The year is 1212. You are on a ship bound for Jerusalem. At least you hope so. You are exhausted and hungry. You've already seen half your friends and companions die along the way. I'm no longer sure if this is a good idea, but I still believe in the cause that brought me here: reclaiming the sacred land. You are 8 years old.
The Children's Crusade may not have happened exactly in 1212, but it did happen in the early 1200s. It is commonly believed that it was an official crusade, but the Holy See never sanctioned it. Rather, it was an attempt by desperate Christian parents to reclaim the Holy Land from what they saw as godless pagans.
Parents' job is to work diligently in their children's spiritual formation while controlling the rate at which their children are exposed to ideas that challenge their beliefs. If you send your child to public school, you can't do that.
Another children's crusade is held daily in public schools today and is championed by the Church of Christ today.
self-congratulatory nonsense
in recent articlesTheology Editor Stephanie McDade encourages Christian parents to consider sending their children to dangerous pagan lands managed by the U.S. Department of Education.
“Our daughter is a toddler, so she hasn't started school yet. Maybe something will happen in the next few years that will cause us to change our minds. But for now, my husband and I are “I decided to send him to public school,” McDade wrote.
What a pile of self-congratulatory nonsense. It's funny that McDade says this when he doesn't have any school-age children. you How should we proceed with our children's education? Her article is a classic example of people thinking they know everything about raising children when they haven't experienced much of it. We're all perfect parents until we actually have kids and face reality.
A mother I know said, “As children get older, their problems increase.'' This turned out to be completely true.
McDade attempts to muster some authority by reflecting on her school days and detailing the various schooling options she experienced as a child. She laments how awkward it was to transition from her homeschool in Florida to a public middle school in Washington state. “Most of my time in middle school was spent thinking about how to fit in,” McDade wrote. Who hasn't felt awkward during their formative years, especially when moving from one coast to another?
school changed
“While researching this article, I asked my parents how they had made schooling decisions with each move,” McDade writes. “My parents said they weighed the quality of education available against the influence of the local atmosphere, as most parents do,” they say. And it wasn't until I was nearing high school, they said, that warnings about the 'dangers' of public education really began to make an impact in Christian circles. ”
I appreciate the thought her parents put into each step of her education, but that was 20 years ago. Meanwhile, schools, especially public schools, went to hell in the basket.
lion's den
Just open TikTok, X, or Facebook, and within minutes you'll be bombarded with videos and posts that tell you what the public school system is really like.
And what will become of these out-of-control children? Even if it is sent to the administration, nothing will probably happen. You may have a snack and then go back to class. I taught in public schools for 13 years. There's a story.
Meanwhile, where are all the Christian children? Where are the videos of Christian kids standing up and converting non-believers? I haven't seen any.
Salt and light?
I don't doubt God's power to use everything for our benefit, but I think it's a good idea for Christian parents to continue exposing their children to environments like this because they feel that their children will be salt and light. I have doubts about this. In that situation. That is placing a burden on children who are not spiritually equipped to bear it.
Most adults would not know how to respond to a situation like this. To be honest, if this happened between adults, the instigator would probably not be punished either. If you don't believe me, just look at how many violent criminals are slapped and sent back into society.
It is a fool's errand to think that our Christian children can change the course of our culture on their own. Christian adults aren't even fighting the good fight in the church.
The pastors said, Sparkle Creed” — a profane LGBTQIABBQ take on the ancient Nicene Creed — Ware family planning stall I'm not sure there is any need for active hatred of Christians anymore, assuming that Jesus would be willing to take women to abortion appointments. A call comes from inside the house.
Christians who deny
Bless her heart. My fellow Southerners know what I mean.
McDade said she wanted her children to experience challenges to their faith while she was still at home, and that she and her husband would “guide them through the pitfalls of a fallen world.”
I understand, but your child won't be home. Your child will be in school, and unless you're going to work there too and sit in a classroom with your child like a vine all day, you're assuming that your child will come home and tell you everything. .
From experience, I can tell you that this is not the case. Our oldest child had some minor issues at the Christian Homeschool Co-op last year, but by the time she finally told us about it, it was over and she didn't want to go back. You can't send your child somewhere and then assume that you can hear all the details so you can have a therapy session with your child at home.
And if you do, you better be prepared. You may have to talk about some things much sooner than you really want. My hairstylist told me a story about how her daughter went to kindergarten here in rural Tennessee and within a few weeks came home and asked, “Mommy, what is a lesbian?” I don't know about you, but I think kindergarten is a little too early to start talking about sexual preferences.
Homeschooling is different from “sheltered”
If you think my parenting style sounds like a sheltered existence, I have another newsflash for you. Homeschooled kids are exposed to the world. The world is now more aggressive than ever before. Simply turning on the TV for five minutes can expose kids to a variety of alternative lifestyles.
I remember watching “The Voice” at my parents' house a few years ago, when a contestant appeared on stage with pink hair and an androgynous appearance. My then 7-year-old son asked, “Mommy, is that a man or a woman?” After a mild exchange, we changed the channel.
How many risqué commercials have you seen in the last week? HIV treatments are advertised during prime viewing hours. How many times have you seen inappropriate YouTube commercials while watching videos with your kids? And have you watched a music video recently? Innocuous activities are eroded by our culture's endless sexualization.
Parents' job is to work diligently on their children's spiritual formation while controlling the rate at which their children are exposed to ideas that challenge their beliefs. If you send your child to public school, you can't do that. Yes, God is everywhere, but so are the forces of evil.
There are a lot of good people in public schools. I have worked in this industry for 13 years and have nothing but good things to say about most of my former colleagues. However, when registering to work or attend public school, you must remember that it is a system.
The classroom does not belong to the teacher or to the students who walk into the classroom door. The American education system is a cog in the machine, and all it takes is a few minutes on social media to see that the machine doesn't work very well.
And if John Taylor Gatto is right, it's by design. In his books Dumbing Us Down and Weapons of Mass Educational, Gutt explains that what seems dysfunctional to us is actually intentional.
duty to resist
If you are a parent, Christian or not, you must decide whether you are willing to accept your child as fodder for a machine that intentionally produces terrible products. But especially if you're a Christian parent, don't fool yourself into thinking your kids are trying to change the system. As Jim Rohn says, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
in Recent interview with Tucker CarlsonRobert Kennedy Jr. said, “We all have a duty to resist tyranny in whatever way is most effective.” If you're interested in standing up to the machine, homeschooling is the best way you can resist as a parent.
I will continue to resist tyranny. You should consider that too, Stephanie McDade.
