Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
Date:         Mon, 23 Nov 1992 21:35:09 EST
From:         "Michael A. Kline" <MKLINE@VDH.BITNET>
Subject:      Newage 12

    New Age Views in Public Schools - John Ankerberg Show. 09/27/92

    Part 12 ------------------------------------------------------------>

    John: We also ought to keep in mind that Values Clarification classes
also change the way students value human life. Dennis Prager explains.

    Dennis: I have asked all over and you've heard this. I've asked high
school students "Would you save your dog or a stranger first if both were
drowning?" 1/3 vote for the dog, 1/3 vote for stranger, 1/3 find the
question too difficult to answer.

    2/3 of our brightest kids would not save a person before their dog.
And why? I love my dog, I don't love the stranger. They don't have a
code, they have an emotion. Now it's true, I have 2 dogs, I love them
more than strangers, too. How can I love a stranger more than the dog
that I've been petting for 5 years? That's a given. But it's equally a
given that if my beloved dog were drowning, and a person I never met in
my life were drowning, of course, I'd save the person. Because I am
governed by a system of values not by a system of emotions.

    My emotions are for my dog, my values are for the stranger. We don't
teach kids that, we teach them what ever you emote, that's wonderful. And
what I do with kids is I show them the whole point of values is because
you have to fight your emotions. There are times when you have to say to
yourself, "I want xxxxx, xxxxx is wrong. I want that woman, but I'm
married. END OF ISSUE."

    That's what values are for to fight your wants. I want my dog, but
there's a person. Persons take priority. That's a religious value. You're
not religious, you don't have that value, necessarily.

    John: Now what can a parent do, if he discovers that he disagrees
with courses and curriculums that are being taught to his children?

    Eric: What I often tell a parent to do is first start with your
child. I think a lot of times when we get active in public schools, we
take a top down mentality and that's the wrong approach. We need a bottom
up mentality. The top down is starting with the school district, the
superintendent, the school board, and so forth.

    Instead, start with your child. Make sure your child understands the
difference between right and wrong. Make sure you child understands
Biblical self esteem, and how our esteem comes from God. Make sure you
child understands how to discern on these issues. Teach them well
yourself, and if you don't know these things then start reading. Get good
books on them. Become a student on these issues so you can pass it on to
your children, because if you don't it's not going to happen in the
schools.

    Secondly, a lot of parents ask me "When should I pull my child out of
the public school classroom because I object to a particular program?" My
rule of thumb on that is this: Pull them from the program when you are no
longer able to influence their education. That means either you're not
able to influence the way the teacher teaches, or you're not able to
teach your child what is right. Maybe you're child is too young and being
swayed by what's going on in the class room.

    Sometimes though if the child is older, maybe a teenager, they can
use it as a discerning tool.  They can go in and actually stand up for
what is right, and it's a growth period for them. It's a wonderful
opportunity for them. So I say when you're no longer able to influence
your child's education either with your child directly or in the
classroom situation.

    John: Next, if a parent decides to approach a child's school teacher,
how should it be done?

    Eric: If you're going to go in and talk to a teacher, always assume
the best. Assume the teacher's not doing this intentionally. Assume the
teacher is truly is looking for the welfare of your child, and what's
best for your child, and have respect. A lot of times parents lose the
battle because they don't have a respect for the teacher. They come in
blasting the teacher, calling him a secular humanist, or a New Ager, when
they're not, and so you just need to assume the best, and talk with that
teacher and let them know your concerns about your child personally.

    And then actually a good approach is to be naive, and say "You know,
I really want to feel comfortable about this program, but I just don't
because of this and this and this. Can you show me how this actually
works? Can you show me the research that would help me understand why
this is important, or why this is good?" And you're actually leading the
teacher through a learning process, but you're doing it in a very
non-threatening way.

    John: Now if a problem develops with a teacher. How should a parent
approach the school board?

    Eric: Starting with the child, protect the child, then influence the
teacher, change what's going on in the entire classroom so that 30 kids
are helped. Then go on to the school district level. And there are
different ways you can approach the school districts. You need to
approach the school board members individually.

    One of the things we do all the time at Gateways, is council parents
on the appropriate ways to approach school board members in such a way
that you win a friend rather than build an enemy, create an enemy. And
there are ways to do that.

    I've had parents contact me and say "Well, I'm going to the school
board meeting next week and I'm going to tell them what's wrong with this
program and so forth." and I'll say "Wait a second, how much time are
they going to give you at that podium?" "Well, they're going to give us 3
minutes." "Are you really, in 3 minutes, going to convey everything that
you feel about that program?" "Well, I'm not."

    "How many members are on your school board?" And they'll tell me,
"Well, I don't know, I haven't investigated that yet." Well, they need to
find out who those board members are, they're real people. Sometimes,
they're people who would believe like the parent believes, if they reach
out and talk to them. So we always advise a relational approach to
activism, even at the school board level. You can win so many friends
that way and actually it's more powerful in the long run.

In His Love,

  Michael A. Kline, Sr. SSE
  Systems Eng. Manager    804-786-1559    Home:
  Va Dept of Health (FAX: 804-786-7528)   13308 Thornridge Ct.
  1500 E Main St. Room 211-3              Midlothian, VA  23112
  Richmond, Virginia  23219               804-744-9126
  "Know God, Know Peace"                  "No God, No Peace"
  "Champions are not men who never failed, but men who never quit"
                                          Ed Kole
  "I didn't vote for Clinton...."
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