Cal Thomas’s response to this morally bankrupt educational system is that we must simply “leave it”. Citing 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, a passage of Scripture that says Christians must “come out and be separate” from secular things, Thomas told the crowd that he believes Christian parents must remove their children from the government school system and place them in schools that apply the same value system their children learn at home and in church.
If one word could sum up Cal Thomas, it would be principled. This nationally-syndicated columnist and author is a man of uncompromising principle who applies his beliefs consistently to every aspect of his life, including his writing. At a recent gathering of Christian educators sponsored by the Norfolk Christian schools, Thomas revealed the source of his principles, suggesting that the answer to America’s problems is very simple — we must return to the values and principles of God.
Americans know Cal Thomas through his regular appearances in print (his syndicated column appears twice weekly in over 400 newspapers) and on television (he hosts a prime-time show on CNBC). Among Thomas’s most striking features are his boldness and honesty. The author of nine books, he recently discussed the Things That Matter Most with a group of educators in Virginia Beach. “There is no education other than Christian education, and without Biblical foundations, education is in fact nothing more than propaganda and indoctrination,” stated Thomas, as he journeyed through the American educational establishment, identifying what he believes is wrong with it and what must be done to change it. He did not leave the audience guessing about who he is or what he believes and was straightforward about his stance on many cultural issues, with particular attention paid to tax-payer funded, public education — one of the most divisive issues facing Americans today.
Thomas began his message by critiquing the results of public — or as he correctly pointed out — government-run schools. After thirty years of progressive instruction with an emphasis on enlightenment ideas, government education is a proven failure. Consequently, we are saddled with educationally “impoverished” schools and school children. According to Thomas, this is because public school educators have built on a faulty premise: the belief that mankind and society are perfectible and that education is the “cure-all” for what ails us. The product of government schools — kids who are less smart and less equipped for life than their parents — has proven this premise wrong on both counts. Since the early 1960s, the teen pregnancy rate has nearly doubled, juvenile violent crime is at epidemic proportions, and the teen suicide rate continues to spiral upward. In addition, teenage drug use is once again on the rise. According to Thomas, we are losing these battles because we have been fighting with the wrong weapons. We have ignored truth and wisdom and tried new age and progressive ideas. We have completely failed to educate our children because we have rejected God’s standards set forth in Scripture.
Thomas reminded the audience that the Scriptures teach that each person is composed of three elements: the body, the mind, and the spirit. Yet, for over two decades, we have neglected this fact, and are today reaping the results. Government schools have attempted to train only the body and the mind, while ignoring the spirit. By focusing on only two elements, to the exclusion of the third, we have in fact damaged all three. As long as government schools reject wisdom and deny truth, our children will suffer the consequences.
Thomas’s response to this morally bankrupt educational system is that we must simply “leave it”. Citing 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, a passage of Scripture that says Christians must “come out and be separate” from secular things, Thomas told the crowd that he believes Christian parents must remove their children from the government school system and place them in schools that apply the same value system their children learn at home and in church. He asked rhetorically, “would you send your child to a church that teaches the same things that are being taught in your child’s school?” Thomas believes that placing children in schools that employ Biblical principles is not merely an option for Christian parents, but a God-given command. He emphasized that this decision should not be about money, but about obedience to God’s word. According to Thomas, the only hope we have for rebuilding the moral value system of America is to train our children according to the Scriptures. We will not get “trickle-down morality” from our government and the schools they control; consequently, we must take drastic action to salvage our children’s future.
Many argue that Thomas’s suggestion is unrealistic; that financial constraints are the deciding factor when choosing a school. Parents who do opt to send their children to private schools remind us that they are paying twice for a single education — once through taxes, and once through tuition — making it very difficult to fulfill this God-given command. Realistically, unless tax-payer funding for government schools ceases, or parents are empowered to choose the school — private, parochial, or public — their children will attend (through tax credits or vouchers), finances will continue to drive the decision for many families.
