AB1955: Children Are A Gift

Psalm 127:3 - “Children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.”

Matthew 18:6 - “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

As an Elder of my church, I am called on to participate in baby dedication ceremonies where the parents of infants and toddlers often come before the church in order to publicly dedicate themselves as parents to support, encourage, and equip their children in the way of the Lord and to dedicate a prayer before witnesses for their child. It has always been my practice to share the two verses from scripture above so that there is a clear understanding that God provides for us a beautiful gift in our children while warning us that there is accountability if we abuse this precious gift.  This message is directed to parents because God tells us in Deuteronomy  6:7 and Proverbs 22:6 that parents play the most important role in protecting and teaching our children well.

Unfortunately, as followers of Jesus, we find ourselves unsure what these responsibilities and protections entail in the face of an ever shifting cultural battle that has us scrambling to understand all the ramifications for our children. What is our church saying or doing to clarify and fortify our Christian families, and what is my ultimate responsibility as a Christian parent and educator in public service? 

I recently read a book by Erwin Lutzer called “No Reason To Hide”.  In it he describes three responses of the Church relative to the cultural shifts we are currently experiencing. He calls the first category the church “complicit”.  The church complicit tries to blend in to a woke culture by participating in it and refusing to stand against it.  In the second response, he identifies the church “compliant”.  This version of church sees church leadership disagreeing with the woke culture, but fails to take a stand against it.  The third category is the church “courageous”.  As inferred by the title, this church stays true to the whole gospel in the face of criticism by society at large.  This church addresses the hard issues relying on God’s Word, by saying what needs to be said, doing what needs to be done, and accepting the consequences without pity or anger.

Even though Christian public school teachers and administrators work as an agent for the State, we do not forfeit our individual rights to remain faithful to our calling as faithful servants and followers of Jesus, irrespective of position or title. We become the “church courageous” as individuals in a culture that may not accept God’s message of truth, unfailing love and accountability.  As parents, our role is even more critical since God places the primary responsibility protecting, nurturing, and training our children in the way of the Lord.

The richness of our Western culture has depended on a strong family influence on our children even as they are sent to a neighborhood school for higher levels of learning as they prepare for adulthood.  This process of sending our children off to a neighborhood school for a formal education in the sciences, math, language arts, as well as performing arts has worked for our country for many years.  There was a societal contract that was understood between the family and the state to run an educational system that supported and enhanced the role of parents.  By-in-large, our school systems supported the notion that our parents are always the first educator of our children and that together with the school system, a robust partnership of support for the home and accountability for our school system had been formed.  Local school boards are elected to guard the direction of curriculum and to create policies that ensure that families are well served.

The rich tradition of our public school systems adhered to a strict understanding that the schools would promote a rigorous curriculum for our children, but it was the parents' role to support the school’s efforts by determining the emotional and well being of their children based on the families value systems.  

However, as our state has more than embraced its role in determining what is best for our children, new laws are being created that redefine and determine the state’s final position of authority over all areas of social norms as well as academia. One such new bill is AB 1955. This bill, also known as the “SAFETY Act”, was passed by our California legislators that requires educators to withhold critical information from parents relative to their child’s physical and emotional health and safety when they are at their most vulnerable and impressionable ages.  This bill has been designed to take a very large step in finalizing the authority of the state to override the authority, support and nurturing of parents in relation to their own children.  The state also takes the incredible position that it is the state, not the parents, that should determine what is best for our children in all areas of our children’s growth and social upbringing.  Where our school system saw parents as essential and as partners in all aspects of their children’s education, parents are now assumed to be a potential safety threat to their own child and in need of legal protections.  Barring any successful legal challenge, this new bill is scheduled to take effect in January of 2025.

Now the good news!  God’s people understand Isaiah 54:17 that says that there is no weapon formed against us that will prosper!  Our role as followers of Jesus in a society that still permits some semblance of freedom of speech is to voice our position knowing well that God is our protector and strength. He sees all that we experience and stands by our side to have His perfect will in our role as educators and parents.  We maintain our calling as Deuteronomy 6:7, and Proverbs 22:6 parents and we remain faithful as Christian educators and followers of Jesus in all things and in all circumstances.  

Dedicating our children at church does not end at the dedication service.  It is only the beginning of our journey as parents.  As educators, we must fully understand Matthew 18:6 as we fulfill our calling to public service without denying our Savior’s calling to be a testament to His love.

I invite you to read the letter that I wrote to the Association of California Superintendents and Administrators (ACSA).  ACSA endorsed this new bill before it was signed.  After having been an active member of ACSA for over thirty years, I could no longer support my association with them due to the support of this direct assault on our families.