Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 14
October 25, 1982
NUMBER 25, PAGE 7a

No Wonder

J. D. Tant

Have you ever wondered why it is so hard to convert a Catholic or a Jew to the truth? And have you ever wondered why we lose so many of our young people to so many different things? A recent article in LOOK which discusses federal aid to parochial schools might give some hints. I quote:

"Jewish children enrolled in synagogue schools receive about 200 hours of religious instruction annually. Catholic children (including those in public schools) get at least 100 hours of formal training in religion. But, a Protestant child, even if he attends Sunday school faithfully, receives only about 25 hours of religious instruction a year. 'All of the years that a child spends in Sunday School add up to about the same amount of time he spends in public school in two months ...."It is small wonder the average child in most Protestant homes can give no adequate reason for his faith'."

And there you have it. While the "average" child of members of the Lord's church may fare better than the Protestant child (he may get 50 hours a year), it is still a long way from equaling the Jew or Catholic. No wonder Protestants are so vacillating. No wonder Catholics and Jews are relatively firm in their beliefs. And no wonder "our" children so often are without information and conviction in eternal matters.

Why is it that parents leave nearly all of the child's education in the Bible to the preacher and Sunday school teachers? The average child gets little out of the average Sunday school class, and not too much out of the sermons. And some parents think such will make walking Bible Encyclopedias out of their children.

A child goes to school some 30 to 35 hours a week. Counting his homework, he may spend up to 7 or 8 hours each week on one subject — math, music or English. And everybody is encouraging him to learn these subjects, emphasizing their importance in later life. The same child may spend one hour that week studying the Bible, and all the while hear from his educators and friends that the Bible is unimportant, and It is really not necessary to study it at all, it being so outdated.

Why are so many parents so blind and unseeing in one of their children's greatest needs — Bible study at home? Ephesians 6:4 is just as much a command as Acts 2:38! Can we be saved by obeying one and neglecting the other? Let the preacher preach, and let the Bible teacher teach, but they cannot fill up the empty place left by irresponsible parents. Unplug the TV, throw out some comic books, cut out some parties and dates if necessary, and take time to study the Bible, where you and your child may learn of "life and godliness," through a knowledge of Christ.

— 2622 Snapfinger Rd., Decatur, Georgia