or rather, his name was Chad Allen. Allen happens to be one of the nation's leading gay activists, and the actor portraying the part of Nate and Steve Saint, one of the five missionaries killed by the Waodani in the 1950s. I believed that the knowledge that this was a gay man would ruin my experience. But it did not. The man was just like any other actor, a sinner, who was doing his job. The acting was superb, and I was glad that this man's lifestyle had no affect on me as I watched the movie.

Yet still, we have seen a lot of legitimate concern with using the "worst man for the job." This man is one who worships, as he says, the "God of my understanding. It's very powerful, and it's taken its own shape and form. And I am very much at peace in the knowledge that in my heart God created this beautiful expression of my love." It is obvious that he was not the best man for the job. In fact, he could have been the worst man for the job.

World Net Daily reports Steve Saint's interesting take on the situation:

Nate Saint's son Steve Saint, who served as a producer, a stunt pilot and had a bit part in the film, believes it was God's plan to have Allen in "End of the Spear," according to Agape Press.

Saint admitted, however, he was shocked when he learned Allen was homosexual.

"I could feel physical pain," he recalled, "thinking [that] somebody that lives a lifestyle like that is going to depict my dad."

But after further reflection, he began to see Allen's involvement might be God-ordained.

Some Christians might be offended by Allen's role, Saint realized, but "I thought, 'What happens if I stand before God someday and He says to me, "Steve, I went out of my way to orchestrate an opportunity for Chad Allen to see what it would be like to live as your father did."' And then I could picture Him looking at me and saying, 'Steve, why did you mess with my plan?'"

Also according to World Net Daily, Allen supposedly has made a "gentleman's agreement" with Every Tribe Entertainment to not use the platform given to him through this movie as a way to promote his homosexual activities.

What concerned me the most was not a gay actor or a director of gay movies, but rather the power of the gospel given in this movie. For the majority of the movie, I put myself in the shoes of an unbeliever. I came to the conclusion that the power of the gospel could be received as powerful. Yet it is very possible to wonder what exactly those missionaries were willing to give up their lives for, other than to be friendly and stop the killing. Some have claimed that it is impossible to see the gospel in this film because it is so hidden, yet I will differ on that point. It will vary, as I said, from person to person, and their background. Beyond the Gates of Splendor did not "preach" the gospel. And really, we should be the ones proclaiming the gospel, not this movie. We need to make sure we don't get hung up on details, or problems such as these and take our eyes off of what we really need to be doing.

As a Christian, the gospel was evident as the Aucas realized that these missionaries were trying to tell them something--that the God they knew was out there and had a Son, and he was the way to jump the great "boa." Of course, one would need a foreknowledge of the gospel to understand the dual meaning of these words which were used to help the Indians understand the message.

Perhaps we need to go beyond the gospel even, and realize that this is a story for Christians. A story about the ultimate sacrifice of these men who were willing to do crazy things to give horrible sinners the hope of forgivness and eternal life. It is a challenge to us to take our Christianity seriously and to be willing to give up personal comfort to save our brothers and sisters from eternity in hell. Really, that is the essential part of this film, even above the gospel. It is a challenge to spread the gospel.

The story as a whole, as I said, is absolutely powerful. The main character, Mincayani, is well-portrayed. His is a story of hatred and fear, turned into love and forgiveness as he becomes a God-follower, following the "carvings" of God's Word.

We also see Nate Saint and his son. Their relationship proves to be something that affects you when you witness the horrible slaying of Nate Saint and the other missionaries on Palm Beach. There is a wonderful set of scenes, starting with Steve Saint asking his aunt the words of "We are your sincere friends" in Waodani over the radio (she was friends with Dayuma, an Auca who escaped to the white men early in the movie.) He asks his dad to promise to speak those words if he gets in a jam on the beach. Sure enough, he does.

As Nate Saint lies there, gasping for breath, a spear in his chest, and Mincayani standing over him, he speaks those words to him. If you have a heart at all at this point you'll need some kleenex.

Another scene is at the end, when Steve Saint is given the chance to take revenge on Mincayani, yet he responds by telling Mincayani that "no one took my father's life, he gave it away."*

The true story was the key ingredient in this film, mixed with enough humorous parts to keep the audience entertained, and plenty of moments that broke your heart. These moments made the audience sit silently as the filmed closed. Many were wiping away tears, and others were pondering what had just happened as they saw horrible sin being forgiven.

Overall, the movie receives a B, as the gospel is not as strong as it could be, you really didn't get to know the other missionaries and the story behind the story, and while they picked a good actor in terms of his skills, the fact that he is a gay activist is disheartening, to put it mildly.

I would encourage you to see it for yourself. I do not believe it would be a sin to go see it, and I would preach day and night against anything Chad Allen says if he decides to use the platform that has been given him. I want him to know True Joy and Peace, not joy and peace run by his feelings and understandings.

Finally, I am asking myself the question of whether or not Steve Saint was wrong in what he has done. And I'm really not 100% sure. Some are saying he's terribly wrong, and others still are saying we don't know. I would give him the benefit of the doubt, believing that he wanted to witness to this man. I really would like to get in personal contact with him to ask those vital questions that really need to be asked.

*Not official quote...

Steve Saint, The End of the Spear, Chad Allen

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If you hate reading long posts, skip the first part, jump to the bold subtitle, and read that part. You can skip the article "clips" as well. Enjoy!

The real comments are working now. Thanks for your patience...now get commenting!

It was a normal school, with the same faces, the same groans, the same teachers,  and the same sleepiness that seems to hang onto everyone in the morning. But things weren't completely the same. Little did the students, the parents, and the teachers know that a 15-year-old kid had brought a pellet gun, with the orange warning peice painted black, to his school, and was completely intent on dying that day.

