The
School as a Mission Field
But
WHO is discipling WHOM?
Under
the Hatch Amendment, parents have the right to be assured their
children's beliefs and moral values are not undermined by what they
are taught in school. For a number of years, in a big
metropolitan city as well as a small town, I made sure my children
went to school with an envelope containing the Hatch Amendment,
instructing the teacher to give the letter to the Administrative
Office to go in my children's files. A copy of this letter can be
found at http://www.christianpatriot.com/hatch.htm
Turmoil in the ToyBox?
When
my kids were growing up, there was no Internet. My only source for
alternative news from achristian perspective was KVTT radio in
Dallas, particularly a program called “Point of View with Marlin
Maddoux.” I found the program rivoting. Spell-binding. I would
repeat the things I'd heard with family and friends, only to have
them look at me strangely. When Mel Gibon's “Conspiracy Theory”
was released at the theaters, I could relate to the frustration his
character was going through.
One
day, Marlin had as his guest the author of a book called “Turmoil
in the Toy Box.” The book described all the occultic and New Age
mumbo-jumbo being presented to our kids though cartoons and toys,
packaged with bright colors, funny voices, Smurfs, Li'l Ponies, Care
Bears, Masters of the Universe, etc.
As
one who has always been quite vocal about things I believed others
should know, I had been sounding the alarm among all the parents in
my realm of influence, loaning my copy of that dog-eared book to
others. As I was leaving Sunday School Class one morning, our church
Counselor - a young man named Frank – stopped me in the hall and pulled
out a copy of that book. He had been asked to do a presentation to
some group on the topic of New Age influences on our youth and wanted
my opinion of the book! I've always seen that as my very first 1-man
seminar.
Girls
just wanna have fun
My
daughter was about 7 at the time. We were coloring together at the
kitchen table when she said, still coloring, “I wish they'd let me
go back to recess with the other kids.”
OK,
she had my attention. Still coloring, trying not to look alarmed, I
inquired, “How come you aren't going to recess, honey?” She went
on to explain how, while all the kids went outside to play, she and a
small group of kids were ushered off the the school Counselor's
office where they played games and took tests. Because I had become
an informed parent, I asked if they ever made her close their eyes
or listen to tapes. She said they had but I had taught them to pray
to Jesus if anyone at school ever told them to close their eyes in
class, even if only for a nap. So, that's what she did.
The
next day, I contacted the school Principal and expressed my concerns.
The school was to teach my children Reading, Riting and 'rithmatic in
accordance with the Hatch Amendent, a copy of which should be on file
in the Administration Office.
Period.
Paragraph.
To his credit, the
Principal was cordial and agreeable. The conversation lasted less
than 2 minutes.
The
next morning, before I even got out of bed, the phone rang. It was
the school Counselor. She seemed purturbed, annoyed that I wanted my
child pulled from the course. She said things such as, “But all the
other parents...” and “But it's such an honor...” She
attempted to convince me the classes were "just fine" and,
as a Christian herself, and as a professional, she could vouch for
their validity. Well, you can imagine how well that commentary was
received. Needless to say, my daughter was pulled from the program.
Finally,
she said, “Well, I'm a Christian, too...” That's when I
interrupted, sternly, “Well, you should know better!”
My
daughter returned to recess immediately.
When
my youngest son came home with a letter from school, “congratulating”
him on being recommended for the new Gifted and Talented program, I
tossed the letter. When his teacher phoned the next evening, after I
informed her he would not be attending, her first words were, “But
all the OTHER parents are letting THEIR children attend...”
Sometimes
people just say the wrong thing to the wrong person.
Needless
to say, he never attended the class.
The
Lotus position vs OUR position
On
another occasion, my step-daughter was sitting in the lotus position
in front of the TV. She called me over and said, excitedly, “This
is what we learned in class.”
I
maintained control and asked to see her book. History? Sure enough,
the chapter on the lotus position began talking about Japan. “Japan
is an island nation of 120 million people... blah, blah blah.” In
no time, the subject deviated: "About 90 million people in Japan
claim to be Buddhist practitioners or believers, etc.” The chapter
went on to say, “Buddha was a holy man...”
I'd
read enough. Whatever you think about Buddhism, it's NOT the religion
I've chosen to raise my kids under. Again, the public school has my
kids for the 3R's. That's all.
One of those R's is NOT RELIGION!
It
wasn't long before the Rutherford Institute was asking us if we
wanted to sue the school district. No, we just wanted that book
removed. Soon, the Superintendent sent a FAX to all teachers
instructing them to remove this book from their classrooms.
Problem
solved? Not quite.
When
Parent Night came around, in my step-daughter's classroom, there we
saw that same book! Apparently, her teacher hadn't gotten the
proverbial memo. A quick call to the Superintendent's office the next
day resulted in another FAX broadcasted to all teachers stating, in no uncertain terms,
“Any teacher with a copy of this book in their classroom will be
terminated immediately.”
Something
to that effect.
That
was easy, folks. A school district of 63,000, the eighth largest in
the Great State of Texas vs one Christian family.
And we won.
As
Edmund Burke said, “All it takes for evil to prosper is for good
people to do nothing.”
My
personal guarantee: If we do nothing, nothing is guaranteed to
change. So, DO SOMETHING!
