Atlanta Christian Apologetics Examiner Terrence Albritton has penned an exhortation to good Christians to consider religious education "an order," not "a luxury." This is not an uncommon belief, especially among evangelicals and the far right. It is also a major point of contention for many non-believers, who claim that (1) religious "education" is really a euphemism for indoctrination and scare tactics, and (2) Christian education doesn't achieve measurably better societal or individual goals.
It seems that the children we are trying to reach today are moving to (sic!) quickly through their childhood. They are rapidly developing in all areas of their lives.
This may seem self-evident and compelling, but it is a scare tactic targetting parents. While it's true -- and scary -- that there are a lot of things happening in our schools that were unthinkable a generation ago, it's not necessarily indicative of "growing up too fast." What does that phrase even mean? The median age of first marriage in the U.S. in 2010 was over 26 years for women and 28 for men. In 1950 it was 20 and 22, respectively. So it's not talking about "adult responsibilities." Until 1938, children were assuming jobs as pre-adolescents, sometimes working sixteen hours a day or more. So it's not about working for a living, either.
It's more likely that "growing up too fast" is referring to more "Christian" issues. Specifically, children are becoming "sexual beings" at very young ages, and are exploring dangerous ideas like premarital sex and homosexuality. If that is what Mr. Albritton is referring to, then there is a very strong argument against Christian education. It doesn't work.
"This data supports what a growing body of public health evidence has indicated: Abstinence-only programs don't protect teen health," said Waxman, chairman of the House of Representatives Government Oversight Committee. In short, American taxpayers appear to have paid over one billion federal dollars for programs that have no impact." (LINK)
Additionally, there is a considerable body of evidence suggesting that Christian scare tactics regarding sex accomplish one and only one thing -- they reduce adults' enjoyment of sex without impacting at-risk behaviors in any significant way. Conversely, when we survey the world, we discover that countries with low levels of teen pregnancy, STD transmission, and yes... abortions... are the most secular countries with the most comprehensive -- and accurate -- sex education for children. Christian sex education does not work.
Albritton goes on to address morals in general:
The church has to help them start to shape their moral ideas and formulate what they will begin to value in life.
The data belies this notion. In addition to the failure of Christian education to instill better sexual values in children or adults, the prison population of the U.S. is heavily over-represented by Christians. While non-theists make up between ten and twenty percent of the population (depending on survey methods), they represent less than 2% of the prison population.
Perhaps Christian education promotes the "sanctity of marriage?" Again, no. Atheists are the most likely to stay married in America.
The data presents Christians with a quandary: If "Christian moral training" doesn't promote sexual responsibility, and doesn't make people less likely to commit crimes, and doesn't prevent societal dysfunction, what does it do? The only answer seems to be something "spiritual." Perhaps it's just about going to heaven. Or maybe there's some kind of magical "aura" that will shine brighter in the spirit world if one believes the Christian myth. Mr. Albritton hints at this:
The most significant aspect of every person’s life is his or here (sic!) spiritual health.
That's fine, one would suppose, but it doesn't appear to be any sort of societal mandate. It's about one's personal belief in what happens after this life. And there are many in America who are reticent to accept promises for the future when there are plenty of problems today in the real world that are not solved by Christian education.
He goes on:
It seems that we are living in a time where the importance of educating our children in Christian principles has started to fade.
There are, indeed, many who would suggest that we are "not Christian enough." This, too, is simply incorrect. In the first world, America is singularly and shockingly religious. We are the only modern country which boasts that 40% of the population rejects evolution, the foundational theory for all of modern life science. We are one of the only modern nations with draconian restrictions on abortion.
Christian education has had its chance in America, and it has failed miserably. There are over 4 million students currently enrolled in Christian schools, and Christian "values" -- such as abstinence only education and rejection of evolution -- are insinuated into our public schools regularly. Vacation Bible Schools sprout like weeds within days of the year end's school bell. Home-schooling is rampant.
Christians have had their chance, and their education has not worked. Since the explosion of Christian involvment in politics, exemplified by the rise of the Moral Majority, America has been in a death spiral towards third world status in an alarming number of categories, from education to income disparity to crime. All this while consistently becoming more and more of a "Christian nation," with the emergence of mega-churches, faith based initiatives, reversal of women's rights, and a political climate increasingly hostile towards liberals, secularists, and progressives.
If the concern of apologists and evangelicals is their children's eventual retirement to golden streets and ten trillion year long glee club meetings, then by all means, they should be sure to teach the story of the magic apple and the talking snake. But when it comes to on-the-ground solutions to societal problems, perhaps it's time to listen to the secularists, who have made it happen so many other places around the world with accurate information, not scare tactics and mythology in place of science and math.
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