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<title>SACE Blog RSS Feed</title><link>http://www.saceschools.org/index.html</link><description>SACE Reflections on Christian Education</description><dc:language>en</dc:language><language>en</language><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><dc:rights>Copyright 2016-19&#x2c; Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:rights><dc:date>2023-09-06T16:33:16-05:00</dc:date><admin:generatorAgent rdf:resource="http://www.realmacsoftware.com/" />
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<lastBuildDate>Wed, 6 Jul 2011 07:12:46 -0500</lastBuildDate><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><item><title>Qualities of Unity</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Diversity</category><category>Unity</category><dc:date>2023-09-06T16:02:57-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/Unity.php#unique-entry-id-105</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/Unity.php#unique-entry-id-105</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Every pastor - even before Covid - has a budget to meet, often measures success in terms of membership numbers, and even has a concern over losing key leaders.    The natural response is to keep churches isolated - this seems to promise at least maintaining the status quo.  


Part of me would like to at least hear that theological concerns separate churches, though surely true, this doesn&rsquo;t get mentioned as much as expected.  


Over two thousand years ago, Jesus prayed (in John 17) for unity among his followers.  

...I see two categories that most excuses fall into - 1) failing to see God&rsquo;s heart for the unity of his body, and 2) more fear than faith.  ...  If we love each other, we will not let the most common theological differences separate us - or our ethnicity, or our style of worship, or the shape of our buildings, or our leadership structures&hellip;.  


And as to the latter, I wish we would trust God for our local faith community while we expend money and effort to help congregations that are struggling.    Maybe rather than trying to hold on to everyone who walks through our doors, we could send them to churches in which they might fit in better.    I think of the Christmas movie, &ldquo;Miracle on 34th Street&rdquo; in which one department store embodied the Christmas spirit of giving (rather than profit making) by sending families to stores that had the particular toys children really wanted.


In Jesus prayer above, he said that the world would know that he was sent of God by seeing the unity of his followers.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Revival&#x27;s Face</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Culture</category><category>Religious Liberties</category><dc:date>2022-07-18T14:57:37-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/revivals-face.php#unique-entry-id-103</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/revivals-face.php#unique-entry-id-103</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The response to the usual question is &ldquo;prayer and repentance.&rdquo;    My question though is better answered by &ldquo;people loving God and their neighbor.&rdquo;


Certainly we need to pray and repent, but I wonder how much revival might be ignited from taking radical steps to love?  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Discerning Truths</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Culture</category><category>Character / Civic Education</category><dc:date>2021-01-11T13:19:26-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/discerning-truths.php#unique-entry-id-102</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/discerning-truths.php#unique-entry-id-102</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[1)	Know that ALL humans are fallen, and the desire to get/keep positions of political or economic power corrupts most everyone.    So, &ldquo;trust&rdquo; that what you hear from &ldquo;big name people&rdquo; is likely a self-serving manipulative half-truth, dis-information, or an out-right lie.


2)	Everyone lives out an ideology of life that provides Truths that motivate some things and inhibit others.    Atheists and secularists have few Truths to guide the morality of their statements and actions, while Christianity places the highest priority on loving God and others in word and deed.    While remembering #1, what ideology does the source in question claim?    Atheism (the source of secularism) provides the least sanction against lying, religions in general support truthfulness, and Christianity has the strongest alignment with truth.


3)	Since people can lie (#1) about their ideology (#2), look to their track-record.    Does both their personal and public life provide evidence of their adherence to virtuous ideals?
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>President or Dictator?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Government</category><dc:date>2020-09-18T13:52:32-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/president-or-dictator.php#unique-entry-id-101</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/president-or-dictator.php#unique-entry-id-101</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Surely, virtually EVERY person who defeats all competitors to become the U.S. president is tough, callous, egotistical (likely narcissistic), and driven to attain power.  

...Hopefully, we vote for people with balancing qualities, but the the election ordeal serves as a filter to remove "softer" people.    The Presidency requires leaders who can withstand the national and international pressures of responsibility, intimidation, and uncertainty.    Any candidate that presents themselves as merely warm and caring is just manipulating their audience.    Without an iron core, every president will be broken by the job.


So how do we control these powerful people?  ...  A marvel of insight, genius, and revelation, it was written to provide ways for powerful people to act, while restraining those actions by creating opposing forces and Constitutional limits.


Has Trump been out of Constitutional control?    If so, he would not have bowed to the opinions of so many laws and federal judges.    Many don't like what he does, but by acting within the Constitution, he has proven that presidential power - not dictatorial power - is all he seeks.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Christian Struggle</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>The Last days</category><category>Theology</category><category>Great Commission</category><dc:date>2020-07-18T09:50:57-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/christian-struggle.php#unique-entry-id-99</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/christian-struggle.php#unique-entry-id-99</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Many Christians have come to believe that God&rsquo;s highest desire for them is happiness and that deep struggles or pain are opposed to His best.    Wrong!!!


Talk to Adam&hellip;.   Talk to Job, Paul, Peter, Bonhoeffer, or my mom.    God has literally blessed us with struggles to help us grow and make us strong in faith.    Often in unique ways, we all struggle against things that are wrong (gluttony, homosexuality, envy, pride), things that are &ldquo;natural&rdquo; (sickness, aging, accidents), and even to do that which is right (caring for the hurting, parenting, building a good and just society, taking the gospel to distant lands).


Today, the culture is giving into ungodliness largely because the Church has not embraced a gospel that includes struggles and uncomfortableness.     Growth and maturity have always required sacrifices of free-time,  leisure, money, effort and even physical pain. 


Sin is &ldquo;soooo&rdquo; enticing and acceptable, our nation is in upheaval, and the Great Commission is still our call.    What a great time to embrace our opportunities to grow strong as we love God and our neighbors!
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Whats Right About Choice</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>School Choice</category><category>Philosophic Trends</category><category>Education Philosophy</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2020-04-27T13:04:49-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/whats-right-about-choice.php#unique-entry-id-98</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/whats-right-about-choice.php#unique-entry-id-98</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA["Most comments here seem to be a rehearsed effort to slam School Choice.    Reasons are typical - School Choice hurts low income children and the public schools.    Really??    The best, most holistic education for children can NOT be delivered by state run public schools.    This is because a truly good education is not merely "secular" or generic information.    Rather, a truly good education is morally, philosophically, and academically rich.    Church/state law prohibits public schools from anything but shallow stances on morality and life meaning.    This serves to limit academic achievement by reducing curricular meaning and student motivation.    So, in reality, public schools hurt children, and thus Texans should not keep families (and teachers) trapped in the secular school system through biased funding.    We need to help all families to attend schools that nurture the rich and holistic growth of their children - schools that the parents choose!"]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>What Principles do You Live By?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Philosophic Trends</category><category>Character / Civic Education</category><category>Government</category><category>Faith Commitments</category><category>Worldviews</category><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><dc:date>2020-03-23T15:51:50-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/what-principles-do-you-live-by.php#unique-entry-id-97</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/what-principles-do-you-live-by.php#unique-entry-id-97</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[	&ldquo;It is the greatness of a cause which gives to war its only justification.   A cause is sacred from the dignity of its principles. ...  It is of comparatively little moment whether they fall like autumn leaves or perish in a storm,--they are alike forgotten; but their ideas and virtues are imperishable, --eternal lessons for successive generations.   History is a record not merely of human sufferings,--these are inevitable,--but also of the stepping-stones of progress, which indicate both the permanent welfare of men and the Divine hand which mysteriously but really guides and governs.&rdquo; ...  Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/beacon-lights-of-history-volume-ix-european-statesmen/id967827077.)


Relating this to our individual responses to the Corona virus, sooner or later, by virus or age, we will all die.   But by what principles and values will we have lived? ...  What principles and values will we pass on to future generations?   Do we give our lives in a "time of virus" for others or merely for our own pleasures? ...  What are we living our lives for?]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Being Free</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Reflections</category><category>Laws</category><category>Philosophic Trends</category><dc:date>2020-02-24T12:52:57-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/being-free.php#unique-entry-id-96</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/being-free.php#unique-entry-id-96</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Article 2&nbsp;The &ldquo;religious organizations&rdquo; as mentioned in the present Measures refer to non-profit social organizations that are voluntarily formed by religious citizens, for the purpose of unity in&nbsp;patriotism&nbsp;and in religious affiliation, to promote healthy development of religions, and carry out activities in accordance with their own charters.   Religious organizations are the bridge and bond for the Chinese Communist Party and the people&rsquo;s government to unite and to connect with the clergy and all the lay religious citizens.


Article 3&nbsp;A religious organization can be recognized as such only when it has been examined and approved by the religious affairs department of the people &rsquo;s government, and register with the civil affairs department of the people &rsquo;s government, in accordance with the national regulations on the administration of social organizations, and on religious affairs.   Without the approval of the religious affairs department of the people&rsquo;s government, or registration with the civil affairs department of the people&rsquo;s government, no religious activities in the name of religious organizations are allowed.


Article 5&nbsp;Religious organizations must support the leadership of the Communist Party of China, abide by the Constitution, laws, regulations, rules and policies, adhere to the principles of self-support and self-governance, adhere to the direction of&nbsp;Sinicization&nbsp;of religions in China, embody the core values ​​of socialism, and maintain national unity, ethnic unity , religious harmony and social stability.


...Article 17&nbsp;Religious organizations should publicize the guidelines and policies of the Communist Party of China, national laws, regulations, and rules to the clergy and religious citizens, in order to instruct and direct the clergy and religious citizens to support the rule of the Communist Party of China, support the socialist system, follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, abide by the laws, regulations, rules and policies, correctly treat the relationship between state laws and religious rules, and strengthen their national consciousness, consciousness of rule by law, and consciousness of one&rsquo;s duty as a citizen.


...Article 22&nbsp;Religious organizations should conduct researches on religious cultures and religious classics, carry out the construction of religious ideology, and dig deep into doctrines and canons for useful content for maintaining social harmony, advancing with the times, and being healthy and cultured. 

...Article 23&nbsp;Religious organizations should ordain their clergy in accordance with the procedures of ordination stipulated in the rules created by the national religious organizations and register their names with the religious affairs department of the people&rsquo;s government. 

...Article 26&nbsp;Religious organization should report the following matters to the administrative unit for review and approval: (1) matters that should be reviewed by the administrative unit as stipulated by laws and regulations; (2) personnel change of the president (chair, director), vice president (vice chair, deputy director), secretary-general (assistant director-general), structural change of an office, personnel change of the head of the office, and naming a honorary president (chair, director); (3) holding important meetings, activities, trainings and international communications; (4) activities that name the religious affairs department of the people&rsquo;s government as the supporting unit or sponsor; (5) receiving donations of religious books or audio/visual products, or donations over 100,000 yuan from overseas organizations or individuals; (6) other matters that should be reported to the administrative unit for review.


Article 37&nbsp;In the case of religious organizations that have a problematic administration or fail to perform duties in accordance with their own charter, the religious affairs department of the people&rsquo;s government should speak to its president (chair, director). ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>History as if Christianity is True</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Philosophic Trends</category><category>Diversity</category><category>Faith Commitments</category><category>Worldviews</category><dc:date>2019-11-22T11:13:10-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/history-as-if-christianity-is-true.php#unique-entry-id-95</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/history-as-if-christianity-is-true.php#unique-entry-id-95</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[John Lord was not only brilliant, but he was a deeply committed Christian.    Because of this, his books were read and republished as Beacon Lights of History for over half a century.  ...  Since the Bible identifies God's plans for humanity, civilization and history, Lord attempts to help his readers to discern human nature, to see the civilizing goods that follow living by God's commands, and to see God's providential acts in history.  


Some may disagree with Lord's religious perspective, but as a historian, I must point out that it is equally valid (and more valuable if true) than those who claim to write with no perspective.  ...  The job of every historian is to discern and evaluate that which is most important for his/her audience to know.    Thus, what historians select to present will always reflect their perspective of truth and value.    John Lord does this extremely well from within his Christian perspective.  


The secular perspective of the past century has claimed neutrality by "just telling the facts."    However, to attempt to stand aside from judgement reflects a perspective that is just as ideological and "judgmental" as John Lord's Christian perspective.    A secular tellingly of history that neglects evaluating human morality and beliefs, and treating God's influence in history as unimportant or false is far from neutral - it is a perspective in itself!  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Secular vs. Christian Thinking</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Philosophic Trends</category><category>Faith Commitments</category><category>Curriculum</category><category>Christian Schooling</category><dc:date>2019-11-21T13:33:56-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/secular-vs-christian-thinking.php#unique-entry-id-94</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/secular-vs-christian-thinking.php#unique-entry-id-94</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[My son asked the professor about the philosophy of the department&hellip; he asked how they included Christianity in the teaching of his history.  


In response, the professor, who specialty is America's religious history, said, "I teach a lot about how Christianity effected history.   Those who teach European history have less to include, and those teaching an Asian history would likely have nothing Christian to include."


...On the other hand, Christian thinking and teaching begins with Biblical truths, values and principles and places the subject matter within that context - a context which provides one the opportunity to look for meaning and purpose.  ...  It seeks to discern God's purpose for the subject, how God was/is/can be involved in the subject, how Christian character and morality interact with the subject, how false ideas and sinful people have distorted the subject, and how God can redeem the subject.  


Nothing can be taught (except superficially) apart from its purposeful Creator&hellip; and in this fallen world, nothing can be taught (except superficially) apart from its place in God's redemptive plans.    (If you don't think God cares about mathematics and science and philosophy and biology and physics and business and the arts&hellip; then perhaps you haven't been taught to think "Christianly.")


Thus, teaching the history of a remote Asian village should not merely explore the events that effected the people who live there, but it should continually compare and contrast the ways in which God designed people to live with the effects of the sin and ignorance they lived in.  

...Summarily, the Christian thought and teaching should not only inform the students about the people and events, but it should enlighten the students regarding God's goodness, human potential and sinfulness, and God's redemptive plans&hellip;. 

...For a good example of history taught from a Christian perspective read some of John Lord - a historian from the latter half of the 19th century whose lectures were compiled into Beacon Lights of History]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>A Christian Education? What?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Philosophic Trends</category><category>Education Philosophy</category><dc:date>2019-10-04T16:12:48-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/a-christian-education-what.php#unique-entry-id-93</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/a-christian-education-what.php#unique-entry-id-93</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Today, I sent the following letter out to about 20 education leaders asking them what they thought defined a Christian education.  

...Representing your perspective and wisdom, would you be able to contribute to this project I'm working on? 

...I have found that few Christians seem to have much of an understanding of the primary qualities of a Christian education (home or classroom).    In other words, few people have a clear understanding of the Biblical instructions and principles regarding the education of children.    Rather, most have reduced the &ldquo;education day&rdquo; to the teaching of general and specific &ldquo;secular&rdquo; information needed for a professional and civic life.


...Thus, I am writing a one page, bullet-pointed paper that defines the key qualities of a Christian education in common English.  

...In existing home, co-op and classroom schools to evaluate and improve the Christian education they provide; and


...** Would you, as one who has deeply reflected on Christian education, please contribute to this &ldquo;paper"? ...  Perhaps you already have a &ldquo;link&rdquo; or reference to a clear and concise articulation of a Christian education that you could forward.  

...My goal is to combine the understanding of many Christians as to the &ldquo;ideals&rdquo; of a Christian education, distribute them, and then leave it up to parents and teachers to prayerfully figure out how to impart them within the diverse educational situations they face - whether in the home, co-op, or classroom.  
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Materialistic Science: A Worldview</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Science &#x26; Technology</category><category>Worldviews</category><dc:date>2019-09-26T11:52:53-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/materialistic-science-a-worldview.php#unique-entry-id-92</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/materialistic-science-a-worldview.php#unique-entry-id-92</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[NO!


Watch this series of six minute videos&hellip; They say it better than I can.  


SCIENCEUP_RISING]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Public Schools Are Religious&#x21;</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Philosophic Trends</category><category>Secular Schools</category><category>Public Education</category><category>Laws</category><dc:date>2019-09-05T14:30:00-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/public-schools-are-religious.php#unique-entry-id-91</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/public-schools-are-religious.php#unique-entry-id-91</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I know that law regarding the neutrality of secularism in the public schools seems to be as settled as slavery prior to 1865, women&rsquo;s voting rights prior to 1920, segregation prior to 1950, and sodomy before 2003, but I am convinced that just as these &ldquo;settled ideas&rdquo; were revealed to be immoral, prejudicial or unconstitutional by the courts, public school secularism must be acknowledged as a "functional religion" and separated from public endorsement according to the First Amendment. &nbsp;  Since the &ldquo;neutrality of the public schools&rdquo; is as taken for granted today as the non-humanity of the negro race was in 1700, let me attempt to explain my case to one who likely does not yet grasp the religious nature of education.&nbsp;


...Since the Establishment clause was written to prevent the state from imposing a religious view upon citizens, is it not a wholesale violation of law and conscience to align the state with secularism (even if it is done ignorantly, with the best of intentions, and a measure of democratic control)?

...In today&rsquo;s schools, where children are under the care and tutelage of state actors (including bus drivers, teachers, and coaches) eight to ten hours per day, all the components of a worldview are actively or tacitly addressed. &nbsp;  Secular perspectives of the meaning, morality, and biology of human sexuality; the rights and wrongs of history; personal behavior, morality and character; the morality, value and parameters of art; individual life vision and purpose; the nature, history, and fundamentals of mathematics; the nature, priorities, and fundamentals of civilized society; the &ldquo;scientific&rdquo; origin and end of life&nbsp;are all presented&nbsp;-&nbsp;all&nbsp;without deferring or grounding any truth, belief, or priority beyond the material world.


