Secular Schools Indoctrinate Christian Kids?

Members of the Christian Right don't like secular public schools because... well, because they are secular and serve the public rather than religious and serve the interests of conservative evangelicals. Children are exposed to all sorts of ideas that aren't predicated upon a literalist interpretation of the Bible and that's simply unacceptable. By golly, it's indoctrination!

According to Agape Press, a recent test that demonstrates young people are acquiring a non-biblical worldview in public schools:

According to [Dan Smithwick, founder and president of the Nehemiah Institute], this outcome should come as no surprise, considering the fact that secular humanists are currently shaping America. He notes that socialism, a political and economic philosophy that commonly emphasizes government control and redistribution of wealth over personal responsibility and private ownership, often goes hand in hand with secularist attitudes and a generally non-biblical worldview.

Smithwick's worldview test consists of a series of statements carefully designed to identify a person's worldview in five categories: Politics, Economics, Education, Religion, and Social Issues (PEERS). Each statement is framed to either agree or disagree with a biblical principle.

When it comes to major moral and social issues, the Nehemiah Institute spokesman contends there is a dramatic difference in thinking between students in public schools and those in Christian schools. This is because, while Christian school students are generally taught curricula predicated on a biblical worldview, students educated in public schools, even when they grow up in Christian homes, tend to a very high degree to adopt the non-biblical and socialistic worldviews of the secular humanists in control of their education.

How horrible, students in public schools are taught from books other than the Bible! And what sorts of socialist, secular humanist beliefs are students learning?

That's what is so interesting — the article doesn't say. There's absolutely no data on the actual results of Smithwick's alleged studies and test. Oh, there is a lot of dramatic rhetoric about the damage being done to kids by the philosophies of John Dewey, socialism, secularism, and humanism, but nothing specific. You are, however, given a link to Smithwick's site where you can buy his PEERS test and use it yourself.

Smithwick recommends PEERS testing as an aid for Christians who want to make sure their young people develop a distinctly biblical worldview. He advises Church parents to disconnect from government schooling and, along with pastors and other Christian educators, to engage in worldview assessment and training.

How convenient!

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