Humanism in the Home school

(this article is from the Pearables newsletter.)

Read John Gatto's book: The Underground History of American Education.  Did you know that Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, at first only prepared men for the ministry? Today, we would call such a school a college of theology, or seminary. Later, they broadened their courses to teach the Liberal Arts.

 Why did we start home educating our children? One of the main purposes for most home educators to train their children at home, was they had the goal of training their children in Biblical knowledge first, with academics following. The number one priority was that they wanted their children to not follow the ways of the world, but rather follow the ways of God and His Word.

Many of these parents were not fortunate enough to have had a Christian education. The majority of us were trained in a mass environment within the public school system. The belief of that public school system was and is based upon the religion of HUMANISM.

As believers some of us have never even questioned worldly philosophies or "knowledge" that the world has taught us as "TRUTH". To instill godly character in our children, we must each first examine ourselves and find out what secular thoughts are still ingrained in our minds. Then we must ask the Lord to cleanse us of all humanistic philosophies.

Our goal is to take a look at philosophies that the world deems "normal" and see it they line up with the Word of God.

Our battle is against the religion of our system and culture. Each of us as believers and parents must uncover these wicked philosophies and teach our children the Truth of God's Word.

The public education system claims that it will not teach religion. This is not true. For many years now the governmental stand has been to educate the adults of tomorrow in feminism and humanism, both religious beliefs.

WHAT IS HUMANISM?

Humanism is the belief which looks at the world and emphasizes the importance of man - his nature and his place in the universe. Humanism teaches the exact opposite of Christianity, for they believe that all persons are born with innate dignity and merit; and that they should command the respect of their fellow man. They teach that mankind is inherently good, and will evolve to even become better!

Job 15:14 "What is man that he should be clean ? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints, yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?"

Psalms 51:5 "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."

Eccle. 7:20 "There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not."

Eccle. 9:3 "The heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead."

Isaiah 64:56 "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are a filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the iwnd, have taken us away."

Romans 3:10-23 "As it is written, 'there is none righteous, no, not one. there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit, the poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways. And the way of peace have they not known, there is no fear of god before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.'"

There are many, MANY more scriptures that tell us of the innate depravity of man. Mankind is not good, he is wicked. The religion of humanism voids out the need for a savior. This is the philosophy under which we were trained in public school.

How Long has Humanism been Around?

Humanism started in the Garden of Eden when the serpent tempted Eve and planted in her mind that she would become like God and KNOW good and evil.

Genesis 3:5 "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."

Satan is at the root of the religion of humanism, for humanism, under the name of intellectualism, claims that there is no God and that man has ALL wisdom and knowledge. This is what the educational system of today is found upon.

According to history, the heart of humanism started in Greece and then spread to Rome. Scripture also backs this up:

1 Corinthians 1:22-24 "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness."

One of the greatest movements of this religion was during the early Renaissance, for this was when the rediscovered the writings of the classical Greeks and Romans. They used the writings of the past to guide them in an understanding of the meaning of life. This new way of understanding was in direct opposition to the emphasis of the Christian faith, which teaches that life on earth is really nothing... that we are to live as aliens and ambassadors for our one TRUE GOD, and to be in the world but to not be of it. Where Christianity believes that we should devote our lives in the service of our Lord and King, humanists reject the thought of living for anything other than self and life their lives to pursue the pleasures of this world.

This type of Greco/Roman philosophy is what our educational system is based upon now. A Macchievelian type of education which concentrates on being a PRINCE of everything. A little knowledge here, a little knowledge there. But not versed enough in anything to be specialized.



EDUCATION TO A HUMANIST MEANS TO TRAIN A PERSON TO BE SKILLED IN MANY FIELDS OF KNOWLEDGE, INCLUDING ART, SCIENCE, SPORTS, AND POLITICS...