Penley, of Winter Springs in suburban Orlando, was accused of pulling the pellet gun in a classroom Friday and pointing it at other students before forcing one into a closet, then leading deputies and SWAT team members on a chase that ended in a school bathroom.

When he raised the gun at a deputy, a SWAT team member shot him.

Officers who had responded to the 1,100-student school believed the gun was a Beretta 9mm, and didn't learn until after the shooting that it was a pellet gun.

The hospital had repeatedly refused to release Penley's condition to reporters or even specify the nature or extent of his injuries. Police had said Friday that the boy was on "advanced life support."

Sheriff Don Eslinger said the 15-year-old boy brought the gun to Milwee Middle School in his backpack. Eslinger said two students saw it and one persuaded the other to report it, causing a scuffle.

The alleged gunman ordered one of the students into a closet, dimmed the lights and ran from the classroom. He then went around the campus carrying the weapon, Eslinger said. Deputies eventually isolated him in a restroom, and the school was evacuated.

Eslinger said negotiators tried unsuccessfully to start a dialogue with the boy, identified as Christopher David Penley.

"He did not respond," Eslinger said. "He refused to even comment. All he said was his first name. He did not drop the firearm."

When the boy raised the gun at a deputy, he shot the youth, the sheriff said.

"He was suicidal," Eslinger said. "During this standoff, and during the chase, the student said he was going to kill himself or die." At one point, the boy held the gun to his own neck.

No one else was injured. The sheriff's office confirmed later that the weapon was a pellet gun fashioned to look like a 9mm handgun. The tip of the gun had been painted black, covering brightly colored markings that would have indicated it was nonlethal.

It is indeed a sad story, and, as usual, is full of lessons for students and parents alike. We've looked at two teen killers in the past on this blog (one of which was accidentally deleted), and all of the stories have one central similarity--relationships.

David Ludwig killed his girlfriend's parents. Patrick Armstrong killed his "friend," who was a girl. And now, this 15-year-old gets himself killed because he's depressed about a fight over a girl. That's really warning number one when it comes to teens--watch out for the boy/girl relationship that can easily end up on the front page of Agent Tim Online. You really don't want that to happen.

Almost all of these stories are about some young man deciding killing is the answer to the problems he's facing, which usually involve girls. We can see many reasons for this, such as television and video games, which constantly speak of death, killing, and murder, causing the teen's mind and soul to become immune to the revolting feelings that should come when you hear of a person being murdered, or watch it in  action.

This is real life we're talking about kids, not a video game or television. Everyone needs to wake up and quit living in a video game world.

The MySpace Part

Another interesting factor in Ludwig and Armstrong's cases is that they both involve the word "MySpace." Yes, that's right, MySpace. That really awesome website where you can get a blog and meet lots of people. That place where you can send instant messages, and invite your buddies to read your site, and share thoughts about your daily life. And, of course, it's safe...right?

You can read article after article on kids who thought they were safe--from parents and freaks--who ended up getting busted,  expelled from school, killed, or fired.

Jose Aguilar, a 14-year-old freshman at Munster High School, talks about how much he loves his guitar on his Xanga.com blog and about his spot on the MHS junior varsity wrestling team. The guitar part is OK, but sharing your school puts you at risk, Willard said.

Jose said he wasn't worried because he didn't think random people would check out his blog.

"I kinda just think that the only people who are gonna be looking at it are like my friends," he said.

Wrong.

Sites like Xanga, MySpace, and Friendster are accessible to everyone, which means you need to be extra careful about how you post. Any personal tidbit is an invitation for trouble. Anything that someone can use to track you down does not belong on the Net, Willard said.

Even if you don't post that kind of information, there's a chance people may still try to contact you. One in five teenagers is solicited online, according to the NCMEC.

If someone ever says 'LMIRL' -- let's meet in real life -- remember one word: NO. Never, ever, under any circumstances meet somebody in person that you only know through the Internet. Those situations lead to nothing but trouble.

Melissa Darang, a junior at Merrillville High School who has a MySpace site filled with cheerleading photos, said she would never meet someone in person.

"That isn't very smart to me," she said, adding "I have seen people around though like at the fair or at the mall, and I think to myself 'that person has a MySpace.' Kind of weird."

How does she know that? Pictures. When you post your picture somewhere -- anywhere -- on the Internet, there's always going to be a risk that someone you don't want to see them will find them. If you really want to put pictures of yourself out there, make sure they are not inappropriate or the kind that could get you into trouble. Use good judgment.

Also use your head when it comes to what you write on e-mail, instant messaging and Web site postings. It may seem like no big deal, but they are permanent records of conversations with people. If you can't be certain the person you think you are talking to is for real or if the person could possibly use what you say in a negative way, then don't converse with him or her. Even if you write something as a joke, beware. It could be used against you.

There are times when those kinds of exchanges can be used to your advantage. If you are having trouble on the Net, printing out the conversation or saving it to your hard drive is the first step you should take. Using that as evidence when approaching your parents, or any other trusted adult, can be really important.

When someone you know is giving you a hard time, it's often referred to as "cyberbullying." It can be just as hurtful as bullying face to face, and often even more so. Though you might feel the need to retaliate and try to cyberbully the person back, it's best if you go to your parents first. In the most severe cases, it's best to get the school involved.

"Schools have to be aware it's happening. They have to educate the kids that just because it's being done online, you're still doing something that's wrong," said Bill Bond, resident practitioner for safe and orderly schools at the National Association for Secondary School Principals.

If somebody approaches you in an uncomfortable way -- uninvited instant messaging, unsolicited posts -- you also should go to your parents or another trusted adult. If you don't feel comfortable going to them, go to the Web site www.cybertipline.com. The site is run by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and has links to report every kind of crime. (Source)

Fairfax County, Virginia, is waking up to the dangers of MySpace and Facebook as well:

Fairfax County will hold seminars on the subject for parents this week, and Arlington County, at the suggestion of a parent who is a computer safety consultant, plans a similar meeting next week.

