.

[Cimorene]

I am extremely grateful to have attended public schools from kindergarten through the 8th grade. I feel that I've benefitted hugely by being in a classroom every day for years with kids & teachers who came from families different from my own family. I think learning how to be a citizen is an important part of growing up, and going to school helps you to learn citizenship. It teaches you how to interact with other people. It expands your mind & socialization. You learn so much from your teachers but you learn so much from other kids too, like how to handle conflict. If my family hadn't moved out of America, I would have kept going to public schools. The biggest crush when I found out we were moving was that I wouldn't be attending the HS in Seattle I was set to go to, because it's got an excellent reputation. It's where all my friends went & were happy. I would have been able to earn dual enrollment credit through UW. They have amazing music & athletic programs.

I now go to an online school run by a really great college. I just finished the 10th grade. I made a perfect 5 on my AP exams, so I'll be able to earn college credit from them. My parents are very smart, but I don't think they could have taught me so many different advanced classes anywhere near as well as my teachers. The OHS has the advantages of homeschooling like flexibility to travel, but each of my teachers has a Masters degree or higher in his or her subject. My teachers grade my work, not my parents. I'm not living in a cocoon. I'm in a classroom every day with kids from around the world. We have meet-ups several times a year. Neil DeGrasse Tyson came to one of them! We still have homecoming, prom, education.

I got started in music back in kindergarten at my public school. The music teacher there taught me how to play the piano. She told my parents that I had promise in music. Starting in the 1st grade, I went to an on campus after-school program where I had piano lessons. I just finished the highest level possible for piano certification at the Royal Conservatory of Music. There are kids who've homeschooled just to have more time with music, but it's taken them longer. I think having excellent teachers helped me to move up more quickly. I was in the middle school orchestra & that lead to me being in the city's youth orchestra. Since I have my certification, I was able to get a job with a music center. I'm going to be making a nice salary for only being 16. My older sister also got into music at public schools. She started at the same time I did, but became really fantastic really fast. She has Asperger's & had some difficulty being at school sometimes, but the good definitely outweighed the bad. Going to school helped her to learn really important social cues. It helps her not just with school, but with life. She got a full merit scholarship to the University of Chicago. It's one of the best universities in the world & it's crazy expensive. $71,000 a year, & she got a four year scholarship. That's how much they wanted her. So I think her public school education served her extremely well in life! I am hoping to get a scholarship there, too.

 

[VanillaSunflowers]

The below quote dates back to 1923. How much worse are things 90 years later?!

“Place the lives of children in their formative years, despite the convictions of their parents, under the intimate control of experts appointed by the state, force them to attend schools where the higher aspirations of humanity are crushed out, and where the mind is filled with the materialism of the day, and it is difficult to see how even the remnants of liberty can subsist.” ― J. Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism

What's the best way to educate your children?

Do you notice a flavor of Marxist subtext in that state education collaboration model? I could be wrong but I think of that as I read .

I think if a parent or parents are able and qualified they might consider home school. In fact I would say a church might even consider a group home schooling project.
The politics in America are becoming more openly humanist oriented. The schools and even higher education campuses are too. And they're in many cases openly liberal oriented as well. Some would conclude there's hardly a difference between humanist and liberal philosophy.

I think if a parent who pays strict attention to the direction her child's public school is going is concerned then they should consider an option. Some Christian schools can be no better just different. Corporal punishment the first issue that comes to mind for the more strict fundamentalist oriented.

I think home school is ideal if possible.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

“I can see little consistency in a type of Christian activity which preaches the Gospel on the street corners and at the ends of the Earth, but neglects the children of the covenant by abandoning them to a cold and unbelieving secularism.”
― J. Gresham Machen, Education Christianity & the State

 

[The Portuguese Baptist]

“I can see little consistency in a type of Christian activity which preaches the Gospel on the street corners and at the ends of the Earth, but neglects the children of the covenant by abandoning them to a cold and unbelieving secularism.”
― J. Gresham Machen, Education Christianity & the State

'[...] but neglects the children of the covenant by abandoning them to a cold and unbelieving secularism.' Congratulations! You have just found the most melodramatic description of regular schooling which I have ever read!

 

[jimmyjimmy]

'[...] but neglects the children of the covenant by abandoning them to a cold and unbelieving secularism.' Congratulations! You have just found the most melodramatic description of regular schooling which I have ever read!

Is a public school a church? Do children read God's word, and learn to obey Him in government-run schools, or are they secular in both structure and curriculum?

Also, it's shocking that that quote is from a 70 year old book! How much worse are things now???

 

[Cimorene]

'[...] but neglects the children of the covenant by abandoning them to a cold and unbelieving secularism.' Congratulations! You have just found the most melodramatic description of regular schooling which I have ever read!

QFT.

 

[Stillicidia]

.

 

[Cimorene]

Christian public schools will become a thing with Trump's "we will bring education local" which is one of the biggest reasons the world will know us by the love we have for each other. Really you can't expect to do better than public schools which is a shame, but I'm telling you that will change.

I'm honestly not sure if you're writing this in jest or not. Donald Trump certainly hasn't been leading by example in showing love for others! He's self-centered, not Christ-centered. America will not have Christian public schools regardless of who becomes President.

