Monday, August 20, 2012

The Corruption of The Classrooms in America

      We have the Greatest Teachers in the Civilized World right here in Northeastern Arkansas, mostly because we are in the center of the Bible Belt, though that is making less and less distinction in today's world. That being said, my, my, my how the schools in America as a whole have deteriorated. We have gone from the World Leader in Education to the point where we only rank 25th in the world. Not even near the top tier. Why has our once proud Educational System sunken so low? Let's take a look at how America's School System began.
       First let's look at the original textbook in American Schools. Do you realize that first textbook was the Bible? Yes the English Bible. And it was with Congressional intention. Did you know that one of the very first acts of the very first Congress was to unanimously authorize printing of an English Bible "to be used in all School Rooms". All classroom subjects were taught from the Bible; math, English, geography, writing, reading, science, civics and social sciences, manners, morals and ethics, business, History, and agriculture. All subjects were taught from this one text. The McGuffey's Readers and such came later, but they too were based on, yes the English Bible. 
      America's colleges also were originally Bible Seminaries, with a large percentage of the Signers of the Constitution being either Deans of Christian Colleges or founders of Christian Colleges or Board members of yes, Christian Colleges. Hundreds of our best know Universities today originally began as seminaries. Bible Study was not only encouraged, it was the very center of the curriculum from Grade School to Post Graduate Studies the Bible perspective was never neglected, Christian Prayer was openly and visibly a major part of the Educational activity every single day.
      Christian Discipline was also a cornerstone of American Education. The Bible could help us understand not only the facts of historical names, dates, and edicts; but more importantly why wars, and revolts, and edicts were necessary in the first place, and it was and always is a straying from the Precepts of God that gets the world in trouble. I dare say every world conflict in all of history involved one or both parties straying from the Word of God. So too does the dumbing down of American Schools reflect a straying, nay total neglect of God's Word, save a brave handful of Christian teachers working in the background here in the Bible Belt, and hoping their actions don't bring on further ungodly intervention from the Teacher's Association.

      We took discipline out of the classroom and wonder why kids don't mind anymore. We took the Truth and Wisdom of the Bible out of the classroom and we wonder why moral and social decay have overtaken our communities. We took the moral model of Business and government out of the classroom and wonder why ethics is a thing of the pass and Statesmen an utter rarity. We put a non-Biblical word "tolerance" at the forefront of education and wonder what happened to Pride, and Respect, and Moral Heroism. We took Prayer out of School and we wonder, where the Reverence?
       That is what I see as the reason for the decline of the American School System, it is now built on a foundation of sand instead of the once solid foundation of God's Word, and now the very walls and roof is caving in and destroying the hopes and futures of America's youth.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Our Supporting Chick-fil-A Adventure

      My wife and I had quite an Adventure today. We drove some 43 miles round trip to Jonesboro, AR for Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day. We knew from our good friend Frank on Facebook that the noon line was all the way around the building, so we ate a snack and waited till about 3:30 P.M. to drive to Jonesboro.
      We waited in the turn lane on Stadium Blvd. to turn into the Mall entrance for a full sixteen minutes, and then the Mall entrance lane another 22 minutes or so. We took a few pictures, laughed and watched others as they waited, took their pictures, and tried to better negotiate the traffic. Some were parking at the Mall by Target and walking across the entrance roads to get to Chick-fil-A's parking lot, others braved parking inside the lot, still others went back out on Stadium Blvd. and got in the south lane to wait on the drive through. We prayed for the staff working so hard inside, holding hands while we waited, it made quite a date. Soon we were actually in the drive through lane, just 34 cars ahead of us now and we'd get to order. Another 20 minutes was spent still watching the traffic and reading the 3 bumper stickers on the truck in front of us. "Obummer", it said, "One Term Only", and "End the Error".
      Finally we made the final turn toward the speakers to order. Now only 14 cars ahead of us. We had a great view of God's blue sky, our American Flag waving proudly in the wonderful breeze God was supplying, and the Patriotic line of Chick-fil-A supporters marching as a mighty Army to the walk-in entrance. The Christian Supporters were quite a contrast to the small handful, (about 8), of homosexual protesters on the street corner near the stoplight. They held up scribbled signs on white poster board, that read "Love knows no Gender" and "Love thy Brother" with a scripture reference of John 13:34:
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 13:34-35

      I don't think they understood that the verses they were quoting were about Brotherly Love between fellow Christians, but all the Scripture references apply directly to the special Love between disciples and other disciples, as vs. 35 clearly shows. Sure we Love sinners, and the greatest form of Love is witnessing to the lost and sharing that wonderful Gospel so that they can be a Brother of Christ Himself, and thus our Brother in Christ as well.  
       One thing must have been evident to the lonely protesters, as they waived their posters in frustration to the thousands upon thousands of happy Christian customers leaving the Restaurant, and waving back with their own Chick-fil-A bags and drink cups in hand: Satan and his lie about same sex marriage lost a Huge battle, and lost it Big Time Today. People all over America stood up for Truth, and Eternal Wisdom, and Traditional yea, Biblical Marriage.
      Vera and I placed our order, and rounded the last corner toward the pick up window. The first thing we noticed was the smiling face of a young lady Cashier leaning out the window with an order. After thousands of rushed orders all day, this young lady had a Genuine smile waiting for each and every customer, and that was well before we handed her an $18 tip for the tip jar. Vera and exited the Mall and found a quiet, shady spot near the ASU Farmer's Market to park and "Eat Mor Chikin", we prayed a blessing for our food, and another for the hard working staff at Chick-fil-A, and yet another prayer for the Protesters who we do Love. A prayer that they would find the Joy of Brotherly Love and forgiveness in Christ Jesus and understand the beauty of Christ's Creation, and the Beauty of His Covenant Relationship called Marriage, that they would renounce the choice they have made to go outside the bounds of normalcy and be cured of their sexual addiction to deviancy.
       I must mention that the Chicken Sandwich was one of the finest tasting, and well prepared sandwiches I have had in a long, long time, notwithstanding all the hurry and pressure that must have been on the workers today, and the waffle fries were perfect, as was the drink.

        Vera and I had a very good Date, and a Very Good Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day!