Should Christian Students Remain in Public Schools

Christian students should definitely remain in public schools for a variety of reasons. All concerned parents, Christian and non-Christian alike share the desire to shield their children from the perceived and real dangers surrounding them on a daily basis. And while no parent should ever be asked to place his or her child deliberately in harm's way; I do believe that there are benefits both to the Christian student and to the larger public school community when we allow these students to remain in the public school environment.

Reports of sexual activity, underage drinking, drug use, bullying and even rampant academic cheating in some public schools are major causes of concern for all parents. I can certainly understand the desire of Christian parents to protect and shield their children from immoral influences. However, I sometimes wonder if a sheltered child is necessarily a safer child.

I was a Christian student who attended a large public high school (over 2000 students) in the early 1980s. While my high school was not as dangerous as many in the larger, urban areas I did witness things like drug use and drinking, the occasional fist fight and knew several unwed teenaged mothers firsthand. However, because my faith was strong and my parents were caring and involved people, I never felt drawn to participate in any of these negative behaviors.

On the contrary, I often felt that my faith was strengthened by seeing the misfortunes that often befell classmates who were not so blessed with the strong foundation of church and family that I enjoyed. I learned not to take God's love for granted. My eyes were opened to all the reasons why we NEED Jesus in our lives in ways that they might not have been had I been home schooled or only attended private, Christian schools throughout my young life.

Much like children from wealthy families who cannot relate to hunger or want of material goods because they have never experienced such hardships, I believe that the children of the faithful may be in danger of taking God's grace for granted if they have never witnessed firsthand what life without faith can be like.

One of the major tenets of Christianity is Jesus' charge to "spread the Gospel unto all nations." While witnessing to others is an important act of obedience to God's will, learning to become an effective witness is not an easy task. Christians attempting to share their faith with others may be met with resistance or ridicule at best or at worst violence while serving as missionaries in foreign countries where the government may be quite hostile toward the precepts of Christianity.

If Christian youngsters remain too sheltered in their early lives can they ever be well prepared for the challenges that their faith dictates that they must eventually face? In order to be effective evangelists in areas where they are needed most, Christian young people would be well served by developing a level of "street smarts" which will allow them to move deftly through a sinful world while maintaining their own faith and integrity as they bring God's word to the lost. Unfortunately the youngster who has been too closely sheltered throughout his life may be viewed as an easy victim by those who need the message of salvation most and will be unprepared to effectively deal with people who would seek to harm him, either physically, emotionally or financially while he is trying to do God's work.

Missionaries and tourists alike make certain preparations for oversees travel. Passports, visas, vaccination against certain diseases as well as study of the language and culture are among the preparatory steps taken before embarking on their journeys. Young people embarking upon the future in a sinful world need to prepare as well and perhaps facing the harsh realities and sometimes unpleasant aspects of life in a public school is simply part of their preparation for serving God.

Bringing souls to Christ requires not only unwavering faith and knowledge of God's Word it also depends heavily upon the ability to connect with people in a meaningful way. Young people who have no knowledge of popular culture and who have lived their lives completely separated and sheltered from the ways of the world may find it difficult to make that connection, having no common ground to start from. While I am not suggesting that Christians should compromise themselves in matters of morality and obedience to God, if students are so sheltered that they are viewed as "odd" by their peers it is unlikely that any attempts at evangelism will be very successful.

Also, I have sometimes seen parents' attempts to shield their children from unwholesomeness actually backfire. During my freshman year at college I had a roommate who had graduated from a Catholic high school and whose parents were highly protective. Away from those parental controls she literally ran wild, engaging in binge drinking and placing herself in dangerous situations at late night parties with frat boys she barely knew. After one year of this high risk behavior she withdrew from school with her strict, Catholic upbringing seemingly having done her more harm than good.

Finally, while Christian parents may seek to protect their children from the perceived negative influences that they may encounter in public schools, I think that Christian parents should also stop to consider that their child might be the positive influence that another student desperately needs to see. In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus Himself tells us, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

As Christian parents we need to model faith for our children by trusting the Father to take care of them, in public school, while driving their cars or while walking down the street. Denying our children the opportunity to let their light shine for Christ because of fear should cause us to question our own commitment to faith. How often do we recite the "model prayer" found in Luke 11 without taking its true meaning to heart? If we truly trust God to "Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil" how can we, as Christian parents, not have faith that He will protect our children from the perils of public school? I don't believe that it is God's intent for Christians to keep to themselves in closed and sheltered communities never venturing out in an attempt to reach the lost. We have work to do in bringing others to Him and we and our children must be well prepared for that work. Helping our children to navigate the challenging waters of public school may well be the first step.