To THE EDITORS:
Dr. Palmer’s article in the May-June TORCH AND TRUMPET is based on the assumption that it is the right of the state to require the education of its citizens and its duty to provide for the financial support of that education. Thus Calvinists are urged to join with Roman Catholics in seeking state aid for their private schools. The author seems to overlook the obvious facts that state support involves state control, and that the state which requires and supports education will also define that education. The state has defined education by its secular, godless, public schools. Can this state then be expected to support and finance Calvinistic education which insists that only God-centered education is true education? Does not this view assume that education whether Roman Catholic, Jewish, Adventist, Atheistic or Calvinistic is a good and properly supported by all the citizens equally through taxes?
Why should those without children be forced to finance the education of other people’s children? Why should anyone be required to support education regardless of its content? How can a Christian willingly support education that ignores God?
The solution to the problem, it seems to me, does not lie in seeking to have others support our Christian schools. When this is done through taxes, it is a form of coercion contrary to God’s law. Just because state schools are supported by force through taxes, this does not justify the same method for supporting private schools. Two evils do not make a good. The solution lies, rather, in seeking to place education back where it belongs, in the hands of the parents. While Christians must pay their taxes which are used to support secular public schools, they can at least vigorously protest this use of their money to attempt to destroy their faith.
The way to support Christian schools is for Christian parents to take seriously their God-given responsibility to train their children (and they are not the children of the state ) spiritually, morally, and intellectually in the fear of the Lord. This win require paying above our taxes to support parent-controlled, thoroughly Christian schools. It is worth the sacrifice! Let us not beg for support from others who prefer godless schools—the education of our covenant children is not their responsibility—but rather, bend all efforts to counteract the secularizing influence of the godless philosophy of education prevalent in our day by increasing Our enthusiasm for and sacrificial support of true education, which is consistently Christian, Calvinistic education.
Sincerely in Christ, Francis E. Mahaffy Senafe, Eritrea
DEAR EDITORS:
There are usually two questions advanced against partiCipation in CEF. Adrian Blauwkamp raises the one question in the TORCH AND TRUMPET of September, 1963. The second asks how Christians of Reformed persuasion can join with Roman Catholics to promote their cause. After all we have had more than enough trouble at their hands. No one has a right to be wrong in his religious views as far as God is concerned. But, and this is just the point, as far as the civil government is concerned every individual must have a right to his own religious view—right or wrong. Any time one view is favored by a government the right view is going to end up suffering.
Therefore if the Romans are being restricted in their religious practice by my government J should join CEF in supporting legislation that would give Romans and atheists their freedom. I do this for the sake of justice. I do this because if they do not have this freedom then my freedom is in dire jeopardy if not already gone. Someone has control of religious sentiments who is either opposed to mine or will be. As it is, Romans and Christian Reformed and many others are being persecuted -taxed to support false religion. We happened to meet in the lobby of the legislative halls and found ourselves fighting a common cause. I’m fighting for my religious freedom—and theirs. They are fighting for their religious freedom and hopefully they realize that to get theirs they must also fight for mine. We can fight each other much better and on the real issues when we are both free. Till then for self-preservation we join to fight a common foe.
The second question: Should a Christian seek a share of his tax money for education? With Mr. Blauwkamp I and many other CEF members aVidly oppose federal aid to any education. It has been by demanding that IF there is to be federal aid it must be to non-public as well as to public schools that federal aid has been stalled so far. But CEF has not entered the federal-aid battle. It is fighting for religious freedom. It is not fighting to get a fair share of the tax money so much as it is fighting aid (federal, state or local) which is tied to control of the religious content of education. This is dictatorship. CEF is fighting to have all government aid without control. This does not make irresponsible government as Mr. Blauwkamp says. This is forbidden by the constitution. Government is irresponsible when it promotes with tax money only irreligion and secularism in education.
CEF is fighting secularism. It says that if government can promote irreligion (and it is) then it can and must promote religion (not one but all without respect of persons). If our tax dollars cannot pay for religious education, then they may not pay for irreligious education. If my tax dollar does not pay for all kinds of education, then it is paying only for godless, anti-Christian, humanistic education. That is irresponsible Christianity. Christian people must scream their opposition to the demands of an irresponsible government which sucks them so dry paying for anti-Christian state religion that there is not enough left for the best Christian education. CEF is in legislative halls as a megaphone for that scream.
John M. Moes North Blendon, Michigan