Be Unafraid of the Unprincipled

by Craig Smith

When Protestant Christians came to this country they possessed and subdued the land. They worshipped God, and his Son Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world, and acknowledged the Scriptures to be the rule of their faith and practice.  They introduced their religion into their families, their schools, and their colleges.  They abstained from all ordinary business on the Lord’s Day, and devoted it to religion. They built churches, erected school-houses, and taught their children to read the Bible and to receive and obey it as the word of God. They formed themselves as Christians into municipal and state organizations.  They acknowledged God in their legislative assemblies. They prescribed oaths to be taken in His name. They closed their courts, their places of business, their legislatures, and all places under the public control, on the Lord’s Day.  They declared Christianity to be part of the common law of the land.

In the process of time thousands have come among us who are not Christians.  Some are Jews, some infidels, and some atheists.  All are welcomed; all are admitted to equal rights and privileges.  All are allowed to acquire property, and to vote in every election, made eligible to all offices, and invested with equal influences in all public affairs.  All are allowed to worship as they please, or not to worship at all, if they see fit.  No man is molested for his religion or for his want of religion.  No man is required to profess any form of faith, or to join any religious association.  More than this cannot reasonably be demanded.

More, however, is demanded. The infidel demands that the Government should be conducted on the principles that Christianity is false. The atheist demands that it should be conducted on the assumption that there is no God.  The sufficient answer to all this is that it cannot possibly he done.  The demands of those who require that religion, and especially Christianity, should be ignored in our national, state, and municipal laws, are not only unreasonable but they are in the highest degree unjust and tyrannical.

— Charles Hodge, in Systematic Theology (1871-1873), vol. 3, pp. 345-346.

Gentlemen, although Mr Hodge wrote this 130 years ago about the USA, he makes valid points applicable to NZ. But if he had written this last week, then I would say he understated the case by quite a margin.

We are being flooded by all manner of pagan, wickedly evil, anti-Christian influences. This is not simply reflected in the numbers of immigrants from nonChristian lands. The Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, Shinto, animist, communist, secularist adherents who come to stay here occasionally offer the Christian an ally in regards to traditional family values and a desire for advancement through hard work and thrift. Occasionally. However, we must not be surprised if we should find that a Muslim’s two sisters are actually his second and third wives; that the Hindu uses this country’s virtual abortion on demand industry to eliminate unborn – and unwanted – daughters; that the Buddhists’ disregard for the physical realm contributes to the rise in prostitution and infanticide; and that the ultimacy of pragmatism over unchanging spiritual values in them all sees the graft and corruption endemic to the non-Western world becoming common place here as well. Sadly it is the rising tide of native-born apostates who are leading these trends.

The real issue we Christian men need to address, as emphasised by Mr Hodge, is not the bad influences around, but the way in which nonChristians want to institutionalise their freedom to publicly express nonChristian thought and morality, and in fact to see both legal and social sanctions favouring such things, while at the same time inhibiting the Christian’s freedom to express Christian thought and morality in the public arena.

Isn’t it odd how Christian standards of morality, right and wrong, are turned around 180 degrees, stood on their heads by legislation, yet Chrisitans have been convinced we cannot and should not ram our morality down other people’s throats? Those who will not work are guaranteed food, clothing and shelter, whereas the Bible says to let them not eat. If the thief is deemed too poor to ever pay back what he stole, he is not required by the judge to make restitution, but instead has access to legal aid, community services card, unemployment benefits, sickness benefits or complete care in prison, meaning the victim ultimately pays for his robber’s upkeep. Those guilty of capital crimes are not executed but given by the state 24-hour-a-day care and protection, access to recreation, crafts and education as well as retaining the right to vote. Rather than keeping the marriage bed undefiled, sexual activity of all kinds is viewed as a form of recreation, subsidised by one-stop-shops which give advice, medical checks and condoms for free. Perversions such as homosexuality are raised to a state of honour equalling marriage. Things that are wrong, such as murdering unborn babies, are considered right and compassionate. Things that are right, such as a teacher of history pointing to the redemption in Jesus Christ as the pinnacle and whole point of history, are illegal. And the parent spanking his own child for disobedience, is now seen as wrong and may soon have legal moves made against him.

