As a Christian and a graduate from “progressive education” I also understand the confusion that arises from being told in Sunday School 1 hour a week that I came from God and 10 hours a week in school that I came from nothing. However, this confusion was more intensely developed during my undergraduate years and my graduate years. As a young man, I struggled with the weight of “so-called” intellectuals who railed against Christianity and created what to me seemed insurmountable arguments resulting in the complete marginalization of my faith.  The result was an intense dark period of time in my life.

What was my problem?  Well, I don’t blame government education for this attack. Instead, I hold the church responsible for lack of true education.  You see, I grew up in a fundamentalist environment that wanted to create walls separating me from the world.  While I was behind the walls never experiencing challenges, I was fine.  Yet, when I finally engaged the world, my lack of education, my own ignorance resulted in a truly difficult time.  I think of Isaiah when he says, “My people suffer because of lack of knowledge”.  I had suffered tremendously.

I’m not convinced that withdrawing “all” of Christianity is a wise step for Christianity. Neither am I convinced that Christianity will survive the onslaught in public schools unless the Church truly begins to educate its people on how to defend our faith properly.  Even more, given my background, I am acutely aware of arguments presented by those opposed to Christianity and now find it quite easy to communicate with them.  We need to realize that “public schools” are in our backyard which is our community.  While I do not endorse sending our children into the schools as missionary’s, which was the only message I received from the church, I do endorse remaining in the community. “To be salt and light” means that we need to enter into the darkness.  We have a luxury in this country of creating alternative institutions that allow for Christians to perpetuate Christian education. But far too often, only the well-to-do can afford this luxury.  Even then some Christian schools produce students who are just as depraved as their progressive counterparts resulting in the same difficulties.

The Proverb that states “Raise up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it” is not a guarantee.  For those of us who are reformed in our faith we must recognize that unless the Spirit of God is working inside the hearts of our children, they will be as spiritually dead as those who come from pagan backgrounds. Surely, they will be impacted by the salt and light of our faith but will otherwise fall as deeply as the rest.