Man is by his constitution a religious animal.
—Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France
The old classicists called theology the “queen of sciences” because it ruled over all other fields of study. Theology still does, either in its presence or its absence. In its most honest form, the debate over the teaching of creation and evolution in public-school science classes is not about whether the species evolved over unimaginable years or were created in the span of one word. Because evolution is often taught as an undirected, random process, the debate is over the presence or absence of a Creator. This presence or absence has immense implications for every area of the curriculum: Are we animals or something slightly different? Do math rules work because of the coincidental shape of space and time or because God is an orderly being, whose universe reflects His character? Is a man who dies for his faith a hero or a fool?
Public schools, which have the impossible task of teaching children of many different faiths, must proclaim neutrality. We don’t deal in matters of faith, the teachers explain. We’re neutral.
Think about this for a minute. Arguing for the presence of God is generally considered “biased.” Assuming His absence is usually called “neutral.” Yet both are statements of faith; both color the teacher’s approach to any subject; both make a fundamental assumption about the nature of men and women.
To call this neutrality is intellectually dishonest.
Education cannot be neutral when it comes to faith: it is either supportive or destructive. The topic of education is humanity, its accomplishments, its discoveries, its savage treatment of its own kind, its willingness to endure self-sacrifice. And you cannot learn—or teach—about humanity without considering God.
Let’s take biology as an example. Mammals are characterized by, among other things, their tendency to care for and protect their young. Do mothers love their babies because of sheer biological imperative? If so, why do we come down so hard on fathers who neglect their children? It’s a rare male mammal that pays much attention to its young. Do fathers love their babies because of the urge to see their own genetic material preserved or because fathers reflect the character of the father God? How should a father treat a defective child? Why?
We don’t blame the public schools for sidestepping these sorts of questions. In most cases, it’s the only strategy they can adopt.
Yet this separation of religious faith from education yields an incomplete education. We’re not arguing that religion should be “put back” into public schools. We’d just like some honesty: an education that takes no notice of faith is, at the very least, incomplete.
Since you’re teaching your child yourself, you can rectify this situation. Don’t ignore instruction in (at the bare minimum) the facts of the world’s major religions. Do try to relate the child’s studies to your own faith, to your own religious heritage.
Your child will probably start asking the tough questions in the logic stage (something to look forward to): Why did the Crusades take place? Isn’t it wrong to try to change people’s religion by forcible means? Well, how about peaceful means? Was the pope wrong to put all of England under an interdict? Why would a medieval scholar risk excommunication? Why did Newton believe in God? And what about that father and his defective child?
The elementary-level student won’t be thinking on this level, so you can relax for a few years. But now is the time to understand the basics of the faiths that have shaped both history and science. Explain Islam and Buddhism and Hinduism and ancestor worship. Discuss the elements of Christianity and Judaism. Teach the Exodus and the Conquest and the Exile and the birth of Christ right along with ancient history. Show how these world religions have collided—why, for example, the English ruling India were so appalled over suttee (widow burning) while the Indians considered it an honorable act. Don’t be afraid of America’s Puritan and Dissenter past. And don’t fall into the “Thanksgiving trap.”1
If you don’t do this now, your child will reach the logic stage badly equipped—unable to understand fully the events of history and why they have unfolded in their present pattern. Religion plays a major role in the formation of any culture. For this reason, it is imperative that the continuing education of the child include how religion has influenced art, music, literature, science, and history itself.
We believe that religion’s role in both past and present cultures is best taught by the parents from the strength of their own faith. I (Susan) don’t want my six year old taught religion in school. That’s my job. It is my responsibility to teach my children what I believe, why I believe it, and why it makes a difference.
RESOURCES
For the teaching of religion, use family resources or check with your own religious community for suggestions.