...As sociologists trace the increasingly rapid movement of Americans from traditional faiths to atheism and a smorgasbord of &ldquo;personalized belief systems,&rdquo; we need look no further for a &ldquo;missionary" source than our secular public education system. &nbsp;  Sitting on the lap of Uncle Sam, children have been clearly (if only tacitly) taught, &ldquo;Religion is irrelevant to public life and real knowledge, however, many people find private meaning in a variety of beliefs.&rdquo;


	The only solutions that I see for my situation, and the situation of ever American citizen, is for the state to either present all religious and non-religious perspectives throughout the curriculum (this would be closer to real neutrality), or for the state to&nbsp;stop &ldquo;being the teacher.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;  The first option is an impossibility, the second allows the state a potential role in School Choice funding (to ensure that all children have access to an education), and a light role as regulator/ &ldquo;protector&rdquo; (to ensure that children are not &ldquo;abused&rdquo; through educational neglect).


...I am conscientiously concerned that my state and nation through ignorance, law, and perhaps the quiet activism of &ldquo;secular believers&rdquo; are utilizing the mighty power of public education to subvert all traditional faiths and to undermine and promote an opposing one.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Must We Eat the King&#x27;s Food?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Philosophic Trends</category><category>Public Education</category><category>Education Philosophy</category><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><category>Christian Schooling</category><dc:date>2019-07-04T15:57:00-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/must-we-eat-the-kings-food.php#unique-entry-id-90</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/must-we-eat-the-kings-food.php#unique-entry-id-90</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[My kids have gone to a Christian school that (as many) targets high income earners.    Though most of the students are &ldquo;locals,&rdquo; a good number are in the boarding program and represent well-to-do families from many nations of the world.    The &ldquo;College Prep&rdquo; nature of the school was likely a more decisive criteria for most parents to enroll their children than the school&rsquo;s Christian association.  


Thus, I was not particularly surprised when my suggestions to bring more Christian influence into the curriculum came up against the priority of being "college preparatory."  


I want to challenge us in the Christian education community to not be too easily stopped by the stifling influence that college preparation seems to bring upon our Christian mission.  ...  We need schools focused on preparing children from families in the "leadership culture" to be our future leaders.  

...In exile, his captors firmly believed that only a kingly diet could keep one healthy.    Confidently, Daniel followed God's dietary commands and proved his captors' "tried and true" dietary beliefs to be (unexpectedly) wrong.    God desires Christian school students to be strong in faith, philosophy, skill, and academic knowledge.    While keeping our aim towards preparing young people for societal leadership, let us also confidently seek Him for the ideals of true Christian education.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Federal School Choice Support&#x21;</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Education Reform</category><category>School Choice</category><dc:date>2019-02-28T09:39:41-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/federal-school-choice-support.php#unique-entry-id-89</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/federal-school-choice-support.php#unique-entry-id-89</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[WOW!    Huge opportunity that will die if citizens don&rsquo;t act&hellip;  Federal support for Tax scholarships.    Tax scholarship programs are the hottest thing going as a means of helping families attend religious (and other) schools of their choice.    Tax payers who donate money to organizations that give education scholarships to K-12  students get the same amount of money back as a tax credit at the end of the year.    This incentive promotes lots of giving by those who want to support childhood education. 


Scholarships are then given to help parents access the educational resources of their choice.    These plans are popular because they provide little room for government intrusion into private schools.    Tax scholarship programs are usually under the state, but Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is proposing this at the federal level to work in conjunction with state programs.    Contact your state and federal representatives to support this plan!  


More detail from American Federation for Children (AFC)
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Ideas Precede Actions</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Philosophic Trends</category><category>Worldviews</category><category>Education Philosophy</category><dc:date>2018-11-01T08:49:54-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/f244e7d6c8e8c68e99184f1c94f6f673-87.php#unique-entry-id-87</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/f244e7d6c8e8c68e99184f1c94f6f673-87.php#unique-entry-id-87</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Obviously, the not all ideas are lived out nor do all events cause particular human responses, but the relative influential power of the &ldquo;internal&rdquo; world of ideas and the &ldquo;external&rdquo; world of things and events is central to understanding humanity.  

...External &ldquo;things&rdquo; like poverty, victimization, and even forms of government became viewed as the primary causes of &ldquo;human failings&rdquo; &mdash; or social ills.    Thus, the proposed solutions were to change the &ldquo;causes&rdquo; &mdash; provide money to the poor, root out &ldquo;oppressors&rdquo; of all sorts, and offer &ldquo;democracy&rdquo; to replace dictatorships.  

...And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.&rdquo; 

...God blesses, but he never presumes these blessings are necessary to do the right thing.  ...  God says many of his blessings will follow doing the right thing, and he often relates sufferings with doing the wrong thing.  

...The core change needed is to bring people to a place of repentance and relationship with God through Jesus.  

...While the drawing force of God&rsquo;s love expressed through his plan of salvation cuts at the roots of sin, &ldquo;learning&rdquo; is the only remedy for ignorance.    We must seek after truth beginning with biblical revelation, and then integrate these truths and principles as we study all other things of life and creation.


...Disconnected from truth about character, human nature, and the proper workings of the world found in the Bible, secularly minded people have done their best with ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Strategy for Failure</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Faith Commitments</category><dc:date>2018-10-13T09:20:10-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/strategy-for-failure.php#unique-entry-id-86</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/strategy-for-failure.php#unique-entry-id-86</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Obviously, not everything should be a competition with winners and losers, but where there is competition, this is a great strategy.  ...  In the words of another writer, &ldquo;If you're spending all of your time refuting the charges that you're extreme, racist, hate women, and despise the poor -- you're losing.&rdquo; 


Though I could discuss how this strategy can be used both morally and immorally (Alinsky wrongly advocated that ends justify any means), that is not my point.    My point is that it can be a good strategy and that Christians may be totally unaware that we may be losing an important competition as we follow myriads of distractions.  ...  In time sensitive political &ldquo;competitions,&rdquo; one side can keep their opponent so busy defending themselves, that the opponent never has time to carry out their planned election agenda.


...What if the Body of Christ forgets that &ldquo;it&rdquo; is a key player in this most important battle of all history?  ...  I thought, &ldquo;We are so busy keeping up on our personal spiritual growth that we have little time or energy to engage the outward spiritual battles around us.  


...He spends time training to gain strength and strategy, but the goal is to be effective in the GAME - in fact, I guarantee that my son would only practice half-heartedly if there were no games.  

...I think Satan is glad to see us preoccupied with &ldquo;spiritual growth&rdquo; if it keeps us from our calling.    God cares deeply about discipleship and sanctification, but they are not merely to make us &ldquo;buff,&rdquo; they are to make us valuable members of a winning team.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Unity vs. Agreement</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Body of Christ / The Church</category><dc:date>2018-09-13T11:07:10-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/unity-vs.-agreement#unique-entry-id-85</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/unity-vs.-agreement#unique-entry-id-85</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[	Fortunately, the unity of the body of Christ does not require agreement on these things!    It only requires that we disagree while maintaining a supportive love for one another as members of the diverse Body of Christ - while we all take orders from Christ as our &ldquo;head.&rdquo;    Though we may need to wrestle with whether someone else is a member of the Body, if we hear God voice in our hearts affirming, &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; then our action is decided.    We must join with them and &ldquo;hold their hand&rdquo; as Jesus smiles at our squirming.


...Of course, but our unity in Christ matters more.    I just finished the book &ldquo;Broken Churches, Broken Nation.&rdquo;    In this book, the authors shows that as church disagreement led to church division over slavery 15 years before the Civil War, the nation lost its strongest unifying bonds; war became inevitable.  ...  Goen, Ph.D., the author, insightfully concludes that blame for the war lays at the feet of both northern and southern divisions of the church as neither was willing to confront the issue that divided them within a spirit of unity.    (Here is a discussion prompted by the book.)


	Jesus said the world would see His glory through the unity of His followers&hellip;  Will we ever see what that looks like?
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>A Smart Healthy Body</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Body of Christ / The Church</category><dc:date>2018-09-11T12:03:16-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/smart-healthy-body.php#unique-entry-id-84</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/smart-healthy-body.php#unique-entry-id-84</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Though it might not be common to find &ldquo;open hostility&rdquo; between Christian individuals, local church congregations, or denominations; it might be equally as &ldquo;uncommon&rdquo; to find churches and denominations working closely together.    Each denomination tends to feel superior to others - as a relative just told me that in her former mega-church, the pastor made them feel guilty about visiting other churches.    Racially, though churches are slowly becoming more diverse, &ldquo;Eleven o&rsquo;clock Sunday morning continues to be the most segregated hour in America.&rdquo;    There are over 215 denominations in North America that do little to learn from one another or link their efforts and resources to the goals of Christ.


In John 17:22-23 Jesus, speaking to His Father, said, &nbsp;&ldquo;The glory which You have given Me, I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.&rdquo;    Jesus wants to include us in the glorious &ldquo;oneness&rdquo; He shares with His Father.    And this is NOT just an individualized or denominationalized oneness with God; it is a oneness of ALL followers of Jesus!    And it is this unity in Christ that will demonstrate to the world that Jesus was sent from God and that we are loved by the Father as He loved His Son.


I believe building unity is the biggest and most exciting challenge that faces the Church, and I feel called to do something about it!    Stay tuned&hellip;
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Could Justice Roy Moore be Right?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Philosophic Trends</category><category>Religious Liberties</category><category>Government</category><dc:date>2017-05-02T15:11:42-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/justice-moore-right.php#unique-entry-id-81</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/justice-moore-right.php#unique-entry-id-81</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[In these nations, secular ideologies are beginning to be treated as "religions," and with this new perspective, there is a greater concern that governments do not propagate naturalistic belief systems. 

...Government did not mandate that people be Protestant or involve itself with theology, but neither did it presume that government leaders could or should lay aside their beliefs regarding truth and value to operate in an official capacity.

...Following the Supreme Court rulings of the 60s that removed the vestiges of prayer and Bible reading from public schools, and the popular scholarship of liberal political scientists such as John Rawls, the legal as well as the political mood of the ruling class viewed the mixing of religion and politics to any degree as completely improper within a free nation.   The new rubric of religious liberty conceived that it was possible for government to be neutral toward all religions as well as all ideologies (such as naturalism, secularism, atheism, and veganism) that paralleled the place of a religion in the lives of those who believed them.

...Judge Moore is taking a stance because he has the insight to recognize the prejudice embodied in the current language of neutrality and that the practical out workings of these "neutral" efforts have provided a cloak to hide a robust government alignment with "non-religious" or naturalistic ideologies.

...Though both schools have made ideologically based statements that were offensive to different citizens, with our lack of ideological literacy, we as an American people quickly recognize what "religion" looks like and ban it while giving a free pass to state sponsored naturalistic ideologies.  

...From my years of study of church state topics, I have concluded that government cannot be neutral regarding ideological perspectives or that massive governments can operate on "an overlapping consensus." ...  In fact, I do not believe government can function without a general ideological foundation, and these ideological foundations are what have given rise to the diverse nations of the world.

Though I do not propose that America should make Christianity the law of the land, I believe that to deny or ignore our ideological roots is kin to substituting those roots with foreign ones.   

...I recognize that I have intermixed the idea of government neutrality with the idea that naturalistic religions can be treated as religions, but this mixing points to their connection.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>A Worthy Life</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Philosophic Trends</category><category>Faith Commitments</category><dc:date>2016-06-03T09:36:27-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/a-worthy-life.php#unique-entry-id-78</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/a-worthy-life.php#unique-entry-id-78</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[ I watched the movie the first time on video cassette several years after it came out. ...  As I remember, the tape hadn't been re-wound all the way which made the beginning confusing, and I didn't catch all the audio.    Anyway, I've told many people it was a great movie to watch to see the horrors of war with a focus on the impact it has on individuals and families - that war is not glorious.


...The impact on families was a stepping stone to a greater message that is relevant to every one of us.    Time after time Steven Spielberg's soldiers question whether the person and the cause they are fighting for is worthy of their sacrifice.    He graphically shows us the price they and their families paid for our liberties.   He shows us that "how" we live matters to those who are giving their lives "that" we may live.   But Spielberg didn't end with a statement, he ended with a very serious challenge&hellip;


"Am I living a life worthy of their sacrifice?" 


...It makes an even more important reflection for the daily life of every Christian who lives free both now and forever&hellip;
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Christians&#x2c; Science and Food</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Science &#x26; Technology</category><category>Worldviews</category><dc:date>2016-05-13T09:30:48-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/christians-science-food.php#unique-entry-id-77</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/christians-science-food.php#unique-entry-id-77</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I just came across this great article, Here's what 9,000 years of breeding has done to corn, peaches, and other crops,  that shows how the human manipulation of foods through selective breeding have changed them.  

...We must remember that even if the Garden of Eden was perfect, nature has in some way been cursed.  ...  As a scientific person, next to the beauty of nature, the wonders of science and technology inspire me to worship God more than anything.   Who would have thought that God created the world in such a way that a pile of rocks, wood, etc. could become a fighter jet?!


...Some might limit genetic manipulation to what can be achieved through natural selective breeding&hellip; but is that God's limit?  ...  For example, rather than using pesticides (bad&hellip; or good?!), a gene can be placed into a food crop that makes it distasteful to bugs.    Or take the case of a Christian research botanist friend of mine who felt called to be a missionary to the needy parts of the globe.   When hearing that delivery of medicines is one of the greatest needs in poverty stricken areas, he said, "Since many medicines come from plants, I can take those plant genes and insert them into the DNA of the local plants where there are needs. 

...No doubt there are dangers involved when we get involved in radically changing the fabric of the food web&hellip; but here, I believe there is also as much potential good as we have achieved in the field of medicine.   Science is a gift of God to be used for good&hellip; That is why we need Christians in the field!  
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Faith&#x2c; Family and the Achievement Gap</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>School Quality / Research</category><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><dc:date>2016-05-05T09:05:07-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/faith-family-achievement-gap.php#unique-entry-id-76</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/faith-family-achievement-gap.php#unique-entry-id-76</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[This is written about in detail in a recent US Centre post.    Jeynes importantly notes that though research overwhelmingly supports the importance of faith and family, policy makers continue to focus on pumping money into education and other social programs that have proven to be of little effect.    Surely it is harder for the state to strengthen a family than to run a Head-Start program, but aren't we more interested in results?    Further, Jeynes has several proposals that are NOT difficult for the state to accomplish&hellip;  Perhaps faith and family are just unpopular&hellip;


 I'll say no more and allow you to get the details for yourself! 


 


P.S. You will also want to look at Jeynes most recent book, What Would Christ Do?]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Religious Liberties and Non-Traditional Religions</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Religious Liberties</category><category>Church &#x26; State</category><dc:date>2016-05-03T11:59:33-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/religious-liberties-and-nontraditional-religions.php#unique-entry-id-73</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/religious-liberties-and-nontraditional-religions.php#unique-entry-id-73</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[While "secular" merely refers to common things of this concrete world, secularism is a system of Truth based on humanism and scientific naturalism.    As it relates to the manifesto I found discussed, the proponents intend to align government power exclusively with their religious belief system while claiming that all other religions should be kept private and out of public affairs.  

...Here in America, secularism is considered a non-traditional religious belief system.    Its followers are granted the same "freedom of exercise" rights as other faiths, but government is prohibited from "establishing" it as "true".    Your attempts to gain the power of government are no more tolerant than the other fundamentalists you discredit.    You are merely fighting for your religious views to be dominant by suppressing others with the force of government!﻿


Very distinctly, when we argue for secular government, we are supporting a governmental system that attempts to remain neutral between the many traditional and non-traditional belief systems.  ...  Since so much of life has religious overtones, government should have a very small "footprint" in areas that are highly religious such as marriage, education, welfare, etc.    Secular government serves to accomplish important duties, but it undermines human liberty if it imposes a secularist viewpoint.    That is why we support secular government - not a government based on secularism!]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Godly Systems</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Educators</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2016-02-12T09:50:55-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/godly-systems.php#unique-entry-id-72</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/godly-systems.php#unique-entry-id-72</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[In my house, since my time is flexible and my wife's school has a time clock, I get up first, start the tea, wake the kids, make breakfast and the kids lunches, etc.  ...  A more complex system might be the rules, procedures, technology, and human qualities that provide a large measure of law and order in our communities.  


...However, systems generally have unintended consequences that might even undermine the purpose of the system itself.  


...With no grace or questions asked, this system designed to support the high value the Christian school places on punctuality and education, will likely teach a different message.    Though it might improve punctuality, it will also teach families that the school is rigid, unreasoning, authoritarian, and lacks compassion for individual needs.


...Some say it accomplishes its intended purpose (I will leave that for another day), but what are some of the negative and unintended consequences of the system's structure that should concern us?  


...	&bull;	the state has the right to decide what our children should learn as a part of their education.


...	&bull;	"accountability" based on testing produces a fear culture that causes superintendents to be strict on principals, principals to be strict on teachers, and teachers to be strict on students.


...Systems not only self perpetuate, but they tend to degenerate as they grow and lose accountability to the people they are intended to serve - unless wise people monitor and update them.


