Is a Biblical Worldview Optional?

If we were asked if a biblical worldview
is optional, we would simply
have to answer, “No!” But in
a fallen world, trying to establish such
a worldview in children is challenging.
A worldview is the core set of beliefs
that impact how we view, understand,
and respond to everything that we
observe and experience in this world.

In her freshman English course, a
girl who attended a Christian school
from kindergarten all the way through
high school was asked if education
should be Christian. Her response
was a six-page paper, which confidently
concluded that a biblical
worldview–based education is “effective,
life-changing, and ultimately
important.” She said, “If applied and
accepted, a Christian worldview can
be the basis for changing a child’s life,
future, mindset, discipline, responsibility,
and give them opportunities
for future ministry. The most important
thing about a good, Bible-based
foundation is that it should share the
gospel and teach others how to share
it, too.” Having experienced it herself,
this girl understood the importance of
a Christian education.

Ultimately, there are only two worldviews—either for or against Christ.
And there are only two foundations
on which to construct a worldview—God’s Word or man’s word. This battle
began in Genesis 2 and 3, when
God instructed Adam and Eve to obey
God’s Word, but the devil tempted
them to trust their own word and be
their own gods. Out of these two foundations,
a person builds either a biblical
worldview beginning with God’s
Word or a secular worldview beginning
with man’s word.

It may surprise you that an
extremely small percentage of youth
from even Christian schools and
homeschools have a truly biblical
worldview. The Nehemiah Institute
conducts a PEERS test to objectively
measure the understanding of how
biblical principles apply to all areas of
life, and it compares how a student’s
worldview compares with that of their
parents or teachers. The test measures
worldview in politics, economics, education,
religion, and social issues.

According to the PEERS test, only
about 14% of those who take the test
believe in absolute truth, have a firm
biblical understanding of issues, and
are allowing Scripture to guide their
reasoning regarding ethical, moral,
and legal issues. The other 86% do not
have a solid, biblical worldview.

A Biblical Mandate

Because of sin, there is no perfect
form of education. Families are in many
different situations, some extremely
difficult. There are single-parent families
and poverty-stricken families. In
some countries, homeschooling and
Christian schools are illegal. In many
ways, much of the church has failed
such families. Regardless, parents are
the ones ultimately responsible before
God for their children’s education and
must do their best whatever their situation.
They must develop a biblical
worldview as much as possible in their
children.

The Bible offers Christian parents
clear instructions concerning the
education of their children and which
Christian principles and philosophy
to teach them. In Deuteronomy 6:6–9,
parents are given a biblical mandate
to educate their children according to
God’s Word in everything they do.

Just being Christian parents or taking
them to church each week will not
fulfill that mandate. Children must be
taught about God continually. Parents
can choose assistance to help them on
this journey, but it is the parents, not
pastors, teachers, or textbooks, who
are fully responsible to see that the
Word of God is integrated into every
aspect of their children’s lives.

Only the Bible, carefully
and consistently taught, will
enable students to correctly
think about everything.

As part of this educational responsibility,
parents need to see that students
are taught that God’s Word, beginning
in Genesis, is the only foundation for
developing a truly biblical worldview.
Only the Bible, carefully and consistently
taught, will enable students to
correctly think about everything.

Working Together

Whether attending homeschool,
Christian school, or government
school, by the time a typical student
finishes high school, he or she
has spent more than 15,000 hours in
school—many more hours than spent
at church. What children see, hear,
and learn during school hours must be
brought in line with the truth of God’s
Word. Parents must constantly guard
their children’s minds and hearts.
That can be easier if your children
are homeschooled or attend a Christian
school, but we must never throw
up our hands and hope for the best.
In all educational choices, the task of
monitoring and training to the best of
our ability is not optional. God’s Word
must be taught and understood as
our final authority, even when teachers
or textbooks blatantly disparage or
disagree.

Without careful oversight, students,
having a sin nature, can easily become
secularized by the influences they
encounter in all those school hours. In
a perfect situation, the family, church,
and school should work in cooperation
with each other, forming the same
ideals and principles in the children. If
church, school, and family were able to
work toward the same goal, children
would see these relationships as a
community instead of individual entities
that teach and emphasize different
values. The entire community then
would help students establish a coherent,
biblical worldview, and would
give them direction for their lives. Not
all situations are this ideal. But we
should strive for this as much as possible,
knowing there will be limitations
depending on individual situations.

Definition of Education with a Biblical Worldview

A person’s worldview is a set of fundamental
beliefs or assumptions that
determine the way he or she lives. A
biblical worldview is one based fully
on the Word of God, accepting truth as
objective, and accepting God’s absolute
standards for morality. The big questions
of life are answered differently
depending on a person’s worldview. If
the Bible is the foundation of a person’s
education, those questions will be
answered from a biblical frame of reference.
Students taught from a biblical
perspective should be able to articulate
biblical answers about difficult subjects
and recognize unbiblical ideas when
they see them and be able to respond
effectively.

Fully Integrated Biblical Worldview

A home, school, and church that teach
from a biblical worldview not only teach
that the Bible is true but also establish
the Bible as the foundation from
which all subjects are taught. Romans
1:20 reinforces that we can know and
understand aspects of who God is by
studying the things he created.

