Education, Disney, & Parental Choice

Education is important. Education is vital. Education is paramount.

This has been the universal opinion of tyrants, religionists, economists, and zealots of all persuasions. In fact, the importance of education is one of the few things upon which virtually all philosophies can agree. The intentional and systematic training of our children is obviously a good thing. What could be more important than the formation of the minds of our young? What is more powerful than the opportunity to shape the worldview of those who will one day lead our nation? What is more lasting, more enduring, than determining the content and perspective of the education of those who will one day bury you?

You may be surprised to hear me say, then, that my favorite hashtag is #abolishgovernmentschools. You see, too many people (most of whom attended government schools) believe that opposition to government involvement in an activity is equivalent to opposition to that activity itself. Nothing could be further from the truth. Having been raised the son of an educator, there is little I value more than education, but I don't want my kids anywhere near a school run by any government currently in existence in my town, state, or country.

The recent controversy regarding Florida's parental rights bill, including Disney's involvement, illustrates the fundamental divide in our nation. As much as I appreciate what DeSantis is attempting to do, I can't help but to think that he's slapping a band-aid on a wound that obviously requires amputation, and I think many people are awaking to this reality--this nation is fundamentally divided. The issues we debate, sex education in this instance, are symptoms of much greater moral and philosophical disparities.

This fact begs some follow-up questions. Why would you want your children to be taught by (in many cases, essentially raised by) a system that is fundamentally at odds with your worldview? Why would you want the minds of your children to be shaped by those with whom you differ regarding the meaning of life? Why would you place your offspring under the influence of those whose agenda you fear?

I proffer these questions to parents of all backgrounds, conservative and liberal, Christian and atheist, Woke and old-fashioned. Does it really make sense to let our ideological opponents teach our kids how to view life? Does a unified education system seem like a viable option at this point in a country with such fundamental rifts?

Education is not neutral. Nothing is. Neutrality is the greatest myth ever told. Folks like to talk about Disney's agenda or Christians' agenda or CNN's agenda or FOX's agenda, all while denying their own agendas, but let's be clear about one thing--we all have an agenda.

Let me say that again for the folks in the back: WE ALL HAVE AN AGENDA!

Some people hide their agendas. Some people don't. Some people are not even aware that they have one, but they certainly do. Any educator, entertainer, or evangelist worth his salt has an agenda, and he ought to be aware of and honest about it.

The answer, then, can never be to eliminate agendas from education. That is neither possible nor desirable. The answer is abolition.

Abolish government schools.

This conflagration between DeSantis and Disney has revealed an insuperable ideological rift in our nation. It is painfully obvious that no single education system can adequately represent those who are so diametrically opposed. So, let's break up. You teach your kids and I'll teach mine. Let's all keep our money and use it to train our children the way that we see fit. Our system is badly ineffective and inefficient as it is (free is a misnomer, of course), and those of us who spurn our local schools are being forced to pay twice. Naturally, there are questions of providing education for the less-fortunate and single-parent households, but these are questions much better answered by the free market and private philanthropy than by Uncle Sam.

So, it's time. Let's do it. Privatize our education system. Sell the buildings to the teachers' unions and see if they can keep them afloat in the real world, one where competition exists. Let them compete against churches, private individuals, homeschool co-ops, and private enterprises and see if anybody still wants to utilize them.

#abolishgovernmentschools

"Father, Forgive Them"

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Forgiveness is hard. Forgiveness is really, really hard. It’s difficult to forgive others who have genuinely harmed or offended us. It’s easy to say , “I forgive you,” but it’s extremely difficult to feel it–to make peace in our hearts with the injustices that others have perpetrated against us. It just doesn’t feel right. Sin should be punished! Wrongs should be righted! Right?! It’s difficult to forgive others when they ask for it. It’s even more difficult to forgive them when they haven’t asked for it–when they don’t even recognize what they’ve done to hurt us. As our Savior hung upon His Cross, He asked the Father to forgive those nearby–those who were unwittingly contributing to the greatest injustice in the history of the world. These thieves, soldiers, and standers-by had no idea what was happening. They had no idea that the jealousy of the Jews had placed Christ on that Cross...

5 Reasons I Want my Wife to Start Wearing a Head Covering during Corporate Worship

Of late, the issue of head coverings has come up in my circle. Okay...my cousin and I have been discussing it, but the point is, the issue has been bouncing around my head for the past few days. It is a topic that I have avoided for some time. Every time I read through 1 Corinthians, I would tell myself, "We'll get around to that." The reality is that I didn't want to be "that guy"...that guy who people view as a chauvinistic jerk who wants to make sure everyone--especially his wife--remembers that he's the head of his home. I think I'm beginning to respect "that guy"--those men who have cared enough to stand for what they believe. Let me be clear that I am referring to head coverings for women (those old enough to leave them on...) DURING CORPORATE WORSHIP. I am not advocating head coverings at all times. Though I see nothing necessarily wrong that practice, I don't see any command for it either. ...

Paedocommunion: Consistent Covenantalism or Anti-Confessionalism?

Being raised as a paedocommunionist (that means our kids get to eat Jesus, too), I have always been amazed by how passionately credocommunionists (that means their kids don't get to eat Jesus until they articulate a "credible" profession of faith) dislike the practice. I would think that they could look at paedocommunion and at least respect it as an attempt to live out Covenant Theology in a consistent way. Instead, paedocommunionists have been widely viewed as being on the fringe of the fringe (yes, that far) of Reformed Theology. I like to think that I have been able to agree-to-disagree in an amicable way with my credocommunionist friends. However, I will admit that being discounted as "unconfessional" (trust me, I've been called worse) has made many paedocommunionists (you'd have to ask my friends whether or not that applies to me) act in a manner that lacks Christian grace. So, the question remains, is paedocommunion a view hel...

Always Reforming

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