Look here, this is plain old heathen immorality being rammed down our throats; that is, someone else’s nonChristian morality being forced upon us. Why is it OK for the enemy to do this but not for us? Why do we put up with it? It is worse when you think that the state takes money from Christians (via taxation) and uses it to abort babies and subsidise immorality and irresponsibility. It is just as bad when you realise that we Christians are forced to pay for a totally nonChristian, secular schooling system and teacher training system and in addition are forced to send our children to these places for at least 10 years to be trained up in nonChristian thought, which according to Matthew 12:30, Romans 6:16-23, Colossians 2:8 and others is nothing more than anti-Christian thought. That is, Christians are not only forced to send their children, for whom Christ died, to the enemy to be trained up as atheists, but Christians are also forced to pay for this indoctrination of their own children against them! Why do we still render to Caesar the things that are God’s?

Well, praise God, He is helping us home educators to see this more clearly all the time. We are only lacking in confidence, for we listen too much to what the enemy tells us about ourselves, our Saviour and our Faith. They say that mere parents relying on God cannot train up children as Bible believing Christians and still expect them to survive in the 21^st century. Listen, men: when the Rabshakeh told the officials of King Hezekiah in the hearing of those on Jerusalem’s wall that Sennacherib king of Assyria was going to wipe them out (Isaiah 36); when Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem were giving Nehemiah a hard time about rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall, saying it couldn’t be done (Nehemiah 4-6); when Peter and the other apostles were told by the high priest not to preach in the Name of Jesus (Acts 5:27-32), listen: those uncircumcised heathen and those self-righteous church council jokers (with the possible exception of Gamaliel) were simply not qualified to comment. What did they know about the faithfulness and omnipotence of God? Zippo. Accordingly, God’s people didn’t listen to God’s enemies, but instead paid attention to their Lord.

As basic as this is, we easily lose sight of it. We are creatures of this world and are often afraid of the consequences of standing up for Christ and ordering our lives according to His Word. It’s tough these days, eh? I mean, we may even have people call us names like “fanatic” or “extremist” or even “narrow minded”. And yet it is the secularist and the materialist of today whose minds only acknowledge the narrow physical aspect of life, ignoring the much wider range of understanding and variation a spiritual view of any situation imparts. In addition, these mockers of Christians are also generally only ever interested in the here and now, having no time for the hereafter.

The fact is, of course, Christians are far less narrow minded than the secularist, since we see both the spiritual and the physical sides of life; and the Christians are nowhere near as short-sighted as the secularist, for we see way beyond the here and now, out into God’s eternity. We are accused of being “old fashioned” and not “up with the times”, when in fact we have the far more superior perspective of eternity. Why let their uninformed comments intimidate us?

Mainly because we also let them define the terms. By narrow minded they mean Christians don’t embrace the full variety and diversity of thought and lifestyle out there in the modern pluralist society. That is to say, we don’t like to tolerate the intolerable. And so it is: the state agents and others can use legal force and social pressure to force Christians to accept fornication, adultery, divorce for no reason, prostitution, homosexuality, unwed parents of multiple children by multiple “partners”, non-traditional definitions of “family”, etc., as legitimate activities/lifestyles. (The only reason child prostitution and bestiality are not in this acceptable category is because their respective lobbies aren’t yet big enough.) Any of these options can be freely taught as legitimate alternatives in state schools (and remember, we Christians are paying for this garbage through our taxes), but one must be extremely careful in presenting Christian Biblical morality, for such instruction in state primary schools is against the law! (See Education Act, Section 77).

The bad guys around us are a bit late to be trying to wipe out Christianity…..about 2000 years too late! Satan did his best then; Pilate also tried to wash his hands of Jesus; but who’d want to be where those guys are today? The Scriptures say repeatedly that every knee shall bow to Him (including our Prime Minister, every member of Cabinet and on down), and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. There is no need for embarrassment, or even timidity, when you’re on the winning team. Let’s go to it! Let us live it and teach it to our children.

From Keystone Magazine
July 2002 , Vol. VIII No. 4
P O Box 9064
Palmerston North
Phone: (06) 357-4399
Fax: (06) 357-4389
email: craig@hef.org.nz

To order Keystone Magazine do one of the following:

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post cheque or visa number to PO Box 9064, Palmerston North, New Zealand

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“A good name is to be chosen rather than

great riches.”

