Friday letters: Parents are teaching children to reject authority

In 1 Peter 2 and 3 we are directed to submit to governmental officials, slave masters and spouses, even if they are unruly, unfair and unreasonable and even if the submission causes great suffering. Yet our society is in the throes of lawlessness and rebellion against all God-given temporal authorities.

Consider how this ugly rebellious spirit is manifesting itself among some anti-Common Core and tea party factions. Sherri Few, who recently ran for education superintendent, was quoted in an April 2 article as saying: “We are going to encourage parents to refuse the tests.… We believe that parents have been driven to civil disobedience because we no longer have any say in our children’s education.”

I have no problem with citizens protesting too much testing, and disagreeing with Common Core standards. But I absolutely detest a parent who would direct his child to defiantly refuse mandatory testing, just because it conflicts with his educational philosophy. This is inculcating a spirit of rebellion against school officials.

I know from substitute teaching for six years and having two daughters who teach in the public schools that school officials need all the parental support they can get and not challenges to their authority. If you don’t like a law or policy, change it, but don’t resist it. The movement is gaining steam in Charleston under the banner Refusing the Testing. In some New York school districts, 70 percent the students are sitting out testing.

Always remember that Christ was given to us as an example of ultimate submission, as he submitted to the Father’s will to die the most physically and mentally painful death for sinners, while never having done any wrong himself.

Columbia

This story was originally published May 21, 2015 at 7:39 PM.