Teaching students to think critically
about the world around them and how
they fit into God’s plan is an important
part of education. Having the right perspective
on this equips the students to
serve God, regardless of future profession.
Just having Christian teachers,
prayer in the classroom, and chapel
once a week is not enough. When students
can be taught at schools where
the Bible is fully integrated, both the
curriculum and extracurricular activities
will provide a safe environment in
which they can grow, make mistakes,
and develop their God-given talents.

Discipline

Ultimately, the best situation
is for Christian parents to choose
a schooling option with strong biblical
values where they are able to partner
with godly people, such as teachers
and other specialists, to assist them
on the parenting journey. Strong
Christian teachers, whether they be
parents or someone delegated to teach
children about God, have a significant
influence on children’s lives and play
a vital role in shaping their character
and decisions. Effective teachers who
love God, their subject, and their students
are driven to provide the quality,
well-rounded education parents seek
for their children.

Of course, the best situation would be
to provide education that has a totally
biblically based philosophy of discipline.
Regardless of how good a teacher
is or how many fun learning activities
he or she has, discipline problems will
occur because of sin, and children will
need correction. Teachers must have an
effective plan for classroom discipline
and management, so they are able to
train children in a well-ordered manner
that promotes student learning. With
a grace-based approach in a Christian
school, teachers can help children see
the wrong motives in their misbehavior
and then point them toward the forgiveness
only God can offer. Discipline
based on a strong biblical worldview
will focus not only on a child’s behavior
but also on the attitudes that motivate
the behavior.

Teachers

It would be ideal if every
child could have teachers with a solid,
personal relationship with God. Students
watch and learn by example, and
it would be such a blessing to always
have teachers who not only love God
but also live a consistent, joy-filled
Christian life—teachers who believe
and live the truth in front of students
on a daily basis. Imagine having teachers
who partner with parents to disciple
students with love and welcome
parents to take an active role in the
spiritual development of their children.
This partnership would have
a significant impact on the child’s
behavior and attitude. Unfortunately,
that’s just not always possible, so parents need to be doing all
they can to help overcome the negative
influences of sin on our children.

Curriculum

Educational materials
also shape a student’s worldview. All
parents should be fully aware of which
textbooks their students are using
and have an intimate understanding
of the curriculum—the actual coursework
and the content being taught.
In a Christian school or homeschool
setting, the whole curriculum should
be taught and applied from a biblical
perspective.

Exposure to Unbiblical Worldviews

As children come in contact
with the unbiblical ideas that
permeate our culture, parents
must use these opportunities
as teachable moments.

No matter how protective parents
are, their children will be exposed to
unbiblical worldviews—at school and
through media, advertisements, and
many other sources. As children come
in contact with the unbiblical ideas that
permeate our culture, parents must
use these opportunities as teachable
moments, guiding their children to analyze
each situation from a biblical worldview
perspective. When their teachers
are also approaching issues from the
same biblical viewpoint, something that unfortunately
does not happen even in some
Christian schools, they can confirm
what their parents are teaching instead
of causing confusion.

If children are placed in a situation
where they spend a lot of time with
non-Christian teachers and non-Christian
friends, parents need to be aware
that such exposure can have a major
negative influence on the ways the
children think and act. For example, in
a non-Christian environment, children
may experience objectionable language
or phrases they easily pick up on and
start using, therefore becoming desensitized.
This can also happen in many
so-called “Christian” environments.
But it is true that the daily influence of
teachers who have a fundamentally different
worldview may influence them
negatively for life. Thus, parents need
to be diligent in knowing how their
children are being educated.

If the education system forbids the
mention of God, the curriculum is
not neutral as it may claim to be. Do
whatever it takes to inoculate your
children against the false teachings of
secular education. But if you are able
to choose a Christian school option for
your children, see that as a way not to
completely isolate them from the challenges
of the world but to prepare them
to face those challenges. Regardless
of the school, the parents are responsible
to train up their children to be
educated Christians, ready to give an
answer (I Peter 3:15) in a society that is
quickly growing more and more hostile
to Christians.

The Importance of Friendship

It may be easier to counter the negative
influence of a teacher than to
counter the negative influence of a
non-Christian friend. People at any
age can feel pressured from peers to
compromise their values, but children
are especially at risk as they form
their identity as image-bearers of God.
As 1 Corinthians 15:33 warns, friends
with an opposite value system can be
destructive.

If parents can find a Christian
schooling option, it is much
more likely that their children will form
strong friendships with a godly peer
(though not always). In a Christ-honoring
environment, parents, pastors, and
teachers should be working together to
assist students to form lasting and true
friendships, helping children and youth
realize that their true friends should
strengthen their biblical values and
relationship with God (Proverbs 27:17).
However, parents should be warned
that regardless of how their children
are educated, they need to closely monitor
who their children bond with.

Parental Involvement

No matter which schooling option
parents choose, they need to be
involved to help prepare their children
for whatever they will face in life.
Just sending children to a school that
teaches the same values as home and
church will not be enough to prepare
them to defend their faith. Parents still
need to biblically address the tough
issues with their children so that when
they are exposed to a unbiblical worldview,
they will know how to react.
Those who disciple their children at
home and can either homeschool them
or send them to a quality Christian
school with strong biblical integration
and thoroughly Christian textbooks
will have some obvious advantages.

Regardless, God’s Word makes it
clear that education begins in the home
and is ultimately the parents’ responsibility.
All parents need to be intimately
involved in training their children to
build a truly biblical worldview.

SourceThis article originally appeared on answersingenesis.org

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