After a couple days of posting other things, I’m back to this topic. Stupidly Christianized stuff. Now, before everyone flips out, let me clarify something. I know that originally, most schools were a part of the religious institution (Of course, what wasn’t really?). Then it wasn’t until much later that they became a secularized system.
But, there isn’t anything intrinsically religious about education. Whether we obtain it formally or through a kind of osmosis, learning is something we all do. Christians and non-Christians alike. So, from my perspective, schools are something that are stupidly Christianized.
Schools
Obviously I haven’t taken survey of people all over the country (or world, for that matter), I only have a sampling from my own neighborhood. But, it would seem to me, that for all of the exasperating effort to keep Christian school kids in-line and/or in-the-faith, the results aren’t very impressive.
From small private grade schools, up through college, Christian education institutions are notorious for making a lot of bizarre rules aimed at keeping students from sin. Which in (at least) some cases are less about spiritual discipline and more about school pride.
When I was leading a small group of high school guys, I recall one student explaining that the school has a rule against students smoking cigarettes. Seems reasonable on school property, but this rule extended to all hours of every day. A student reported for smoking a cigarette would be suspended on the first strike and expelled on the second. But here’s the kicker, the principal explained the rationale—they don’t want parents of prospective students learning that there are smokers there.
Cha Ch’ing. The rule wasn’t there on spiritual grounds (something I would disagree with, but ultimately respect). It was there on financial grounds.
This is far from the most irrational of regulations though. Christian schools like to mandate all kinds of things. During a conversation a few weeks back, a student from an out-of-state Christian university explained that she wasn’t allowed to leave the campus, nor was she allowed to maintain friendships with the opposite sex. Some Christian schools even have rules about where men and women can walk in relation to each other (i.e., men and women must not walk side by side, but always one in front of the other).
Alcohol is another place Christian schools like place regulations. Some friends from down south were here visiting for a few days. We were sitting around a fire enjoying a conversation. Most of us were sipping wine or some other cocktails, but our guests had to decline because the school forbid the consumption of alcohol. Even in private, even in moderation. And again, the rationale was for the sake of school image.
Christian schools almost always include a Christian curriculum of some kind, but it’s usually far from adequate (or effective). I’ve met plenty of former Christian school students who only barely had a grasp on the Gospel, if at all.
To me, it all begs the question, “why?”
I understand some parents send their kids to Christian schools because it’s a superior education than their local public schools. But many Christian parents send their children to Christian schools for fear of the influence of public schools. Ironically, the students of Christian schools have a reputation for being even more wild then their public school counterparts.
The problem is that rules and regulations are not the Gospel’s method of sanctification. I can understand school-grounds rules. Such as proper grooming, uniforms or non-smoking rules. But many Christian schools extend their regulations into student’s personal lives. As if that was going to prevent students from sin. When in fact, creating many rules about things which students have the freedom in Christ to do, only creates more opportunities to defile their conscience.
I find that it also begs the question of what is worse—students acting like they should, or students being what they should? Placing boundaries everywhere usually has only the effect of cleaning up the surface. But in a true Christian, freedom and grace coupled with Gospel truth, love, grace and accountability is more likely to affect the heart, producing real conviction. Sure, they may smoke cigarettes, but their heart might also burn for the lost—a thing for which they will have to trust God.
I also think that Christian schools are the source of some of the Church’s biggest criticisms. I have never spoken to a student of a Christian school who didn’t describe his or her classmates as “hypocrites” or “phonies” (although the wording varies). I speculate that this is a major source of contention for non-Christians. They went to a private Christian school growing up and discovered almost no one was real and hence, neither is the Church. Can you blame them, really?
For God’s people, Christian schools also seem to reinforce the false concept that we have to work for God’s favor. Even though the spoken and written teaching of the school may be different, the abundance of regulations drives this point home.
Finally, last but not least, Christian schools often fail to socialize students well. Entire parts of the church are left socially crippled and overly judgmental and sometimes awkward. A problem not impossible for God to overcome in their evangelism, but my hunch is that he allows their evangelism to suffer for it.
So, in conclusion…
I think that the idea of Christian schools, as we know them, isn’t such a great idea, often causing more harm than good. Although an educational institution run by Christians, aimed at spreading the Gospel and bringing about deep heart-seated transformation is another story. Although my bet is that these are few and far between—that is if they even exist.
