Modern Humanism

Biblical Christianity

Philosophical Foundations

Public education was originally based upon philosophies of secularism and statism. Other philosophies are also promoted as they come into vogue. These include naturalism, materialism, rationalism, scientism, relativism, socialism, hedonism, egalitarianism, feminism, multiculturalism, and globalism.

Christian education is based upon supernatural beliefs. It contends that man is both physical and spiritual, and therefore selects curriculum materials and teaching methods to serve both physical and spiritual needs of individuals for both time and eternity.

Objectives

Aims are to promote humanistic values. Chief among these objectives are the secularization and socialization of children; rejection of supernaturalism, and insistence upon the naturalness, equality and self-sufficiency of man.

Aims are to promote Christian values. These include Biblical understandings of human relationships to both God and man, insistence upon acceptance of both divine and natural revelation, man’s submission to God, and the spiritual and eternal nature of man.

Curriculum Content

Knowledge consistent with humanistic values. Chief among these are the necessity of religious neutrality, the priority of the secular state, the presumption of evolutionary origins, pursuit of materialist goals, the sufficiency of human reasoning, the infallibility of science, an understanding of the world from humanistic perspectives, the relativity of all things, the desirability of pleasure, human equality, commitment to a system of global world government, etc.

Knowledge consistent with Christian values. Chief among these are the existence and relevancy of God, origins by creation, man created in God’s image, man’s sin and eternal destiny, man’s need for eternal salvation, the deity of Jesus Christ, the inspiration of the Bible, an understanding of the world from Christian perspectives, the roles of family, church and state under God, commitment to a life of obedience to God and of service to God and man, etc.

Methodologies

Utilization of government (i.e. public) schools supported by public taxes (i.e. socialism).

Utilization of private schools supported by family and philanthropic funding.

Instruction is frequently affective and subjective. Processes, when possible, are by behavioral modification and psychological manipulation.

Instruction is generally cognitive and objective. Processes are generally by didactic instruction, memory, and recitation.

Authority and Responsibility

State is perceived to be primarily responsible for educating children. This assumes that the state owns children and property. Hence, the state may compel children’s school attendance and collect property taxes for educational purposes.

Family is perceived to be primarily responsible for educating children. This assumes that families are God’s stewards over children and properties. Hence, the state has no biblical authority to compel children’s school attendance, nor collect property taxes for educational purposes.

Significance of Religion

Humanism contends that education must be secular, not religious. Hence, religion is not important, God is not relevant, and man is the judge of all things.

Christianity contends that all education is religious. Hence, religion is important, God is relevant, and man must submit to God in all things.

Result:

Educational Mediocrity.
Weak Moral Character.

Educational Excellence.
Strong Moral Character.