I hope you take time to reflect on the systems effecting your life and their unintended consequences.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Good and Angry</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Philosophic Trends</category><category>Education Reform</category><category>Character / Civic Education</category><dc:date>2016-02-12T08:48:48-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/good-and-angry.php#unique-entry-id-71</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/good-and-angry.php#unique-entry-id-71</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I try to shape arguments to trap them in their evil or bring the hand of authority down on them (where I can't).


As I pray, I don't think this is good, at least to be driven by anger.  

...Perhaps, after I have learned to "do good to those who hate you" and "pray for those who despitefully use you", then a "righteous anger" might remain to guide loving actions.  

...Where Paul talks about slavery, his priorities are that the slave have a heart of love toward his "master", and that the master also have a heart of love - even to treat his slaves like brothers!  

...Merely to "righteously" fight against it does little to change hearts (worth reflecting on the American Civil War, which some claim hasn't ended).


...Surely some must be resisted in anger, but that anger cannot shape our interactions with the people we pass on the street, work with (or under), and go to church(!) ...  A loving response in a worldly situation may not change everything immediately, but it is the only hope with the potential to change hearts and undermine worldly systems. 


Though surely Jesus was angry at the selfishness, neglect, pride, callousness, and even sickness around him, yet he was driven by love, compassion, and mercy. ...  He radically set about to change hearts, which not only led to some deep bonds of friendship, but greatly reduced sin and ungodly systems.


"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use use, and persecute you: that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven," Jesus (Matt. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Multiplication: Faster Than Addition</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Homeschooling</category><category>Christian Schooling</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2016-01-08T09:58:06-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/multiplication.php#unique-entry-id-70</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/multiplication.php#unique-entry-id-70</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Today, Sandy Rios, a Christian radio talk-show host (that I like to listen to) commented on the value of homeschooling.    I wrote the following to "multiply" the vision:


...Today you expressed your gratefulness about the (Christian) homeschool movement.    I honor the movement too, but not just as an end, but a means.    Christian homeschool parents touch their own children; but the Christian classroom setting provides the opportunity to multiply the lives and wisdom of teachers.    Christian missions globally began with a mission and vision to educate the next generation.    We must return to it.  


Homeschool parents tend to be more philosophic about education - a needed element in many classroom settings.    I pray that homeschoolers and former homeschoolers will start schools to educate and disciple the children of others.    Christian education, home and classroom, is the key way to gain lost ground and really address the needs of the Church and society.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Is Choice Magical?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2015-12-15T10:14:30-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/is-choice-magical.php#unique-entry-id-69</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/is-choice-magical.php#unique-entry-id-69</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[After bemoaning the fact that the book said little about various school choice models (which I believe would have detracted from my central theme), Coons surmised that "parental empowerment" through choice alone was the driver of better education and that my emphasis on the value of religious schools was rather irrelevant.  

..."this book &ndash; never addresses the substance of the claim that parental empowerment is the best hope for producing the ideal citizen &ndash; whether the parent chooses a religious or an atheist school.


...Now, if parental sovereignty were to be recognized as a discrete source of effective moral learning at school, there could be a logical problem with Engelhardt&rsquo;s religious argument for choice.   At least in theory, the superior outcomes he attributes to faith-based education could be simply&nbsp; &ndash; or at least partly &ndash; a function of the exercise of parental choice quite apart from the chosen school&rsquo;s message about the source of the good.   And how could one argue empirically for religion as the true cause of civic devotion when religious schools today are in fact all parentally chosen? 

...I agree with his basic premise regarding the almost magical power of competition to improve products (as noted by Adam Smith), however competition only transforms "products" toward the desires, standards, and understanding of the "consumers." 

...He claims that giving parents choice will magically allow them to pass on wholesome values and beliefs to their children regardless of the school they choose.    I rather believe that cultural trends related to sex, marriage, crime, and religion show that American parents are largely ignorant of the qualities of good citizenship and have little to pass on to their kids - even with more "empowerment."    I argued that America has lost its moral and philosophic sharpness because of generations of secular schooling, and this sharpness must be restored through the education day.  

...Yes, school choice is necessary and empowering parents is necessary, but it is the content of an education that most influences a child's intellectual and moral growth.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Praise for Public Education</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Public Education</category><category>Philosophic Trends</category><dc:date>2015-12-14T13:27:53-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/praise-for-public-education.php#unique-entry-id-68</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/praise-for-public-education.php#unique-entry-id-68</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[In concluding a page entitled "An American imperative: Public education", they write:


 "Our nation has led the world for more than 100 years because of the character of its people&mdash;and, increasingly, because of what they know.   Throughout the 20th century, nearly 90 percent of the American people were educated in our nation&rsquo;s public schools. ...  It has been the foundation of our economy and the very foundation of our society.&nbsp;


History tells us that America succeeded not in spite of public education, but because of it.   If the 20th century was America&rsquo;s century, it was in no small part because it was public education&rsquo;s century." 


Though I applaud the millions of teachers and administrators who have given so much to the children of our nation, they have worked within a system that has constrained their efforts.  ...  America has been in decline for several generations as our public system limits the moral, philosophic and even academic development of children under the constraints of secular philosophy and law.    America has been in decline internally as human character declined and economically as debt continues to increase.


It is time to re-think America's public education system - not just sentimentally praise it!]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>&#x22;Sorry&#x2c; but No&#x21;&#x22;</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2015-12-04T10:29:03-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/sorry_but_no.php#unique-entry-id-67</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/sorry_but_no.php#unique-entry-id-67</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[  Specifically, when asked whether something could be done to help parents who pay school taxes and tuition, he said, "I think many families make the choice to have their child at a private school, and that&rsquo;s a choice that they&rsquo;re making, an investment they&rsquo;re making, but we&rsquo;ve got to make sure that, as a country, we are investing in our public education system.   But I very much respect the choice that parents make about the school that is best for their child, but we have a different responsibility as the U.S. Education Department and as we think about our public education system.&rdquo; 


Now, there are all kinds of ways to qualify a statement like this, but apparently none were given.    SACE is not in favor of the Federal government dictating how states should educate their citizens, but the Federal government has been in the way of states educating their children for generations through Federal law that forbids the support of religious schools.    Fortunately, others are not as blind to the value of private schools as is King.    As "No Child Left Behind" expires, it appears that the new version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) will insure that children in private schools who have special needs are more equitably treated by the government than they have been.


Still, we have a long way to go to see the value of religious schools presented to the public.    As long as education is viewed as a secular subject, little will change&hellip; even with school choice.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Pope: &#x22;Disease of Fundamentalism&#x22;</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Philosophic Trends</category><dc:date>2015-12-02T10:44:17-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/pope-disease-of-fundamentalism.php#unique-entry-id-66</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/pope-disease-of-fundamentalism.php#unique-entry-id-66</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[At the heart of the controversy was the attempt to define the faith in terms of a growing liberal interpretation of Scriptures.  

...But we do not use the word so narrowly today, and obviously, yesterdays comment by the Pope did not attempt to reference American Christian history.  ...  If I could define his use of the word in a manner that would make me agreeable to his statement that "fundamentalism is "a disease of all religions'", I would have to make several distinctions.

First, I would say that fundamentalism by this definition, in order to be a disease, must press one to support their faith without rational or emotional concern for those who do not believe.    Further, to undergird this type of fundamentalism, believers must not even consider alternate interpretations of their scriptures or to the teachings of their leaders.    At the core of a pathogenic fundamentalism is a submissive irrationality that emphasizes complete obedience to "faith tenets" with no concern for others or their beliefs.

Even "Christians" can fall under this definition when they camp on particular Biblical interpretations without even considering other interpretations and when they fail to bring a concern for others and society into their reading of Scripture.    With the Bible's twin commandments to love God and to love one's neighbor, it's followers are predisposed against pathogenic fundamentalism.  

...Thus, though some religions are more benign when taken "fundamentally," I can go along with the Pope's comment when it is appropriately defined.    Broadly interpreted, I think he meant to say that all religions should have a concern for others, but when they don't, they become a disease to humanity.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Religious vs. Secular</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Secular Schools</category><category>Church &#x26; State</category><dc:date>2015-10-22T14:20:46-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/religious-vs-secular.php#unique-entry-id-65</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/religious-vs-secular.php#unique-entry-id-65</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Searching the web for discussions defining the difference between Religious and Secular beliefs, I found many crazy comments.    One (the "Best Answer" of the discussion) simply stated that religious beliefs were based on efforts to please God or to avoid sin.  

...This question is actually very complex because there are many definitions of religious and secular.     Some say that religious beliefs are based merely on unprovable beliefs and secular ones are evidence based.   Though some may think so (and some religions may lean in that direction), I find that one's authorities for Truth are the more central issue....    Are ones beliefs based on their own experience, famous or learned people's experiences, the experiences of millions of others who come to the same conclusion, ones intuition?  


...If beliefs (even "secular" ones) are held as true and central guides for life, they can be considered "religious."  ...  On the other hand, traditional definitions of religion look at whether the set of beliefs looks, smells and tastes like the religions we are familiar with...  they burn candles, kneel, talk to invisible beings, etc.  


Though the traditional definition of religion makes it relatively easy to describe a "religious" belief (beliefs that come from their God), I find it less accurate and prone to bias in our modern "rational based world."   Most religions ARE rational and they include their beliefs in their rational framework as an over riding authority (when rightly understood).  
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Are Public Schools Religious?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Education Philosophy</category><category>Secular Schools</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2015-09-05T11:16:05-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/are-public-schools-religious.php#unique-entry-id-64</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/are-public-schools-religious.php#unique-entry-id-64</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Many individual things can be taught in a &ldquo;non-religious&rdquo; way - how to change a tire for example - but public schools that teach as broadly as they do - and teach impressionable children for as many hours as they do - must be considered religious. &nbsp;...  K-12 schooling is a broad preparation for life in the real world - as opposed to how to complete an individual task.    Schools present how things work together in a logical and meaningful manner without giving caveats such as, "Your parents will teach you about the true meaning of life/work/art/athletics, etc. at home].  


...Laws are purposefully in place to prohibit public employees (especially teachers who work with other people's children) from endorsing any religious view.  

...Religions don&rsquo;t need deities [Buddhism], nor must they be formal [atheism, New Agers], nor must they be believed by their practitioners [pew sitters]. &nbsp;  Though traditional religions tend to have a deity, worship, and rituals, non-traditional religions (following a "functional definition of religion") are a comprehensive view of truth regarding life and the world that one draws from when making decisions or responding to new knowledge and events.  


...Removing traditional religion from the school day does not merely leave an obvious "hole to be filled in at home," it bridges over the hole with alternate explanations drawn from naturalistic science, popular opinion, law or mere opinion so that the traditional "hole" is replaced by a non-traditional "bridge."   ...  In place of a traditional godly teaching, they learn that the naturalistic scientific method is the best source of truth, that values are subjective, that human rights are determined by the Supreme Court, that individuals are the authors of their own destinies, etc. &nbsp;


...And by avoiding explanations relying on that god, a vacuum is created for alternate explanations and rationales which fill in a world view - i.e. The laws that prohibit public schools from endorsing Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, etc. create a filter in the K-12 educational environment (where truth is presumptively taught) through which non-traditional religion quite freely flows as merely "secular."


...We, as a nation, are so used to looking for traditional religious "criminals" that we have sponsored a non-traditional religion that has undermined the Church and society for generations!  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The Bedrock of Moral Integrity</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Philosophic Trends</category><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><dc:date>2015-06-23T10:44:31-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/cc11b9da10d9e8f7210efb7e880f5ea7-63.php#unique-entry-id-63</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/cc11b9da10d9e8f7210efb7e880f5ea7-63.php#unique-entry-id-63</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[If you read very much from the time of the colonial, founding, or 19th century generations, you will find that they had a much more pervasive concern with morality.  

...In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. ...  Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice ? ...  Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.


...Many states had "blue laws" against working on Sunday, some laws punished blasphemy, homosexuality was a crime, drunkenness was often restricted, and there were numerous other moral laws that our "enlightened" culture has discarded.  

...I have heard a number of scholars state ideas such as: "America has been spending its cultural inheritance," and "there is frequently a cultural lag in which the changes made by earlier generations are often not seen until later generations."  ...  Much of what we think of as American (honesty, sexual purity, the value of marriage and family, hard work, etc.) was grounded in past religious admonitions that are rarely discussed today.    Thus, we are slowly undermining the moral bedrock upon which our nation was built, grew, and prospered.  


Nigeria's First Lady may have purchased her watch in an honest manner, but the suspicion of graft reminds us to teach our children that human failings are a reality.    And those nations that have reached the highest level of liberty and prosperity were built upon the moral bedrock supplied by the Christian faith.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>What Does One Say About &#x22;Charter Greed&#x22;?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Character / Civic Education</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2015-06-20T09:03:51-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/what-does-one-say-about-charter-greed.php#unique-entry-id-62</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/what-does-one-say-about-charter-greed.php#unique-entry-id-62</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Though there may be more to these stories than what the author has included, these do look like some bad nuts.    Government run schools seem to do better at keeping exorbitant salaries down, but they have not been very successful at promoting a cultural moral foundation that combats the greed being denounced.    I find this to be directly linked with the ideological shallowness that is imposed on all government schools required by the First Amendment religion clauses.    A good Christian school will weave a moral pattern utilizing the diverse threads found in the curriculum, the teaching methodology, and the school community.    Their first goal should not be merely academic success, but human success  - and I don't mean earning potential!


All people respond as individuals, but I wonder how many of these "greedy" Charter operators might have different heart motivations if they had a stronger moral education in a private religious school concerned about such issues?    Where and how might they use their talents if they were given a more transcendent vision for their professional lives than the materialistic ones that so easily slip through the filters that keep "traditional religions" out of secular schools?    I am disappointed that Charters have taken the lead in school choice discussions because I believe the private non-profit school sector has more to offer.    Likely religious non-profit schools keep quiet because they don't want the government meddling with the higher ideals they were established to promote.    One day, I hope they find their public voices.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The Personal Side of Education</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Education Philosophy</category><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><dc:date>2015-06-12T12:04:28-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/the-personal-side-of-education.php#unique-entry-id-61</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/the-personal-side-of-education.php#unique-entry-id-61</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Excellent comments! &nbsp;  I don't know if the "All" part of Ellen Church's essay is entirely accurate, but meaningful education really is "social-emotional learning."   I suppose there are many small-town public schools that fit this image, but the massive institutions that typify much of the education world struggle to find a meaningful place for human emotions and relationships in the curriculum. &nbsp;  I guess this is primarily why I support school choice - the government - now and always - operates very poorly in the interpersonal arena. &nbsp;


Parents on the other hand, tend to have a much greater concern for the emotional/social wellbeing of their children than principals, superintendents, and bureaucrats. &nbsp;  Give parents greater (financial) control over not only the choice of their child's school but its curricular priorities, and we may have a solution to our nation's declining human and social capital - especially in the inner cities.


When more local churches can afford to run schools that will address the needs of their children on a more human level, within a context of trust, shared core values, and parental involvement, and without the micromanagement of the state, THEN we may begin to see more socially and emotionally healthy kids and the rebirth of a healthy social fabric in our inner cities.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Education Models and the Public Good</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Character / Civic Education</category><category>Public Education</category><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><dc:date>2015-06-11T11:49:59-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/education-models-and-the-public-good.php#unique-entry-id-60</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/education-models-and-the-public-good.php#unique-entry-id-60</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Though you are right in saying that citizens often must pay taxes for things they &nbsp;don&rsquo;t want or like, this does not mean that our system of government run&nbsp;&ldquo;common" (secular) schools is the ONLY model to choose as a public education system! &nbsp;  We could institute a&nbsp;&ldquo;plural&rdquo; system of public education similar to most of the western world that allows families to pick between diverse&nbsp;government approved religious and secular schools. &nbsp;  You say that religious schools must be paid for with&nbsp;&ldquo;private&rdquo;&nbsp;funds, but this is not been accurate for over a decade. &nbsp;

...The real issue behind the school-choice issue is not whether or not&nbsp;&ldquo;choice&rdquo; exists&nbsp;apart from public money, but &ldquo;What kind of public education system should American tax dollars support?&rdquo; &nbsp;...  Here, I find that our current public education model is severely hampered by church-state limitations that have led to a lack of philosophic depth in the curriculum, &nbsp;shallow school community, and the poor moral development of our children. &nbsp;  As long as our public schools are government run (and thus subjected to First Amendment restrictions associated with ideological neutrality), this can not change, and we will continue to have schools that reduce education to the teaching of knowledge, skills, and a common morality.


...The truth of this is open for debate, but the point is, we can shape our concept of public education within legal parameters in diverse ways. &nbsp;...  Since government run schools can only poorly address these issues, and since citizens have diverse religious and &ldquo;nonreligious&rdquo; views, this necessitates a &ldquo;plural" public education system. &nbsp;...  If the public good is our standard, then public money should be utilized to support the &ldquo;system&rdquo; that best supports the public&rsquo;s educational interests.


...As you say, we have long had a form of &ldquo;freedom of choice&rdquo; in education, but the real issue is whether our &ldquo;common" (secular) model of public education is the best choice to be exclusively aligned with the public&rsquo;s good. &nbsp;]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Trust Parents or the Education Elite?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2015-06-05T11:09:27-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/trust-parents-or-the-education-elite.php#unique-entry-id-59</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/trust-parents-or-the-education-elite.php#unique-entry-id-59</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I appreciate the concern of those who claim they can better pick a school for my child (or "all children") than I can, but I believe I better know what my child and the public needs educationally - and I will trust other parents with the same broad discretion.    In a competitive school system, the children in "loser schools" at least have a choice to go elsewhere - more choice than the government system traditionally allows for those in its "loser schools."    However, my bigger concern is your assumption that "better schools" look the same to everyone... and they don't.  ...  I'm less into the efficiency of mass education than into school diversity that meets the concerns and educational needs of caring families.  


Further, one of the most vital public interests associated with education is the moral development of children, and First Amendment limitations prevent government schools from effectively working in this area.  ...  We must redefine public education to include schools that broadly support the public's educational interests... and this new definition will include most "private" schools.


Though I have extensively read arguments for competition as a rationale for school choice, I agree that it is a limited paradigm that has its merits as well as its drawbacks.  ...  It doesn't fit many people's definition of "excellence," it creates "perverse incentives", it "disenfranchises" taxpayers", and look at the "lies and fantasies" that are coming out of many government schools motivated by the pressures of testing and accountability.  ...  It makes little sense for political leaders to intentionally try to undermine their state's education system&hellip; unless you think they are merely selfish, bigoted, and stupid.    As an American, you should give your fellow citizens a little more confidence then that&hellip; Especially since that confidence is not only at the heart of the school choice debate, but at the heart of the "Great American Experiment." ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Ravitch Slams School Leaders&#x27; Motives</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2015-06-03T16:39:07-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/ravitch-slams-school-leaders-motives.php#unique-entry-id-58</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/ravitch-slams-school-leaders-motives.php#unique-entry-id-58</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[To simplify the painful loss of identity of what was likely a private religious school to &ldquo;crony capitalism&rdquo; is shallow at best.   First, the inability of private schools to compete with free schools is nothing new.   It began during the nineteenth century with the growth of the free public schools system (Engelhardt, Education Reform, p. ...  More recently, in 2008, the US Dept of Ed documented this phenomenon in &ldquo;Preserving a Critical National Asset: America&rsquo;s Disadvantaged Students and the Crisis in Faith-based Urban Schools.&rdquo;


Second, why impute selfish motives on any school struggling to survive?   Most private school educators enter the field with hearts to serve children for much less pay than their public school counter-parts.   Since charters have been in Arizona since 1994, it is unlikely this school saw &ldquo;public money&rdquo; as a windfall that would support their educational vision.


Third, it is an error to say that &ldquo;capitalism has failed&rdquo; in a situation where public money favors one school over another.   Even with its diverse school choice laws, Arizona&rsquo;s private schools are not tuition free for everyone.   Families who value small school environments are frequently (unfairly) drawn away from private schools not for a better education, but for a less expensive one.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>How We Lost It</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Body of Christ / The Church</category><dc:date>2015-06-02T16:50:19-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/how-we-lost-it.php#unique-entry-id-57</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/how-we-lost-it.php#unique-entry-id-57</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I am so glad&nbsp;Citizen&nbsp;is so directly discussing the cultural battles we are facing as a Church and a nation.   It is valuable to talk about what is happening, what might happen, and what we should do to respond - forewarned is truly to be forearmed. &nbsp;

...To summarize over a decade of my own study, we got here through losing cultural authority, which came through giving over educational authority to the secular state. &nbsp;  Christians of the nineteenth century didn&rsquo;t see it coming, but this educational surrender led to the social transfer of cultural authority from a religious base to a secular scientific base. &nbsp;  As the secular paradigm of truth and value took over both the higher and lower education of our nation&rsquo;s children, it produced leaders in all fields (many who were religious), who had spent virtually no time reflecting on the impact of faith upon their profession and society.&nbsp;


Dr. James Dobson was a rare voice who recovered a Christian perspective of Child Development from his secularized doctoral studies, and look at the impact he has had!   How different would our nation be today if the authorities who taught our national leaders the rudiments and the expertise associated with art, entertainment, law, government, history, business, science, and the other influential fields of society had presented a Christian view of the subject matter? &nbsp;


Evangelicals do well at &ldquo;passing on their faith,&rdquo; but they have failed to pass on the culture shaping authority that is closely tied to the educational philosophy of our nation&rsquo;s schools. &nbsp;  Our faith has a deep educational component that we have neglected for over a century, and sadly, we are now reaping the consequences.   Though it may be too late to stop the advance of the current radical sexual agenda of our cultural leaders, I do not believe it is too late to recapture the field of education by re-educating ourselves, advancing school choice, and insuring that our children receive a truly Christian education - one built upon a loving pursuit of God, scriptural truths, a sense of professional calling, and a vision to serve others. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Is the End Here?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>The Last days</category><dc:date>2015-05-26T12:28:37-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/is-the-end-here.php#unique-entry-id-56</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/is-the-end-here.php#unique-entry-id-56</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Largely this is because I grew up in the &lsquo;70s reading Hal Lindsey&rsquo;s Late Great Planet Earth and every other book attempting to interpret biblical prophecy. &nbsp;...  In particular, I chose not to &ldquo;go out for track and field&rdquo; past the 9th grade - &nbsp;continuing would have made me a &ldquo;four year letterman&rdquo; (a coveted status), &nbsp;but I &ldquo;knew&rdquo; the rapture would occur before then. &nbsp;


...Some books were written attempting to keep the vision alive, but world events had changed - the generation that saw Israel become a nation passed, and the USSR, the "great bear to the north,&rdquo; dissolved. &nbsp;  Though the Left Behind series was a hit, it didn&rsquo;t seem to stir the expectancy found in the &lsquo;70s, many of us had become wiser and more skeptical of the interpretation and prediction of End Times events and time-tables.


...Its not that I want to fulfill my vision, but I&rsquo;m afraid that if the Lord tarries, the vision (God&rsquo;s vision) will not be fulfilled because of the pervasive short-term thinking of so many in the Church.


...I have to admit, we do live at a time filled with &ldquo;wars and rumors of war,&rdquo; "signs in the heavens,&rdquo; &ldquo;the love of many growing cold,&rdquo; a growth of immorality, &ldquo;earthquakes in &nbsp;diverse places,&rdquo; and Israel increasingly at the cross hairs of the world. &nbsp;  Not only are there many signs of the end, but I am reminded that we are even warned to not be caught unprepared. &nbsp;

...He is returning for a bride that has prepared for the long term, is wisely investing its talents, and trusts the goodness of &ldquo;her&rdquo; Lord -even if He tarry.


...	&bull;	Anticipate His return in order to be more fully in His presence, but relish every moment of this life as a &ldquo;once in a lifetime&rdquo; opportunity to work alongside our loving Shepherd in His search for His &ldquo;lost sheep.&rdquo;&nbsp;


...Know that the pressures and terrors faced by many in the world are to awaken people to seek Him - we must be available to be His witnesses in these times and places.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Prejudice isn&#x27;t All&#x21;</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><category>Philosophic Trends</category><dc:date>2015-05-13T11:26:13-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/prejudice-isnt-all.php#unique-entry-id-55</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/prejudice-isnt-all.php#unique-entry-id-55</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Having listened to and read  of her efforts to regain control, her blundering rant, and her apology, then inferring much from her background and educational endeavors, I hope this principal may not be as racist as she presented herself to be.    After all, she started a school specifically for kids who were unsuccessful in the public schools.    Hopefully, this reflects that there is a heart of compassion somewhere behind her misguided words.    Regardless, she will have to live in the shadow of her "moment of fame."  


Though the "big story" is her words, there is a smaller story that will hopefully be discussed among parents.     It is good that blacks (and others) "shamelessly" walked out after being slammed, but lets also discuss the disrespect of those students (black, white, and other) who continued to walk out when the mistake was found and they were initially called back.    Just as society can crumble from racial prejudice, it can crumble from disrespect toward classmates being honored to give a speech and disrespect toward "those in authority".]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Religion: Good for You?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Church &#x26; State</category><dc:date>2015-05-12T12:47:21-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/religion-good-for-you.php#unique-entry-id-54</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/religion-good-for-you.php#unique-entry-id-54</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Dr. Jeff Levin, a Jewish epidemiologist (a person who studies transmission and prevention of disease) who holds a distinguished chair at Baylor University recently gave a presentation reviewing studies that sought to answer questions related to religion and health. &nbsp;...  Apparently, this belief reflected the secular perspectives that 1) all religions are false, therefore there can be no supernatural intervention, and 2) since religions present false or misleading coping skills and treatments, they generally produce harmful results.


...A review of more than 4,000 studies across all religious beliefs that have been conducted over more than 60 years tell the opposite story. &nbsp;  Dr. Levin says, these studies overwhelmingly link religious belief with good health and a positive sense of well being.   Religion reduces anxiety, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and suicide; it increases a subjective sense of &nbsp;health, reduces pain, increases activity among those with physical limitations, increases satisfaction, self-esteem and happiness. &nbsp;  Religion improves marital stability and satisfaction, lowers rates of childhood delinquency, lowers rates of stress related cardiovascular (and other) diseases, leads to improved personal health care, and leads to longer lives. &nbsp;

...Religious people join together in communities where they get physical and emotional care, affirmation, and a sense of purpose and destiny. &nbsp;

...	To the Christian school community, the above probably comes as little surprise (except to see that even false religions produce healthful effects). &nbsp;...  The centrality of love must not be merely a theological centerpiece of faith, but it must be the relational centerpiece of our schools.   This is not only makes for healthy individuals in our schools, but it will improve the health of the whole Body!
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Solutions for Baltimore&#x27;s Rioting Students?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Character / Civic Education</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2015-05-03T14:44:07-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/solutions-for-baltimores-rioting-students.php#unique-entry-id-53</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/solutions-for-baltimores-rioting-students.php#unique-entry-id-53</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[School choice has a lot going for it and it need not be a slam to conscientious traditional teachers.   A school choice system gets parents more involved (which is one of the most critical indicators of their child's success).   Teachers and Administrators enjoy their jobs in Charters and private schools because they have more professional freedom which makes for happier students.   However, Charters alone are not the answer to educational problems - children need schools that are meaningful in ways that secular schools can not be.   Private schools are places where children and teachers can pray, discuss subjects deeply, and receive life inspiration.   Maryland's problems are humanly deeper than what public schools can address, school choice must go beyond secular school limitations!
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Special Needs and Schooling</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Special needs</category><dc:date>2015-04-02T10:10:34-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/special-needs-and-schooling.php#unique-entry-id-52</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/special-needs-and-schooling.php#unique-entry-id-52</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Both our kids have unique areas of special needs that cause them to either be "pigeonholed" by those familiar with their diagnoses, or misunderstood by those who aren't. ...  Other than their educational perspective, the problem we find with the public schools is that they are big and inflexible.    For a child with an anxiety disorder who rarely can get anywhere on a time schedule, the public school says, "Sure, we can accommodate your child's needs, just get him to our huge school and be on time or we will prosecute you for truancy."  

...The problem with Christian private schools is that they tend to know too little about special needs (yet often assume they are "in the know.")  ...  It would begin the ball rolling to allow Christian schools to gear up to meet the unusual needs many children face at an affordable rate.  

...In other words, their sources of academic, moral, and human truth and value can only be Christian by happenstance, not by design.   This is fine if Christianity has no special input into the education of children, but I believe the opposite&hellip;  It is the source of educational life!    Public schools can only meet the educational needs of certain classes of students - primarily those whose families whose faith understanding has little educational expression, who "believe" that "experts" know best, and who trust that the peer and authoritative influence of the public school will not harm their children.  

...When will Christian special education teachers and researchers seek God for insight into helping kids with special needs in non-secular settings?...  When will Christian parents stop settling for what the local school offers and DEMAND the freedom and authority to guide the education of their children?  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Home Schooling Rising</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Homeschooling</category><dc:date>2015-03-18T13:14:22-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/home-schooling-rising.php#unique-entry-id-51</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/home-schooling-rising.php#unique-entry-id-51</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[According to the National Home Education Research Institute (NHRI), it is estimated that over 2 million children are not home schooled in America.  ...  as does the public education system with its 2010 average per pupil costs to taxpayers of $13,692 (more than double the inflation adjusted cost in 1975).  


...I'm not trying to lament the cost of public education, but I want to emphasize that homeschooling is a benefit to the public in many ways.    Not only do these families save taxpayers over $27 BILLION annually, but they provide educations for their children that are superior to public school efforts on virtually every measure.  

...For multiple decades, many (if not most) public education initiatives have aimed at decreasing what has been termed "the achievement gap."  ...  However, the recent NHRI study shows that within the homeschool population, black student achievement is not only virtually double that of their black peers in the public school, but it is also higher than the average white peer public school student!


...The efforts they expend to educate their children are largely motivated by the desire to nurture their children with the values and perspectives that their wisdom and experience has convinced them will lead to the best life foundations.  ...  Under this model, children attend schoolroom classes 2 or 3 days a week (like at a university), then work at home with their parents on alternate days.    The goal of this model is to not only provide an excellent academic education for children, but to enhance parent/child relationships and to facilitate the intergenerational transfer of parental values and perspectives.  


Education researchers have long recognized the importance of parental involvement in education, but the public education system leaves parents with relatively menial roles that inspire little involvement.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Too Much Religion?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Church &#x26; State</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2015-03-06T13:25:32-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/too-much-religion.php#unique-entry-id-50</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/too-much-religion.php#unique-entry-id-50</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Writer Graeme Wood begins the article noting how little most American's know about the motivations of ISIS; later he makes it clear that President Obama's comment that ISIS "isn't Islamic" reflects little truth.    Those in and flocking to join ISIS do so precisely because ISIS is attempting to follow Islamic teachings to the letter - they intend to purify the Muslim world, enslave or behead infidels, and anticipate Armageddon.  

...The American founders proposed some sort of a separation of political powers from the direct use of religious communities (in biblical language, this was the separation of Caesar's power to wield the sword from the Church's other concerns).    The goal was to insure that disagreements over Truth would not be settled by the use of force, but this also necessitated that government (left with the sword) could not affirm any broad view of Truth either.  

...	✓	3) A view offered from "secular" philosophy:  make the secular state the central ideological value of the nation by asserting that religion is only relevant to one's "private" life, which leaves the public sphere to be the realm of "non-religious" ideology.    Key to this view, free secular education was an instrument of the state to teach children its view of tolerance while also insuring that children didn't become "too religious" by attending parentally chosen religious schools.


While ISIS is an obvious example of #1's method of dealing with religious difference, it's solution only seems good to those who don't value human liberty.    If #3 aligns most closely with the idea "too much religion is a bad thing," is it the best solution of our world's religious dilemmas?  

...America is a nation crumbling from a lack of moral and ideological substance&hellip; or at least the moral and ideological substance is "self pleasure focused" rather than socially or "other" focused.  

...Also, it depends upon whether one is "in" or "out" of that religion&hellip;  Regardless, liberal governments are to stay out of religious choices and maintain the role of legislating actions, not beliefs.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Tolerance and Religious Schooling</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Diversity</category><category>Character / Civic Education</category><dc:date>2015-02-26T10:29:56-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/tolerance-and-religious-schooling.php#unique-entry-id-49</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/tolerance-and-religious-schooling.php#unique-entry-id-49</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Who is not glad to see that at least some of ISIS's attention is temporarily diverted from killing (though they have just taken hundreds of Christians captive)?  ...  Islam is first and foremost a religion of rigid beliefs and commands that when followed, elicit the mercy of Allah to forgive and accept followers into heaven.


...Though our God commands us to love Him and all others, Islam also calls its followers to be merciful and presents Allah as a loving god.  ...  Isn't the final judgement of our God in which the "sheep are separated from the goats" a close parallel to judgement in Islam?"


...God's judgement, as C.S. Lewis reflected in The Great Divorce, is not so much punishment as it is the natural consequence of choosing to live apart from God's goodness.


...In spite of Koranic words of love and mercy, he seems to have no love or respect for the lives or work of those who refuse to follow him; they must be destroyed.    Let our homes and schools reflect our loving and merciful God who I believe appreciates even the creative art of the non-believer - even as He longs for that work of skill and beauty to draw the heart of that artist toward his Creator.  

...As the actions of ISIS reveal the nature of their god, parents, teachers, and administrators must insure that their actions present and reflect God clearly.  ...  Christian school administrators and teachers (as parent teachers) must not only teach "proper beliefs and behaviors" (such as done in Islam), but they must reflect the long-suffering love and compassion of our God.  


...Let us reflect a tolerance that discerns truth and goodness while not easily taking offense&hellip; A tolerance that reflects a concern for Truth through patience, service, and mercy rather than through the destruction of the people and works of our opponents.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Social Conflict and Religious Schooling</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Worldviews</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2015-02-24T09:04:55-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/social-conflict-and-religious-schooling.php#unique-entry-id-48</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/social-conflict-and-religious-schooling.php#unique-entry-id-48</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[As the world watches some with particular Islamic  ideologies attempt to destroy those with other Islamic, Christian, secular, and Jewish ideologies, one must ask whether religious schools of any kind are good.  ...  The average Western Secularist likely stands above and outside the "religious" fray and thinks, "Mild religion is ok, but the fanaticism bred in religious schools makes for unhappy children, prejudice, political oppression, factious nations, and ultimately, bloodshed."  


...Further, this number is twice the number of deaths caused by all other political and religious motivations - i.e. during the 20th Century, no traditional religion came close to causing the conflict as this non-reilgious ideology.  

...So, perhaps religion per-se isn't the problem; more accurately, the problem seems to be the presence of any strong ideologies that would motivate people to use force or persuasion to win others to their beliefs.  ...  Imagine all the people living life in peace&hellip;"  Again, we find support for secular public education that seems to promote more tolerance than idealism.


...Without ideals such as the call to "love your neighbor," to not covet, to not steal, to value human life, to value human equality, etc. the world would not be a place of peace.  

...America, founded on religious ideals that secular schools cannot teach, cannot and will not remain true to its founding ideals with its predominance of secular schools.


...This cannot be a governmental undertaking (coercion poorly changes hearts and minds), but government can facilitate the private sector by allowing parents to do their job.    Government must get out of the way and allow parents to nurture their children in the ideals they are convinced lead to the fullest and most meaningful life for their children and society.    Though some religious schools may be a bane of peace, Christian schools can be a parentally chosen and vital source of peace for America and the world!]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Why all the Philosophy?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Education Philosophy</category><dc:date>2015-02-20T12:45:04-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/why-all-the-philosophy.php#unique-entry-id-47</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/why-all-the-philosophy.php#unique-entry-id-47</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Why all the philosophy?    Some may claim that my bog posts say little of relevance to Christian school teachers and administrators.    True, I have yet to say much about particular curricular or fund-raising strategies, but this is because I'm trying to fill a different (and too often neglected) niche.  


Philosophy has been a neglected aspect of Christian education.    My goal through SACE is not only to make Christian schools accessible to all interested families, but to get Christians thinking about life and society from a Christian perspective.    I don't claim to have THE Christian perspective (only God does!), but I hope to get other teachers and administrators thinking.    Without a distinctive philosophy, our schools offer little more than a moral educational setting that leaves our children to largely develop secular perspectives.


We are called to love God with all our mind, we are called to disciple the nations, and our culture should reflect and glorify God.    Unless our children learn to think biblically in all areas, we, as Christian parents, fail in a big part of our Christian duties!]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Reason or Trust?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Philosophic Trends</category><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><dc:date>2015-02-11T12:17:33-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/reason-or-trust.php#unique-entry-id-46</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/reason-or-trust.php#unique-entry-id-46</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Whether one is living in a modern or even a post-modern society, the one with a "reasonable" argument is likely to win the day (of course emotional arguments win their share, but that discussion is for a later post).


My focus here is upon the enlightened liberal society's confidence in reason and science&hellip;  as opposed to confidence in "faith," "religion" or "belief."  ...  They argue that reason cannot stand alone; we have faith that our senses, our reason, and our consciousness are in touch with "reality" - even though those "tools" cannot be altogether scientifically legitimized.  

...	&bull;	no one has the depth of knowledge to reason from foundational truths with every question that comes up,


...	&bull;	and not every question is one that can be fully addressed by reason because they are questions involving value or beauty.


...When someone is outside our circle of trust&hellip; maybe even in a circle of distrust (perhaps because of their political perspectives), we find it "reasonable" to discount their "authority."  

...The problem I see in todays society is that due to the prevalence of secular education and also the philosophic shallowness of many religious schools, too few people gain the tools necessary to reason to any degree of depth.    Further, since so many religious communities only narrowly engage the world of scholarship and expertise, religious people have few scholars or experts in their "circles of trust."


...But also, we must become more of a discussion based people rather than a work and entertainment based people.    By strengthening our bases of knowledge, our skills of reason, and our circles of trust (with God at the center), the "reasonable" ideals of society may be re-invigorated! 
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The End is Near&#x21;?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>The Last days</category><category>Body of Christ / The Church</category><dc:date>2015-02-10T09:44:27-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/end-is-near.php#unique-entry-id-45</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/end-is-near.php#unique-entry-id-45</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[My involvement with education did not begin with an interest in education but with the desire to make God known and to bless others.    My international travels taught me that God is made known not only directly through biblical revelation, but indirectly through cultures built upon biblical principles and truths.    The Bible reveals God and teaches us His ways; then, since biblical principles and truths lead to just, prosperous, creative, beautiful, and compassionate societies, biblical cultures reveal God and bless the people who live within them.


We still have an abundance of biblical revelation, but we have largely lost our connections to culture... ...  As I say over and over again, the cause is the loss of a vision for the Christian education of our children.    The church may yet love God with all of its heart soul and body, but when it does not love God with all of its mind it abdicates its public authority, and allows non-Christian philosophies to shape culture.  

...Within my church discussions of "wars and rumors of war" have stirred much anticipation regarding Christ's soon return.  ...  I have difficulty anticipating the return of Christ at a time when the church seems so weak &ndash; at a time when it appears the Church is declining.    I believe the Father wants to send his Son back to a Proverbs 31 bride &ndash; one that is making disciples in all nations as well as discipling the nations themselves. 


Let us be about our father's business&hellip; preparing to meet our soon coming groom by diligently loving Him, loving our neighbors, and raising our children to love Him with all their hearts, souls, minds, and bodies!]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Owning Unity</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Body of Christ / The Church</category><category>Character / Civic Education</category><dc:date>2015-02-06T14:19:55-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/owning-unity.php#unique-entry-id-44</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/owning-unity.php#unique-entry-id-44</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Last night, a friend told me how he had seen some ministries fail because their leaders/churches wanted exclusive control over "their ministries".  ...  This led my thinking toward the pro's and con's of ownership.    It is a good thing that can motivate us to care and invest in something&hellip; but it can become destructive when the thing "owned" is meant to be shared!


As I spouted my thoughts, a phrase came out of my mouth, and I thought, "Oh - that sounded good."  ...  My mind was tracking on the idea that in our individual and corporate ministries, it is good to "buy into" what we are doing, but because we and these ministries are part of the Body of Christ, we cannot own them.    The unity of the Body demands that we recognize the need to share and work with others in our ministries&hellip; even if it seems to weaken the ministry. 


Ultimately, I believe Jesus has much more interest in the unity of His Body than he has in the success of an isolated ministry!    Unity cannot be owned; though we must buy into it, it can only be shared!  


What does this mean for us and "our" school ministries?    Perhaps we may own the brick and mortar, but are consciously "sharing" (a two way street) the broader ministry that reflects the larger Body of Christ?]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Is there a Common Core?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Diversity</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2015-02-02T12:34:54-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/is-there-a-common-core.php#unique-entry-id-43</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/is-there-a-common-core.php#unique-entry-id-43</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[In a recent Washington Post article, former Secretary of Education William Bennett argues that Common Core is a good idea; it provides a common benchmark that allows states and nations to meaningfully compare academic achievement.    Further, he argues that because it began at a state level and is not mandated by the Federal government, then it does not interfere with local educational control.    Bennett argues that a look at the Common Core standards proves that they are rather benign.


...Regardless of how benign the standards seem to be, they have a massive tendency toward centralization.    ANY standards assumed to be necessary to every child's education and detailed enough to be a source of national and international tests goes far towards defining what and how every child is taught.  ...  What will our country look like if all children are eventually taught to the same test?


...Ultimately, any Common Core standards and mandates are made by a few people, and there is no group of people who should be given the power to shape the education of every child in America&hellip; whatever their motives or ends. 


The wise recognize that choosing to do any good thing generally requires choosing not to do other good things.    Even if the standards of Common Core seem good, are they the best standards for the education of every child?    Best is a ideological decision to be made only by parents who know and love their children - not by elitist educators or bureaucrats.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Prison Dilemma and Education</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Prisons</category><category>Character / Civic Education</category><dc:date>2015-01-29T09:17:19-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/prison-dilemma-and-education.php#unique-entry-id-42</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/prison-dilemma-and-education.php#unique-entry-id-42</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[To get directly to my point, America's public education system was founded with the intent of ensuring that children were nurtured with the values and character necessary for good  American citizenship.    Few today talk about this goal because secular schools have  great difficulty defining good character and have even fewer resources available for its nurture.      Education has become narrowly academic and  virtually ignores the  spiritual, emotional, and ideological needs of children.


America has severe morality and character problems.    Some of this makes itself visible in prejudice and injustice, but our secular institutions are ill-equipped to address the problem.    It is an  ideological / religious problem that can best be addressed  by  private individuals and religious communities.  


 Prison Fellowship, a Christian ministry  that has run prison programs upon Christian principles, represents one kind of answer.    However, the most far-reaching effects will be seen when the Christian community re-embraces education as a primary ministry, and when school choice allows children of all demographics to attend religious schools.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Freedom and Disagrement in the Church</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Curriculum</category><category>Character / Civic Education</category><dc:date>2015-01-27T13:17:54-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/freedom-disagreement.php#unique-entry-id-41</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/freedom-disagreement.php#unique-entry-id-41</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Yesterday afternoon, I discussed the book, A Tale of Three Kings, a classic in some circles about biblical responses to spiritual authority, with a fellow church member.  ...  It too stirred many thoughts about spiritual authority because the central force that kept people in the cults presented was the accepted teaching that the leaders spoke and acted with God's authority and the members had no place to freely disagree with the leaders.


...Are we developing a character in our children that allows them to disagree without "breaking the bond of Christian unity"?  

...	◆	Rather than merely fearing disagreement and division, I believe churches should focus more on teaching about the value of unity with reasonable philosophic diversity.


...Some things must be held with commitment as Truths, but there will be a continuum down to "I don't know and it doesn't matter very much."


	◆	Christian schools must play a central roll in teaching children not only to be respectful to authority, but they must teach how to discern and even oppose improper authority.


...Then they modify their own arguments as needed, and then they present what they consider to be a more convincing argument for others to discuss.    From my own experience, I find that most church (and often school) leaders do too much talking and not enough discussing.    I believe this encourages spiritual apathy as thinking and discerning seem to be the appointed domain only of a few leaders, and it leads to a weakening church as those with alternate views are treated as dissenters whom others are glad to see leave.  


...Lets develop the character and understanding that enables us to have hearty disagreements that bring out perspectives we can all learn from, then end with a warm time of prayer.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Poll: Over 2/3 Support School Choice</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Education Reform</category><category>School Quality / Research</category><dc:date>2015-01-27T13:13:01-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/majority-support-schoolchoice.php#unique-entry-id-40</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/majority-support-schoolchoice.php#unique-entry-id-40</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[A new survey has been conducted by some democratic pollsters hired by the American Federation for Children.    It finds that over 2/3 of American adults support some form of school choice&hellip;  Even a majority of teachers!    A report about the poll can be found Here.


A video press release can be found Here.    Note the speaker makes a mistake referring to 2006 toward the beginning.    This poll was just completed in 2015.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Outlaw &#x22;Contempt of Religions&#x22;?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Church &#x26; State</category><dc:date>2015-01-21T09:26:11-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/contempt-of-religion-law.php#unique-entry-id-39</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/contempt-of-religion-law.php#unique-entry-id-39</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I urge people to be polite and respectful in the public square - especially toward the deeply held religious commitments of others.  

...When the conscience of large numbers of people see no wrong in a word, phrase or idea; how can they be expected to uphold a protective law either in public or in secret&hellip; think of &ldquo;prohibition.&rdquo;    Too many thought alcohol was ok and it was too easy to get for law enforcement to stay on top of its control.  ...  Though out of public courtesy I might not disparage Mohamed or Buda, what if I spoke my mind in a private conversation that was recorded?  

...To insure that a particular religion was not shown contempt, the government would either have to decide for itself &ldquo;what was contemptuous to that religion&rdquo; or it would have to give a particular entity authority to define that religion.  ...  In America, we wisely decided that government would protect the right of all people to think, speak, write, and act in accord with their conscience regardless of the offense it placed on others, and this offense was to be absorbed by citizens of character who would not resort to violence.


...Freedom loving people must view the society as a place of debate in which ideas are expressed in many forms.  

...It calls them to the heart of both public and private debate to present arguments and lifestyles that inspire and shape the consciences of others.  ...  The Muslim scholars attempting to protect their religion by seeking an international ban on &ldquo;contempt for religion&rdquo; don&rsquo;t understand the ramifications of their efforts.    Submitting their own as well as all other religions of the world to the protection of diverse governments will ultimately serve to undermine the worship they seek to save.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Education isn&#x27;t Just for Kids</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Body of Christ / The Church</category><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><dc:date>2015-01-06T08:41:52-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/education-isnt-just-for-kids.php#unique-entry-id-37</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/education-isnt-just-for-kids.php#unique-entry-id-37</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Did you know?    Since its inception, SACE has not been merely about &ldquo;the advancement of Christian education?&rdquo;    It&rsquo;s been about the Body of Christ&hellip; and ultimately about Christ himself.    SACE began with a vision to strengthen and restore the Church (big &ldquo;C&rdquo;) so that His goodness could be more clearly seen by and through His body on earth.    A Christian education (whether at home, in a co-op, or in a classroom setting) is vital to help each generation of the Church to &ldquo;love God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength.&rdquo;    Mark 12:30]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Morality&#x27;s Dual Connections</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Character / Civic Education</category><dc:date>2014-12-16T08:49:02-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/moralitys-dual-connections.php#unique-entry-id-36</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/moralitys-dual-connections.php#unique-entry-id-36</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Child abuse, murder, rape, illegal immigration, lax work-ethics, tax evasion, drunk driving, shop-lifting, shoddy workmanship, marital infidelity, graft - each reflects personal immorality and takes a social toll.   Every day, news reports (should) remind us that freedom and prosperity are not only connected with a philosophy of government, but with individual morality.   In fact, America&rsquo;s early political philosophers were convinced that individual morality preceded freedom and prosperity&hellip; the cost of containing widespread immorality by law enforcement not only makes each of us poorer, but it has collateral damage on the liberties of law-abiders.  


However, since roughly the 1950&rsquo;s, with America&rsquo;s changing understanding of First Amendment church/state relations, the state has not only attempted to completely separate itself from a religious perspective (traditionally Christian), but since morality is closely linked with religious perspectives, the state has left the arena of moral discernment almost exclusively to the individual.  

...This is not all bad, I don&rsquo;t want the state telling me what I should believe or how I should act in all areas of life.  ...  When it stepped out of the religious and moral arenas, it also discredited their values to society.    Religion and morality have dual connections; they are vital to the health of both the individual and the state.    Here is where the state got it wrong:  when it stepped out of these arenas, the state should have continually evaluated its actions in light of their effects upon the private sector&rsquo;s ability to instill morality.  


...And my greatest concern: Are families able to pass a deep understanding of life and morality to their children when state secular schools are free and religious schools are too expensive for most Americans?  


...Granted, the state should minimally dictate into these areas of conscience, but neither should it act to inhibit or unfairly compete with private sector activities that promote the concerns of conscience!]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>What the Police Can and Can&#x27;t Do</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Church &#x26; State</category><category>Government</category><category>Religious Liberties</category><dc:date>2014-12-13T15:31:46-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/Police-Can-and-Cant.php#unique-entry-id-34</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/Police-Can-and-Cant.php#unique-entry-id-34</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[This morning, I read a news article about growing gang violence in a Northwestern urban area.    A comment by a police officer caught my eye; he said, &ldquo;We currently don&rsquo;t have the resources for this.&rdquo;    I think he meant that the local department lacked the man-power, technology, and other resources to combat the growing gang problem, but he hit an idea more fundamental than he intended.    Even with all the &ldquo;resources&rdquo; the officer conceived, the police and all other public bodies still lack the real resources to deal with morally based social ills.  


The best the public can do is to lock offenders behind bars; they do not have the resources to shape the conscience and character of American citizens.    These resources are primarily religious and ideological, and the state can not deeply espouse these kinds of views without violating the First Amendment&rsquo;s establishment clause.  


It is up to the private sector to raise children to be law-abiding citizens&hellip; However, the best opportunity for the private sector to work with youth is in the realm of education, and as long as this sector is strongly governed by secular public forces, even the private sector has a shortage of resources.    When will our education system change to allow parents to have the authority over their children&rsquo;s education that our society - let alone our children - need?  


Society has the resources to combat the growth of gang and other illegal activities, but because the &ldquo;education bus&rdquo; is impounded by the state, they aren&rsquo;t available for general use.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Choice Opponent: &#x22;We want the best public schools&#x21;&#x22;</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Education Philosophy</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2014-12-12T17:10:43-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/0efa8bc5a248277f43d2fd0df07e0309-33.php#unique-entry-id-33</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/0efa8bc5a248277f43d2fd0df07e0309-33.php#unique-entry-id-33</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Yesterday, a radio news article noted that some Texas legislators are again trying to expand schools choice.    An audio clip from a school choice opponent went something like this:  &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t need to send money to other schools, we just want to have the best public schools!&rdquo;


The problem with this is in the definition of what a school should be&hellip; and how you measure it!    If the idea of &ldquo;best school&rdquo; is measured only by test scores in reading and math, then there can be debate about which schools are best.    But if you talk to parents - especially parents who are concerned about their child&rsquo;s education - &ldquo;best&rdquo; quickly moves into areas public schools can&rsquo;t access!


My best includes a school where my children grow deeply in character, love for God, develop a philosophic understanding of life through the curriculum - and much more.    What is your &ldquo;Best School&rdquo;?    Is it even possible to achieve within any secular school setting?]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Our Educational Misunderstandings</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Public Education</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2013-04-24T11:49:28-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/0ur-educational-misunderstandings.php#unique-entry-id-32</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/0ur-educational-misunderstandings.php#unique-entry-id-32</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[A recent report (Report) conducted by the US government on its federal head start program (perfected since 1965) found it to be relatively ineffective.    Targeting low income families, Head Start is a one year program intended to boost the social and educational outcomes of children that often lack the benefits associated with growing up in higher income families.    Though this recent study finds that Head Start children begin school at an advantage above a control group, the control group quickly catches up.    By the end of third grade the head start group showed no academic or social advantages over those who did not attend Head Start.


...There does seem to be evidence that in later life, Head Start children may have fewer crime related issues and higher graduation rates.


...But cost-effectiveness is not my primary concern, I am more concerned about our human and educational presumptions as a nation.    For the past century Americans have become convinced that education is a technical field for which special training and expertise is required.  ...  And the positive data above can likely be attributed to the fact that Head Start children had an adult interacting with them rather than just a TV.  

...Studies of homeschool families also show that children educated by parents lacking professional teaching credentials are at least as effective as those with them.    Perhaps education is more a human and life dynamic than the technical dynamic that our society has made it to be.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>How Real can it Be?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Education Philosophy</category><dc:date>2013-02-20T11:30:33-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/how-real-can-it-be.php#unique-entry-id-31</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/how-real-can-it-be.php#unique-entry-id-31</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I just read a very good blog by an innovative school administrator.  ...  He said some good things about the need to link education with real life; learning bits of seemingly irrelevant data&rsquo; without context doesn&rsquo;t go over very well for students.    Good teachers help young people to understand the value of the &ldquo;Magna Charta&rdquo;, learning algebra, etc.by showing how these things fit into life.


...Not only do bureaucracy, regulations, and other &lsquo;top-down&rsquo; authority make it hard to get off the beaten path, but laws supporting church/state separation.   We connect with many common things in life, but issues of deeper meaning are largely off the table.   We can link kids with the material world, but the world of beliefs, values and meaning (that more powerfully motivate) can only be discussed at a distance.   I am publishing a book &ldquo;Education Reform: Confronting the Secular Ideal&rdquo; on this topic (out in about a month).   I believe the best way to engage students in learning is to reformulate our public school systems to allow teachers and students to engage learning at a deeper level.&rdquo;


Chris Lehmann&rsquo;s idea is right on, but the context limits how far teachers can go.    Lehmann is an education reformer, perhaps he will catch the vision of SACE!]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The &#x22;Best&#x22; of School Choice</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2013-02-04T10:57:54-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/best-of-school-choice.php#unique-entry-id-30</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/best-of-school-choice.php#unique-entry-id-30</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Perhaps we Texans hear a lot of opposition to school choice because we generally hear from those with a stake in maintaining the status quo or who know little about education beyond the standardized model.  ...  One proposal removes the cap on the number of charter schools in Texas and another introduces a tax credit scholarship program to help low-income families to attend private schools.

...They think it is unfair that private and charter schools are not burdened with the same bureaucratic controls and regulations that interfere with their own efforts.  

...Public money is currently used to keep families in schools they are dissatisfied with, but with tax credits, vouchers, and charter school options, many families will move to schools they consider superior.    Public education is currently a government-subsidized monopoly, and yes, when monopolies are challenged, they make a lot of noise to discredit their competition and loose money when dissatisfied &ldquo;customers&rdquo; go elsewhere.  

...Others believe their children&rsquo;s &ldquo;best&rdquo; education should deeply expose them to the great thoughts and accomplishments of history, or that education should reflect their religious beliefs and values in a manner that provides a context for academic knowledge and life meaning.    Whereas choice opponents constrain all children to read the same secular texts and attend the same classes, school choice supporters open the door for parents to evaluate and choose a &ldquo;best&rdquo; education for their children.

Those hoping to preserve the educational status quo like to argue that they alone (with enough money) can provide the &ldquo;best&rdquo; education for all children, or they demonize their opponents by labeling them as separatist, bigots, or self-interested elitists, which is far from the truth.    School choice proponents represent all financial, racial, and political demographics; they represent the concern of every parent to provide a meaningful education for their own children and to provide the opportunity for other parents to choose the same.    It is right that citizens should be concerned about the education of our nation&rsquo;s children, but our concern should focus on providing children with the &ldquo;best&rdquo; educational opportunities rather than insuring the financial security of a bureaucratically entrenched education system that is likely nobody&rsquo;s &ldquo;best.&rdquo;]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>God and Guns</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Religious Liberties</category><category>Character / Civic Education</category><dc:date>2013-01-22T09:14:16-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/god-and-guns.php#unique-entry-id-29</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/god-and-guns.php#unique-entry-id-29</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[When I was in high school in the late &rsquo;70s, I would occasionally see rifles in the gun-racks of pickup trucks in the school parking lot.  ...  However, these events were never surrounded by rumors, fears, or dismissals; I suppose the principal&rsquo;s concern was more over the possibility of theft or accidents than of a shooting rampage.    I grew up playing GI Joe and Cowboys and Indians&hellip; now I find myself telling my nine year old to not point his finger like its a gun!


There has been plenty of discussion of the degree to which guns should be &ldquo;controlled&rdquo; by the government, so I would like to go a different direction.  ...  Founding leaders and the general population firmly believed that a strong religious (particularly Christian) character was necessary for the liberty to survive.  

...Most gun control advocates do not view guns as an evil in themselves, but they increasingly distrust their fellow man&hellip;  In all the rhetoric about violence in society, I rarely hear discussions about how to raise our level of morality.  ...  It used to be the focus of families, school, and churches working together for the good of society.    Since schools were turned over to the secular government, much of the moral nurture of children and young adults has been lost.  


...The families, churches, and schools must re-unite to nurture future citizens not only with job skills, but hearts, minds, and characters shaped by a love of God and their neighbors.    The best secular government can do is to support the educational concerns of parents - not interfere with them!
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>What&#x27;s in a Curriculum?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Curriculum</category><category>Philosophic Trends</category><dc:date>2012-11-28T08:42:48-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/whats-in-a-curriculum.php#unique-entry-id-28</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/whats-in-a-curriculum.php#unique-entry-id-28</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Two caveats to this: 1) no one knows exactly where they or their child is headed (though as the child develops, the scope seems to narrow), and 2) in classroom settings (co-ops or Christian schools), curricula are less malleable to the individuality of the child.  


...Surely, children may come to love God apart from the school day, but the course of our culture over the past century and a half shows that we are failing to preserve the ways of God within our culture, which is the focus of the above passage!  ...  This is not to say children won&rsquo;t love God, they just won&rsquo;t develop as broad an understanding of God&rsquo;s principles for healthy individual and social life - leaving the culture to degenerate under the perspective of mere human wisdom.


...For example, reading, the first R, should not only address the knowledge and skills of reading, but it should consciously address the child&rsquo;s character, their identity as valuable and loved participants in our literary world, the discerning of valuable vs. worthless writing, and an appreciation to God as the one who created us with the ability to read, write, create with words, learn from others, and communicate meaningfully over time and space.  

...Surely, we can teach our children knowledge, skills, theology in &ldquo;non-relational&rdquo; settings (and God can speak through these things), but He primarily builds His relationship with individuals through their relationships with parents and other members of the Body of Christ.  ...  A &ldquo;Christian education&rdquo; that doesn&rsquo;t reflect God&rsquo;s love (whether in home or classroom settings) is more frequently counter the goals of faith rather than a support of them.    While a few may grow to love God within relationally shallow settings, and a few others will dismiss Christianity as hypocritical, most will learn that Christianity is merely a set of moral and intellectual traditions that supplement their other life choices.  

...It seems obvious that reading, writing, math, science, history, and the arts must all be addressed as holistic opportunities, but I believe Christian schools must make greater efforts to individualize curricular opportunities for their diverse children both within classes (to meet the varying abilities of children) and between classes to meet the diverse gifts and callings of children.  

...And though some children are most gifted in practical areas, every child needs an education that helps them grow according to their abilities to understand the ideas and values behind every practical undertaking and to have the skills to fulfill their role in those undertakings.


...God is illuminated to the world through cultures connected to His name; before reading the Bible or meeting a Christian, many frame their image of the Christian God by looking at what they assume to be a Christian culture.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>A New Christian School Model?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2012-11-06T11:12:38-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/a-new-christian-school-model.php#unique-entry-id-27</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/a-new-christian-school-model.php#unique-entry-id-27</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Through the book, I claim that education is religious by nature, and thus, a public education system that separates the school day from faith will necessarily fail to achieve its goals.  ...  Thus, we must turn from our &ldquo;secular&rdquo; paradigm of public education to a &ldquo;plural&rdquo; paradigm of public education in which private religious schools can join the public system and receive voucher funding.  


...I note that religious public schooling offers the potential to engage the deeper beliefs, values, and motivations of children within the educational environment, but many Christian schools have a long way to go to fulfill their potential.  ...  Further, rather than wrestling to define the concerns of a Christian education, don&rsquo;t most Christian colleges focus on preparing teachers for public school certification?


...I believe the next critical steps are to provide stronger philosophic leadership for Christian schools, and to strengthen the church/home/school community.


I envision the first concern to be filled by pastors and/or those specially trained as philosophers of Christian education.  ...  Whereas religious leaders were once given a liberal arts education that made them the leaders that society looked to for guidance, they are now (thanks to modernity) generally just trained in &ldquo;religious&rdquo; subjects.    However, I believe pastors complimented by trained philosophers have a role in Christian schools to provide philosophic oversight to complement a more technical Administrative oversight.  

...It is difficult in our individualistic society, but we must remember that we are all members of the body of Christ and are gifted to serve one another as brothers and sisters.  ...  Thus, parents, pastors, and school personnel must work closely together to nurture and equip children to know, love, and serve God with all their hearts, minds, and strength.  
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Modern or Postmodern Christian School?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><dc:date>2012-11-06T09:25:02-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/modern-or-postmodern-christian-school.php#unique-entry-id-26</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/modern-or-postmodern-christian-school.php#unique-entry-id-26</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Is it a &ldquo;private&rdquo; view of reality that is meaningful for your community but that you believe is irrelevant to others who believe differently?  

...Industrialism and modernization, driven by an explosion of scientific discovery, was changing the western world so quickly that long stable philosophic and cultural reference points were cast into doubt.  ...  Darwin&rsquo;s Origin of Species questioned the need of God, and the modern university was based upon &ldquo;positivistic&rdquo; reason - nothing was to be assumed true unless it could be confirmed by our senses - God was out.  


Karl Marx, in his1848 Manifesto of the Communist Party, expressed well the fast paced uncertainty of the day:  &ldquo;All fixed, fast-frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new-formed ones become antiquated before they can ossify.   All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses his real conditions of life, and his relations with his kind.&rdquo;    Though Marx pronounced the irrelevance of old ways, he announced his new way with a certainty that has been dispelled by further experience.  

...They believe that by promoting secular scientific problem solving (to be taught in the public schools), society would meet the problems of the day and flourish&hellip;  Problem was: humanity wasn&rsquo;t quite so good and rational.    Two world wars, labor unrest, the threat of communism, racial prejudices, and social problems irresponsive to the tools of science ended the optimism of modernity and re-opened reflection on the wisdom of the past.  


...It acknowledged that science cannot be the source of truth in all areas of life and that everyone lives by a set of beliefs that cannot be proven.    *** However, for most Christians, having lived in a world where faith was privatized for over a century, the process of re-connecting faith with every other area of life has been slow and difficult.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Community School?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><dc:date>2012-08-07T07:51:02-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/community-school.php#unique-entry-id-25</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/community-school.php#unique-entry-id-25</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The teacher here may have had to leave for good reasons, and those reasons may have surfaced during the summer, but apparently, he thought he and his work were so relationally insignificant that he made no attempt to say goodbyes or give explanations to the children and families that he taught.  

...One is hired and moved from one class or school to another to replace open positions with little regard to their role in student or teacher relationships.


...Though there is often anger at the &ldquo;system&rdquo; and its bureaucracy, only young elementary students (who haven&rsquo;t yet learned to guard their emotional attachments) grow to trust their teachers and look to them for personal guidance.  ...  School size is determined with little thought as to its impact on community and parental concerns are merely viewed as &ldquo;problems to be dealt with.&rdquo;  

...If children do not deeply experience Christian community at school, where else can they learn its lessons and grow from its nurture?    Home and church are the obvious answers; homes must not merely &ldquo;outsource&rdquo; their community building opportunities to clubs, teams, and programs, and churches over a few hundred must make greater intentional efforts to build real community.  ...  This does not imply that children need three separate communities, but that all three bodies should view themselves and act as one community with specialized, but united and overlapping, roles.  

...He notes that the strongest sources of community that remain are our churches, yet society needs more &ldquo;social capital&rdquo; than churches currently provide.    Putnam does not yet find the &ldquo;Revival of American Community&rdquo; as a current reality; people are still &ldquo;bowling alone&rdquo; rather than in clubs.  ...  If this becomes a reality, perhaps teachers won&rsquo;t have to leave their Christian schools for higher pay, but if they do, their first thoughts will be how to meaningfully say &ldquo;good bye&rdquo; to the children, parents, and co-workers they have shared their hearts and lives with.  
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Accountability and Authority</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Character / Civic Education</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2012-07-23T10:56:51-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/accountability-and-authority.php#unique-entry-id-24</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/accountability-and-authority.php#unique-entry-id-24</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Our secular mindset, trained by the public education system, presumes that schools are merely accountable to provide a &ldquo;good education.&rdquo;  ...  From my reading of the bible, Christian school personnel are acting in the place of parents, so they are accountable to do all that good parents would do during the school day.    While homeschool families do this seamlessly (even in co-op settings where every child is either their own or a friends), Christian schools tend to institutionalize their roles and separate themselves from their families, children, Church, and many Christian obligations.  


Rather than spending time exploring many obligations that lead to accountability before God, let me focus on one: Authority and Christian faith.  ...  Though children need parental authority (delegated to the school during the school day), if that authority is to direct them to God, it must look like God!  

...They must account for their failings and misjudgments; they must not presume to have all the answers to all questions, but rather point children to God.    Because relationships are at stake, it is better to err on the side of mercy than on the side of judgement.  

...The earliest and clearest way they will learn the qualities of God AND grow to love and trust Him is through the way their parents administer their love and authority.    Acting in the place of parents, school personnel carry much of this role and are responsible before God to use their authority well.  

...As a new year begins, it would be a good time for Christian school teachers and administrators to reflect on the authority they carry.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Discernment: A Rare Commodity</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Education Philosophy</category><category>Character / Civic Education</category><dc:date>2012-03-09T11:59:06-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/discernment-a-rare-commodity.php#unique-entry-id-23</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/discernment-a-rare-commodity.php#unique-entry-id-23</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[As one would expect, when it came time to select new pastors, both churches assembled search committees made up of some of their most respected members.  

...I find that most people carry some image of what a spiritually mature person looks like, and they superficially measure others against this standard.  

...We might all agree that these characteristics are valuable in spiritual leadership, but we must also discern that the qualities can exist apart from true spiritual maturity.  ...  Surely the spiritual leader must have additional leadership skills and qualities, but if we only see the external qualities, we failed to us discern the most important aspects of a spiritual leader.


Just as Samuel was reprimanded by God for looking at the physical characteristics of David's brothers as the evidence of God's choosing, discernment must focus on attempting to see the heart of the individual and hearing the leading voice of God.    Individuals and congregations who only look at an external image of spirituality will select pastors and civic leaders who lead their followers to wander aimlessly or even into evil.  ...  Most of these have been forgotten, but some remain in our memories for having revealed their inner spiritual emptiness through moral failings or having led their followers to commit her renders acts.


...As the teen, I sought God with all of my heart, but I did not seem to elicit His favor as did others who had tears streaming down their faces or who seemed to radiate joy.    My wrestling with a false image of spirituality festered into an anger and bitterness toward God for not giving me the emotional feelings I saw in others.  

...I pray that our Christian schools can help raise up a generation that looks to the heart of man rather than merely to his external qualities &ndash; a generation that looks where God looks.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Faith in Public</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><category>Philosophic Trends</category><dc:date>2012-02-07T12:15:00-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/faith-in-public.php#unique-entry-id-22</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/faith-in-public.php#unique-entry-id-22</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Recent articles about the student in the counseling program at Eastern Michigan University who was expelled because she requested that a gay client be deferred to another counselor introduces a complicated issue.    This issue could have far reaching ramifications that affect not only professional licensure standards (beyond counseling), but also our continuing interpretation of church-state relations and public philosophy.

...It may seem reasonable that counseling licensure standards should grant the counselor the freedom to defer a client whose lifestyle can neither be condoned because of religious reasons, nor opposed because of licensure standards.    This opt out may even prove to be in the best interest of the client who might prefer not to be seen by a counselor opposed to his/her lifestyle.

On the other hand, the licensure standards offered by the public university aim for the higher moral ground by claiming that the best counselors will be able to set their personal belief systems aside and come to the aid of whoever is in need.  

...What aspects of public and professional life is religion relevant to, and how do we incorporate these answers within our public and professional structures?    If, for example, religion is relevant to the counseling profession, then what other professions, and how might their professional licensure standards reflect differing religious perspectives?  

...For example: Is a secular philosophy of education the best foundation for &ldquo;public education&rdquo; when there is good reason to argue that the educational nurture of children and young people is a religiously laden activity?  

...Perhaps we found that it was best to &ldquo;separate&rdquo; religion from some aspects of public and private life, but perhaps we also went too far.    The boundaries will likely never be settled, but it is left to our generation to conscientiously discern and modify todays professional and public structures that can be strengthened by recognizing not just the &ldquo;reasonable&rdquo; but the &ldquo;religious&rdquo; nature of human beings and the institutions of society.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Teachers&#x27; Unions for School Choice?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Secular Schools</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2012-01-30T10:14:44-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/teachers-unions-for-school-choice.php#unique-entry-id-21</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/teachers-unions-for-school-choice.php#unique-entry-id-21</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[These films do a good job at exposing failing schools and the detrimental power of teachers&rsquo; unions&hellip;  But they do too little to disconnect teachers from the bureaucratic education system.    In the majority of our schools, which are &ldquo;acceptable, this has the unintended consequence of alienating many teachers (and the families they serve) from the Choice movement.  


The Choice movement must support teachers even as it exposes the weaknesses of the entrenched &ldquo;educational system&rdquo;.  ...  The Choice movement would do better to enlist the aid of teachers - not their opposition!  

...They are idealistic, compassionate, hardworking, and yet treated by a &ldquo;system&rdquo; that views them as impersonal technicians rather than caring professionals.  

...Unions came into being to defend teachers against the ever-increasing bureaucratic regulation, changing fads, lack of appreciation, and lack of discipline options of the traditional public education system&hellip;  While teachers may appreciate their unions&rsquo; efforts to mediate some of the effects of the bureaucratic system, these efforts are only marginally satisfying.    Unions can negotiate for higher pay and shorter hours, but these are poor substitutes for those who came to deeply invest in the lives of children.  


Studies have repeatedly shown that teachers in private and charter schools have much greater job satisfaction.    They have professional liberties, greater community, more parental involvement, and for those in religious schools, the freedom to nurture children more deeply in accordance with their faith beliefs.  

...By winning teachers, we not only win influential individuals, but we disempower the great opposition of the teachers&rsquo; unions.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>School Choice 101</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Education Philosophy</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2012-01-23T10:25:20-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/school-choice-101.php#unique-entry-id-20</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/school-choice-101.php#unique-entry-id-20</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Though parents have long had the authority to select a private school for their children at their own expense, those in the Choice movement argue that public education dollars should be made available for parents to choose between a variety of school programs and philosophies.    In other words, Choice affirms that all parents should have the right to choose which school is best for their children, not just parents who can afford private school tuition.


...Though early Americans educated (and at times failed to educate) their children in diverse ways, today&rsquo;s secular public schools reflect an attempt to provide a quality and standardized education for all of America&rsquo;s children.    The system represents many high ideals such as the desire to ensure that all children receive a good education in preparation for American citizenship, the desire to break down ideological, social, and racial barriers that can lead to social divisions, and the desire to ensure that teachers are well-trained and that school facilities are safe.


...Parents hold a loving sense of responsibility for their children, and whether they oppose the philosophy of the &ldquo;education experts,&rdquo; the standardized narrowness of the curriculum, or the atmosphere of their assigned school, they have little power (save moving or paying private tuition) to give their children what they consider to be a &ldquo;better&rdquo; education.  

...The philosophic movement began in the late 1960&rsquo;s, when Catholics, who had long separated themselves from the &ldquo;Protestant leaning&rdquo; public school system (and the few other denominations committed to religious schooling), were surprisingly joined by Evangelical Protestants who left the public schools when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that to be truly common, public schools could not be associated with the prayers or scripture reading of any faith.  

...Rather, as an education analyst, I find that the shortcomings of the current public school system are systemically associated with a faulty public education model which, in attempting to reach certain good goals, strips parents of virtually all authority and discretion over their child&rsquo;s education.  


...Surely, the ideals of universal education, civic preparation, the promotion of social harmony, and safe schools with qualified teachers are not to be disbanded, but neither should parents be distrusted to choose a good education for their children.    There is a better model for public education, one that has proven successful in other Western nations; one that recognizes teachers as compassionate professionals with a desire to nurture children for &ldquo;life&rdquo; rather than merely for job proficiency, one that recognizes diverse methods and philosophic foundations associated with a &ldquo;good education,&rdquo; and one that allows parents broad discretion to define and choose a &ldquo;good education&rdquo; for their children.    School Choice represents this new model in America in which diverse schools are developed by both the state and private entities, and public money is made available for parents to choose any school that reasonably fulfills the public&rsquo;s educational concerns.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Election Issues</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Government</category><dc:date>2011-12-15T12:11:12-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/election-issues.php#unique-entry-id-19</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/election-issues.php#unique-entry-id-19</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The obvious parts of the &ldquo;wallow&rdquo; relate to the tightness of the job market, global concerns over money, healthcare, the appropriate role of government, and the growing threat of unfriendly nations.  


Public education makes some lists as part of our &ldquo;national wallow&rdquo; because we have so many &ldquo;failing schools,&rdquo; but education is actually central.    Many of the other national concerns grow out of the failure of public education.  

...Do I merely link low test scores with a failing job market?  ...  I reject the idea that education is primarily about test scores.  ...  With this broader definition of school expectations, the failure of our public school system broadens.  


Secular schools do little to positively touch most aspects of human development&hellip; It is not that teachers don&rsquo;t want to, but that Church/ State law prevents them as long as public education is considered &ldquo;secular.&rdquo;    Only when America embraces &ldquo;plural public education&rdquo; through vouchers or tax credits, will most children be free to attend schools that nurture them broadly as humans.


...Lower the crime rate, make more responsible parents, nurture stronger families, give children a greater sense of responsibility for their lives and communities&hellip;  It may even reduce our foreign tensions because the conservative Islamic countries are most offended at the &ldquo;West&rdquo; because of its export of a culture of immorality.


...But it doesn&rsquo;t look like it will become a lead concern in this presidential election cycle!]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Reaching a &#x22;Christian Culture&#x22;</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Philosophic Trends</category><category>Body of Christ / The Church</category><dc:date>2011-12-06T13:10:46-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/reaching-a-christian-culture.php#unique-entry-id-18</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/reaching-a-christian-culture.php#unique-entry-id-18</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Perhaps this is because 1) pastors fear the conflict/competition/judgement that may arise among parents associated with the schooling they provide their children, 2) most pastors attended secular schools and fail to see the possibilities associated with a good Christian education, 3) Christian education is often viewed as merely an insular &ldquo;bubble&rdquo; that not only softens children from the &ldquo;realities of life,&rdquo; but prevents them from being &ldquo;salt and light&rdquo; to those in need, and 4) promoting Christian schooling obligates churches financially to support/start a Christian school while placing Sunday offerings in competition with tuition payments.  


If I am right, then these are obstacles that must be overcome.  #1 reflects discipleship that pastors handle on a routine basis.  #4 is a current reality that SACE is working to change by promoting school choice - a movement that pastors can energize their congregations to support.  ...  How do we convince tens of thousands of pastors and their congregations that Christian education (in its diverse forms) is a vital mission of the Church that not only powerfully shapes the minds and hearts of their children, but transforms our culture to reflect the goodness of God to the world?


How do we teach millions of adult Christians that during the education day, children are assimilating not just facts, but values and beliefs which will shape their characters, standards, life visions, and frameworks for reason?    How do we show them that while Sunday school and youth group can win their hearts to Jesus, the education day is the primary place where the knowledge, skills, and activities of life are addressed and given a context and meaning?    While a child can learn that he is to &ldquo;love God and his neighbor&rdquo; at church, it is in the academic setting where he will begin to learn (or not learn) what this looks like &ldquo;on the job&rdquo; and within public culture.  

...For example, a skit could begin by depicting multiple scenes from adult life in which previously &ldquo;secular&rdquo; situations were transformed into God glorifying events by people who had been taught to see and express God in all of life.  

...A second scene could depict a professional gardener dedicating her flower gardens to the enjoyment of the public - complete with contemplative plaques leading visitors to reflect on the beauty of creation&rsquo;s God&hellip;  A third scene could depict a mechanic responding with love and responsibility to an angry customer whose car left him stranded - again&hellip;  A fourth scene could depict a medical researcher being overheard expectantly seeking God for further understanding of a cure for cancer&hellip;  A fifth scene could depict an executive board meeting in which the discussion genuinely reflected a concern that corporate earnings were linked with investments that strengthened families and communities.


Following these vignettes and a bit of narration as to how secular education has led to primarily to secular public expressions, the set could become a series of classrooms in which teachers and students were linking the subject matter with Christian thought and teaching - where students were not just &ldquo;gaining knowledge&rdquo; but were learning about the Source of knowledge and how He calls us to apply our knowledge and skill in a loving way.    Thus, the courtroom illuminates God&rsquo;s concern for justice, the nature garden reflects God&rsquo;s creativity and gift of beauty, the mechanic demonstrates that we are pre-eminently called to love God and others, the medical researcher reflects the reality that God is concerned about our work and actively uses our skills to minister to others, and the executives&rsquo; discussion demonstrates that the moral and philosophic truths of Christianity should pervade every aspect of life and work - the rules of business profit do not somehow justify immoral pursuits.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Weaknesses of Secular Education</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2011-12-01T09:45:04-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/weaknesses-of-secular-education.php#unique-entry-id-17</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/weaknesses-of-secular-education.php#unique-entry-id-17</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I&rsquo;m just finishing a new book by Charles Glenn called Contrasting Models of State and School:  A Comparative Historical Study of Parental Choice and State Control.    Here, Glenn insightfully compares the development of state dominated schooling in Germany and Austria with the parent/community controlled schooling of the Netherlands and Belgium.  

...I find that the book illuminates how state controlled education stifles the philosophic and spiritual growth of the people, which in turn, limits society.    When the state determines what children should know, the perspectives they should hold, the values they should embrace, and the character that undergirds their commitments, it is limiting if not dangerous to society!


State controlled education is born out of a sense that the educational concerns of political leaders (or education &ldquo;specialists&rdquo;) are superior to those of the population - even within a democracy.  ...  It presumes that the duty of citizens is to merely support the ideas of the state rather than to shape and expand them through critique.  


Though American public schools may not be &ldquo;heavy handed&rdquo; with a &ldquo;public agenda,&rdquo; the negative effects of state educational control remain real.    America&rsquo;s secular education system separates or disconnects an individual&rsquo;s deepest values and beliefs from their learning about art, science, literature&hellip; everything!    Secular schooling limits a child&rsquo;s motivation and framework for thought to &ldquo;common&rdquo; patterns of thinking.


America has reaped many of the benefits faith can bring to society, but our nation has been deprived of the creative thinking, action, and expression that an educational system that allowed families to choose between diverse religious schools could bring.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Reasons for the Seasons</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Holidays</category><category>Economics</category><category>Philosophic Trends</category><dc:date>2011-11-08T11:06:35-06:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/reasons-for-the-seasons.php#unique-entry-id-16</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/reasons-for-the-seasons.php#unique-entry-id-16</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[So close on the heels of &ldquo;Halloween&rdquo; that it makes one trip, Christmas is already &ldquo;for sale&rdquo; in stores.    Though the sale of holiday merchandise is obviously a service to each of us, it is EXTREMELY important that we, as Christians, do not let the market place shape our holiday celebrations.  


...They are out to make money, not a bad thing, but too few market leaders let their Christian faith rise above their secular &ldquo;business sense.&rdquo;  

...&ldquo;Green&rdquo; items are stocked (to promote a reputation in some circles) though the majority of shoppers could likely care less; so with religious items.  ...  To find anything more meaningful than a &ldquo;star&rdquo; at Walmart or Target to place in one&rsquo;s yard is unusual.  


...Perhaps the &ldquo;cheesy&rdquo; plastic figurines of the late twentieth century put a damper on our interests, but I believe that there is still a huge entrepreneurial opportunity to produce meaningful ornamentation.  ...  Why not produce art and decorations that promote reflection on selfless commitment, liberty, and the protection of family for Veterans Day, dependence on God and gratitude for Easter, commitment to family provision for Labor Day, etc.  


The qualities of the seasons are not just good for the private reflection of Christians, but they are good for all of society.    Lets &ldquo;take to the lawns&rdquo; this Christmas and help passers-by to reflect for a moment on the true meaning of the season.


...You could even market many of your products through Christian schools (and why not home schools) as fund-raising opportunities.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Poverty and Religion</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Economics</category><category>Character / Civic Education</category><dc:date>2011-11-03T13:02:49-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/poverty-and-religion.php#unique-entry-id-15</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/poverty-and-religion.php#unique-entry-id-15</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[As with most arguments, the documentary mixes a selected body of facts and links them into cause/effect relationships to prove that the West, through centuries of empirical domination, capitalistic exploitation, and religious subversion destroyed the local economies and enslaved (literally and figuratively) the populations of currently poor nations to serve the financial interests of the West.    What makes this rather tedious documentary valuable is that it reflects what others are learning, both in poor nations as well as in the West&hellip; it is even reflected in the &ldquo;Occupy Wallstreet&rdquo; movement.


...To blame Western culture for poverty, the case must be made that the &ldquo;invaded&rdquo; peoples were previously prosperous and that they would have continued to prosper had they been left alone.  

...The groundbreaking research of respected sociologist Rodney Stark and others has demonstrated the link between Christianity and the growth of reason, science, morality, liberty, and other qualities we associate with healthy society.    We may dream of peace and prosperity for all people and assume that it is within the reach of all peoples regardless of religion or creed, but this assumption is refuted by current and past history.


...Every heart and mind is shaped by some ideology, and Christianity, the ideological source of the West, has led to the most humanitarian, prosperous, free, and technologically advanced societies.


Surely, the West has (and does) represent much that is counter to Christianity, but in general, the activities of the West have increased the welfare of the rest of the world.    It is easy to presume that the poor of every continent and island would have prospered if only saved from the influence of Western government and ideology, but we must remember that war, disease, political domination, and poverty of the masses have been the norm for all societies through history.  ...  Thus, though Western government, capitalism, and religion do not represent a panacea, they imperfectly reflect the social out-workings of Christianity, and are more to be thanked for raising the dignity of human life, defending human rights, inspiring compassion, educating children, delivering peoples from oppressive governments, and nurturing wholesome human character rather than bringing poverty and oppression to the world.


...Rather, we need invest our lives within our sphere of influence to make the goodness and wisdom of God more clearly visible so that others will love, trust, and follow Him, too.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Optimistic About the Arab Spring?  Why?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Islam</category><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><category>Religious Liberties</category><dc:date>2011-10-25T13:04:14-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/optimistic-about-the-arab-spring.php#unique-entry-id-14</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/optimistic-about-the-arab-spring.php#unique-entry-id-14</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[This first response of optimism is not really &ldquo;Christian,&rdquo; it is actually secular and reflects the ideals and presumptions of &ldquo;modernity.&rdquo;  

...Two of the big philosophic shifts of modernity were to separate individuals from their belief systems and to view individuals (all humans) as basically good and &ldquo;like us.&rdquo;    Some positive results came from these perspectives as it helped our culture to see the good in other cultures and people groups.  

...Both secular history and the Bible give us insight into human nature toward evil - especially when faced with the temptations of power.    Freedom from the bondages of sin (personally and politically)comes not merely from the overthrow of the latest dictator or even from &ldquo;democratic government.&rdquo;    Freedom (in degrees) expands as people grow in self governing character and  understand the dynamics of the control of political power.    These are religious undertakings that have been most closely linked with the power of the Gospel to change individual hearts.    In America, it took over a century for this character and understanding to grow and become diffused through the population before our political experiment with liberty began.


I trust that God desires to bringing liberty to the people of the mid-east, but with so little being said about the preparation of the people for liberty, I am less than optimistic about the outcome.    Perhaps the &ldquo;Arab Spring&rdquo; will provide stepping stones to liberty... but again, it may just provide opportunities for new dictators to arise. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Philosophic Liberalism&#x27;s Underming of Education</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Philosophic Trends</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2011-10-24T13:54:19-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/liberalisms-underming-of-education.php#unique-entry-id-13</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/liberalisms-underming-of-education.php#unique-entry-id-13</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Most frequently, we hear the word in political discussions where it is actually used quite differently than it would be used in a political science classroom.    I won&rsquo;t go into those distinctions, but rather, I want to use the word in a different context with a different meaning... philosophic liberalism, which provides many of the foundations for other areas of liberalism.


Philosophic liberalism, which has many of its roots in the writings of German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), places supreme value on individual autonomy &mdash; especially autonomy of thought.    He believed that the existence of God and morality were unprovable, thus, individuals should be free to exercise their personal judgement as to what makes for the happiest life.  


...Not only was secular public education believed to bring diverse Americans together to strengthen unity, but as Kant&rsquo;s ideas took root in the universities of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, secular education served to &ldquo;deliver&rdquo; or &ldquo;protect&rdquo; children from the imposed beliefs of their parents.  

...For example, writing in Bridging Liberalism and Multiculturalism in American Education, page 92, scholar Robert Reich supports autonomous education (i.e. education in which basic beliefs and values are untaught) because it &ldquo;prevents in children the development of servility to the values of their parents or the traditions and norms of the cultural group(s) and state in which they are born.&rdquo;    I could site many other contemporary (and well respected) scholars who share the concern that children be protected from the &ldquo;imposed&rdquo; beliefs of their parents and others.


...Though it may be true that God and morality are less &ldquo;provable&rdquo; than many other &ldquo;facts of life,&rdquo; it is false to say that individuals will be happier if they are prevented from gaining wisdom from those who have gone before them.    Not only do I believe that it is virtually impossible for parents to &ldquo;impose&rdquo; their beliefs on their children, but it is apparent that the intergenerational transmission of beliefs and values provides stability and health to communities.  

...Liberal educational autonomy not only undermines the health of the nation, but it deprives children of much of the richness others have found through the experiences of their lifetimes.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Is Your School Part of the Body?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Faith Commitments</category><category>Character / Civic Education</category><dc:date>2011-10-19T12:38:51-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/is-your-school-part-of-the-body.php#unique-entry-id-12</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/is-your-school-part-of-the-body.php#unique-entry-id-12</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[He presented a message that he seemed to presume would be ill received&hellip; at least he indicated that it had been ill received in other evangelical settings.    Upon reflection, what troubled me most was not what he had to say, but the spirit with which he seemed to deliver it.    As would be expected from a man with his training, his delivery was polite and professional.  

...Do we not see that Christ is head of he whole Church?    Do we not see that other members of the Body of Christ are &ldquo;part of ourselves?&rdquo;  ...  When we think they need correction, we should offer it humbly and compassionately &ndash; and then only with a deep sense that Christ is motivating our correction.    As an analogy, I do not always pull out slivers that my children get in their hands and feet; sometimes I judge that the removal process will do more harm than good.    However, if I do remove one, I do it gently, not only to reduce their pain (which I feel, too) and expedite healing, but also to demonstrate love and build trust.


...Part of this weakness is to be blamed not just on a lack of concern for other members, but on our independence.    As Christian schools, we need to see one another not as competitors, inferior, or merely representing the &ldquo;wrong&rdquo; philosophy, but we should be willing to pray for and strengthen other schools as the Lord leads.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Character Mediates Liberty</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Government</category><category>Religious Liberties</category><category>Character / Civic Education</category><dc:date>2011-10-12T13:45:56-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/character-mediates-liberty.php#unique-entry-id-11</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/character-mediates-liberty.php#unique-entry-id-11</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[To maximize personal liberty, we must first raise the character level of the population; merely decreasing government will allow the wicked to prosper to the detriment of all.  


...In his words, &ldquo;Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.   In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. ...  Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice ? ...  Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.&rdquo;  

...Thus, as public character decreases, government opens the doors of power to more people who, tend to use it negligently or self-servingly.  ...  Since it is more difficult to build public morality than it is to increase government power, the ideal of personal liberty is always endangered.  ...  Many parents neglect the moral instruction of their children at home and then send them to secular schools where moral instruction is shallow.  


...Thus, questions as to whether more or less government is &ldquo;good&rdquo; exceed the complexity of most liberal/conservative political discussions.  ...  Thus, I support vibrant Christian schooling as both a personal and a social good, and SACE is working to make publicly supportive religious schools available to all families.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Do Christian Schools need Philosopher Kings?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Educators</category><category>Education Philosophy</category><dc:date>2011-09-29T11:58:50-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/philosopher-kings-for-schools.php#unique-entry-id-10</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/philosopher-kings-for-schools.php#unique-entry-id-10</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Kings with leadership ability and administrative skills alone were not enough to bring about the best society.  ...  These kings could not only maintain order, but they could lead society towards a good end.


The world never saw many that fit the bill of a philosopher king (Solomon?), perhaps the qualities that draw one toward philosophic reflection tend to compete with the qualities of leadership where one must be boldly decisive and the qualities of administration where one must keep a multitude of concrete details organized and functioning as a whole.  


...Yet, I find that the position of principal draws more people with leadership and administrative aptitudes than with philosophic aptitudes.    If a philosophic outlook was not valuable, this trend would be of little concern, after all, Christian schools can run like well oiled machines that please their tuition paying parents with little deep Christian reflection.  

...To be healthy, the Body of Christ must recognize and draw from the gifts of its diverse members.  ...  Even when their schools &ldquo;look good,&rdquo; they must draw out those who can give them insight for philosophic improvement.  

...Christian philosophic thinking is a pursuit of truth and value, it strives to discern God&rsquo;s vision of what can be; it becomes the compass or the blueprint for Christian action.    As Christian school leaders make greater effort to lead and administrate their schools toward the good ends that God envisions for the education day, I believe our schools will increasingly set the standard for schools across the nation.    Every Christian school needs a philosopher king, or at least, a principal who recognizes and addresses the philosophic needs of his/her  school.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>What Makes a Curriculum &#x22;Christian&#x22;?</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Curriculum</category><category>Education Philosophy</category><dc:date>2011-09-28T13:24:31-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/a-Christian-curriculum.php#unique-entry-id-8</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/a-Christian-curriculum.php#unique-entry-id-8</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Granted, elsewhere one would find that the school used curricular resources from ABeka, Bob Jones and others, but the question must be asked, &ldquo;Could this school be said to have a Christian curriculum if it used books that were not published by Christian publishers?&rdquo;


...A curriculum that fails to mention God may be technically permissible in a Christian school, but surely it neglects many of the principles, priorities, and truths that are contained in a robust Christian curriculum.    No school can teach &ldquo;everything,&rdquo; so every curriculum attempts to teach that which is considered true and &ldquo;most valuable&rdquo; to prepare a child for a particular vision of life.  ...  Or is it more important to make schooling more &ldquo;passive&rdquo; by teaching a child merely the &ldquo;common basics&rdquo; and allowing them wider latitude to choose their own character ideals and interests?   Unfortunately, too few parents and educators stand back far enough from their curricular preconceptions of what and how schools should teach to really seek to discern the Biblical truths, values, and principles that guide the formation of a Christian school&rsquo;s curriculum.


...Thus, (as I said in a previous post) the curriculum must reveal God in meaningful and personal ways, and it should prepare children with the capacity, character, knowledge, and skills with which to love themselves and their neighbors.  ...  Most Christian educators attended secular schools, were trained to teach under secular models of education, are not philosophically oriented themselves, and lack the time to deeply revise a secular text.  

...The relatively few publishers that exist are to be commended for their heroic efforts and commitments,  but more need to join in broader efforts that reflect the nuanced &ldquo;life visions&rdquo; of the Body.  ...  Too many merely publish and prepare teachers for secular schools, or they show a concern for Christian schooling by merely adding Christian commentary to their otherwise secularized programs.  


...When founded in God&rsquo;s awesome wonder, wisdom, and goodness, the facts, the stories, the relationships, the values, and the life visions presented by a school&rsquo;s curriculum hold the power to inspire the world changers of tomorrow!
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Goal of Christian Education</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Educators</category><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><dc:date>2011-09-15T10:31:42-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/goal-of-Christian-education.php#unique-entry-id-7</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/goal-of-Christian-education.php#unique-entry-id-7</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Surely there are differences of opinion, but the key ideas relate to God&rsquo;s concerns for each child and each parent&rsquo;s responsibility to see these concerns carried out.    In short, God desires each child to love Him with all his/her heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love their neighbor as themselves.  


...Learning math (and every other subject ) is incomplete if children do not gratefully come to view God as the wondrous &ldquo;giver of mathematics,&rdquo; without which our scientific, technological, and economic worlds would be nonexistent.    We wisely don&rsquo;t want our schools to make children &ldquo;sick of hearing about God,&rdquo; so this revelational instruction should come from teachers&rsquo; hearts rather than merely administrative edicts.  


...Discipline procedure, fairness doctrines, teaching practices, curricular goals, curricular offerings, etc. should all be shaped to help each child to rightly grow to love themselves as uniquely created and gifted by God.


Building on this foundation, instruction to equip children to love others requires that a school actively target the formation of Christ-like character, teach a curriculum strong in the humanities to reveal the nature and individuality of past and present neighbors, and teach children to reason from foundational (Biblical) principles and truths.    Combining these ideas within English class (and each other curricular area), instruction should wrestle with ideas as to how the subject area can be used as a gift of God to &ldquo;love your neighbor.&rdquo;  

...Finally, the revelation and instruction described above are meaningless if the school does not have an internal sense of community or if the child feels like an alien within it.  ...  To the degree Christian schools distance themselves from the relationships, concerns, resources and needs of the local Body of Christ, they diminish their influence and outcomes towards the model of the secular school.


...It is an extension of Christian families; a specialized service of the Body of Christ organized to equip and nurture children to &ldquo;&lsquo;Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.&rsquo;&rdquo;  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>In Search of the &#x22;Good Society&#x22;</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Education Philosophy</category><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><category>Philosophic Trends</category><dc:date>2011-09-12T14:57:29-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/in-search-of-the-good-society.php#unique-entry-id-6</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/in-search-of-the-good-society.php#unique-entry-id-6</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[What is the nature of human civilization, and to what is the world indebted for societies that are just, prosperous, healthy, caring, and supportive of human liberty?  ...  However, as remote as this discussion may seem, governments daily act on their presumptions both in the national and the international realms as they attempt to bring peace and prosperity.  

...However the founders hung their confidence not just on a form of government, but upon a people whose morality was shaped by strong, socially supportive religious beliefs.  

...Without disbanding their form of government, America and many other western civilizations also questioned the role of religion in society by replacing it as a key source of civic nurture.  ...  On the basis that teaching knowledge and reasoning skills apart from any &ldquo;worldview&rdquo; would produce citizens of superior morality and compassion, secular education was believed to be superior to the nurture of the &ldquo;good society.&rdquo;  

...Although many Americans readily believe we are witnessing the failed &ldquo;liberal&rdquo; philosophy of the West, they often propose a &ldquo;conservative&rdquo; philosophy associated with the &ldquo;good society&rdquo; that perhaps equally misses the mark.  ...  Though I believe both visions reflect valid Christian concerns, and I place myself more in the conservative political camp, both philosophies grossly fail to address the moral foundations of society, which are only weakly nurtured by governmental, economic, or other &ldquo;secular forces&rdquo;.    While liberals aim at &ldquo;social justice&rdquo; and conservatives aim a prosperity, both are illusive targets when the moral and philosophic foundations of society are deteriorating as a result of the shallowness of our secular education philosophy. 


...When the philosophic (mis)understanding of modern government separated schooling from deeper ideological foundations, it did not act &ldquo;neutrally&rdquo; toward religion, but reflected a non-theistic social ideology.  

...Thus, as another election cycle stirs public reflection regarding social and political philosophy, I urge  public discussions that engage the reality that good societies are more indebted to the beliefs of their families than to the efforts of their governments.  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Labor Day Reflections</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Economics</category><dc:date>2011-09-06T13:44:29-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/labor-day-reflections.php#unique-entry-id-5</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/labor-day-reflections.php#unique-entry-id-5</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I found it interesting that the public holiday had its roots in late 18th and early 19th century labor unrest.  

...Industrial leaders during the high days of unionization were deeply influenced by both Spencer&rsquo;s ideas on &ldquo;Social Darwinism&rdquo; and the general movement toward secularization.    Social Darwinism argued that society&rsquo;s leaders were the &ldquo;fittest&rdquo; and thus, they strengthened the social &ldquo;gene-pool&rdquo;.    Further, it argued that, as in nature, the gene-pool was strengthened as the socially unfit died off.  ...  Its ideas led to management callousness at a time when society needed higher values at the time when the industrial revolution caused turmoil in people&rsquo;s lives.  


...During the early 20th century, workers increasingly filled workplace roles without addressing the moral and ethical concerns they would support in their &ldquo;private&rdquo; lives.  

...With this said, unionization was a force to bring some recognition of moral concerns into the workplace...  ...  Perhaps unionization has its place, but I believe a Christian workplace wouldn&rsquo;t need unionization as a corrective force.    Christian managers and workers should reflect a mutual sense of service and caring where business goals are met in a setting that values all people and seeks to build community and glorify God.


Labor Day, for me, is now about more than &ldquo;the worker&rdquo;, it is about failures in the Christian community to shape society.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The Next U.S. President and His Educational Agenda</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Education Reform</category><category>Government</category><dc:date>2011-08-26T10:13:16-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/needed-2012-presidential-policy.php#unique-entry-id-4</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/needed-2012-presidential-policy.php#unique-entry-id-4</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[What should President _______________&rsquo;s education agenda be?    A big part of me would like to see the federal influence over education eliminated.    State education bureaucracies provide little enough opportunity for parents to shape their child&rsquo;s public education, and federal manipulations are virtually untouchable!    But perhaps, rather than just &ldquo;leaving education to the states,&rdquo; the next president could take on a role to help deliver more education authority to parents within their states.    Perhaps he/she could help legitimate religious education and the well documented responsibilities parents demonstrate when they take control of their child&rsquo;s education...  


I fear political leaders who use their power to shape everyone&rsquo;s education according to their view of &ldquo;what is best.&rdquo;    But political leaders who uses their power to restore parental educational authority... that&rsquo;s something worth considering! 


Do we have any takers?]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Christian High Schools Strengthen Student Faith Commitments</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Faith Commitments</category><category>Education Reform</category><category>School Quality / Research</category><dc:date>2011-08-26T10:07:49-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/strengthening-faith-commitments.php#unique-entry-id-3</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/strengthening-faith-commitments.php#unique-entry-id-3</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[A study was recently conducted to compare the long-term effects on those who attended different types of high schools upon the longevity of their faith commitments.    Researchers compared the effects of North American public, Catholic, religious school (not Catholic), non-religious private, and homeschools.  

..."First, the data reveal that reverence for the church and its authority is much greater [i.e., statistically significant, with alpha set at 0.10] among Protestant Christian school graduates than among any other school sector.   Protestant Christian school and [religious] homeschool graduates are attending church with greater regularity than their public, Catholic, and non-religious school peers ..." (p. 

...&ldquo;On every measure of traditional religious beliefs, Protestant Christian school graduates show significantly more adherence to the church teachings than their peers [including religious homeschool graduates], findings that hold up after rigorous controls, indicating the impact of the Protestant Christian school on the long-term religious beliefs of their graduates. (p. 

...&ldquo;Belief in moral absolutes translates into cultural issues as well, with Protestant Christian school and [religious] homeschool graduates reporting a countercultural belief that premarital sex, living together before marriage, and divorce are morally wrong ... (p. 

...It is interesting that the findings associated with Christian students who were homeschooled were not as strong.    Perhaps the peer effect of the classroom environment provides a broader foundation for religious confidence.

The study can be referenced as:  Pennings, Ray; Seel, John; Van Pelt, Deani A. Neven; Sikkink, David; & Wiens, Kathryn L. (2011).   Cardus Education Survey: Do the motivations for private religious, Catholic, and Protestant schooling in North America align with graduate outcomes? ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The Long Term Economic Solution</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Economics</category><dc:date>2011-08-05T07:21:40-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/long-term-economic-solution.php#unique-entry-id-2</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/long-term-economic-solution.php#unique-entry-id-2</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The success or failure of nations largely flows from the ideas and character of its people.    Unfortunately, our nation&rsquo;s system of public education fails as an adequate resource for either philosophic ideas or moral character.  

...John Dewey, the early twentieth century education philosopher, influentially argued that religions thwarted the progress of society (and liberty of the individual) by mindlessly preserving a status quo.    Whereas earlier generations believed religion was a social necessity to promote both morality and a philosophic framework of reason, Dewey rejected this in favor of a confidence in human reason alone as a source of both morality and progress.    Though Dewey did not invent secular education (or have the last word in its development), he legitimated it within a culture accustomed to Christian themes in education.  


...The ideas and character that have developed over time and promoted social progress are, contrary to Dewey&rsquo;s beliefs, indebted to religious beliefs.  

...Our economic woes are surely linked to government policy that stems from a view of human nature, but also from the values and character of the American citizenry.  ...  A starting point will be to allow those who hold rational, defensible, and successful worldviews (ie religious communities) to have equal opportunity to educate the youth of likeminded parents.  ...  The status quo of elitist and bureaucratic control of education is a failure which has led us to our current morass of mind numbing testing and curricular narrowness.  ...  Education within religious contexts can be meaningful and life-giving for our children and our society. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>California&#x27;s SB48 (called F.A.I.R. Act) &#x26; Secular Ed.</title><dc:creator>Craig S. Engelhardt</dc:creator><category>Diversity</category><category>Public / Social Philosophy</category><category>Education Reform</category><dc:date>2011-07-18T10:18:56-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/California_SB48.php#unique-entry-id-1</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.saceschools.org/SACE-Directors-Blog/files/California_SB48.php#unique-entry-id-1</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The bill, which was recently signed into law, requires that California public school social studies text books include teaching about the contributions of the &ldquo;gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT)&rdquo; communities.  ...  I wouldn&rsquo;t want my children taught the &ldquo;value&rdquo; of these communities - even if the individuals have made valuable contributions from their God given talents.    These contributions are also contributed by individuals outside the community, so the &ldquo;lifestyle community&rdquo; is not necessary for these contributions to exist.  


...I want to emphasize that the inclusion and acceptance of virtually ALL lifestyles is the nature of a secular (or common) education system!  ...  And not only do they lack the grounds for discernment, they are required by law (through the First Amendment&rsquo;s Religion Clauses) from aligning with or discriminating against any particular world view.  


Since there are so many &ldquo;frameworks of morality,&rdquo; the best we can do (for our children and society) is to revise our public education system from a secular (or common) system to a &ldquo;plural&rdquo; system.    Whereas the former attempts to avoid aligning with all views of truth and value, the latter allows families to attend diverse schools that align with their views of truth and value.    The nature of secular schooling is to shallowly discern diversity; attempting to maintain Christian values in a secular school system is like attempting to teach a lion to eat only vegetables.    Since universal education is a public good, and strong moral and philosophic education can only be conducted in philosophically diverse (or &ldquo;religious&rdquo;) schools, public education must be redesigned to represent a plurality of views.    Yes, we would likely have GLBT public schools in California, but we would also have free access to public Christian schools.  
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