Meredyth Cole, assistant head of school at Madeira, said officials there were "shocked and amazed" to see how many students use Facebook, which began for college students in 2004 and was expanded late last year to include high school students.

Besides the most obvious danger -- adult stalkers enticing teenagers into face-to-face meetings -- Cole warned that personal information posted online can also be read by college admissions officers and future employers.

"We are trying to figure out how do our school rules relate to this type of behavior," Cole said.

Some colleges have expelled teenagers for violating codes of conduct after discovering photos of underage students posing in front of kegs or writing about drinking binges, and employers often look up job candidates on the sites, said Parry Aftab, an Internet lawyer and the executive director of Wiredsafety.org.

What is scary for many of us is this: our friends all have a MySpace, which easy to find, easy to read, and sometimes easy to hack into if you know them well enough. I decided to go in and do a little investigation. My mom has done a lot more than I have, but here's what I've found.

Almost everyone...no...everyone, puts a picture of themselves on their profile. Usually fine, yet it can pose a problem, especially when you consider the fact that most of the kids post not only their pictures, but also post their city, state, and country. Others post their telephone number, their school name, their full names and their friends full names, wonderful details about themselves, and other things that just shouldn't be there.

For Christians, MySpace poses a huge problem for teens. It is not only a threat to your safety, but a trash dump with bad ads and bad people.  

“There is ample research to suggest that disclosing secrets or talking about strong emotions improves physical and psychological health," says James C. Hamilton, associate professor of psychology at the University of Alabama. “Teenagers are typically very concerned about appearance and reputation, and these blogs and online discussions allow teenagers and children a sort of intimacy in conversation and communication with others that preserves their anonymity in ways that face to face conversations can’t."

In other words, conversations on these blogs are candid, deep, and can show the "real you." These blogs lead you to complain about your parents, share, rant, show joy, and cuss. It's a community--a community of growing teens lacking in adult experience or maturity and freaks who are trying to stalk the kids.

Teens equals disaster when they gather together in one place where no one is encouraged to be the best that they can be morally. Girl/Boy relationships many times start there, and when you think back to the beginning of this post, that is not usually a good thing.

The Bible tells us that "Bad company corrupts good character." We are to "flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

These blogs can be a danger to the health of teens, as we've seen, providing a teen hang out, which always equals some type of trouble.

When we ignore what the Bible says--He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm--we're going to end up with serious problems. There has to be a reason for schools blocking MySpace and reasons for parents becoming alarmed.

Comments are working now...I'm using Haloscan at the moment, but they work.

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Homeschoolblogger readers, I apologize for not giving you my personal best by posting here. So, you now get to return and read the copied posts from my main blog. Please enjoy!

First off, I'm sorry. Really, I am. I'm sorry that you had to be held from commenting. Yet that's not all.

I'm really sorry that you weren't able to read this essential post because of an error on my part. This calls for action, and that's what's going to happen. An all-out revival of Wake Up the NEA even if it means missing some days blogging here.

But that's not all I wanted to tell you about. The greatest thing about this post is that I am giving you an opportunity to win an Agent Tim Online T-Shirt. That's right, a genuine ATO Shirt. And, I'm going to throw in an Old Schoolhouse Magazine with an article partly by me for free.

Here's how to win.

1. Read this post.

2. You can comment if you want, but, for this time, I want you to do something different. Call 206-888-4STR or 206-888-4787 and leave a message like this...

Hello Tim, this is [First Name]. I wanted to thank you for bringing to my attention to the problems of MySpace. My question for you is [insert question here.] Thanks!

If you really disagree with me, or have a hard hitting question, or just liked the post, call in. Really, the questions are "why pick on myspace?" and "what's wrong with myspace" as well as "don't kids have the right to privacy on myspace?"

3. If you want to ensure that you are entered into the drawing for the shirt and magazine, you can email me. We will announce the winner a few days after the show on the Square Talk website.

So, make sure you call in, ask questions, comment, or want to make a point. And don't worry, we won't have your number, you don't have to recieve the T-Shirt, and you can email Dr. Albert Mohler if you want to be assured that I am a real person.

Call today!

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I'm looking for a homeschooler who would be interested in blogging on the NEA and Walmart. I've saved the URL www.wakeupthenea.blogspot.com that can be used by anyone who wants it. I've got a cool header for it already. If you've read about it on SpunkyHomeschool or here, you'll know a little about the story.

If you're interested comment here, or on the blog.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

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"Why Walmart?", you say.

Here's the NEA's reasons.

"Why Wal-Mart?
Wal-Mart profits fund the anti-public education movement. The founding family of Wal-Mart, which is worth more than $90 billion—more than Bill Gates and Warren Buffet combined—has dedicated the bulk of its philanthropy to pushing school vouchers, tuition tax credits and other anti-public education initiatives. The Walton family has given more than $250 million to such efforts over the past six years and plans to increase its giving dramatically in the near future.

Wal-Mart is anti-worker. Wal-Mart’s management staunchly opposes the rights of its employees to form a union. It trains managers to recognize signs of union organizing and rushes anti-union squads to any store with signs of union activity. When despite these efforts, groups of employees voted to form a union, Wal-Mart closed a store and eliminated an entire division in all its stores to get rid of the employees who voted to unionize. Management has shown its willingness to take extreme measures to keep unions out of Wal-Mart stores.
The Walton family also funds anti-worker causes, such as the National Right To Work Foundation and state legislative “right-to-work” campaigns.

