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The “sheltering objection” to Christian education makes two erroneous assumptions
about the spiritual nature of the world in which we live:
- Kids need to experience (or be around) sin to know how to avoid it.
- A Christian high school is somehow without sin (or does not have as much sin) as
a public high school.
Let’s start with the first assumption. Scripturally speaking, the Bible does not
say, “surround yourself with sin 35-50 hours a week and you’ll know how to avoid
it.” In fact, the Bible makes a clear case for avoiding temptation and evil influences.
One need not experience or observe sin to know that it is wrong.
Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." (1 Corinthians 15:33)
He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. (Proverbs
15:20)
What are parents who are seeking to give their children a “real world experience”
hoping to accomplish? At best, you could be subjecting your kids to unnecessary
peer pressure to become involved in traditional risky high school behavior: drinking,
drugs, premarital sex, etc. At worst, they are in an environment that will not respect
(and possibly denigrate) their Christian worldview. The overriding humanistic philosophies
of the public school – Darwinism, moral relativism, secular humanism, etc. – WILL
have an effect on the development of your son or daughter and how they think. 35-50
hours a week in that environment would be difficult for Christian adults to handle,
much less for Christian adolescents who do not have fully developed brains and are
seeking answers to life’s biggest questions.
It is hard to see the logic in subjecting adolescents to unnecessary pressure to
abandon the Christian truths that have been instilled in them from baptism. At a
time when are kids are most vulnerable to influence, is it really wise to surround
them with non-Christian influences?
So enrolling your son or daughter at VCHS will mean that they won’t have to deal
with these temptations? Unfortunately, NO – this is the second bad assumption. Put
simply, Christian high schools have the same problems as any public high school.
Anyone who has worked in or attended one can verify that. All of the same issues
that plague other high schools – bullying, drinking, sex, even drugs, etc. – can
plague Christian high schools as well. So what, then, is the value of a Christian
high school education?
Here’s the answer: VCHS has the same temptations as other schools – but it has different
weapons to fight them.
Because Jesus conquered sin on the cross, those weapons now include:
- Reliance upon Word and sacraments
- Clear delineation of Biblically defined right and wrong
- Teachers and counselors who provide Scriptural Christian advice
- An environment of fellow believers that encourages growth in Christ
- An environment that exalts obedience to God’s Word
- Forgiveness when mistakes are made
- Appropriate consequences when actions deserve consequence
- Recognition of each student as a dearly loved child of God
If those solutions amount to “sheltering” then the response to someone who asks
if VCHS “shelters its kids” is a resounding “Yes! Praise God.” VCHS is a community
in the world; but what distinguishes it from other schools is its striving against
being of the world (Romans 12:2-3).
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