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Grace_alone
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Username: Grace_alone

Post Number: 74
Registered: 6-2006


Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 7:01 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hi Y'all,

As I've shared before, my family-in-law is very active in the SDA church. This has been for generations, and it's a pretty huge family. We get together almost weekly and are very close. At first I'm sure I was a big thorn in their side, but after many years the family and I have come to love and respect each other.

Once in a while I get a question or two regarding my faith, or the way the kids are being brought up. Also, as you know my husband comes to church with me and the kids, but won't tell anyone in his family. Lately it's been "are the kids ever going to go to the academy?"

I've told my husband over and over that I will not put my kids in a situation where an authority figure tells them that they have to obey the Sabbath, or they won't go to Heaven. He never argues with me on that, but I know he'll probably ask me again another time.

If the question comes up between me and the in-laws, how the heck do I answer? We are litteraly the first family that hasn't sent our kids to the Academy in 60+ years.

Thanks Friends,
Leigh Anne

Colleentinker
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Post Number: 4343
Registered: 12-2003


Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 8:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Leigh Anne, I don't know exactly what you should say, but I'll just make some observations.

First, in their minds you are undoubtedly "to blame" for the "deficits" they perceive in your family. Never mind that you know Jesusóyou are influencing their son and grandchildren against their identity. As long as you understand you are the "scapegoat" in their minds and can bear that label because of the strength you have knowing you are secure in Christ, you can probably get away with answers they might not "take" from an SDA. They may figuratively roll their eyes and talk about you out of earshot, but they'll likely consider these kinds of decisions to be out of their control (and hence out of your husband's control, too...) because you have been an unfortunate influence.

If you can bear this semi-covert blame, you can probably give 'most any answer, and they'll just "consider the source" and find their "tragic" situation to be a convenient reason to elicit support and prayers from their fellow church members.

I'll tell you what I think I would probably give as my #1 reason for not sending kids to academy. (By the way, is it boarding academy?) If it is, I'd just say that I believe God has given me the responsibility to rear my own children, and I cannot walk away from God's assignment to me by sending my kids away. They need parents during their teens in a big way.

If it's a day academy, I'd probably say simply that I don't want them to go to a school where they would be given religious instruction because I believe that job is the job of the parents. They will likely NOT agree or understand, but againóthe fact that you are not SDA will probably work in your favor, in a way, because they can "blame" your "outsider" status for this decision.

Colleen
Grace_alone
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Username: Grace_alone

Post Number: 75
Registered: 6-2006


Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 6:15 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks Colleen,

I can take blame, even if I do get my feelings hurt a little bit. My kids' spiritual health is a million times more important to me than my own feelings.

The Academy is a day school, K-12, in the next town over from our place. Right now the kids go to a great public school very close to where we live. When the kids started, my husband was glad that we didn't have to pay for school and that it was so close to home. However it was just recently that he brought up the question of if/when they can go to the SDA school.

I appreciate your suggestions. Yesterday they started school (it's year-round). This has really been weighing so heavily on my heart lately. I think since it came up in the first place, I'm realizing how divided my husband and I are spiritually. It hurts, but we've avoided this subject for such a long time that it's probably time that we work at resolving it.

whaaaah!

Leigh Anne
Flyinglady
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Username: Flyinglady

Post Number: 2682
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Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 7:17 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I wish I could say I have been where you are Leigh Anne, but I have not. All I will do is pray for you asking God to guide you in your decisions.
BTW, I do agree with Colleen about kids needing their parents nearby, especially during their teens. And I have always believed that children learn their religious/spiritual values from their parents. That is the parents job.
I will remember you in my prayers.
Diana
Raven
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Post Number: 518
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Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 7:42 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

About a year before we left the SDA church, we took our kids out of the SDA school and put them into a top public school. We made this decision several months before I had any clue we'd ever consider leaving the SDA church. So there wasn't even anyone to take the blame and I felt so guilty over it at the time. A couple people expressed EGW's philosophy to me "the worst Adventist school is far better than the best public school."

It wasn't long before I had absolutely no regrets. I was so worried they would have bad influences at public school and wouldn't get proper spiritual, moral instruction and influence. In reality, it's nice to not have to constantly correct or put disclaimers on information they came home with from worship or Bible class. I like the spiritual instruction being left up to me. And there are so many more choices of who to hang out with - so far our kids have very pleasant Christian friends, as well as some extremely well-mannered non-Christian friends. At the SDA school there were always cliques, snobbery, and just plain meanness. While there are mean kids here and there at their public school, there are so many friend options that the mean ones aren't daily torture.