Taxpayers subsidize Wal-Mart. Although Wal-Mart claims its stores boost local economies, the stores actually cost taxpayers more than they generate. (And the money taken out of the public treasury for these costs is money that could support public education.)
·    A Congressional report estimates that because of Wal-Mart’s low wages and inferior employee benefits, a 200-employee Wal-Mart store costs federal taxpayers $420,750 a year.  That sum includes $36,000 for free and reduced school lunches; $42,000 for housing assistance; $125,000 for federal tax credits and deductions for low-income families; $100,000 for Title 1; $108,000 for the federal share of state children’s health program costs; $9,750 for low income energy assistance.
·    A 2004 report documents that Wal-Mart has received more than $1 billion in state and local subsidies in the form of tax breaks, free land, grants and tax-exempt bond financing as incentives to open new stores.
·    Because more than half of Wal-Mart’s employees either do not qualify for or cannot afford the company’s health insurance plan, taxpayers end up subsidizing the health care of Wal-Mart employees and their families. California spends $32 million each year on health care for Wal-Mart workers. In Georgia, over 10,000 children of Wal-Mart employees rely on state-funded health care. In Tennessee more than 9,000 Wal-Mart workers—one-quarter of the company’s total employees in the state—are enrolled in the TennCare low-income medical program. In Alabama and at least seven other states, Wal-Mart tops the list of the largest state employers whose employees receive publicly funded health care.

Wal-Mart is bad for American small businesses and communities. Wal-Mart’s low prices come at a steep cost to the quality of life in communities, driving local stores out of business. An Iowa State University study found that after a Wal-Mart opens, sales at competing local small businesses decline, and many are unable to survive.
In addition to eliminating Main Street as a viable commercial entity, Wal-Mart also eliminates American jobs. The company is China’s eighth largest trading partner, bigger than countries like England and Russia. Last year alone, Wal-Mart imported $18 billion in products from China.

What Is the Campaign Doing? — And What Can We Do?
KNOW THE FACTS
Wake-Up Wal-Mart, a campaign initiated by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), is working to educate people about Wal-Mart’s practices and their effects on America. The campaign website, www.wakeupwalmart.com, provides much more information.


GET MORE INVOLVED

NEA is providing resources and sample materials (i.e., letters to the editor, fact sheets, etc.) for you to use to spread the word about this campaign. We are also working with companies that support public schools to offer discounts on school supplies to school employees. To find out more about the work NEA is doing, visit www.nea.org/topics/walmart.html.

The “Wake-Up Wal-Mart” website, located at www.wakeupwalmart.com, also connects you with others in your communities who are organizing to pressure the company to change its practices. Another major effort this summer, coordinated by Change America, is to urge people to send a message to Wal-Mart that they disapprove of the company’s anti-worker behaviors and profits to fund anti-public education activities. This message will be sent by not buying back to school supplies at Wal-Mart. The Change America website (www.changeamerica.com) has more information about this effort and alternative places to shop.


BUT THE DECISION IS YOURS

NEA has provided you with the facts about Wal-Mart’s anti-worker tactics and the ways that Wal-Mart profits support anti-public education activities.  We also recognize that Wal-Mart’s low prices make it an appealing place to shop. We realize that in some areas of the country, where local stores have been driven out of business, there are no easy alternatives. We respect our members’ judgment on these issues. We hope that before you shop you’ll think about what you’re supporting with your hard-earned money. And we invite you to visit the above websites and become involved in the campaign to make the largest company in the world a better corporate citizen.

Thanks for all that you do every day to make great public schools for every child."

Short version of NEA Memo: Wal-Mart stinks. Don't buy from them. But the choice is up to you.



Feel free to use images.

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OK, if you think New Age churches are bad, take a look at our beloved Public Schools, devoid now of any morals. Yes, people now cringe at the word 'Public School' as images of violence and drugs flash across their minds.

But never fear, you can talk to your imaginary friend "Pumsy" and visit your imaginary clear pond. No one can stop you. Just
relax...ahhh...yes...breeeeeeeeeeeeaaaathhe....innnnnnnnnnn....ooooooouuuuuutttt....now repeat..."I am me, and I am enough"..."I am me, and I am enough...."

Other than getting your english skills all messed up, that's just one way to relax in school with all those bullies and theives and gangs. Just get in touch with your inner "Pumsy." Just feeeeeeel the soooooooothing muuuuuuusic.

And if Pumsy doesn't help you...well, you can turn to your good friend "Duso the Dolphin" or "Sophie the Sea Otter." Yep. That should do it. Just pour out your heart to good old Sophie, or give Duso a big ol' imaginary hug as you reeeeeeelaaaaaaax.

These would be some of the New Age curriculum being used in our elementary school systems across the United States. And we wonder why child suicide rates are up?

Progressive relaxation, Guided Imagery, Deep Breathing, and Meditation are used in many schools as "self-esteem" classes. Remember...you are me...or wait..."you are you, and need nothing more."

In 1194, the Michigan Public schools were beginning to use the "Michigan Model" where children were told to picture a clear blue pond that's safe and warm (a warm pond?!?!) with soothing music playing in the background. After 50 minutes in a darkened classroom, the kids are told to open their eyes and repeat: "I can choose how I feel...I can choose how I feel..."

Not New Age?

The "Pumsy" Teacher's guide states, ""Elementary education, by virtue of its objectives, must plan for the development of the whole child."

It gives me the shivers to think of a classroom of hypnotized kids.

"There are no absolute values in DUSO [Developing Understanding of Self and Others], no definitive right and wrong. Morality is fluid, depending on situational dynamics" (The Californian, 28 March 1991)."

Of course, I once heard Frank Perreti discussing sceince and evolution, and he was saying (paraphrasing), "We go into our science classes and sit down and learn how we've evolved from the the zoo animals. We're just monkeys. We're just an accident and have no real meaning in life. We're worthless evolutions with absolutely no meaning at all. From goo to you by way of the zoo!

Class dismissed. Time for self-esteem class down the hall."

And that's not the end of the horror. "Impressions" is teaching Wicca and neo-paganism to Children, as well as Satanism. Children are required to role play witches, applying sybols, beliefs, and practices of Witches. And Christianity is outlawed and degraded.

