🧠Episode SummaryIn this episode, I address a revived age old debate within evangelical circles: Is it sinful for Christian parents to place their children in government (public) schools? Sparked by Doug Wilson’s recent “No Quarter November” comments and Owen Strachan’s written rebuttal, I walk listeners through the theological, historical, and cultural arguments surrounding Christian education.
I explain why I largely agree with Doug Wilson’s premise—that education is always discipleship and therefore never neutral—and why I believe the government education system is fundamentally opposed to biblical Christianity in its design, origins, and daily practice. As Doug puts it, “Having Christian children in the government school system is what theologians of another era would have called sinnity-sin-sin.”
I then respond to Owen Strachan’s objection to the claim that it is sinful for Christians to put their children in the government school system. Owen argues that public schooling remains a “gray area,” and I take time to carefully examine the assumptions behind that argument.This episode calls Christian parents, pastors, and institutions to re-evaluate their relationship with public schooling, understand its unavoidable worldview implications, and pursue faithful, sacrificial alternatives grounded in Scripture.⏱️ Chapters00:00 — Introduction to the Counterrevolution Podcast00:47 — The Purpose of Education in a Christian Context04:09 — Debate on Government Schools and Sin09:29 — Responses from Prominent Evangelicals14:54 — The Case Against Government Education20:56 — Understanding the System: A Biblical Perspective26:38 — The Role of Christians in Education32:41 — The Need for New Institutions38:35 — Concluding Thoughts on Education and Discipleship48:03 — The Dilemma of Education Choices51:11 — The Monolithic Nature of Public Schools59:31 — Discipleship Through Education01:06:57 — The Sin of Compromised Education01:11:15 — The Call for Courageous Action01:17:59 — Outro🔑 Key Topics Covered
• Education as discipleship, not neutrality• The seriousness of labeling something “sin”• How Christians of past generations viewed government schooling• Owen Strachan’s “gray area” argument• The myth that public schools vary fundamentally across the country• Historical roots of the American school system (Mann, Dewey, secular humanism)• Why Christian teachers in public schools cannot disciple• How SEL and humanistic frameworks shape student beliefs• The church’s responsibility to teach, warn, and provide alternatives• The moral responsibility of parents who understand the dangers• The call for institution-building and long-term Christian reformation
đź“š Resources & References Mentioned
• Doug Wilson — No Quarter November• Owen Strachan — “Doug Wilson vs the Public Schools on the Freedom of the Gospel”• Alex Newman — Indoctrinating Our Children to Death• David Goodwin & Pete Hegseth — Battle for the American Mind• Israel Wayne — Education: Does God Have an Opinion?• Foundational quotes from Horace Mann, John Dewey, Francis Potter• R.C. Sproul on the myth of educational neutrality• Pastor Doug Wilson — The Case for Classical Christian Education📝 John’s Core Argument• Education is always discipleship.• Government schools were built on anti-Christian presuppositions.• Christian parents who knowingly choose such systems over faithful alternatives commit sin.• Many Christians choose government schooling from habit or convenience, not conviction.• The church must speak clearly and build new institutions.• True reformation requires courage, sacrifice, and countercultural obedience.
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