The goal is to train a "universal man". They will be a jack of all trades, but the master of none. Educating the world in the motto "The best that has been thought and said in the world", is instituted. The belief is that a person whose powers are all in balance, who has knowledge, who knows how to live with his fellow man, who appreciates beauty, and who has his own standards of moral judgment, but DEVOID of God, is the ideal man.

THE WORD UNIVERSITAS DEVELOPED DURING THE RENAISSANCE AND MEANT A PLACE TO EDUCATE THE UNIVERSAL MAN

When this mode of education evolved, the world at this time developed schools where they could start training young men in this mindset. Unlike the American tradition of apprenticeship, many people were lured into the seductive influences of having a well-rounded education in Universities. Today, once one completes University they are   considered to be fully educated.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH?

We are given a variety of examples all throughout the scriptures. Were any of the Godly men spoken of in the Bible educated in humanism? Did any have college degrees?  Were they submerged in worldly philosophies? Did they have titles and degrees behind their names to show their worth?

You already know the answer. God says that the wisdom of this world is FOOLISHNESS to Him.

How is it then that so many home educators get caught up in trying to compete with the public school system and wanting their children to also be submerged in humanism?

The Lord wants our children to read and write (otherwise there wouldn't be a Bible to read), he wants them to be able to communicate the gospel to others, he wants young men to be able to learn to have a skill or profession in order to take care of their future families. He wants young women to be able to educate and teach their children at home as they are "keepers at home" as the Bible teaches. Why then, do we see home educators simply copying the public humanistic way of teaching their children in their homes? Is it because this is all we know?

We truly believe that if you seek the Lord with all your heart, that he will direct your paths.

Many parents are becoming burned out with teaching their children at home. It is no wonder! When we take on public education in the home school we are taking on more than the Lord ever intended.

We need to seek first the Lord's Kingdom and then everything else will fall into place. This is a given promise.

Take a step back and take a look at your children's education. If you are barely making it through a day, drop back a bit on academics. Do you start your day with Bible?  If not, are you seeking His Kingdom first? Sometimes we get so entwined in our habits of life that we can't see what we are really doing. God is there for us. We really need to seek Him. Sometimes what we think are his ways are really our own, or simply someone else's. Ask yourself if you are copying secular schooling or if you are being obedient to what God wants you to do. When we walk in His will and start hearing His voice and doing what He tells us to do, there is freedom...

Do We Have No Shame Anymore?

"Americans lost our sense of shame when we allowedgovernment to replace God.Generations of entitlements and a "me-mentality" has resulted in people unable to control their animal urges when faced with a child in a short skirt or a store with unattended merchandise. And this is duringgoodtimes. What will happen when the economyreallytanks? What kind of hyena-like activity can we expect then?"



Go to WND to read Patrice Lewis' entire article about "The Blessing of Shame".


Here is another article at WSJ that goes along with Patrice's article.

Yard Sale to Bring Noah Home to the Silvas

The Dumbest Generation

"What's wrong with the adolescent obsession with Facebook, texting, iPads, Game Boys and the Internet?"


Read Patrice Lewis' article at WND to find out the answer.

To Hell With Hell

by: KEVIN DEYOUNG

At least now we know what Rob Bell thinks about hell. (or do we?{added by Lanita})

LOVE WINS. from Rob Bell on Vimeo.

I am eager to read the book, not to pick a fight (though sometimes we need to fight, and this is one of those times), but because a book like this from a prominent pastor like this needs a response, many responses. We should be thankful for the clarity, but saddened by the content.

In the meantime, we must remember why God’s wrath is necessary to make sense of the Bible, the cross, and our growth in godliness.

We need the doctrine of eternal punishment. Time and time again in the New Testament we find that understanding divine justice is essential to our sanctification. Believing in God’s judgment actually helps us look more like Jesus. In short, we need the doctrine of the wrath of God.

First, we need God’s wrath to keep us honest about evangelism. Paul reasoned with Felix about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment (Acts 24:25). We need to do the same. Without the doctrine of hell, we are prone to get involved in all sorts of important God-honoring things, but neglect the one thing that matters for all eternity, urging sinners to be reconciled to God.