The reason we switched was actually over academics. All SDA schools are required to go by the SDA General Conference curriculum, which does adhere to minimal state standards. But they usually make little or no attempt to go above and beyond. In fact we found that in the younger grades, they were afraid to overtax anyone's brain because EGW says kids should be free from the burdens of school until age 10. Our kids were utterly bored and we found they were significantly behind in math and science when they switched. As one example, in the public school from first grade on the kids have Science and Social Studies every day all school year. At the SDA school, they had Social Studies the first half and Science the second half. This continued through the 4th grade which is as far as we went - I don't know how much longer that would have continued. Fourth grade was the worst year because the teacher didn't get through Social Studies until around Spring break time, and then barely covered anything in Science because there wasn't time. I was amazed at how one year of public school had our one daughter in advanced science and math classes for the following year. Our other daughter, who always struggled with math, is finally headed to advanced math this year coming up. It seemed at the SDA school, no one tried to have the kids achieve their best potential, just make the grade. Our public school's motto is "every student will achieve their full potential" - and they live it every day. The focus is so strong on academics and yet the kids don't feel pushed, just challenged and cared about.

Despite all the complaints about proficiency testing or whatever one's state calls it, that standard requires teachers to get their students to a certain level which was wonderful for our kids. Private schools don't have to do proficiency testing, and our SDA school didn't. Public school for us was just so much better in numerous ways.
Violet
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Post Number: 452
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Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 8:25 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Leigh Ann,
The post above have great insight, but most of all you have to do what is right for each child individually. I have a Sr. in public school while my Freshman is in a private non-denominational school. It had more to do with academics. The public school is considered one of the best in our state, but my younger one needed a smaller, one on one teaching process.

Remember God placed them in your hands, your accountable, you must do what God tells you to do not anyone else.

:-)
V
Flyinglady
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Post Number: 2683
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Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 8:38 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My son went to SDA school until the 4th grade. I went to the parent-teacher conference. I made the comment that since we were working with the same child we needed to cooperate. Boy, did she not like that. She told me that I needed to cooperate with her. I replied and said that since I paid tuition, that I was helping to pay her salary. After that conference, she started being nasty to my son. This was in Sept. I looked for a school and prayed about it. Finally at Christmas time I took him out. My SDA friends gave me the "You know what Sister White says...". My reply was that my son should not be mistreated by anyone, like she was doing. Two years after I took him out and put him in public school, these same friends had taken their kids out of the SDA school and put them in public school. They told me they should have done it when I took my son out. I have said before that was God telling me what to do and I did not know it. I was still nominal SDA and my name had not been taken off the church books. These same friends would not send their kids to boarding academy because, because as they told me, the kids need them more as teenagers. I agreed.
Just my thoughts on this subject.
Diana
Grace_alone
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Username: Grace_alone

Post Number: 76
Registered: 6-2006


Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 9:01 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Diana, thanks for your prayers. I can tell that you are a great prayer warrior!

Raven, thank you for your story. That helps! My husband and I actually had a long talk about all this last night. He shared that he wished that the kids could go to the academy, and I shared that I just didn't want them to be exposed to EGW. He didn't take that very well. Even though he's known for 20 years now how I feel that she's a false prophet, he couldn't understand and started to feel attacked. I suggested that maybe the kids could someday go to a non-denominational private Christian school, and he said that we could talk about it.

I grew up only going to public school, and in a old, bad neighborhood no less! However, our Christian life at home was daily, and all my life we've been active and faithful believers. With God's help my sisters and I enjoyed a wonderful time in school and avoided all the things that my husband and his family fear. In fact, I've never smoked a cigarette in my life, but my husband who only went to SDA school tried cigarettes there. ( I know that's not a huge deal but it's my measily example!) He is convinced that they will get a better education at the SDA school, and also wants them to be part of his tradition.

Sometimes I wonder why he ever married me in the first place.

Violet, thanks! You're absolutely right. And I like the way you've cusomized your schooling to fit your kids' needs.

One really good thing that happened after our chat last night was that we stopped the discussion and prayed together. He doesn't really pray with me, but I asked special. We prayed that God would leas us as a couple, and for us as a family.

Thank you for all your help ladies. I'm really glad I have you to talk to.

Leigh Anne


Jorgfe
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Username: Jorgfe

Post Number: 237
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 1:45 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Grace_alone, What a wonderful testimony! We have taken our 11-year old son out of the local SDA school and have enrolled him in a local Lutheran school where he has a lot more children to associate with. We also experienced a significant difference in academic levels between the two schools. We have been taking our child to Sylvan Learning Center to bring him up to where he needs to be for 6th grade.

