Bummed out on the secular stage

Maybe you need to revisit your thinking. Just because something is not overtly Christian doesn't mean it is bad. Didn't God make the world and all that is in it? Sure there are things that are best avoided, but don't throw the proverbial baby out with the bath water. There is much to enjoy in God's big blue earth. Jesus himself went out into the world. We don't have a record of what he did prior to his ministry, but I can easily surmise that his life must have been typical of the society of which he was a part.

If someone makes their living working at a drugstore, they are performing a needed service, even if their duties include selling cigarettes. If someone works at a bookstore, they likely will not agree with every book that they sell. Yet commerce is how we all get buy. Nobody makes any money until something is sold, and like it or not, we all need money in today's economy.

I have never seen a "flesh fest" at a school, but teaching kids to take pride in doing a good job on their assignments is not a bad thing. The alternative is to not care what quality of work they produce. This is a necessary life skill.

Freedom and choice are also good things. The job of parents and educators is to teach them to make good choices; choices that will be beneficial to them, rather than detrimental.

Those are my two cents worth for your consideration.

 

My brother,

I sympathize with your struggles. I work in a job where there is little to no focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. Granted mine is not as much of a difficulty as yours, but it bears the pull of the world.

What you are describing reminded me of 1 John 1:15-16,

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

I rejoice in what you wrote because it says to me that the love of the Father is in you that you hate the things of the world.

So,

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Col 3:1-3

On a practical note, I don't know what your commute is like, but I have an hour commute to work each way. I have found great blessing in listening to the Bible on CD. In one week I have listened to the Gospel of John, Acts, 1 & 2 Corinthians, and most of Romans! Praise God.

 

Brother, my heart goes out to you. You're doing the thing I've avoided (teaching) because I knew I couldn't take watching kids getting led down the wrong path. All I can say is be patient and stay true.

 

Um...last week.

Pride that is condemned is placing one's self above God. Pride can mean other things, not all of which are bad. Is a pride of lions (see your avatar) bad? Is pride in doing a good job?


My comments are not meant to make you defensive, but seriously trying to give you some counsel that you requested.

 

I am glad your fighting that battle out there. It also encourges my wife and I to continue homeschooling.

 

Well, I guess it was worth every penny you paid for it! :thumbs:

 

The only scripture passage that I could think of concerned Solomon building the Temple (see 1 Kings 5-9). The detail in this account of the building process suggests that Solomon was "proud" to be able to do this for God.

I do finish carpentry for my living. It is a source of great pride for me to be able to build a set of stairs for a client that is beautiful to look at, easy to walk on, with comfortable handrails, quiet treads, and newel posts with no play in them. That's what they are paying me for, and that's what I want to give them for their money. I'm "proud" to be able to exercise the gift that God gave me. I think that is a sense of pride that fits in scripture. Also, note my first signature.

Tim Reynolds

 

My 2000 Malibu does not have a CD player either. You can actually buy an adapter from Radio Shack or even walmart so that you can listen to a CD player or even an ipod or MP3 in your car. They are relatively cheap as well.

As to your frustrations... I'm sorry you are frustrated. I do not believe socialism nor even phsychology is neccessarily unbiblical, but it is not particularily enjoyable to work somewhere that goes against your convictions, and for that you have my sympathy.

 

I can sympathise with you, Bro. Williams. I was a teacher until 10 years ago. In the religious education lessons, the printed guideliones included the following (not quoted word-for-word, but the general idea is right):

Abraham was a puzzled man. He needed to learn that he could be obedient to God without resorting to child sacrifice.

The Crucifixion should not be taught to children under the age of 11, as it might frighten them.

Jesus had to learn gradually what his mission was.​

There was much more of the same sort of thing.

I told the head teacher (politely) that I could not possibly teach such things. He asked me what I could teach instead. I said, "Truths from the bible." I was quite surprised when he told me that was fine.

However, the secular ideology behind state education in this country was more difficult for a Christian to contend with. Apart from anything else, it was not so easily recognisable as being unbiblical as was the case with the religious education materials.

On a lighter note, when I first saw the thread title, I thought it was something to do with partial nudity in theatres, as "bum" in the UK is a slightly rude word for the buttocks

May God help you in your work, Bro. Williams.

 

Sorry to hear about your view of public colleges. I attended two private colleges (one a Presbaterian college) and one public and I wouldn't have called any of them diploma mills. What colleges are you referring to. Also, it might very well be a function of your major if it was education.