Second, we need God’s wrath in order to forgive our enemies. The reason we can forgo repaying evil for evil is because we trust the Lord’s promise to repay the wicked. Paul’s logic is sound. “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Rom. 12:19). The only way to look past our deepest hurts and betrayals is to rest assured that every sin against us has been paid for on the cross and or will be punished in hell. We don’t have to seek vigilante justice, because God will be our just judge.

Third, we need God’s wrath in order to risk our lives for Jesus’ sake. The radical devotion necessary to suffer for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus comes, in part, from the assurance we have that God will vindicate us in the end. That’s why the martyrs under the throne cry out “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” (Rev. 6:10) They paid the ultimate price for their faith, but their blood stained cries will be answered one day. Their innocence will be established when God finally judges their persecutors.

Fourth, we need God’s wrath in order to live holy lives. Paul warns us that God cannot be mocked. We will reap what we sow. We are spurred on to live a life of purity and good deeds by the promised reward for obedience and the promised curse for disobedience. If we live to please the flesh, we will reap destruction from God. But if we live to please the Spirit, we will reap eternal life (Gal. 6:6-7). Sometimes ministers balk at the thought of motivating people with the threat of eternal punishment. But wasn’t this Jesus’ approach when he said “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28)? Sometimes we need to literally scare the hell out of people.

Fifth, we need God’s wrath in order to understand what mercy means. Divine mercy without divine wrath is meaningless. Only when we know that we were objects of wrath (Eph. 2:3), stood condemned already (John 3:18), and would have faced hell as God’s enemies were it not for undeserved mercy (Rom. 5:10), can we sing from the heart “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!”

Sixth, we need God’s wrath in order to grasp how wonderful heaven will be.Jonathan Edwards is famous (or infamous) for his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” It’s still read in American Literature classes, usually as a caricature of the puritanical spirit of colonial New England. But few people realize that Edwards also preached sermons like “Heaven is a World of Love.” Unlike most of us, Edwards saw in vivid colors the terror of hell and the beauty of heaven. We can’t get a striking picture of one without the other. That’s why the depiction of the heavenly New Jerusalem also contains a warning to the cowardly, unbelieving, vile, immoral, idolaters, and liars whose place is in “the fiery lake of burning sulfur” (Rev. 21:8). It’s unlikely we will long for our final salvation if we don’t know what we are saved from.

Seventh, we need the wrath of God in order to be motivated to care for our impoverished brothers and sisters. We all know the saying that Christians are so heavenly minded they are of no earthly good. The idea is that if all we think about are heaven and hell we’ll ignore ministries of compassion and social justice. But what better impetus for social justice than Jesus’ sober warning that if we fail to care for the least of our brothers we will go away to eternal punishment (Matt. 25:31-46)? The wrath of God is a motivator for us to show compassion to others, because without love, John says, we have no eternal life, and if we don’t share our material possessions with those in need we have no love (1 John 2:17).

Eighth, we need God’s wrath in order to be ready for the Lord’s return. We must keep the lamps full, the wicks trimmed, the houses clean, the vineyard tended, the workers busy, and the talents invested lest we find ourselves unprepared for the day of reckoning. Only when we fully believe in the coming wrath of God and tremble at the thought of eternal punishment will we stay awake, keep alert, and be prepared for Jesus to come again and judge the living and the dead.

Excerpted from Why We’re Not Emergent.

Camera Giveaway-Fund Raiser for Noah's adoption

My friends are adopting a little orphan from Ukraine. They are using many means to raise the funds they need to make this happen. Here is one of their fund raisers. They are giving away a Nikon camera package. If you donate to their fund they will enter your name into the drawing. Go to their blog, Silva-Moose, for all the details.

The Unseen Sea

The Unseen Sea from Simon Christen on Vimeo.

Listen to the background music too, it really adds to the pleasure of the video.