The 10 Most Popular Myths Christian Parents Believe

PERSPECTIVE: A Christian Worldview on Education and Family
Mike Lee, Superintendent (Cherokee Christian Schools)
©2008 by Cherokee Christian Schools (used with permission)

Please click here for a full text of the article as originally published by Cherokee Christian Schools.

Answers to the question: Why do Christian Parents Choose to educate their Children in a School that Excludes Christ?

Encouragement

“No one will read this!” This has been the feedback we have received from some who proofed this writing. They contend that most people are no longer willing to read anything more than a “sound bite.” They tell us that the average person just wants the bottom line or the Cliffs Notes version. “Just email me, or better yet, text me- it’s quicker.”Our “bottom line” to you: please give this writing ten minutes of your time. Using the power and truth of biblical principles, it contains information that may change your life and the life of your children forever.

A Difficult Message to Write

We have taken six months to write this booklet. It has been critiqued by parents, grandparents, and teachers both in the Christian and public school sectors. Some have said the message is terrific. Others have said it is preachy or self-righteous. Still others said it was harsh. We listened to the criticisms and made changes that we hoped would remove any tone that would offend while not changing the truths herein. We understand that what we have written will not win the praise of the world. However, we are not seeking that praise. This booklet is designed to bring truth to minds of Christian parents who choose to have their children educated in a public school or a private non-Christian school. It is not directed to homeschool parents or non-Christian parents. We could ignore what is going on in our culture and say nothing, but that would not be biblical. Christians are called to be truth tellers, even when what we say may be unpopular. Please know our heart on this: we have written this booklet because we love the Lord, love the brethren, and love children. Psalm 40:9-11 says, “I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O LORD, You know. I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your loving-kindness and Your truth from the great congregation.” Our hope is that God will bless the sharing of His truth through this booklet.

Special note to Christian public school teachers and administrators: this booklet cites some of the unbiblical weaknesses of the public school in America. Please do not read this as a personal attack. We appreciate that you do not agree with the philosophy of the public schools and want to encourage you to be a warrior for Christ in that setting. Although we do not believe that Christ intended for children to be missionaries in the public school, He does intend Christian adults to speak His truth boldly wherever they are. We urge you to trust the Lord as you follow your calling.

Introduction

You have probably heard the term “like a frog in the kettle.” It refers to a situation where the frog sits in room temperature water in the kettle and neither knows nor feels the subtle changes that are happening in the water. Degree after degree, the water increases in heat and eventually the frog is boiled to death. So it is with many Christian families in America. With the decline of Christianity in our culture and many in the American church behaving more like the world, many Christian families are being boiled to death. Instead of realizing that there is a continual increase in the cultural temperature, Christian parents are being fooled again and again, believing misinformation that is killing the spiritual life of their children. What about you? Are you being fooled? Have you bought into the secular perspectives that we are constantly bombarded with each day? Have you taken the time and energy to question the so called “facts” that we are fed from all angles?

Please read and consider the ten myths that Christian parents frequently believe. You still have time to jump out of the kettle!

The 10 Most Popular Myths Christian Parents Believe*

Myth 1: I am saving money by not paying Christian school tuition.

Myth 2: We can’t afford Christian school tuition.

Myth 3: The public school and the Christian parent have the same goal in mind for the child’s education so my child is not being damaged spiritually by going to a non-Christian school.

Myth 4: Exposing my child to ungodly thinking and actions will prepare my child for the “real world.”

Myth 5: Children should be missionaries in the public school.

Myth 6: My child will be best served by figuring out life while attending a non-Christian school.

Myth 7: The prom, dating, and sports are vital experiences for my child and can best be experienced in a public school.

Myth 8: My child is receiving a good education in the public schools.

Myth 9: The learning environment in the public school is good.

Myth 10: The ultimate in myth telling to Christian parents in America may not be because the myth is being created for belief by the public school administrators, public school teachers unions, or politicians. It may be that parents are creating a myth that they want to believe for themselves.

*For a complete “discussion” of each myth, please click here for the full text of the booklet.