Chalcedon Blog

"[H]ome schooling is the wave of the future for leadership development."

So says Gary North in his recent article describing his belated epiphany that homeschooling is superior to private schools. "Over the years, I have watched the parallel development of Christian home schooling and Christian day schooling. I have come to the conclusion that home schools are superior on average." North writes from experience. He knows the key persons, key systems, and key resources for the entirety of Christian education.

He arrives at the summation that homeschooling is superior because it's established upon the most fundamental positive economic element: self-government. There's nothing cheaper than personal responsibility; and there's nothing more inexpensive in terms of education than self-education:

[I]t took me 20 years of watching the home school movement develop to come to this conclusion.

This late conclusion may be an example that runs counter to my theory of child pedagogy. I wish that someone had pointed it out to me earlier. It might have saved me two decades. But I might not have believed it. Self-education is the best education as a general rule.

He's right. Self-education is the best means to preparing "old school" Christian leaders -- the kind we've not seen since the 18th century... in the South! In other words, something more akin to the noble Robert E. Lee and the stalwart Stonewall Jackson. Not the drunk elitist, Ulysses Grant, or the vicious terrorist, William T. Sherman. Godly, responsible, courageous leaders that defend Christian individualism and a decentralized civilization. The last "true" defenders of the Constitution and Christian civilization were lost during the War of Northern Aggression and the subsequent neo-slavery of southern reconstruction. Abolishing slavery for a handful of transplanted Africans became a perpetual slavery for 300,000,000 Americans, and counting.

This is why we need Christian Reconstruction. It is a reversal of the despotic reconstruction of 1865-1877 -- although, in my opinion, that reconstruction of southern independence continues to this very day. The old South was compromised of predominantly theocratic republics. As a note, theocracy is not opposed to a constitutional republic governed by a rule of law and managed by a democratic process of elected representatives. The primary law book for morality in the South was the law of God as revealed in the Bible. This is why slavery perpetuated in the South -- the Bible did not condemn slavery, it simply established laws governing it (Eph. 6:5-9; Col. 3:22-24, 4:1; 1 Tim. 6:1-2; Titus 2:9-10; 1 Peter 2:18). Yet, it was not only slavery laws, but the majority of moral codes in the South were Biblically derived.

Pagan or Christian Culture?

For some contemporary Christian writers raising Godly leaders means acclimating to the culture. It's only the Christian porn star that can effectively reach the pervert. If we can only "dress up" the Gospel in the oversized sports jerseys and low-hanging jeans we might have a chance of reaching the hip-hop culture -- we only need to be sure our message rhymes. Such suggestions should be anathema, or at least a fringe belief. Rather, it is the celebrated mainstream.

And so, like the remnant of southern civilization that still exists today, Christian Reconstruction remains in the margins of society. We are, however, in good company. Whether it be Elijah, or John the Baptist, religious "extremists" are labeled such only because the populace is always pagan -- and that includes the Christian sell-outs. Obeying God in all things is only extreme when the majority is wicked or compromised -- as if there's a difference. The responsibilities, therefore, of the marginalized extremists are basic: remain faithful, proclaim the covenant, and raise Godly seed.

Operating independently of church and state in the rugged individualism of theocratic living is the only means to securing a Godly society. Theocracy means the "rule of God." It's often confused with "ecclesiocracy", the rule of the church or a religious elite. Christian theocracy is founded upon self-government. Self-government is founded upon self-education. There is no greater means to creating personal responsibility than teaching a child to learn on their own. The power of personal discovery in God's world is addictive, and turning children on to "pursuing wisdom" like a greedy man (Prov. 2:1-5) is our most significant task as parents.

The Tyranny of Institutions

I hope that Gary North's epiphanies will continue -- especially as it relates to the church. The essential dividing line between North and Rushdoony focused on the church and the family. Rushdoony gave primacy to the family in history while North (Jordan, et. al.) granted that to the institutional church. Hopefully, North's economic calculator will soon add up that institutionalism in any form is a greater hindrance to the expansion of the Kingdom than the responsibility-based model of the Christian family.

As Lee Duigon highlighted yesterday on his post (see below), the SBC -- for the second time -- declined to adopt a resolution calling for all Southern Baptist families to withdraw their children from public schools due to the overt homosexual agenda. In all honesty, I can't say that I'm too disappointed. I do not endorse a pragmatic solution whereby denominational tyranny is further established for the noble decision to remove one's children from public schools. Institutionalism is killing us; and the institutionalism of the church is as much a detriment to Christian civilization as is the overbloated state.

The best form of advertising is person-to-person. Most church attenders frequent a local church because a friend or relative invited them. Therefore, homeschooling will continue to grow as it always has -- by dedicated homeschoolers sharing their experience with other non-homeschooling parents. If the SBC had endorsed the "exit strategy" resolution the denomination would have experienced its greatest crisis since the liberal/conservative split. For bureaucrats in a denominational hierarchy, they will choose the institution over the Scriptures every time.

To add hilarity to the SBC convention, they did arrive at other, more important, conclusions:

Also Wednesday, the SBC unofficially barred members who drink alcohol from serving as trustees or members of any SBC entity. The ban, part of a larger anti-alcohol resolution that was easily approved by delegates, was proposed by Jim Richards, executive director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. While stopping short of officially preventing drinkers from serving, it "urges" that no one be elected or appointed to SBC offices if they are "a user of alcohol." "Use of alcohol as a beverage can and does impede the message of Jesus Christ" that Southern Baptists are trying to spread, Richards said.

This is all I needed to hear to know they are not worthy of respect. Apparently, Christian children being taught by the secular sodomites is tolerable, but a leader in the SBC that drinks wine or beer is impeding the message of Jesus Christ. This is the height of Phariseeism -- you gag on a knat while swallowing a camel. What should be an issue, isn't. What isn't an issue, you make paramount. God help us!

Creating spiritual independence is not glamorous. It's difficult, tedious, and daily. It will not attract the support of professional ministers that must defend position and a paycheck. The responsibility lies upon the shoulders of dedicated Christian laymen that are convinced that the simple conformity to God's Word is the most expeditious, inexpensive, and effective means to creating future Christian leaders. It is another paradox of the Kingdom that although we are to deny our "self" we are to still embrace personal responsibility. Self-rule under God is the kind of "self-life" upon which He looks favorably.