Today, Duso, Sophie, and Pumsy are still used. It's just scary.

But don't worry, good ol' Duso the Dolphin is there to help.

Frightful Links:

DUSO - Drowning in a New Age Sea
What Are They Teaching in Public Schools?
Clear Mind Certificates (CLEAR MIND?!?!?!)
Psychology, Humanism and the Battle of the Gods

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Let me tell you right off--I've only had hot chocolate at Starbucks. And I had a frappuchino with no coffee at a Starbucks-type coffee shop (loved it). But I still feel for all of you Starbucks addicts out there. For you, this may be some tragic news.

Let's just say that Starbucks is involved in some extremely disturbing stuff. I'm here to tell you right now that some of the money that you just spent on that latte in your hand is going to "Gay Pride" rallies. It's true. You've probably heard it before...and gone ahead and just bought a latte.

Now stop drinking that coffee, and read this article. I'll wait. (f you want to skip that one, go to the Baptist Press article...it's a little less sick.)

Yeah. Gross. Disturbing. Sick Twisted. Wrong. Disgusting. Horrible. Sad.

Baptist Press covers the story well:

After nearly a decade of lying low, Starbucks has reentered the homosexual rights movement in a few ways that have put at least one conservative watchdog group on alert.

The world’s most famous coffee shop chain has begun a program called “The Way I See It,” which is a collection of thoughts, opinions and expressions provided by notable figures that now appear on Starbucks coffee cups, according to the chain’s website.

But one particular quote -- #43 -- blatantly pushes the homosexual agenda. It’s by Armistead Maupin, who wrote “Tales of the City,” a bestseller-turned-PBS drama advocating the homosexual lifestyle, and it reads:

“My only regret about being gay is that I repressed it for so long. I surrendered my youth to the people I feared when I could have been out there loving someone. Don’t make that mistake yourself. Life’s too [expletive] short.”

Not good. (Did I see an expletive?!?!?)

And Starbucks is not only promoting the homosexual agenda, they're supporting abortion, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton (PUT THE COFFEE DOWN!!!), and every single liberal thing you can think of. And you're contributing to that. Just like Meghan Klippinger did:

"I overestimated, but discovered that if I drink five grande lattes a week for a year, the total number of lattes would equal 260, coming to a total cost of $1,040. So, in my four post-college years, I could have contributed as much as $4,160 to a company that supports the volunteer work of child abusers, "Pride" events, abortionists, and do I really need to go on? Back to that marketing director's quote: "We're committed to supporting things that matter to our employees and our customers." Um ... HELLO, I am a customer, too!"

So what now? What do you do to forgive this unforgivable sin of buying Starbucks (well...maybe not UNforgivable)? Boycott?

“It’s not enough not to go to Starbucks anymore,” says Robert Knight. “You really need to visit your neighborhood Starbucks and ask to see the manager and just say, ‘You know, I’ve gone here a lot and I would love to go here but I have to tell you your company’s promotion of something that is against my values prevents me from having coffee here anymore, and I’ve found alternatives ... You make a great product, but you deserve to know why people aren’t buying your product anymore.’

“That strategy goes for almost anything,” Knight added. “Anytime you find out that a company has been sponsoring something that you disagree with, it’s best to tell at the dealer or shop or store level people why you’re not buying their product anymore. Believe me, this gets back to corporate headquarters real fast.”

Contact Info:

Email Form

Starbucks Customer Relations
PO Box 3717
Seattle, WA 98124-3717

You'll have to decide for yourself--but remember, there are other coffee shops. If you want Starbucks, change the business. It was done 10 years ago, when conservatives put on the pressure. We can do it again.

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I have gotten the awesome opportunity to interview a German blogger, Jeannine, of Sharing Life. I must say that this interview really gives you a feel for what's going on in Germany, and what the feeling is towards homeschoolers, and why there is so much trouble. It's a little long, but worth your time to read it. Feel free to ask more questions.

So here we go....

Agent Tim: "I want to thank you for doing this interview Jeanine. It's an honor to have you answer my questions. Could you start by telling us a little about yourself?

Jeannine: "I am a just-turned-29 university graduate with a degree in law. (Therefore a double interest in the homeschooling question: theological and legal). I am German and grew up in Germany and Norway. I'm currently living in Germany. Most of my child and teen years I was involved in some kind of church activity (Salvation Army Sunday School, youth group etc.), but I made my decision to follow Christ at the age of 17 on a church summer camp. I’m currently a member of an interdenominational international church in Bonn. I’m not married yet, but have a wonderful boyfriend. And no kids yet, either [smiles]."

Agent Tim: "So, what is your personal opinion of homeschoolers in your area? What are the opinions of others that you know?"

Jeannine: "Ok, first tricky question. Generally I respect the desire of Christian parents to homeschool their children. There are several reasons for that: Many homeschoolers base their decision to homeschool on verses from Scripture. I agree that these verses show that the primary responsibility to educate their children lies with the parents, not the State. If the State interferes too intensely with moral and other aspects of education, I can understand that parents decide to take their children out of public schools to completely take over their responsibility of education. (Though I am not entirely convinced that the State has really gone that far in Germany. But that’s up to the parents who are close to what happens at school, not me.) I also can understand the desire to protect children, at least or especially at a young age, from certain teachings and social developments that Christians consider sinful/contrary to God’s commands.

But nevertheless, some reasons to take children out of public school are more difficult to understand than others. Personally I do not see a children’s theatre play with hand puppets depicting traditional children’s stories (Kasperle) as sinful and therefore a reason to take your child out of school...

To sum my opinion up a little: as a Christian I understand and respect the desire to raise your children in a godly way by yourself and protecting them from other influences that are considered harmful. Even though I might take a different decision myself.

