Over the main exit of Fox Valley Lutheran High School in my town of Appleton, Wisconsin, students get a daily reminder of what Christ asks us to do: become more like him, even “imitators” or followers of God. Great idea! Who does your local school hold up as the role model for your kids? I see pop stars and other unsavory figures glorified in these parts. Sorry, I think Fox Valley Lutheran has the better idea.
Inside Fox Valley Lutheran High School, a Great Spiritual Thought
Who does your local school hold up as the role model for your kids? Madonna? Britney Spears? Malcolm X?
Is that a serious question Mormanity? Do you have something against these people? If you do, please state it clearly so we can better understand you.
Unfortunately I, and I am sure the majority of others, attended a public school. With that in mind, it would be illegal for them to post scriptures or encourage us to make Christ our role model.
Since removing God and the moral standards (commandments) He gave us to live by, schools have found that children do not have the moral grounding necessary to live peacefully in a free society. They seem to be concerned only about ‘their rights.’ To fill this void, schools have adopted a program called ‘character counts’ which looks like a watered down version of the Ten Commandments. Unfortunately, the damage has been done. The recent passing of very detailed and intrusive laws to spell out the every detail of our society’s don’ts is evidence of this fact. This micromanagement reminds me of the law of Moses given to the rebellious ancient Israelites.
Focusing on Christ’s teachings would help end a lot of our society’s moral degeneration. Even non-Christians acknowledge that He was one of the greatest philosophers to walk the earth. It seems that our society’s elites are will to adopt the philosophical teachings of other mean. Why not also include His teachings as a good way to live? I see a double standard here–Everything but Christ.
Schuyler: It seems that our society’s elites are will to adopt the philosophical teachings of other mean. Why not also include His teachings as a good way to live? I see a double standard here–Everything but Christ.
It could be because Christ also requires you to do and believe stuff. You know, like be baptized, live the commandments, etc. The elites of the world probably object to Christian teachings for the same reasons the Rich Young Man did. Christ is the only one (or at least, one of the few), to say, “If you like what you see in my philosophy, act as I act, do what I say, and believe what I teach. It all comes as one package.” Sure brotherly love is okay, but repentance? Who needs it!?
I took out the specific references, but the names I listed first all have serious problems that should disqualify them as role models. I know a lot of people like them, but man, look at what they have done and stand for.
Role models had a major impact on my decision as a youth to get serious about following the teaching of Christ. I observed that those people pop culture set up as role models were generally rich, famous, and attractive but their happiness seemed short lived and dependent on continued self-indulgence. I observed that my parents and other who were trying to follow Christ were generally happy regardless of their circumstances. (That is not to say they did not know tragedy and sadness, they just dealt with it better and could still be happy.) Role models of all kinds helped me understand that happy is he (and she) whose hope in the Lord (Christ).
We could use something like that at our school. At least we still have a moment of silence.
Amazing, a group of Christians indignant that Christian teachings aren’t taught in public school.
Don’t you have ample opportunity to teach at home and at Church? What? The kids are still moral degenerates? It’s not our fault, we need access to our kids at school as well.
Oh, you meant the other kids? Wouldn’t that be imposing your values on others? Sounds quite Jesuit indeed.
Never mind that a signifigant drop in crime/morality rates is directly connected to the advent of legalized abortion. Unwanted kids don’t grow up with the issues that come with being unwanted. Violent crime, all varieties of theft, go down.
See Freakonomics
So maybe the notion that Christian values will save society needs a bit more refinement…lol.
I love how the logic here is so poorly thought out. Somehow Governmental neutrality on religion is evil because it doesn’t put your religion front and center.
The argument that no religion is an endorsement of Atheism is stupid. Unless of course I just cut class that day. I never did get to take Atheism during high school…damn.
Do you really want to give other religions access to your kids? Because by abolishing state neutrality that’s exactly what you’d do.
Muslim, Hindu, God forbid…scientology (heaven help us) would all have a venue to preach.
What a mess that would be.
Much like the Intelligent Design debate, this really boils down to an issue of venue.
Religion has ample venue in the home and at church. Is that not sufficient? If it’s not, then who or what’s to blame? Certainly not the government.
I would totally support school vouchers if we could work it out. But arguing that Christians are being shorted with how the system is now is completely baseless.
Quite frankly, I’d be glad to see nearly anything uplifting in our school. Something aside from the cutesy posters promoting blood drive and stuff. I’d like a couple Buddhist quotes around, and some others…. Christian, Muslim, etc.
Isn’t it amazing that other sects can get their act together and do decent K-12 school, but Mormans can’t – what’s wrong with us?
Its not the lack of Christian values that has people perturbed, it is a lack of values at all. Yes religion is taught at church and home, but should school be values neutral?
The rub is values are inherently exclusionary (read discriminatory a bad word in today’s vocab) so it is hard to really get 100% of people to ever agree on them, thus values curricula are often weak in comparison to the problems they are implemented to fix.
AS to examples I think most I remember from my school days are people that pushed for social change, like MLK, Rosa Parks, etc. Good modes in and of themselves but somewhat limited in scope.