BIBLICAL BRIEFS 50
Spiritual education is primarily the responsibility of parents. Deut. 6: 6-7 puts it well: “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” The religious education of children is secondarily the responsibility of the religious community of choice. Schools and educational institutions do not bear this responsibility. In addition, we live in a democratic state with guaranteed freedom of religion, with the only restriction that the exercise thereof is not compulsory to people of a different opinion or children from other religions and that no one is to be discriminated against on the basis of faith. In Rom. 13:1 it is impressed on believers to obey the government with its civil provisions. With respect to this matter, it is therefore my understanding that religious education and practice should preferably not take place at schools at all. We often let our children be exposed to anything with a Christian flavour, even though it is often dogmatically unsound, or according to unbiblical tradition. Unfortunately, children of Christians are indoctrinated to such an extent, that it causes as much damage as the possible exposure to e.g. Islam, Satanism, animistic religions, and so forth. It is therefore rather desirable not to have religious education or meetings with a spiritual nature on the school grounds. Children of believers should also be granted the opportunity to be salt and light even in the absence of an explicit Christian ethos in the educational institution.
Dr. Tom Gouws
