Moore on Mohler

Russ Moore tries to push Mohler's public school exit strategy.  The convention floor is heating up, and we aren't even in Nashville yet.

Comments

[Big Chris]

Sounds like a lot of fun. Mohler's article today on his blog was an interesting read.

Big Chris
Because I said so

[Amy]

I would think that a good education would mean being equipped to deal with ideas with which one disagrees. If kids are sheltered from everything then how will they cope with adulthood? I was exposed to things with which I disagreed and I think I still have my faith intact.

[Steve McCoy]

Amy, we homeschool our kids and we purposefully use curriculum that brings up things we disagree with so they are exposed to them and understand the world around them through a biblical view of it. So I don't think this is about sheltering kids from everything, but rather introducing things in a more constructive and healthy way. I think Mohler and Moore would both agree with me.

[Rick Bennett]

I guess Mohler had his thesaurus out for all of the inflamatory words he could use in one article. It is quite impressive.

My favorite word he used was "atrocities" to describe what is happening in the schools. So, we should compare what is happening in public schools to Rwanda, Sudan, Armenia, Soviet Russia, Saddam's Iraq, America's treatment of the Native population and the Holocaust.

Nice going Al.

The extreme amped up rhetoric undermines the entire piece and argument (just like I turn any politician who compares another one to "Hitler" off as a hack, so I do with Mohler).

if he chose a more honest language form, I might pay more attention to an idea that may have some merit. I am just unable to look past such hostility.

[Jeff T]

Who is the native popluation that is being mistreated?

[iMonk]

I hope you won't mind me plugging my iMonk essay of last year on this issue. As a Southern Baptist administrator at a private school, I have a point of view...and it's not the same as Mohler.

http://www.internetmonk.com/homeschool.html

What about "responsible" Southern Baptists called to teach in the PSs? What about families who believe God wants their children in the PSs?

Dr. Mohler's side needs more than an exit plan. They need a plan for how we educate 40 million American kids. The vast majority of them will never be 1) homeschooled 2) accepted into a private school 3) able to afford a Christian school. (Average cost: well into five figures a year.)

Community based public schools are one part of the culture we need to be involved in, and churches need to support ALL the options for education that Christian parents choose, as well as supporting teachers in the PSs who are Christians.

[Jeff T]

In two or three's I pray that we will say that if you don't homeschool or go to private school---you aren't a real SBC. I think we can put that into the BFM---I know everyone agrees with me right? right?

Hey where are the amens!

Ok, for real. My children have in public school, we have home school, and we are currently in prviate school. The socilaization issue is non-existent for homeschoolers in Arkansas. We have 100's of ways to socialize.

I would like to see more balance in our resolutions. I think we need to get in the schools, not just to go in to make them think like us, but to build up, encourage, and be salt and light.

But guys don't come down on Mohler to hard....I have a life size poster of him in my office. Jeff

[Jeff T]

should be two or three years. dang! See how bad public schools are---I spend 12 years getting a sixth grade education :) Jeff

[Steve McCoy]

iMonk, thanks for the link. No prob pimping your stuff here. I tend to agree with you, though I'm sympathetic to many different things in this debate. We homeschool, as I said above, but not for the reasons that Moore and Mohler are talking about.

Jeff, sorry not to "amen." :) I agree with you, and you have a good example of getting into public schools with Fellowship Bible down there.

[Jeff T]

Fellowship does a great job, I am hoping to hook up with them and learn from them.

[Warren]

I thought I'd be OK with disagreeing with Mohler on this one, since he's not teaching my Systematic class this fall.

Now I find out that Dr. Moore is agreeing with him. I have Moore for Systematic. And I still disagree.

I'm glad that the new resolution "salutes" those of us who work in the public schools. Aparently, though, we're not doing a good enough job, because our efforts aren't enough to make the public schools worth redeeming. Evangelicals are all about interacting with and redeeming the culture -- unless it's the public school system.

[whoever]

I came across your blog throgh some other links and have been checking in form time to time. It's good to know that there are other people under 40 who have not given up on the SBC.

As to this topic. Does it bother anyone else how recklessly he uses the pharse "We believe it is time for the SBC to take a biblical stand on this issue," "We believe it is time for the SBC to take a biblical stand on this issue,". As if it is foregone conclusion that the Bible says take your kids out of the public schools. The arrogance of the statement, as if he were the final authority on what the Bible is “clearly” stating, in my opinion it is this attitude that is pushing the postmodern generation away from institutions like the SBC.

[Jeff T]

The fact is that not standing for anything is what puzzles me and pushes me away from the POMO generation. I think we can take a stand, and I think it is ok for someone to say I believe this. Now its up to you to decide if you agree.

Jeff

[iMonk]

Predictions: Baptist Faith and Message will be altered in the next ten years to say that you must exit the Public schools, and you must be a young earth creationist.

I grew up in an SBC where cooperation meant an intelligent, moderate approach to these kinds of issues. These guys- who I supported initially for their theological stands- have now shown that their version of cooperation is so narrow, that only persons identical to themselves are "responsible" and "Biblical." What happened to the SBC where no one had to alter a confession to stop some church somewhere from doing something different?

What really is going to be painful is what hundreds of pastors will do with this rhetoric. Instead of going back and leading their church to share the Gospel, they will go back a beat down their people to get out of the public schools. In many, many, many southern communities, large numbers of church members are employees of the PSs, and millions of SBCers have children and grandchildren in the PSs. Now our denominational pundits are going to tell the pastors and leaders to let these people become the "resistors" and the "irresponsible" ones, if they don't join the cause.

I am sad for this, and pray that God will raise up thousands of pastors who will love and pray for all their families, no matter what choice of school they make, and will encourage those called to work in PSs to know they are loved.

[Rick Bennett]

It is off the subject, but to answer Jeff T's question about the native population being mistreated (as in, Al M calls what is happening in PSs to atrocities of genocides)...

It is not them being mistreated that I am refering to. All of the atrocities I mentioned were historical atrocities and genocidal behaviors by those in power towards those without power.

During the 16th-19th centuries we European conquerers of America systematically killed tens of millions of Native Americans through intentional disease spreading (small pox blankets), wars, destruction of land, etc. A good resource for info on this is Jared Diamond's bestselling Guns, Germs and Steel (The Fates of Human Societies).

Thanks for asking.

[Jeff T]

Those were not native ameericas. They were invaders too. They crossed over from Russia. But I see your point, and agree that they were mistreated.

Jeff

[David]

From what I've observed as the father of a PS student, no exit stategy is currently required in Louisville, save graduation.

[Steve McCoy]

Hey guys, let's cut the atrocities discussion. Way off subject. Thanks. If you want to discuss Mohler's use of the word, you can continue in that vein.

[Warren]

"Predictions: Baptist Faith and Message will be altered in the next ten years to say that you must exit the Public schools, and you must be a young earth creationist."

Al Mohler won't be able to sign that document if that happens, just for the second half.