Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

You Ask MeWhy?You ask me why I send my children to the Christianschool?Well, now, that's a good question. I know what you'rethinking. The public schools have just as good facilities andteachers as the Christian schools, and sometimes evenbetter. So why all this fuss and bother of setting up a separateschool system? Why not teach the children religion at homeor in church or (Sabbath) school?But, you see, you've asked me something that getsright to the core of the meaning of life. If Christian schoolsmeant simply tacking on a prayer each day, or an extracourse in Bible study, they wouldn't be worth all the timeand expense._ I send my children to the Christian school because Ibelieve that all of life is religious. God is at the center ofeverything. He made all things, He guides and controlsthem, and He demands that we, His creatures, honor him asLord and Savior in everything we do.Of course that includes our studying as well as oureveryday work. It includes every part of life, without exception.It means that I can't be satisfied with submitting mychildren to Christian training at home and church only. As aparent, I'm responsible for those thirty important hours thatthey spend each week in school. Some of the most significanttraining of my children takes place in the school atmosphere.How can I leave God out of the picture here?But, you say, what's the difference if my child studiesarithmetic, history, or literature in a public school or in aChristian school.Much. I want my child to learn, from his earliestyears, that all of life belongs to God and was made for Him.—In science, I want him to know that he is studyingGod's laws for the universe.—In history, I want him to see the unfolding of God'splan for the ages and the redemption of His people.—In literature, I want him to test other writers byChristian standards so that he will appreciate what is goodand true and beautiful, and discern what is false ordishonoring to God.—In civics, I want him to know that true governmentis ordained of God and requires our loyalty and support. Iwant him to learn the principles of honesty, decency, cooperation,and fair play because these are rules that God hasset up for the ordering of our life together.All this is a big order. It can't be accomplished infifteen or thirty minutes a day. It takes everything we've gotto instill in the hearts of our children that true fear of theLord which is "the beginning of all wisdom."Moses said it thousands of years ago. He told thepeople of Israel then how to bring up their children — God'scovenant children. This is how he said it:Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heartand in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand,that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.And ye shall teach them to your children, speaking ofthem when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou liestdown, and when thou risest up.And thou shalt write them upon the door posts ofthine house, and upon thy gates. (Deut. 11:18-20)This means Christian education — in all of life.Expensive? Yes, of course. We pay our full share oftaxes for the public schools, and we support our Christianschools in addition to this.But we count it a privilege to have this wonderfulopportunity in a land of freedom, to dedicate ourselves andour children entirely to God.—Christian School GuideGlimpses. from page 4an evangelical magazine, carried an article exposing some otthe declarations of Moody's leaders of yesteryears, whichruled out interracial marriage, President Banks thought itwas "pulling off the scab of yesterday's sore," when wemight better "rejoice in today's healing."The editor answered that "whether to print thematerial about Moody was one of the hardest decisions wehave had in some time, and only after long consideration didwe finally do so. It is quite possible that we made the wrongdecision." However, he goes on to explain his reasons forprinting it. He says, "Moody is not held in high esteem bythe black community that surrounds it (in Chicago)." Oneof the reasons for the decision to print the material was"because we felt that Moody had not taken with sufficientseriousness the damage it has done to the cause of Christ.Such sin requires open and public repentance to those sinnedagainst; a simple change, accompanied by an attempt tosweep past sins under the rug is not Christian."Whatever may be the merits of the question anddecision that The Other Side editors made, the principlestated is valid. One must remember that such Scriptures as,"Love covereth all sins," and "A prudent man coverethshame." are quite in keeping with, "He that covereth hissins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsakeththem shall have mercy." President Banks says, "There isno ban. no teaching, no official stand against interracialmarrjage here at Moody."iMARCH 31, 1971 3