Rescuing Our Children From the Culture of Death
Christian parents today face incredible challenges as they try to raise their children well. In addition to the falling scholastic performance of the public school system, students face bullying, gender dysphoria, drugs, promiscuity, abortion, suicide, and an overall anti-Christian bias today. It has been said that we live in a culture of death. Those growing up in this culture are formed by it. Things that were abhorrent and unthinkable 30 years ago are now accepted as normal by the current generation.
We spend much of our energy providing for their physical needs but how much time can parents actually spend pouring into their child’s mind? Even when they are home, kids’ minds are filled by social media, television, music, and video games. Children today are immersed in a very different culture compared to what their parents’ experienced let alone their grandparents. How does a Christian parent respond? How do we raise children that know and Love God and are equipped to offer hope to this lost world?
Today’s culture has a very clear message. It is the same basic message whether it comes from textbooks or television, news or entertainment, or in any other form. In a nutshell, the message is:
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If God exists, He is irrelevant to daily life.
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There is no objective standard to determine what is right and wrong; rather, they are determined by each person and by what others think.
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Our highest good is determined by our own feelings, or what others think about us.
This view leads inexorably to the problems I’ve mentioned above.
To rescue our children from this culture of death, Christian parents need to work to counter the cultural input by working to control the amount of time children are immersed in it and also to teach them to recognize and understand the culture for what it is. The goal of Christian parents should be to teach their children a biblical view of the world, including what they should believe and, more importantly, why they should believe it and why it is reasonable. They also need to teach them what not to believe and why. Sadly, most adults don’t even know why their beliefs are reasonable. Our children must be able to think for themselves and reason through the issues of our culture in a godly way.
Enter Christian homeschooling. Breaking the peer dependence of children by teaching them at home gives them a chance to develop a healthier worldview. Using Christian curricula helps them to properly evaluate the things they are learning, and to develop a Christian perspective on the world. A further benefit, and the most underrated in my book, is that parents who did not receive a Christian education have a chance to learn anew with a Christian perspective as they work with the materials. We need to abandon the culture of death and pass on the life-giving message of Scripture to our children. Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Larry Hovde
Director - CLASS