Homeschooling, the Work of the Devil?

Homeschooling is growing. Texas saw a twenty percent increase in homeschooling last year. Supposedly, it is because of the economy. Parents who were sending their children to private schools are pulling them out and homeschooling instead. Now, I realize that there are some cases where home, private and alternative schooling is necessary, but as a general rule, I think that parents with Christian children are doing the wrong thing by homeschooling their kids. The primary reason parent homeschool is because they want to “integrate their faith” into their children’s education. I get that. Really, I do, but what about integrating our faith into the education of the lost world? Isn’t that what God has called us to do?

I hear a lot about prayer being taken out of schools and the Ten Commandments being taken off the walls. I can tell you right now that the courts have done far less to take prayer out of school than what Christians have done by pulling their kids out of the public schools and fleeing. How is that “integrating their faith” into their children’s education? I’m sure their children will remember what their parents taught them about the creation of the world and all of that, but what they’ll remember more is that when facing those who oppose them, the solution is to hide away somewhere and close their ear and minds to whatever the opposition says.

There are some countries where it is legal to “believe” whatever you want, but it’s illegal to try to persuade another person to your beliefs. Though missionaries may feel a calling to go to these countries, the doors are closed to them. We ask ourselves how we can reach these people. One way is that though missionaries are not allowed, these countries are allowing students to attend their universities. So, Christian students have taken this opportunity to go to some of these countries. While in these universities, they encounter other students who have never heard the name of Jesus. In a ordinary discussion of differing culture and such things, these students are able to tell these people about what Jesus did for them and the salvation he offers. If these students took the attitude of the homeschool parents, there would be no way at all to reach some of these heathen lands.

Christian students in public schools are missionaries to children who would not otherwise hear the gospel. While teachers are not as free to share their faith, the schools cannot prevent students from sharing their faith in the lunchroom and on the playground or on the school bus. They cannot prevent students from inviting their friends over to spend the night where they see the family praying over the evening meal. They cannot prevent students from inviting their friends to church. Even if none of that takes place on school grounds or at school events, the friendships Christian students develop with lost students can be used as a witnessing tool. But while public schools cannot prevent these things, Christian parents are making these thing impossible by removing their children from the public schools.