In His Service: Chapter 3 The Battle for a Generation: Focus on Education

In this third chapter Rushdoony makes clear that public education makes morality a subjective concern rather than an objective standard. This has deadly consequences. He says that there are two areas of society that clearly reveal the religion of the people, education and law.

When education makes morality a subjective concern then the law is also subjective. This means that authority, creeds and traditional wisdom is undermined. "Head religion" is replaced with "heart religion". Anselm's "I believe, in order that I may understand." (the belief of sanctifying renewal through the ages) has been replaced with, "I experience, in order that I believe." and "I test, in order that I may understand." Both deny authority, tradition and creeds. Both deny the authority of our Creator. Instead man assumes that he can be all knowing.

Rushdoony also points out something very interesting: "Instead of theology being the queen of sciences, it was no longer even a science." God's law word no longer commands the world and life according to modern society. Man is trying to be god. He is turning his back on the Source of all knowledge and life and instead trying to produce a man made sphere of chaotic and deadly intelligence and knowledge. Humanistic education has become this quest. A quest to save society without God.

Why is this quest deadly? Because it makes morality a subjective concern rather than an objective standard. It educates and teaches skills to unregenerate people. Immoral people with no objective standard increases lawlessness' power. Perversity is not checked. Without being conformed to Jesus, the Lord of Glory, but rather to depraved man society devolves. Immoral behavior becomes the right of any man. Man depersonalizes the world in order to have his right to sin. The world suffers.

Christian education, on the other hand, personalizes and upgrades man to the image of God. Being the children of light requires bring up children "in the nurture and the admonition of the LORD" not the image and deadly wisdom of humanists. We will be held accountable because "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our LORD, and of His Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." Rev. 11:15