Several posts within the “Where Is Christ in Christmas?” thread strayed from topic and condemned church-sponsored schools. When I initially mentioned the Christmas plays I had seen at church-sponsored elementary schools, others jumped in to condemn not the plays but the schools themselves as unscriptural because they were indeed church-sponsored. Rather than continue out of topic there, I thought it prudent to begin a formal thread here. But I am enlarging the topic further and including church-sponsored hospitals and any other seemingly “good” or “benevolent,” church-sponsored building projects which benefit mankind. So here’s the question for discussion: Are schools, hospitals, or similar building projects that are sponsored by churches scriptural or unscriptural? Follow-up questions: Do they absolutely violate biblical principles? Are they abominations in the sight of God if churches sponsor and build them? Please render thoughtful, specific answers and justify them with biblical references. Also please avoid cryptic answers like, “Church-sponsored schools are good” or “Church-sponsored hospitals are of the devil.”

Thank you, Dr. Crump, for starting this forum.

Let me begin by saying that I am a teacher at a Nashville-area Christian school, affiliated with churches of Christ. I teach Bible, World History, and European History on the high school level--I also serve as the Bible Department chairman. I have been privileged to work with some of the nicest, most talented, and decent young people I've ever known in the last 11 years. The school where I teach is not "sponsored" by any specific congregation of the church of Christ, but our faculty, staff, and administration are required to be members of the Lord's church, that is the church of Christ. To put it plainly, we are affiliated with churches of Christ in general. The last statistic I heard (about 5 years ago) was that our student body in the high school was only 40% church of Christ. Therefore the majority of our students come from denominational bodies or from no church background at all. But I assure you that the Bible is taught in a sound, Scriptural way at this school and our weekly Chapel worship is done in a very conservative way. I choose not to name my school in this forum for fear that some who make posts on this site may attempt to "mark" or disparage it in some manner.

Having said that, I will admit that Scripture does not say explicitly "Thou shalt create Christian schools," but by the same token, it never says "Thou shalt not create Christian schools." I see no way at all in which these schools are an abomination or inherently evil. Christian schools do wonderful charitable work outside the classroom, including mission trips, service projects, etc. During my time at this school, I have had the privilege of baptizing several of my students into Christ for the remission of their sins. Recently our student body went on a community service project in which they help several elderly members of the community by raking leaves, doing yardwork, and simple household chores that these elderly folks could not do for themselves. Was this evil or sinful? The following week our students went out and purchased Christmas gifts for Inner-city children who would otherwise have no Christmas at all. Was this inherently evil or wrong? (If you are one of those who do not condone the observance of Christmas, then you will likely say "yes, it was wrong.") But doing a good work for a child is something of which even Jesus Himself approved.

I do not have children, but I would much rather send a child to a private Christian school--consider the alternative: public schools, where God's name is not allowed and where prayer is banned. Public schools, where the academics are mediocre at best and where the halls must be patrolled by police officers. Public schools, where students rule with violent outbursts, profanity, and immorality, and where the teachers are powerless to discipline them. Is that where we want to place our children?

God has given us the resources and financial means to establish institutions and organizations such as schools, orphan homes, nursing homes, and hospitals in order to serve our fellow man. "Love thy neighbor as thyself." While God does not tell us specifically how to use those funds, as long as we use them in a way that others are served in a decent, loving way, then no, there is no evil in that.

Would a good God condemn Christians to hell for using their means to help the sick and elderly, or to educate children in a Christian environment? I pray not.

I speak with some credentials: I spent enough money to retire on for what I believed to be a good idea. As far as I can determine I built the first computer lab in a Christian school or maybe any school in the state. I did two terms on the board of directors totally over 7 years until my kids were out and then I took to the hills. The idea is good but the ANTI'S have mostly been correct that the church as an instituton getting into anything other than the role of the FAMILY and CHURCH to be the spiritual educators of our youth has turned to rend us.

Next, as far as my data bank can remember ALL "christian" schools were begun mostly by parents and preachers to escape integration. And they often denied a role for teachers who believed that dinosaurs ever existed.

Then, my experience was that such schools could only afford beginning teachers who could not have otherwise ever been teachers in the county system. By the time they became useful they had USED the school to bootstrap themselves up. This included some teachers who did not belong close to children. I remember one Episcopalian lady who "got saved" to get a job for the school.

Nothing could have been more traumatic than working with a preacher-Bible head trying to convince the teachers that you needed a curriculum. Trying to do the reviews with SASC often had a book's table of contents handed in as the goals.

My oldest was old enough not to get trapped into the UPPER CLASS Izod lizzard 'RITE OF PASSAGE.' She loved going to the Junk Stores in Hohenwald. She knew the game which extended on to Lipscomb where she just kept her head down to get her BS in three years.

The youngest was damaged by the CONFLICTING IMAGE of "Christian" in contrast to what she saw out of the STAFF and students.

A final blow was that as a "christian" school trying to survive we always TOOK IN the students who had no PLACE in the public schools. Believe me, a bad seed can sprout much more trouble than a so-called Bible base could cure.

Someone has mentioned the teacher who was fired because she said that baptism was mandatory. That no longer works when the Baptists have largely taken over your school. So, PUFF, there goes what happens to ALL institutions such as the Herald of Truth which was my early Bible School but underwent a Hostile Takeover. When it is all over the kids gradually reveal that their values were instilled in the auto or dinner table. They also remember the contrast with "school."

Here is some pretty good data to show that the Jews held education to be FIRST in the family and later in mandatory synagogue schools and compulsory education at the time of Christ. NO maturing male child would ever be dominated by female teachers from cradle to the grave.

http://www.piney.com/EdLifeMVol1Ch09.html

In time I will link this further. Andy, I don't want a dialog!

Ken