Southern Baptists vs. Public Education

The right-wing WorldNetDaily reports on a resolution being mulled by the Southern Baptist Convention "calling for church members to pull their children out of public schools." The resolution further asks churches to "lovingly warn all of their members concerning the toxic spiritual nature of the government school system."

Grady Arnold, a pastor in Texas who also directs GetTheKidsOut.org, is submitting the measure along with David Scarbrough, minister of education at a Southern Baptist church in Tennessee.

"Southern Baptists have been playing the 'ostrich with its head in the sand' routine long enough," Arnold said. "The time is way overdue that we acknowledge the devastating effects public school is having on the faith of our children."

The resolution is similar to one introduced last year, which noted a litany of horrors in our public schools, such as "the education offered by the government schools is officially Godless," and "Many Christian children in government schools are converted to an anti-Christian worldview rather than evangelizing their schoolmates."

But of course, when the fundamentalist right pushes for vouchers and "school choice," they're not -- as they always try to reassure us -- trying to undermine public schools. Right?

(Thank to Pam's House Blend for the tip)