MSNBC TV Host—Kids Don’t Belong to Their Parents?

As I’ve shared a few times on this blog, our theme at Answers in Genesis for 2013–14 is “Standing Our Ground, Rescuing Our Kids,” based on the passage from Galatians:

Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. (Galatians 1:4)

We’re seeing more examples of how the secularists are aiming to capture the hearts and minds of our children. In their continuing ad campaign, MSNBC TV and its website are pushing the theme “Lean Forward.” They’ve featured a number of short promotional videos covering various political topics, but in their newest spot, they’re targeting your children.

Melissa Harris-Perry, professor of political science at Tulane University and host of her own TV program on MSNBC, speaks on education in the promo, arguing that if society would view children as belonging to “whole communities,” rather than to their parents, then people would invest more in education. You can view the full ad below:

Now, Harris-Perry’s contention (i.e., children don’t belong to their parents but to whole communities) directly contradicts with what Scripture says about parenting. First of all, Psalm 127:3–5 states the following:

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

As you can see, Scripture clearly states that children are a gift from God to the parents to train for the Lord. Moreover, the Bible explains that God’s intention is that parents will make wise choices for their children and “train them up in the way they should go” (Proverbs 22:6). Christian fathers specifically are commanded to “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Also, God’s Word states that children are to obey the parents (Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20). Does that sound like children belong to the community from God’s perspective? Of course not.

But what do you think Harris-Perry’s point really means for homeschooling families? Are such parents wrong for educating their children at home, where they can supervise what their children are learning and give them a firm biblical grounding? Well, it seems like some of this “MSNBC-type” thinking may be targeting families who choose not to allow the “community” to educate their children. Many Christian homeschooling families choose to homeschool because they want to train their children up with a Christian worldview—a worldview that would not be found in a public school, where the “community” by and large educates children in an atheistic religion.

Consider that the Obama administration is currently opposing the request for asylum by a German homeschool family that fled to America because homeschooling is illegal in Germany.  The very arguments the  administration is using to come against the asylum request could be used to restrict or close down homeschooling in America.  See my previous blog post on this topic.

This MSNBC video, while it’s only a short promo for a media organization, is also an indication of where the culture is headed. More and more, we’re seeing the loss of our religious freedoms in this country, including the right to educate our children with a Christian worldview.

The secularists are out to get our kids. Christians are being maligned and marginalized in this country. Increasingly, Christians are seen as the enemy. We certainly do need to rescue our kids from this evil generation. Satan is active on planet earth—and actively attempting to capture your kids away from the Lord. Remember, Adolf Hilter said, “He alone, who owns the youth, gains the Future!”1

Christians need to be more diligent than ever in training their kids in the truth of God’s Word and the gospel. We believe the Lord has raised up the AiG ministry (with resources, the Creation Museum, and coming Ark Encounter) to help parents to rescue their kids from this evil world.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken