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PCA Rejects Resolution on Public Education

Thread ID: 18738 | Posts: 2 | Started: 2005-06-20

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confederate_commando [OP]

2005-06-20 22:28 | User Profile

[COLOR=DarkRed]"I will continue to encourage people to remove their children from public schools and see to it that they get a Christian education. I think with every person that I convince to do this benefits the kingdom of God."[/COLOR]

PCA Rejects Resolution on Public Education

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) voted to reject a resolution that would encourage Christian parents to remove their children from public schools on June 16, 2005.

The resolution, which was submitted by Rev. Steven Warhurst of Kingsport, Tenn., sent a wave of “shock” to the PCA members, who felt education is the parents’ responsibility.

"We strongly affirm that it is the responsibility of Christian parents to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; it is not appropriate for the General Assembly to make such a recommendation as contained in [the] Personal Resolution to all the members of the PCA,” stated the Bills and Overture Committee.

Warhurst, a pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, stated, removing children from public school is a “valid argument” because a Biblical worldview is all-important.

“Christian parents should remove their children from public schools and give them a Christian education and teach them to think Biblically about all of life,” said Warhurst.

For Warhurst, who home-schooled his own children after a friend convinced him ten years ago, education can not be neutral.

“The Christian worldview has to be taught in schools, in all subjects. There is no neutral area in education. It’s either taught in one way that is Christian or it is against Christ,” he said. “If they continue to teach all the subjects just the way they do and add a Bible class to it, it’s not thoroughly Christian.”

Application of Bible in all areas of life takes time and practice, he said, and pointed out mathematics. He contends that there is such a thing as a “biblical way to think about math” and mentioned Christian Perspective on Mathematics by Jack Nichols.

In addition, he stated the resolution would contribute to development of the Kingdom of God.

“I think it would benefit the Kingdom of God if people were to do this. God’s Kingdom would progress… As long as we educate our children to think secular, we cannot expect them to grow up to think like Christians,” he said.

Although a Biblical perspective is important, Dr. Dominic Aquila, PCA minister and spokesperson said that PCA has emphasized “liberty of conscience,” giving parents authority to “make their own choices.”

PCA parents were “shocked” by this resolution, he said, because education is a parental decision, not a church decision.

“PCA has in many cases attempt to practice liberty and allow each parent to make those decisions without dictating what would be defined as the Christian education approach. We believe that’s a wrong standing part of PCA. We don’t believe in dictating how people should function,” said Aquila.

Though both Warhurst and Aquila agreed that parental involvement is an important component of education, Aquila de-emphasized where children are educated.

“Parents are responsible for their children’s education and training and if they are raising their children in the Lord according to Scriptures, then where they go to school is not as important as how involved the parents are,” said Aquila.

However, for Warhurst, who sees both homeschooling and Christian private school as “legitimate options,” choosing public school option is “squandering” the opportunity to educate children.

“If they decide to educate them in public schools, that’s squandering a great opportunity to instruct their children and at worst, putting them under tutors who can lead them astray,” said Warhurst. “In a sense, it’s a discipleship that’s anti-Christian. So the issue is that the public schools are discipling children to think as secular humanists essentially.”

Despite the resolution's failure, the goal, Warhurst insisted, was to inform people of the importance of a Christian education.

“The resolution was defeated, but we got the word out there and we were able to make our case and it was heard,” said Warhurst.

"I will continue to encourage people to remove their children from public schools and see to it that they get a Christian education. I think with every person that I convince to do this benefits the kingdom of God."

[url]http://www.christianpost.com/article/education/858/section/pca.rejects.resolution.on.public.education/1.htm[/url]

Texas Dissident

2005-06-20 23:06 | User Profile

[QUOTE=confederate_commando]“Parents are responsible for their children’s education and training and if they are raising their children in the Lord according to Scriptures, then where they go to school is not as important as how involved the parents are,” said Aquila.[/QUOTE]

Wow. Obviously a guy that doesn't have any children or is clueless about the current state of affairs in our public school system. I always thought the PCA was more pro-Christian education, unlike say, the SBC who recently voted down the same-type proposal at one of their recent conventions.

I honestly don't understand it and that's a big reason why my family is now LCMS and all three of my children attend the affiliated LCMS school.