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| Vouchers will destroy Christian Schools.
By Dr. Don Boys © 2001 Cornerstone Communications Some people think school vouchers will be the best thing since sliced bread; however, recipients will discover that the bread has worms.School vouchers would provide, say about $1,500.00 to all low income or middle income families to be used at any "lawfully operated school." Note those last few words. The person who wrote those words is a part- time hangman! Vouchers in the public sector will develop competition among the various schools and "put them on the spot." Either they will produce or go out of business, and that's what I think will happen. The public school system will fall like a piece of rotten fruit-also full of worms. While I will be thrilled to see the corrupt, socialist public school fail, vouchers are still transfer payments. Christian education is something else, especially if it is associated with a local church. School vouchers for Christian schools will be the gallows upon which the "movement" will be hanged. A principle that is apropos is, "with shekels come shackles." Said another way, "What government funds, it runs." Do we need reminders of what has happened in the public schools with judges literally running various systems? Or how about the take-over of fire and police departments across the nation to implement affirmative action by arrogant judges who know nothing about running those departments? Some will tell us that there will be no government controls, but no sane person, who knows history and government, would say that. The controls may be innocuous at first, but they will come as surely as tax forms in January. The money supply for schools is not unlimited, so there will absolutely be "strings" attached. The key words are, "lawfully operated schools." That is the scaffold upon which Christian schools will hang. Do you really think Moonies, Moslems and Aryan Nation schools will be permitted to participate in vouchers? Surely you are dreaming! Well, I don't think Methodists, Adventists and Baptists should get the government approved money either. In fact, I don't believe government should be involved in education unless at the local level. There is not a word about education in the Constitution. It is a family matter. If your school only accepts Christians (or is limited to your church members) what will you do if you are ordered to accept non-Christians or non-members? Will you permit some judge or civil rights commission to set the policies of your school? If you permit any government entity to run your ministry in even a minor way, you can't plead convictions when they try to do it again in a more intrusive way because you have already established that you do not have those convictions. And you will be forced to teach sex ed, evolution, etc., as surely as God made little green apples. Plan on it. What will you do when a minority student applies, but does not meet your standards? Will you cut and run when threatened by a federal judge and reluctantly accept the student? In other words, will your church run the school or will the government? And will you be part of the quota scheme that is abhorrent to all sane, sensible, and sagacious people? What if you accept a minority kid who qualifies, but you later must expel him for breaking rules? Are you willing to go to court to justify your decision - when it is not the business of any court? Will you tell a federal judge that "he has no jurisdiction in the matter?" If so, take your toothbrush to court because you will spend time in the pokey. There is another obvious problem: Do you want your tax dollars to fund schools of other denominations and cults? If you feel strongly about what you believe, how can you live with that possibility? Help defeat vouchers if for no other reason than to keep tax dollars from supporting theological and political heresy. Christian educators must decide who is sovereign in this matter of education. If you believe the government is sovereign, then you may have no philosophical problems with vouchers, but if you think that God gave parents the responsibility to educate their children then you will have problems accepting vouchers. It is not a question of a school being able to meet a state's standards (since most Christian schools far excel the public schools). It is a matter of principle: Does the government have the authority to control Christian schools? Some limp-wristed preachers gasp even at the thought of resisting government when they try to control our schools! Church school leaders must reject any form of voucher system and accompanying accreditation. The money is tempting, but if you take the state's nickel, you have to accept the state's noose! I suggest that you tell the government you don't want their welfare.
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