The opinions of most others that I know are not very favorable for homeschoolers. This includes Christians. To non-Christians homeschooling is a totally alien concept. Probably because we haven’t had it here for so long. Parents who want to homeschool are often considered as fundamentalists (not in a nice way), weird, strange, ultra-conservative, holding outdated views or strange ones (like creation), harmful to their children because they want to keep them from society etc. Another concern is also the lack of socializing for homeschooled kids. As far as I know most Christians who attend the German Protestant Church also hold rather negative views of homeschoolers. Others I do not know.

Society has become so secular that it cannot understand the desire to raise children according to "just" one worldview with a claim for absolute truth and values.  

But before you think almost every German is hostile to homeschoolers, this is not true. I think a lot of people, maybe the majority, has not formed an opinion, because they are hardly ever exposed to homeschoolers. So they do not really know much about the reasons Christian parents have for homeschooling.

So the general opinion is probably more apathy than animosity. And if people are against homeschooling, many are motivated by a truly-felt (though often misguided) concern for the children."

Agent Tim: "Do you think there is a feeling of animosity towards homeschoolers only in government, or in daily life?"

Jeannine: "Well, I answered this one partly already in my answer to your last question.

I am personally not convinced that there is a feeling of animosity in government. I think it is rather a result of a huge misunderstanding/misinterpretation of the reasons for homeschooling and the effects of homeschooling on children. There might be animosity though, I'm not really in a position to tell. That can probably better be answered by people who actually homeschool.

The view of the government is probably that homeschooling is harmful to children because it hinders their exposure to different views (so they won’t become tolerant...) and the development of their social abilities.

These are two very different worldviews set against each other. A "fundamental" Christian one and a pluralist one and they focus on partly very different values and morals.

Agent Tim: "Just wondering here...do you know any homeschoolers?"

Jeannine: "Easy question: no, I do not. At least not any Germans."

Agent Tim: "O.K. With all these court decisions over homeschoolers, I wonder what type of rights do you have in Germany? Do you think the government is overstepping the law to take these kids from their parents?"

Jeannine: "Whoa, this requires a very thought-through answer.

The German Basic Law (our constitution) contains in its first part an enumeration of fundamental rights. Every action of the State has to be in conformity with those rights. These start with the absolute protection of human dignity. The catalogue also includes e.g. the right to life, a protection against discrimination, guarantees of freedom of science and art, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, protection of marriage and the family, the right to have private schools, the right to free assembly, to choose a profession, the protection of the home and of property etc. It is also protected that the upbringing and education of children are first and foremost the right and duty of parents. And of course, freedom of religion is guaranteed. This includes internal freedom (you can believe what you want) and external freedom. External freedom not only covers services etc., but also gives you the right to live your whole life in accordance with your belief. So now, you might say: "Well, that’s easy then, homeschooling is part of my external religious freedom!" Agreed. But homeschooling not only involves religious freedom, but also the education of children and the schoolsystem. According to our Basic Law the State is the guardian overlooking the parents' performance in their upbringing and education of their children and especially over the whole schoolsystem. This includes that also the State has a constitutional duty for the education of children. So the State can interfere with the parents' right to education. And with the exercise of their religious freedom too, if I get it right.

In addition, every child is by law obliged to attend a public school or a private school which is approved by the State. (There are good Christian schools here which are State-approved.)

So if parents decide to homeschool their children and not send them to a public or private school, they are in breach of German law. You might disagree with the law itself, but it is a fact: they are in breach of the law. If you breach this law, the relevant government offices can fine you. If you still do not send your child to school, the fine will increase. If you do not pay the fine, you will in the end go to jail for a certain period of time. (That's what happened in some cases.) If the authorities decide that the parents’ behavior is harmful to "the child’s best interests", they can take custody in educational matters away from the parents. I am not sure if they can take the kids completely from their parents. I do not think that has happened yet. The families in Paderborn "just" lost custody in educational matters.

So, the government is not overstepping the law by their actions.

There is a lawyer in Bonn who has represented families who want to homeschool, but, as far as I know, he has been unsuccessful before every court so far. A complaint of violation of constitutional rights has also been unsuccessful. Which means that our Constitutional Court holds the opinion that the prohibition of homeschooling is in accordance with our constitution.

I think from a legal point of view as our law stands at the moment, that is correct. So if people want to be able to homeschool, it would most likely not only include a change of state law, but of the constitution itself. " *

Agent Tim: "So the government is not overstepping the law. In other words we need to change the law for homeschoolers to be able to continue. How would we do that? How would we change the law...even the constitution itself?"

Jeannine: "I'll keep this breif.School laws are laws of the Länder (Germany is comprised of 16 Länder). Therefore the Länder laws would need to be changed one by one. A motion/proposal for an amendment of a law or a new law can be made by the Parliament of the Land or the government of the Land. A draft is decided upon (most likely in a committee) and then the Parliament of the Land passes the Law. There is also the possibility of a petition for a referendum by the people living in a Land. This can be directed at the change of at least under-constitutional laws of the Länder. This possibility does not exist in all Länder, as far as I know.  

But if homeschooling is prohibited by the constitutions of the Länder and of the Bund (because of the general duty of school attendance), then those constitutions need to be amended before any pro-homeschooling law could take effect (or might even be passed at all). This is a longer process and needs a qualified majority (2/3 of the members).

Agent Tim: "Wow...that's really interesting. Now,  I know you have said that we shouldn’t compare this to Hitler and the Jews, but do you see a "control of society" by the government?

Jeannine: "You really ask all those difficult questions...  

Well, if you look at what happens in society, you don’t really have a feeling that there’s any control, do you? [smiles] I think every government is trying to guide societal developments by allowing certain things and prohibiting others, fostering tolerance and pluralism, protecting minorities etc. This can have beneficial effects, it can also have negative effects. I do not think that there is anything special in this respect to Germany. And there is, as far as I can perceive it, no control in the sense of  "control against Christians". I do not think that the government has "fundamental Christians" as a special target. As I said before, there are two very different worldviews and beliefs set against each other in certain areas. It certainly cannot be compared at all with what happened in Germany from 1933 onwards till 1945."