Gilbert
Colleentinker
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Username: Colleentinker

Post Number: 4346
Registered: 12-2003


Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 6:51 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

For what it's worth, when we took our kids out of Loma Linda Elementary and L.L. Academy and put them in a local inter-denominational school, I was initially reluctant because I believed evangelical Christians were "anti-intellectual" and that our sons wouldn't receive the quality of academics LLA offered. (LLA has a good academic reputation in the local area.)

To my surprise, the academics at the Christian school were excellent. Our sons learned to writeóand they had to do research papers in history and government and English, etc. that astonished me. I didn't ever have to write such extensive papers when I was at Walla Walla College!

When I taught there, I was able to see the ninth-grader's achievement test scores (I taught 9th grade English), and they averaged above the national norm.

The bottom line here is that while Adventists internally claim they have excellent schools with superior academics, that claim seems largely to be in-house. In reality, a great many Adventist schools (especially in less urban areas) do not have great academicsóand many have substandard cirricula. With dropping enrollments, it's often hard to staff the academies with adequate faculty as well. When enrollment is low, the school has to have fewer teachers. This reality means that often teachers have to teach several different classesósome of which they may not be as equipped to teach as others.

Colleen
Cy
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Post Number: 49
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Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 7:26 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My exposure to SDA schools consisted of attending 2nd grade at the local church school and 10th-12th at the conference boarding academy.

2nd grade was a lost year! I went from reading at an advanced level in 1st grade to being a year behind my peers in 3rd grade. Worse yet, the kids at the SDA grade school were nasty and unsupervised at play, resulting in lots of injuries and several broken pairs of glasses.

Boarding academy was a difficult experience too. My peers pulled lots of nasty stunts like shooting firecrackers under the door into my dorm room and lots of other worse things that I'll just skip for now. Academics were generally poorer compared to the public schools I attended, and I ended up taking catch-up math classes in college despite my high ACT scores. Boarding school seems to get the kids that parents can't handle anymore and kids that truly love God - a pretty polar mix.

Looking back, I hardly ever had trouble with my peers in public school like I had in the SDA schools. With the exception of music, the public schools had better curricula and teachers. While still attending SDA church, I used to chafe in my seat when the pastor would give his yearly "send your kids to SDA schools" sermon based on nothing but EGW (sigh).

Cy
Jeremy
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Username: Jeremy

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Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 9:23 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Raven and Cy, I find it amazing that all the details that you both described are so similar to my own experience the one year I went to SDA school (5th grade).

Something that upsets me is how they always use the term "Christian education" whenever they talk about Adventist education (such as for those yearly sermons), as if there is no such thing as "Christian education" outside of Adventism.

In fact, personally, my experience at the SDA school was that it was neither "Christian" nor "education." Hehe. I had been homeschooled grades 1-3, skipped 4th and went to the SDA school for 5th--and it was not much of an advancement from 3rd!

There is much more I could say about the whole experience, but I'll just leave it at that for now at least.

Jeremy

(Message edited by Jeremy on July 19, 2006)
Agapetos
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Post Number: 197
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Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 1:12 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I don't know if it's fair to mention something that my former classmate shared with me... he and I went to Shenandoah Valley Academy in Virginia (I only went there my senior year). He went back this year for our ten-year reunion, but I wasn't able to go. He told me that 99% of our class had lost their faith. Only a few were still Christian. My friend is one of the 99%. He laughed when he told me about how after the alumni meetings, they all went out to town to go drinking together.
Peperpat
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Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 7:59 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It sounds like the children in sda schools get a heavy dose of egw. I was told my grandchildren will either be home schooled or sent to sda day schools. What do sda parents/teachers tell their children about family members that are not sda? - Patti
Grace_alone
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Username: Grace_alone

Post Number: 77
Registered: 6-2006


Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 9:06 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I tried to tell my husband the other night that often times, the kids in private schools have just as much or more temptation to drugs and problems as do the kids who go to public school. He couldn't believe it. I just remember seeing seeing his younger sister go off the deep-end once she became a teenager. It seemed that all the Adventist sheltering got to her once she experienced the outside world.

Christian education really begins and sustains at home.

Patti - I don't know what SDA's actually tell their kids, but I was on the other end of a situation. When we were dating, everyone in the family told my husband to "be careful". If you knew me and my upbringing you'd laugh at that. I was a band geek, didn't date, never went to a party and actually never drank or smoke. This was not because my parents made me, it was all because I liked being that way! My future in-laws wouldn't let him take me to a fellow band member's birthday party because they were afraid there would be drugs there.