Most people I know have thrived at public schools. I just came back from a music camp yesterday, & most of the kids who went to it go to public schools. They're really terrific people doing terrific things with their lives. They have more Christian traits than what I've seen in many kids who are homeschooled or go to Christian schools. One friend said that there's a Christian group at her school that meets for prayer & coffee in the mornings. I thought that was sweet. She goes to a public HS in Michigan. If we'd stayed in America I would be starting the 11th grade at a public school in Seattle this year where all of my friends are doing so great. I switched to an OHS only bc we moved to Canada.

 

[Stillicidia]

.

 

[Cimorene]

Disregard when I said "which is one of the biggest reasons the world will know us by the love we have for each other"

Why do you think I'm not speaking prophetically? When it comes to Trump, who are you to judge another man's servant? I only say this, because he is extremely anointed by God, and I want to stress that warning, because God himself would yell at you.

I still don't know if you're writing satirically or what................but let's stayed focused on the thread topic.

 

[The Portuguese Baptist]

Is a public school a church? Do children read God's word, and learn to obey Him in government-run schools, or are they secular in both structure and curriculum?

Also, it's shocking that that quote is from a 70 year old book! How much worse are things now???

OK. Let me clarify.

That quote goes from the premise that Christian parents who send their children to regular schools are ‘abandoning them to a cold and unbelieving secularism’. This, of course, could not be further from the truth. Parents who send their children to school are not ‘abandoning them to secularism’, because the children always come back home every day and parents always teach them according to the Bible. It is perfectly possible (and desirable, IMHO) to have children being raised in a conservative household and in a liberal school; they will be taught accurate Christian principles at home, which they will retain even in school. And, of course, even if they do adhere to secular liberalism, at least parents can rest assured that their child has chosen to abandon Christianity based on careful meditation and own choice — which, IMHO, is preferable over having children being surrounded by conservatism and never having their beliefs questioned.

Look at me! I was born in a conservative Baptist household (extremely rare in Portugal), but I was taken to school every day, where I heard liberal viewpoints and attempted to argue against them, standing firm in my convictions. And now what? I remain strongly conservative (becoming slightly more moderate only in some areas) and my classmates see me as being clearly the most conservative guy in class. I can see that I am sometimes even more conservative than my parents! And, here at CF, I am one of the few conservative teenagers. I was not ‘abandoned to secularism’; rather, I was faced with it and have defeated it in my mind, so now my conservative Christian faith remains surer than if I had grown in an entirely conservative environment. Being challenged with different viewpoints is important. I intend to do the same with my children.

As for your questions, it evident that, no, schools are not churches, nor are children in them taught the Word of God. However, should they? Should public schools instil Christianity in their children? I believe that they should not. Otherwise, how on Earth would you reconcile that idea with the principle of freedom of religion?

 

[The Portuguese Baptist]

Christian public schools will become a thing with Trump's "we will bring education local" which is one of the biggest reasons the world will know us by the love we have for each other. Really you can't expect to do better than public schools which is a shame, but I'm telling you that will change.

How can you say ‘Christian’ and ‘Trump’ in the same sentence? How can you say ‘Trump’ and ‘love’ in the same sentence? And how can a school be simultaneously ‘Christian’ and ‘public’ in a country with freedom of religion?

Why do you think I'm not speaking prophetically? When it comes to Trump, who are you to judge another man's servant? I only say this, because he is extremely anointed by God, and I want to stress that warning, because God himself would yell at you. Beyond this, realize he is perfect for the country, it's very easy if you watch his speeches.

Trump? Extremely anointed by God? Why on Earth do you say that? Why is a guy who is ‘extremely anointed by God’ preaching nationalism and opposition to Muslims rather than preaching the Gospel and salvation through Jesus Christ?

Trump? Perfect for your country? Why on Earth do you say that? Why does a guy who is ‘perfect for [the US]’ change his mind so often and propose stuff which he cannot explain how to do?

 

[jimmyjimmy]

How can you say ‘Christian’ and ‘Trump’ in the same sentence? How can you say ‘Trump’ and ‘love’ in the same sentence? And how can a school be simultaneously ‘Christian’ and ‘public’ in a country with freedom of religion?



Trump? Extremely anointed by God? Why on Earth do you say that? Why is a guy who is ‘extremely anointed by God’ preaching nationalism and opposition to Muslims rather than preaching the Gospel and salvation through Jesus Christ?

Trump? Perfect for your country? Why on Earth do you say that? Why does a guy who is ‘perfect for [the US]’ change his mind so often and propose stuff which he cannot explain how to do?

Let's get back on topic, please.

 

[The Portuguese Baptist]

Let's get back on topic, please.

Feel free to do so, by answering post #251, in which I replied to you.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Feel free to do so, by answering post #251, in which I replied to you.

In which you said that you were a conservative baptist teenager?

 

[The Portuguese Baptist]

In which you said that you were a conservative baptist teenager?

Yes, precisely.

 

[Cimorene]

This thread is just showing up as . in my notifications. Did the OP take out the thread title & 1st post?

 

[The Portuguese Baptist]

This thread is just showing up as . in my notifications. Did the OP take out the thread title & 1st post?

He did, apparently. He seems to have also changed his identity, from ‘thatbrian’ to ‘jimmyjimmy’. I cannot be sure of the reason why he did it, although indeed I would like to know (but, at this point, I am too afraid to ask…).

I have, nevertheless, developed a couple of theories as to why he may have done it. Right now, I am persuaded that the most likely explanation is that he faked his death in order to avoid paying taxes. LOL JK

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Yes, precisely.

That's precisely why I didn't respond.

 

[The Portuguese Baptist]

That's precisely why I didn't respond.

I'm sorry, I don't follow...