Agent Tim: "Right. Now let's move on to you personally. Would you ever take the risk to homeschool? If you would, what would be your reasons?

Jeannine: "Honestly, I do not know. Currently, I would not homeschool. I went through public school (actually a private school) myself and think I didn’t turn out too bad (although my biology teacher always scoffed on the idea of creation...). And I know lots of great Christian kids who attend public school. If the values and morals taught in school started to differ even more and more from what God teaches us, I would consider giving my children into a good private Christian school. (That's what I would like to do anyway.)

There is another reason why homeschooling here seems really difficult to me. Our schoolsystem is different from the one in the US. We have three different types of school after primary school. The third one, Gymnasium, leads to the Abitur, the degree which enables you to attend university. American friends have told me that this equals more a college degree than a highschool degree. I do not know if I were able to homeschool my child to the level of Abitur. But that's something totally different. "

Agent Tim: "Thank you so much for doing this interview with me. I really hope it gives people a good feel for what's happening in Germany."

Jeannine: "Thank you! This was fun, I hope it gives a good picture of the situation in Germany!"

If you liked this interview, feel free to email the link to your friends. Get the word out about Germany. Also, please visit Jeannine's blog, and drop her a comment!

*Jeannine answered the question of "What's the reasoning of the constitutional court?" You can read that here. Please note that it is only a part translation, part summary of the reasoning of the German Constitutional Court. It does not reflect Jeannine's own reasoning.

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Paderborn County, Germany--Seven German Christian families were forced to enroll their children in the Public Schools in Germany--public schools that are teaching views and doctrine totally opposite of that of their own. Thankfully, as of March 1, 5 of 7 (as it seems) families have still not been prosecuted.

Rich Guenther, who is the director of the School Instruction At Home organization was fined $1,500 just for defending the German Homeschoolers in Paderborn.

HSLDA reported:

"The Loefflers, a homeschooling family who lives near Nuremburg, just received a letter stating that the government will freeze their bank account and come into their home to take anything of value up to the amount of the fine assessed against them. The fine is approximately $14,000. The family does not have the money. If the state of Bavaria follows the usual process the father will be put in jail, and the process of removing their eight year-old daughter will begin."

They also reported on another homeschooling family:

"The Grosseluemerns, were recently in court for refusing to pay the fines assessed against them for not sending their child to school. The Grosseluemerns attorney proved that the prosecution attorney was not aware of the laws of Bavaria concerning the facts of this case, and that he was not upholding the federal law guaranteeing the freedom of religion and parental rights. The prosecuting attorney then turned to the judge and asked that the fine against the family be tripled, which the judge readily consented to. Two days later a press story carried a quote from Bavarian officials saying that if it becomes necessary, they will put Mr. Grosseluemerns in prison until he complies and pays the fine."

Last week, another court in Paderborn ruled that two Baptist couples lost their parental authority over their children in the matter of education. The court interfered "in order to protect the children from further harm" because the parents had shown "a stubborn contempt both for the state's educational duty as well as the right of their children to develop their personalities by attending school." The local education board said it is "a right of the child not to be kept away from the outside world. The parents' right to personally educate their children would prevent the children from growing up to be responsible individuals within society."



Those two couples were on of the seven mentioned above.

These homeschoolers are still fighting, and the battle is raging hard.

In a Washington Times article by Michael Smith, President of the Homschool Legal Defense Association, he put the situation well.

"The German government says it won't tolerate families who want to live by their religious tenets in peace or who espouse a Christian world view. According to the German government, the only route for Christian home-school families is to be forcibly integrated into the majority population. Minority rights are not being respected."

"...There is great cost in standing up for freedom and liberty. Americans have been willing to pay the price for freedom, and American home-schoolers have felt the sting of state officials driven to control and oppress. Because American home-schoolers recently have won their fight for freedom, many have been willing to help other home-school families around the globe."

"...The Czech Republic removed restrictions on home-schooling in 2002 after receiving letters and calls from American home-schoolers. The story repeated in Hungary and Romania in 2003."

It can be repeated in Germany, and hopefully shall very soon.

(It was interesting to note this piece from Homeschool World:

"One of Hitler and his buddies' first acts on taking office was to establish the Reich Ministry of Education and give it control of all schools, including private schools. Nobody was to have the right to teach children from a different point of view than the State (with a capital "S"). There would be no right to teach from a distinctively religious point of view, especially.")

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7:02 The alarm clock goes off, destroying all dreams of small purple men plotting to destroy the White House, which has become over run with ants. Agent Tim groans and climbs slowly out of the loft bed and punches the alarm clock, sending it flying off the back of the desk.

7:25 After wasting most of his devotion time searching for the alarm clock behind the desk, Agent Tim begins to study his Bible.

7:48 The dialup starts. Tim snoozes as his website loads, and finally, the time has come. It's time to approve comments! Unfortunately, Tim wrote his post on "Notepad" instead of his usual hand-written post on his yellow legal pad, which has doomed his post to have no comments.

8:31 Breakfast. Agent Tim prefers skim milk, toast with butter and a pinch of cinnamon, with green eggs and ham. But today, the food coloring has run out. Oh well.

9:44 Chores. Note to self: remember to hook up the vacuum tube properly next time. Lost my second pair of shoes today. And the dental bill was kind of high when the vacuum suddenly turned on while I was inspecting the bottom. Oops.

10:30 Right on time, blogging begins. Yellow legal pad. Check. Pencil. Check. M & M's. Check.

10:35 Internet connected. First stop: Fox News. Tim yawns at yesterday's news and moves on to Hugh and Michelle's site. (Why is Instapundit so popular? I never could understand that...just following the crowd I suppose).

10:44 Tim goes thru the blogroll on his site. Reads Travis and David's debates. Chips in, then goes and shoots paintballs at Jake's site. Begins typing pre-written post.

11:00 Post almost done. M & M's are gone.

11:06 Post up. Tim smacks head.

11:07 Cross post on Homeschoolblogger. ATO rebuilt.

12:12 Lunch. Leftovers from Dinner. Powerade for drink.

2:02 Guitar string smacks Tim in his face. How do you replace on of these things???

4:06 Guitar string is finally fixed. Site is checked.

5:39 Dinner. Beans and Rice. That's what I get for cheering for Brazil in the World Cup.

6:08 Video. Little house on the Prairie more than likely. The popcorn's gone.

8:30 Post writing begins. Three posts are trashed before success.

9:04 1/2 Bed. Alarm clock fixed. Classical...er...Tree63 CD playing.

9:59 Dreams of Suddam Hussein as president...the scary thing is John Kerry is VICE President. And all the liberals have long tongues with a hinge in the middle. Weird.

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Germany. A free country?  

It sure doesn't seem like it after what we've been seeing with court cases of children being taken from their parents because they're homeschooled in Germany. It resembles China, and the persecution of Christians there. It's like World War Two...taking people who are not "in line" with the State's teachings from their homes.

Don't I remember Hitler being a part of that?

"We have several families that we know of who are in hiding," says Richard and Ingrid Guenther, German Homeschool leaders, "Surely there are many more by now. It is becoming clear how the Jews must have felt under Hitler. Two families have been separated for more than a year now. The fathers live in one state of Germany where they have their home and the mothers and children hide out in another state with family and friends. They see each other only on weekends. They hope to be reunited one day in their homes when homeschooling is legalized. As for now, both parents have lost custody of their children during school hours. That means that they are subject to a guardian ordered by the government who has the duty to bring them to school -- even by police."

Theresa Moss of Virtue Magazine summed things up well:

"Who cares if the schools are teaching sexual immorality, homosexuality, and evolution? Who cares if they are showing pornography to young German students in their language courses? After all, the school has authority to determine what is against the conscience of the parents! Yeah right. Despite the difficulties, numerous German parents strive to homeschool. It has not been easy. Many German homeschooling families are being forced to flee Germany to another country or stay in hiding to continue to homeschool. Some parents have lost custody of their children to German judges, meaning that at any time the court-appointed guardians can take the children to school by force, even by police."

It's happening, as you saw by my last post.

If you'd like to help financially go here.

Also, you can contact the German Embassy.

Wolfgang Ischinger
Ambassador
German Embassy
4645 Reservoir Road NW
Washington, DC, 20007-1998
(202) 298-4000

The embassy can be e-mailed from its website: http://www.globescope.biz/germany/reg/index.cfm

More coming soon.

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I was struck with suprise to find that Michelle Malkin was blogging on homeschoolers. And then I found that she was blogging about homeschooling in Germany. Being a homeschooler myself, I jumped to read what the latest news was.

It's worse than ever. I had read about it awhile back in Virtue Magazine, and couldn't believe the persecution there. And we in America think we have it hard.

Brussels Journal:

Last week, a court in Paderborn in the German state of Westphalia ruled that two Baptist couples lose their parental authority over their own children in educational matters. The court said it was interfering "in order to protect the children from further harm." It stated that the parents had shown "a stubborn contempt both for the state's educational duty as well as the right of their children to develop their personalities by attending school." The court appointed the local Paderborn social service as guardian over the children to ensure that they attend public school."

The court said it was interfering "in order to protect the children from further harm"? It was? Please, tell me how that works? They are outright saying that homeschoolers are unsocialized, stupid, and will be unable to act properly around others.

If they could only see my blog. My friends blogs.

I'm telling you, it would open your eyes to read, and to research homeschooling. We aren't unsocialized. We will be able to develop our personalities. Am I a robot? Am I someone who just does whatever I've been indoctrinated to do?

No. I'm not.

I've written an amount of material on homeschooling, that you can read (again for some of you). One of my favorites is "Homeschooling Is A Bad Idea."

This story is just sad. Sad that it happened, and even more sad that homeschoolers in Germany have come to expect it.

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"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

I've been thinking about revival. It's something I believe needs to happen, and something that many Christians desire for our land, and for other lands.

So many times we look to see why we're not having revival in America, or Britain. It's because we as Christians have somehow decided that it's up to Billy Graham or one person in the church. Our pride has hindered the furthering of the gospel in our own countries that so desperately need it. We've hardened our hearts, and let pride get in the way.

Revival starts with prayer: then we must take action. We must humble ourselves and really pray.

I thought of this idea two days ago, and have been mulling and praying over it. I believe that we should have a prayer for your nation. I want to compile a roundup of recorded and written prayers for the country that live in, as well as for other countries. It would be so awesome to hear the voices of Christians across the world in prayer for revival.

Then we must take action. It's going to take humbling ourselves. It's going to take telling the Lord to use us. It's going to take getting over our fears.

Let's start something here.

Here's what you need to do:

Register with blogger. You don't need to post on a blog or anything (it will do it for you), you just have to have an account so that when you post and "audio post" it will post in on a blogger blog.

Register on www.audioblogger.com.

You'll give them a primary #...don't worry, they won't call you. It's just a username, except you're using your phone number. No one will ever see it.

Enter a pin #. That will be your password when you call.

Follow the instructions when you call audio blogger to post.

When you're done, go to your blog dashboard, and get to the point where you can "edit" your post.

Copy the code.

Send your code to agenttimblog-at-gmail-dot.com without the dashes.

I'll get the code up on August 12.

Or you can write your prayer, and I will link to it from your blog.

God Bless!

UPDATE: I don't know if this will work, but we'll see :).

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