By the way Patti, I like you screen name - I have a cousin named Patti Pepper!

:-) Leigh Anne
Colleentinker
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Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 9:10 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Patti, I don't know that teachers directly talk about non-SDA family, but the indoctrination into Adventist practices and "holy living" is so deep and subtle that children leave believing that their non-practicing family are sinning.

One occasional member of this forum told me that her second-grade granddaughter was attending an SDA school because her non-practicing SDA dad wanted her to have an SDA education. The girl's mother grew up Catholic, and neither parent has a relationship with Jesus.

This girl attended an SDA elementary school in Southern California this past year (this bastion of "liberalism"!), and she was very impressed with Ellen's visions and wondered if she herself might someday have a vision. Further, based on the teaching from school, she began to reprimand her parents when they "broke" the Sabbath.

The message is indirect, but it's powerful: being SDA is the only right way, and those that are not, are not as "enlightened" or as "spiritual" at best, and at worst are on the road to being lost.

Colleen
Violet
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Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 2:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I grew up knowing my dad would not be saved because he broke the Sabbath. He went to our family busines on Sabbath morning.
When I finally left Adventism it hit me my dad loved Jesus he prayed to Him. He would be in heaven!!
Riverfonz
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Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 2:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Since my home upbringing was so strict with regard to Ellen White, the irony was that I actually enjoyed going to SDA schools, because they were always more liberal than my folks, with only two isolated teachers as an exception.

I actually got a different view of Christianity from some of my teachers (especially Floyd Denney at Sierra View Junior Academy), and some teachers that definitely knew Christ at Modesto Union Academy.

I especially loved the musical opportunities. There was nothing like SDA academy bands--I loved that experience! We used to have the battle of the bands. Of course my folks thought the music at Modesto under Gordon DeLeon was too worldly!

I loved Pacific Union College. My experience there was some of the best days of my life. Maybe it had something to do that it was located in the lush Napa Valley. Sabbath afternoon entertainment possibilities were interesting. But,I also got a good education there, and it was a good preparation for my career choice.

At Loma Linda Univ med school, there were also many fine Christian physicians and teachers. But of course, it was at LLUMC, that we all got indoctrinated into Graham Maxwell-Provonsha liberalism.

But I was very fortunate in my experience in SDA schools, and I thank the Lord and my parents for the opportunities that education gave me.

Stan
Lars
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Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 9:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Soooooooooooooo, how do former SDA parents, who in good faith sent their children to SDA schools, deal with their recurring episodes of guilt after they appropriate the true Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ?

No platitudes please!!!

Our hearts ache for our one child and family who are still involved in the SDA belief system!!!

Larry
Loneviking
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Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 9:46 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Floyd Denney and Sierra View Junior Academy? Now those are two names I haven't heard together in many years. I 'graduated' from there in '77 and my brother in '79. Stan, how did you wind up there? I thought you were from up around Fresno and Modesto?
Riverfonz
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Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 10:14 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It's a small world Bill. I graduated from SVJA in 1966 after grades one through eight, and then moved on to Modesto Union Academy in '66-70.

I had a great trumpet teacher by the name of Dick Coates, who also was our band director. Interestingly enough, he was Roman Catholic, and played night clubs, but was allowed to teach music at our school.

Stan
Agapetos
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Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006 - 10:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I'm thankful for my parents working hard & trying to do their best in getting me the best education. But I don't think I could ever recommend SDA education under the college level. The "chapels" and "Bible" classes can be difficult for some in college, and how much more in high school or earlier!

One problem is that a Bible teacher in an SDA school basically can teach almost whatever he/she wants. This is good if it's a grace-based teacher. But it's bad if the teacher has a fixation on SDA's pet doctrines. One of my high school Bible teachers was big into the end times stuff, teaching the mark of the beast, and how wrong rock music & wordly stuff were. He often showed us advertisments and pointed out their subliminal messages (there is subliminal advertising, but he took it further... for example, the mouthwash "Scope" he said was sexual, for "Score"). Basically, it was super-Adventist paranoia. And I think it's a strong reason that my brother does not want to get anywhere near a church today.

Often we get that kind of paranoia at home, but getting it at school is something that you as a parent have very little control over. As long as EGW books are acceptable shelf-ornaments or classroom textbooks, a door is left open for all sorts of legalism and religious paranoia.
Colleentinker
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Post Number: 4356
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Posted on Friday, July 21, 2006 - 2:19 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Ramone, you make a very good point. Getting the SDA paranoia at school is something a parent cannot controlóand it is going to be present in an SDA school. Even if, hypothetically, the teacher never taught Adventist doctrine (which would never happen!), the students themselves function with the Adventist social structure determining whom they will befriend and whom they won'tónon-Adventist children (or children from less-than-approved parents in the local church) will not be on the "list" for their classmates' parties, etc.