— Proverbs 22:1

(We read this verse only this morning, but it touched off quite a little discussion among us: mum & dad and the three at home aged 15, 10 and 4. — Ed.)

What is a good name? It is one’s reputation. It is the sum of your track record to date, the overall impression people have of you and your character and what you are like to deal with. A good name is something one works hard to build up. It takes years of faithful service, consistent practice in dealing honestly, always being at your best.

You get a good name when people like dealing with you because of your friendliness: you are friendly, respectful, take the time to talk with them.

You get it because of your honesty: people know they can trust you; you do what you promise, even if it ends up being totally inconvenient or uneconomical for you; you give a fair day’s work for a day’s pay; you don’t stretch lunch and tea breaks for an extra 5 minutes; you show up for work early and leave after quitting time.

You get a good name because of your compassion; you keep others informed of your progress on a project you know they’re depending on; you lift others’ loads from them, either by taking it on yourself or organising others to take it; you are always looking out for the interests of others. (You know, once the word gets out that you are genuinely interested in the welfare of others and that you will put their interests ahead of your own and actually spend your valuable time talking to them about their concerns….people will beat a path to your door.)

A good name is attached to those who are dependable: there are many players, but a lot fewer are real stayers; you will stick with a project or commitment you begin until its completion, no matter how much of a pain and hassle it turns out to be; when you say, “I’ll pray about it,” or “I’ll see what I can come up with,” people know that you will, and that you’ll be getting back to them soon. A good name comes when people know you may not be quick to take on projects or commitments, not because you don’t want to, but because you are committed to a high standard of excellence; once you sign on to a project, people will relax and be confident, knowing the job is in good hands. A good name inspires confidence in others.

A good name goes before you. As soon as others ascertain who you are, they are well disposed towards you as a person and towards everything you say. You may be offered gifts, favours, honours, opportunities to speak or positions of authority and responsibility that you haven’t sought. Although you enjoy this very much, and it is a blessing from the Lord to you and your family, you are actually a little uneasy with it all. Why? Because you know your own weaknesses, you are aware of your frailties, you are embarrassed at how far below Christ’s standards you really are. That is, you are humble. It has been a foundational part of your character all along and was the key ingredient that enabled you to gain a good name in the first place. And now, because of this humility, you realise that a good name also carries responsibility. If people are too quick to accept your suggestions or recommendations and don’t check out other options, they may follow your lead. If it turns out to be an unsuitable choice for them, not only does it disappoint them and waste their time and resources, but there is also the danger that you may get the blame – and the back-chat – for their lack of investigation and evaluation.

A good name goes before your spouse and your children. It will open doors of opportunity you would never dream of! Such offers are not only always a totally unexpected surprise, but you also find it really difficult to accept these opportunities for they seem far too generous. No wonder the Proverb says a good name is to be chosen rather than even great riches! Money cannot buy your way into people’s hearts, and this is what has taken place by way of your good name: it has endeared you to people’s affections to the extent that they are willing to open up their lives and businesses….and yes, even put their good names at risk…..by taking on your children. Who needs an A-pass Bursary when you have a good name?

A good name is something that takes many years to build up; we’re talking decades here, not a mere five or six. It is that depth of experience that people can sense when they meet you for the first time, even when your good name has not preceded you and you are a total stranger to them. A good name is therefore, almost by definition, the original preserve of middle aged and older folks. Young people can and do have a good name in a more limited sense, a good name in progress as it were, which is valuable and obviously essential for a good name later on. This is part of what older folks talk about when they say life begins at 40. You will certainly be over 40 when others begin offering your children high-paying jobs and responsible positions on the strength of your good name.

As valuable and long-lasting and hard-won as a good name is, it is also rather fragile and brittle. A large enough act of indiscretion can shatter your reputation in a moment and may even put you into a position from which your once good name will never recover. And now it becomes scary when you consider, on the one hand, the good name you have been building up and, on the other hand, your children. Younger children can do a lot of foolish things, even downright stupid, mean and ugly things, and “get away with it”… not with you as parents, I trust. You will deal with them in the strongest terms with loving godly discipline. And other people outside your family will generally cut little children plenty of slack. But somewhere along the line, your children reach an age where people do expect a lot more from them and their behaviour, when they most certainly do see your children’s behaviour as a reflection of your character….or lack of it. This is sometimes very difficult for you to see, for only the closest of friends will dare raise such issues with you as what they perceive to be chronic disrespect or dishonesty or just a perpetual case of D.R.A. in your child (DRA = dirty rotten attitude).

