I am going through the hashtag "Expose Christian Schools" on the Twitter site and am reading thousands upon thousands of accounts of abuse that children have gone through in the name of professing Christianity.
Armstrongism seems to have been just a grain of sand on the beach to what Mainstream Christian Schools have taught, and done, to children.
Spanking, physical assaults, inadequate teaching, holding a Tourettes' student down in a bathroom to pray the devil out of her, expelled because hair was too long.
A girl who was told she would "go to hell" while being physically and sexually abused because she left home and was not being obedient to her family.
Racism, and holding black students back even though they met the qualifications to be promoted to the next grade.
Just to name a couple of the tweets out of the few hundreds I have seen out of the tens of thousands that have been posted.
And then I see a comment by a "Fox and Friends" anchor who <b>dismisses</b> the entirety of the testimonies by saying it's not a "real" trend, instead deflecting to all the problems at public schools.
It's not just Armstrongism. It's a culture of abuse that is not only tolerated, but widespread within the "Christian" community. It is a lack of love, and a spirit of fear and of hate. It is practices and acts that have scarred students for life. These "Christian" schools have not brought these kids to Jesus Christ. They've turned them against Jesus and religion in general because of their authoritarian, love-less, heavy-handed, biblically illiterate practices.
Look at all the accounts of people who have NOT come to Jesus Christ because of "Christian" education. They remember. Because those who posted such horrendous accounts were not shown love - only worldly, carnal, heavy-handed abuse by love-less authoritarians.
I will say this again, and again. Christianity is not found in "Corporate Christianity". It is not found in big "Churches" or "Christian Schools". It is not found in a SYSTEM. Christianity is found in relationship. It is found in relationship between you and God, God and you,and you to others, based on LOVE. Based on respect. LOVE is Christianity. LOVE - not hurting others - spiritually, emotionally, physically, or any other way you can imagine. LOVE is Christianity in full effect. Because love is where Christ is. Because as the Word has said - God IS Love, and Love IS God.
Jesus is only found within a person - in their hearts - and in their actions - and in faith, and hope - and is not found in any corporation. Jesus is found where love reigns and rules. It is not found in tyrannical, abusive, melevolent, dictatorial, money-hungry, corporate worldly systems who pass themselves off as Christians while sucking the life and soul out of people with what passes as Corporate Christianity today. This is why it is said, Narrow is the way - and few be it who find it.
There are always abuses and wrongs, but I know of several christian schools in my area that do help the students come to Christ. Abuse can be devastating and there is no justification for it. Yet, on the whole, I feel much better for the outcome of kids in christian schools than in public schools. I'm not sure if this article was precipitated by the DC March for life incident, but it appears the kids were unjustly condemned.
ReplyDeleteThis article was actually precipitated by the comments on Twitter regarding Christian Schools, and a comment by a particular high level individual who backed up Christian Education. I spent some time looking through some of the testimonies of what many Christian students endured from their schools and I was appalled at the level of criminality that was going on. It was angering to read.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the kids go with the DC incident, I really can't comment on that because I wasn't there, I didn't see the whole thing, and I don't know the kid. What I can say is they do not at their age have the maturity to know how to handle such a situation and should not have been in that situation in the first place.