Here's a link to an article about a Christian school in Oklahoma that is getting all sorts of hand-wringing and "God is love and doesn't judge anyone" because they don't want a student in a Christian school who's parents affirm support for gay marriage. Duh. Read the article carefully. They, of course, buried the lead. The mom is the reason the child was asked to leave the school, not the child. I know this church very well. I know this school. This is the denomination I was raised and ordained in, and I was very good friends with the former long-term (now retired) pastor. I know a bunch of folks in that church. Anyone that says they've attended the church for "years" and doesn't know where the church and the school stands on same sex relationships is either an abject liar or an absolute idiot. But, it demonstrates the insanity of the post-modern/post-truth "God is love and doesn't judge anyone and loves gays" puke. Of course God loves gays. God loves all sinners, including the ones in pulpits. But God also has an opinion on sexuality and the ways in which fallen humans engage their sexuality. Another example of an idiot parent raising a snowflake. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/second-grade-girl-expelled-christian-230718984.html
Oh, by the way. More trivia. This is the church that Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood attended when they lived in Owasso, OK, before moving back to Nashville. My friend (the former now retired pastor) performed their ceremony.
The language was not super clear in that article. And it's always a challenge when one side cannot make a comment. I'd love to know more about the specifics of the girl on the playground incident. It's interesting from my end as well, more for my wife as an admin in a Christian school here who has to wrestle with this as well. We know there is a girl from my daughter's class who has identified as lesbian and initially left the school because she was worried about the implications within a Christian school, particularly around her fellow students. There are and have been others as well, no doubt still deep in the closet. We also have a parent who is non-conforming and very open about support of LGBTQ issues (not at the school, but on Facebook and the like). There's a pile to unpack on him though.
Also, when it comes to kids, parents are not going to be the most rational. I fully admit, I could probably put myself in that lady's shoes as far as a reaction.
Being the grandson of a man who had only a 3rd grade education, never made more than $20K a year in his entire life, but singlehandledly in his late 60's started a movement in a rural county that ended up with the founding of what in less than 12 years was a Christian school (k-12) for the sole purpose of providing a place of a Christian education for my younger brother, I am fairly familiar with many of the issues related to Christian schools and whether they are even a good idea or not. Been through all the debates. This isn't one of them. What drives me nuts is the parents who don't want Johnny going to that God-forsaken public school, because they think Christian schools are "safe," whatever that means, and don't stop to make inquiry into the doctrinal and practice beliefs of the school and where applicable, the supporting church. Just like people that "go to church" for societal or cultural reasons, and churches that don't challenge them. Clearly, the mother does not have a clue or concern about the truth of the Gospel on issues of marriage and sexuality, but wants the "smiling Jesus that just loves everyone and approves their lifestyles without judgment." Another demonstration of people that want the appearance of cultural "goodness" or "properness," without the power of the Gospel.
Her's a wrinkle on that one: In our town there is 'our' Christian school (Dutch Reformed heritage) and there is the other Christian school (VERY Dutch Reformed heritage). Years ago, they did not have enough students to keep the high school viable. So while some parents did send their kids to our school, but many sent them to the public school because we are apparently not pure enough (the denominations are based on an old schism from away back). There is an old Dutch saying that "the devil wears slippers" implying that our school was more insidious than sending kids to the public school.
I sent my son to a Christian school associated with a church I was involved with. I pulled him out, which I'm certain was Divine intervention, as the school was eventually destroyed because of pedophilia/student abuse. The perpetrator actually had a posted record before his hiring, - he is now in San Quinton. The church baptismal fount facilitated unspeakable events for the High schoolers. Just one church out of several that I knew of. I recall (unsayable) evil events which would cause many in the world to blush. Our wounds are deep. Enough said!
Understood. I'm generally leery of Xn schools in general, although the one my grandfather started and my baby brother attended was not based at or by one local church, but was literally a community wide -- as in county wide -- endeavor from a fairly broad spectrum of evangelical churches. I still think I'd rather home school a kid aka John Quincy Adams' education. Or Lincoln's.
Home schooling and distributed learning programs have been booming with the pandemic. Our school offers DL so provides a teacher to monitor and assess kids being taught at home.
Would love to see the demise of vast, government run school systems anyhow. Technology now provides for monitored home schooling or smaller community help venues. The government has for too long assumed the role of parent.
Rather, I would say that many parents have abdicated their role in education, not necessarily intentionally either. I don't want to make that too borad-bushed though. For us, and all other registered independent schools in BC, we get 50% student funding from the provincial government. The other 50% is obtained through tuition and all capital costs are fully borne by the school society. It forces those to put some skin in the game.
Something to that degree seems so practical, IMO. Public schooling in my area seems fairly efficient but in high population centers around the country schools are dangerous, unruly and largely below adequate as far as leaning is concerned. Private schools can at least provide certain standards - meet those requirements or get kicked out. Christian institutions seem to serve a certain demographic, while Catholic schools, amazingly, have the best record, outside of scandals; they know how to teach, whatever they teach. I went to a Catholic high school, which was a den of iniquity, while very high on academics. I would like to see the U.S. pull mostly out of public education below grade 12, providing testing standards and facilities for online teaching and follow-up. It would then be incumbent for parents to guide their kid's educations from home and submit to testing and guidelines - with an eye toward trade-schools or college. The system now basically provides free day-care for working parents while kids are programmed in the wrong directions on a daily basis. In the US, a problematic kid in the school system can ultimately be psychologically classified and put on various medications while the parents have little recourse. Abomination.