Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 22
October 15, 1970
NUMBER 23, PAGE 9a,10a

Dangerous Trends In Education

Robert C. Welch

There is an urgent need for some definitive writing by educators who are Christians on some of the modern psychology, philosophy and innovations in our educational systems. Much of it appears to be directly opposed to the faith and morals of our youth; but it comes in such technically abstruse and complicated titles and phraseology that the normal average student or parent has difficulty in dealing with it.

Evolution is a constant problem all the way through the student's school life. Preachers may talk about it intelligently, showing the weaknesses and fallacies in the theory in those features which are particularly contradictory to the Bible; but he is likely to be scorned and ridiculed by the educators as a raving, ranting, bigoted ignoramus. This picture painted by his teacher may cause the student to reject the teaching and information supplied by the preacher. We need more Christians who are teaching who are willing and able to speak and write on the subject.

Existentialism is the prominent philosophy in advanced education today. It appears to be a revival of the ancient epicurean libertinism. The college student who graduates today with this philosophy as a part of his training will teach it to high school and grade school students tomorrow. When he teaches it to our boys and girls he may not give it a title at all, thus making it hard for the parent to know where his child was taught to forsake his moral training. Let us have some definitive writing on this philosophy by some capable educators who are Christians.

"Humanizing" the schools is an innovation being tried in the secondary schools in Louisville, Kentucky. Gordon R. Linscott, editor of Word and Work, has a good article on the matter in the July, 1970, issue; but it is of necessity far too brief to let us know just what is involved. He teaches in one of these schools, which are a part of the Federally supported experiment. I suggest that the papers of the brotherhood forget for this effort the fact that he produces a paper which teaches premillennialism, and urge him to write for general publication in the religious papers some more detailed and complete information on this amoral philosophy in education. One paragraph is taken from his editorial to show us something of its nature:

"These statements should be plain enough. "Humanized" education simply makes the individual himself completely self-sufficient and independent; his foundation is himself and his goals are all within himself. As a concrete example of what this will lead to, Rogers (father of the ideas) — at a meeting for high school teachers here — cited the hippies and the various revolutionaries and protesters that rove the campuses. He went on to say what a wonderful thing it was that among his friends were so many couples who happily lived together without being married. These are examples of what he envisions to be "the man of tomorrow" — thoroughly humanized. And Rogers sees "sensitivity training" to be an essential part of the process."

Sensitivity training is another philosophical education innovation which needs more defining by educators of faith and morals. What is all this business of having teachers and students of both sexes sitting around in the dark and touching another? Just what is that supposed to teach them? It smells too much of the spiritualist sance or sex orgy, or maybe a mixture of sex and sorcery. Perhaps this has over-simplified it. But it is done to emphasize the fact that it needs some clear explanation by some qualified people in the educational field who at the same time are Christians with a deep concern for the moral and spiritual integrity of our youth.

Is history repeating itself? Could the words of the apostle Paul about a past generation be equally descriptive of our time? "Because that, knowing, God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.. . Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, .. And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting..." (Romans 1:21-32).

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