Secularizing the Schools

I do not run in the circles that have anything to do with public school, so this was a new one to me. Apparently, there is an elementary school in the local area that is named "Horace Mann Elementary". I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt and presume that they do not know who Horace Mann was. He was influential in education, yes that is true. He also had a large impact in the understanding of childhood. Yet, this is comparable to saying that Adolf Hitler had a large impact in Jewish culture. Can you imagine seeing a sign for "Adolf Hitler Synagogue"?

I am certain that there are people who know what Horace Mann was really like and what he believed, but they most likely are not working for the building up of American society in true holiness and righteousness. There is not enough space in a short post like this for me to outline all the things that Horace Mann believed and did (one example should be enough: he helped secularize public schools). His views on children, family, and education are not in accord with the Catholic faith. The changes he brought about in the traditional practice of children's education have led to many of the problems we deal with today in public schools -- immorality, violence, and moral relativism. This just goes to point out that people often do not know how things have changed and who has influenced those changes.

How many times have I heard someone refer to something that is tried and true as "archaic" or "out of the dark ages"? They know there is a difference, but they are unaware of what that difference really is, or how evil the "new" thing really is. The devil accomplished a lot in our society because he was able to influence people into thinking that good is evil, and that evil is good. He brought about changes in numerous institutions, and did it so subtly that many did not even realize it was happening; or if they did, they did not see the full consequences of what was happening. When you live in a society, like ours, that has largely been taken over by people with an ungodly agenda, you need to begin to question anything new. You need to be wary of trusting anything that has not been proven by centuries of testing. You need to put your faith and hope in Christ Jesus and what He has done; all others "pay cash".