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Children Education: Public or Private?

In the last couple of years we have been thinking and searching for wisdom as to what kind of education we’d like Tryphena to have.  There are basically three alternatives that we have been considering:  home schooling, private school (parochial or non parochial), and public school.  We have been and continue to wrestle with this issue.  Each has its own pros and cons.

While home schooling may be the best option for us because we can get both quality education without having to pay a lot of money, it is not for fainted hearts.   It takes a lot of discipline- both for parents and the children- to do home schooling.  While many people have many concerns about home school especially in term of social development of the children, we are not too concerned about it.  Kids can still have healthy interaction with their peers at church, at the home school support group meeting, at home with neighbors’ children, etc.  Home schooling let parents choose the curriculum that they see fit for their children.  There are vast arrays for curriculum available, including classical education.  In term of cost, parents can give private school education (or better) for much less compared to private school.  Our objection with this option is discipline, or rather the lack of it on our part.

Public school in Clovis California is one of the leading district in the nation.  In term of academic accomplishment Clovis Unified School district provides good education for (almost) free.  However, we struggle with the direction of public school, and for that matter the direction of the nation.  From my own daily experience working in a public school entity, and from reading lots of articles, news, and books on public school, we have great concerns for sending Tryphena to the public school.  Broadly speaking, my overarching concern with public education in the US is what I would call “Brainwash.”  Please note I’m not pointing fingers to teachers or any particular school.  I cherish the work of many school teachers who labor sincerely to teach children!  Many times, however,  their hands are tied and they can’t do much against the system.  Below are some of many links that you can click to see what I mean: Continue reading “Children Education: Public or Private?”

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In Search of Spirituality

MRI’m currently going through the May/June 2008’s issue of Modern Reformation, and while there’re many good articles in it (as usual), one article by Dr. Peter Jones IMHO hits the nail right on its head. The whole issue is about the rise of Spirituality and how it creeps into the church across many denominational boundaries. This is not a light matter because at its core it’s anti Christian. The New Spirituality is none other the re-appearance of the old Gnosticism. It found its way to politic, to social structure, and also to the church both through liberal theologians and “evangelical” preachers alike. What is even more troubling is that most people don’t even realize its threat, both politically and ecclesiastically.

This form of New Spirituality poses a great threat both to our culture as well as to the Church of Jesus Christ. Culturally it tries to assimilate all belief systems into one where there’s no sense of right from wrong. In the church, it denies the God of the Bible. While we are to seek salvation from outside of ourselves, the Redeemer God who came in the flesh and dwelled amongst His people, the New Spirituality seeks salvation from within, to find “god within ourselves”. I urge you to read the whole article by Dr. Jones, and I hope you too will realize the danger of this new force working to destroy both our culture and our church.