Christian
Kids: Armed & Dangerousm, Spiritually
We
must arm our kids, teaching them that resisting an evil presence in
their room is as foremost as avoiding strangers on the street. If not
us, their parents, who?
Guided
imagery, which introduces the concept of the "spirit guide," is
taking place within America's school systems. Why would we need that
when we have the Holy Spirit – the same Spirit who raised Jesus
from the dead (Romans 8:11) living within us?
By the way, there's a reason He is referred to as the HOLY Spirit, distinguishing Him from those spirits that are UN-holy.
In this man's opinion, in general, public schools are New Age indoctrination centers. Once the
"elite" students are pegged, these little leaders of tomorrow
are fed a steady diet of well-disguised, one-world, anti-Christian,
anti-nationalistic, self-loving, liberal, tree-hugging, mamby-pamby
rubbish. Frankly, most who are reading this were part of this program
in one way or another.
Just like me.
Have you heard of Napolean Hill?
The
legendary Napoleon Hill, author of "Think and Grow Rich,"
which sold millions nad millions of copies, was a counselor to
two presidents and a friend of the richest men of the 20th century.
He spent 20 years compiling the case histories and money-making
methods contained in this book and approximately every motivational
speaker out there will tell you what a great book it is.
In
one section of the book, Hill describes the conversations he held
with his "Master Mind" group which included many deceased
leaders from the pages of history, which he commonly called upon. At
first, these counselors were invited. In time, they came when they
were unexpected and uninvited. Ultimately, the man who said,
"Whatever the human mind can conceive and believe, it can
achieve," was tormented by the very spirit guides over which he
concept he had control. According to his own children, Hill was
hearing from his unwelcome Spirit Guides till he died. Millions have
read this book and applied his "success" techniques. Before
my encounter with Jesus Christ, I was among these readers. But that
master Mind stuff is where it got too strange for me, even though a
very prosperous friend of mine gave me the book telling me, "If
you're ready for success, the retort will pop out at you from every
page."
Sure,
buddy. I've since enlightened quite a few people in the workplace
whose employers insisted upon the reading of this "classic."
Napoleon
Hill said he followed the habit of reshaping his own character, by
trying to imitate the nine men (Emerson, Paine, Edison, Darwin,
Lincoln, Burbank, Napoleon, Ford, and Carnegie) whose lives and
life-works had been most impressive to him. And every night, over
a long period of years, held an imaginary Council meeting with
this group whom he called his "Invisible Counselors." He
claimed that knowledge came from them that he was not able to get
from just thinking and said "In these imaginary council
meeting I call on my cabinet members for the knowledge I wished to
contribute, addressing myself to each member in audible
words....".
After
some months of this nightly procedure, Hill says he "was
astounded by the discovery that these imaginary figures became,
apparently real". Each of these nine men developed individual
characteristics, which surprised me. For example, Lincoln
developed the habit of always being late, then walking around in
solemn parade. When he came, he walked very slowly, with his hands
clasped behind him, and once in a while, he would stop as he
passed, and rest his hand, momentarily, upon my shoulder...Burbank
and Paine often indulged in witty repartee which seemed, at times,
to shock the other members of the cabinet. One night Paine
suggested that I prepare a lecture on "The Age of Reason,"
and deliver it from the pulpit of a church which I formerly
attended. Many around the table laughed heartily at the
suggestion. Not Napoleon! He drew his mouth down at the corners
and groaned so loudly that all turned and looked at him with
amazement. [Napoleon Hill. Think
and Grow Rich.
Chapter 14. The Sixth Sense. Pages 314-316. ]
Now
either Hill was a lunatic, or these were not "imaginary"
figures at all as Hill tried to convince himself and others that
they were. As Christian author Dave Hunt said in The
Classic Case of Napoleon Hill, “By
1967, when Hill published Grow
Rich With Peace of Mind he
had stopped talking to an "imaginary cabinet" and was
talking with actual unseen beings. So Hill's journey into
communication with the spirit realm (i.e. demons) apparently
began at least as early as 1937 and continued for at least 30
years.
“Hill
claimed he was suddenly confronted in his study by an unexpected
visitor from another dimension who, in a voice that “sounded
like chimes of great music,” informed Hill he had been “under
the guidance of the Great School” for years and had been chosen
by them to give the formula of success, the “Supreme Secret,”
to the world: that “anything the human mind can believe, the
human mind can achieve.” [Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone,
Grow Rich With Peace of
Mind. Ballantine
Books. (1996). Page 201]
It
gets weirder, but I won't bore ypu with the details. Suffice it to
say, even in the classrooms, kids are being introduced to Spirit
Guides whom they can call upon when the going gets tough.
A Care
Bear?
A Li'l Pony?
A White Rabbit?
DUSO the Dolphin?
Frank
Peretti's best-seller “Piercing the Darkness” makes reference
to a child whose cartoon unicorn becomes a bit too real and
actually possesses the child, thoroughly disrupting her school and
the community.
|
There
you have it, friends. Another school year is just beginning.
Are the
kids ready (I'm NOT talking about school clothes)?
Are YOU?
Have you
spoken with the teachers in your realm of influence?
Within your
church?
Your family?
How about that Hatch letter?
If
you need encouragement, maybe some advice other than what I've shared
here, just ask.
Every
blessing,
Mnichael
Tummillo
Founder,
The Church @ Work