Here is where home education is such a blessing. Both Mum and Dad can be down on little junior like a ton of bricks whenever a DRA or actual offensive behaviour is manifested and can nip it in the bud. But it requires Mum and Dad to have both eyes opened to the many faults of their children which they as parents must discipline out. At the same time Mum and Dad must be training in to their children those qualities that are needed to build up a good name, the qualities Mum and Dad must be displaying and working on in themselves.

Your good name is actually, in fact, for your children just as much as it is for you, maybe even more so. Yet before they can inherit all its benefits, they must be trained to respect it, desire it and realise the terrible potential they have of shattering it in a moment by some wild act of indiscretion. Tell your children of the power they have, by committing unthinking actions, to inflict on you almost total destruction: the pain of a totally crushed heart; the trampling of your most cherished dreams; the ruin of your reputation within the wider community, the name you have been painstakingly building up, preserving, polishing and otherwise working on for years before they were even born. Some may object, that this is laying a guilt-trip on your children. But it is nothing more than revealing to them the facts. And the facts demand that they, for your sakes as well as for their own, be responsible. Be done with idiocy passing itself off as the wisdom of the age in sayings such as “boys will be boys”, “children must be allowed to find themselves” or “beware of harming their self-esteem”. Because you want the best for your children, because you want them to have every advantage in this life, because you want them to have a proper Biblical self image, you will train them to have the utmost respect for this most valuable of commodities that you can pass on to them: a good name, which is to be chosen rather than great riches.

From Keystone Magazine
May 2002 , Vol. VIII No. 3
P O Box 9064
Palmerston North
Phone: (06) 357-4399
Fax: (06) 357-4389
email: craig@hef.org.nz

To order Keystone Magazine do one of the following:

send email to sales@hef.org.nz with visa number

post cheque or visa number to PO Box 9064, Palmerston North, New Zealand

fax: 06 357-4389

phone: 06 357-4399

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Write Your Own Transcripts

By Craig Smith

Hands-on, real-life, necessary, helpful, life-skills instruction should be credited to our children with, for example, a Nanny Diploma from your home school.

Seriously. Issue it on nice paper with the scrolls, etc.,  around the edges. You can get really nice presentation papers at stationery stores. Have them signed and dated by both parents, one being the principle of your home education organisation, the other being the head teacher or whatever. Get someone who can do nice calligraphy to help the final result look really official.

Each child could, over time, earn a whole series of such certificates issued by mum and dad showing competence in washing dishes (kitchen hygiene), meal preparation (food hygiene & preparation), budgeting and menu organisation, balancing the family cheque book, etc. These are all incredibly important life skills….why not issue certificates for them? Because each certificate testifies to genuine competence at nannying siblings, setting the table, vacuuming the house, cooking a meal, etc., they should be included in the child’s portfolio for when he or she applies for a place at university or a job.

Just think of what such certificates communicate about how seriously you take your home education programme?

When I was talking with Rosalie Phillips and Dave Burgon of the Ministry of Education in Wellington back in September 2001, I asked if a parent’s home- made transcript of what their home educated young person had done would suffice in lieu of School Certificate, Bursary or NCEA. They said, yes it would.  (Of course the final “yes”, the one that really counts, is from the institution of higher learning, not someone within the MoE.) And these nannying or dishwashing certificates form part of your child’s transcript, a formal (though perhaps not an official state-recognised) qualification with you as the issuing authority.

From Keystone Magazine
March 2002 , Vol. VIII No. 2
P O Box 9064
Palmerston North
Phone: (06) 357-4399
Fax: (06) 357-4389
email: craig@hef.org.nz

To order Keystone Magazine do one of the following:

send email to sales@hef.org.nz with visa number

post cheque or visa number to PO Box 9064, Palmerston North, New Zealand

fax: 06 357-4389

phone: 06 357-4399

Trademe (fees added):  http://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listings.aspx?member=2366144

Sella (No added fees):  http://www.sella.co.nz/store/4ym9qg/home-education-foundation/display-100