Parenting and the Government

I’m really looking forward to our upcoming Defending the Faith conference in Sevierville, Tennessee. Right now I’m busy preparing a presentation on parenting for the women’s track. I’m excited to share with women biblical truths about parenting and some very practical ways we can establish the Bible’s authority in the lives of our families and children. However, in my preparation, I’ve also come across some chilling information in regards to the government’s intervention in parenting.

Have you ever heard of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)? If not, the document is available online and I encourage you to read it. It has been ratified by all countries in the UN except the U.S. and Somalia. It requires that the government act in the “best interests of the child.” When I read this, I thought: who decides the “best interest” of the child? The UNCRC makes it clear that the child and/or the government decide what is in the best interest of the child—not the parents. For example:

Part I, Article 29

States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to: The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin; (emphasis mine)

So in other words, no matter how your children are educated—be it public school, Christian school, or homeschool (which would likely be challenged if the convention was ratified)—they would be required to be taught that diversity is a good thing, whether it be religion, sexual orientation, etc., and that we should tolerate and live peaceably with everyone’s lifestyle choices.

In Canada (where the convention has been ratified) a 12 year old girl sued her father for grounding her and not allowing her to go on a school trip (after she posted explicit pictures of herself on the web) and won! Can you imagine “the land of the free” and this once “Christian nation” removing parenting from parents?

The Bible is filled with commands to parents to educate their children on the truth of God’s Word. Some of the passages I will highlight in my presentation are Deuteronomy 6:5–9, Joshua 4:5–7, and Psalm 78:1–7. Read these and fight for your right to raise your children according to God’s Word.