Teach Them How to Think, Not What to Think

Word from the Center
Written By Peter Scaer

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Teach them how to think, not what to think. That's what Senator Braun's commercial says we need. And in that, he's typical of much of the conservative movement. But scratch the surface of that phrase, and you end up in a world of hurt. Our kids need to be taught goodness, must be inculcated in the natural law, must be formed in an education that is value laden. Education always includes moral formation. Getting rid of bad and pornographic books is a must; adding good books is also a necessity. It's not okay if our kids know how to read if they never read good stuff. We shouldn't pretend, for instance, that Marxist ideology and our founders' values are simply two options among many. Marxism is evil, and the idea that it is one idea among others is suicidal.

Perhaps, then, the idea should be to break the ties between the federal government, the state government, with education. We had better get a hold of the fact that our own . . . universities are centers of indoctrination. That will mean some radical moves, which is to say, we can't play around the edges. Is Braun up for this? But that means speaking boldly precisely about values that should be taught. Who among our Republican candidates is willing to think more boldly? It's not enough to full a few weeds in garden of weeds. And teaching no values is not a plausible solution. Nothing will always leave a vacuum to be filled. And, as the prophet has said, nothing from nothing leaves nothing.

The Rev. Dr. Peter Scaer is chairman and professor of Exegetical Theology and director of the M.A. program at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Be Informed

Learn more about how to make the case for natural marriage with Dr. Brad Wilcox of the Institute for Family Studies.

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“We want to show people that we are not just saying all life is important and then leaving it at that. We believe life starts at conception, and we love and care for that baby and mother deeply.” Learn more about how Lutherans support mothers and their little ones through pro-life ministries in Texas and Missouri.

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