Even though we were not "wall flowers" in our local Adventist church in Loma Linda, our sons were often marginalized for two reasons: they were products of divorce, and we weren't members of the medical community. Both of those things made them "undesirable" from early elementary. Oh, they had some "friends", and the fact that they were bright meant that some kids enjoyed hanging with them a bit at school. But as far as being "accepted" in generalóthey were marginalized.

When we put them in Arrowhead Christian Academy, their social lives changed abruptly. Roy, who was in 10th grade at the time, was overwhelmed at the fact that from day one, several kids befriended him and helped him become integrated. This sort of thing never happened in an Adventist schoolóunless the "new kid" had a well-known or well-to-do parent who was admired in the local Adventist community.

I'm just so thankful for the difference knowing Jesus makes!! He is so faithful, and He really does change hearts.

Colleen
Bobj
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Posted on Friday, July 21, 2006 - 3:08 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Leigh Anne,
I will be praying for you.
Bob
Melissa
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Posted on Friday, July 21, 2006 - 7:52 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I personally am amazed at the financial sacrifices a family will make to put their children in sda schools. My son's aunt has taken a job outside of the home, that includes working some Sundays to be able to put their son in SDA school. She had been a stay at home mom prior to that. She is trained in education, so I was a little surprised she didn't try to get a position at the school, but chose k-mart instead.

My ex, who can't find an extra dime in his budget to pay child support, would do almost anything to force me to put our son in SDA schools. I'm sure he would even find a way to pay for it, if I refused. Of course, I would never consent to such a thing, so it's a moot point, but it is fascinating to watch the mental gymnastics they will go to to figure out the finances for that education.

What was even stranger was watching the ex fascinated at the quality of my older son's public education. He said he knew older kids who couldn't read as well as he could, and when we'd go to open houses, he was always looking for things to criticize, but he struggled to find anything. But he has been adamant that a good parent would send their child to a "Christian" school.

I've also known kids who were so sheltered at home that when they got out in the "real" world, they really couldn't cope or function with those who weren't like them. They usually struggled trying to get used to the world 'outside'. It's quite a battle to 'protect' them, yet make them ready to fly the nest some day.
Dennis
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Posted on Friday, July 21, 2006 - 8:06 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Larry,

It is not easy to admit to your adult children that you taught them wrong about the most important part of life. We also still suffer from the consequences of educating our children in SDA schools. Two of our grandchildren still attend a SDA elementary school. When we talk with our grandkids on the phone, all their conversation focuses on Adventism in one way or another. It has become their whole way of life. They don't really know any non-Adventists in their community. It even becomes challenging to talk with them at times. There is really nothing that they can talk about that doesn't involve Adventism (i.e., Pathfinders, Conference summer camps, Sabbath School, church school teachers, classmates, youth pastor, etc.). Indeed, it is very painful to see another generation brainwashed in Adventism.

We must rely upon our awesome, prayer-answering God. These two grandchildren live about 1,500 miles from our house, so we have minimal impact on their spiritual lives. It is our continual prayer that God would touch their lives to see the Gospel in all its simplicity and beauty. After all, God rescued us from the deception of Adventism. As long as grace is operative, human failure is never final.

Dennis Fischer
Honestwitness
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Post Number: 96
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Posted on Friday, July 21, 2006 - 8:13 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Melissa, these "mental gymnastics" are the result of heavy guilt trips put on parents during Sabbath morning services to give their children an SDA education. Pressure is also put on non-parents, in fact the entire congregation, to financially support the SDA schools. The concept of SDA schooling gets an emphasis similar to the concept of tithing.

I remember sitting in church and feeling really guilty for not being involved in SDA schools, and my own children were already adults. But, I have to give balance to this situation. I also remember receiving the same kind of pressure in a non-denominational church I used to attend.

I raised my own three sons in public schools and believe they are all doing fine in spite of the faults and foibles of that system.

After attending an SDA camp meeting one summer that was held at an SDA academy in our area, I was very glad I had never sent my children away to school. Because it was summer, there were no students living in the dorms. But we camp-meeting participants did stay in the dorms.

The entire place gave me a very eerie feeling, especially when I imagined myself in the position of the parents whose children attended the place. It was gut-wrenching to think of my precious children being so far away from home, in this place that felt like a glorified prison.

Honestwitness

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