'The Hal Lindsey Report' We've known for a long time that U.S. students are falling behind the rest of the world. It's true that there are tremendous problems in American education, but the negative claims have often been exaggerated for political purposes. And the "solution" is always the same -- the federal government needs to intervene, take control, and rescue us.
During Ronald Reagan's presidency, Charlotte Iserbyt was an adviser to the Department of Education. She later wrote a book titled, "The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America."
In it, Ms. Iserbyt wrote, "...I realized that America's transition from a sovereign constitutional republic to a socialist democracy (would come) through the implementation and installation of the 'system' in all areas of government -- federal, state, and local. The brainwashing for acceptance of the 'system's' control would take place in the school -- through indoctrination and the use of behavior modification."
The ultimate goal of American education is no longer a well-informed, thoughtful citizenry. In fact, it's just the opposite. It's about creating a compliant citizenry that defers to the authorities on everything. To that end, we've had thrust upon us a series of national education initiatives: "Whole Child," "Outcome Based Education," No Child Left Behind," "Race to the Top," and now, "Common Core."
For those whose unspoken goal is to destroy the American way of life and obliterate Bible-centered Christianity, national and international testing standards are about politics, not math and science. They encourage memorization and focused test preparation, not long-term learning. And the standardization provides opportunity for the federal government to use poor performance in those states that don't toe the national line (there are only five states that reject Common Core) to threaten the loss of federal funds and force compliance.
Young people are leaving the church in record numbers. In the past, we've assumed that our youth abandoned their faith under the tutelage of university professors. However, recent studies show that they're "leaving" much earlier. The book, "Already Gone," details research commissioned by Answers in Genesis and conducted by America's Research Group. The authors make this shocking observation: "Almost 90 percent of them were lost in the middle school and high school. By the time they got to college they were already gone! About 40 percent are leaving the Church during elementary and middle school years."
Why is it happening so early? Who can be trying to draw young children away from the faith of their parents? Who has enough access to our youngest children that they exert sufficient influence to turn them against the church?
After the parents, the two greatest influences on a young child's life are his or her teachers and the entertainment industry. We already know how corrupt and devious the entertainment business has become. Unfortunately, most parents fail to calculate how corrupt and devious American education has become.
The infuriating intolerance and political correctness that traditionally was de rigeur in American colleges and universities has now slobbered its way into our elementary and middle schools. Our children are being deliberately conditioned to reject the faith of their parents because that faith might interfere with their willingness to comply with the government's wishes. Just last week, in a high school graduation speech, First Lady Michelle Obama encouraged teens to monitor their parents' and older relatives' attitudes and confront them when those attitudes don't reflect accepted norms (i.e., politically-correct attitudes). Trust me, next will come encouragement for children to report their parents' "thoughtcrimes" to the appropriate authorities. "1984" is here, folks.
If you don't have children in school (and maybe even if you do), you may not realize that we aren't living in Mayberry any more. A book called, "It's Perfectly Normal" has been around about 20 years but is experiencing a resurgence. It's available in many -- if not most -- elementary school libraries. It's also available online as an e-book. Supposedly, it's written for middle school students, but it seems aimed at those much younger.
To be blunt, it's pornography for children. Maybe "technically" or "legally" it's not pornography, but its effect is pornographic. It purports to educate very young children about their bodies and their sexual awakenings and desires. It also teaches them about reproduction, shows them how to please themselves, and describes -- using lurid cartoon illustrations -- various sexual practices, including "alternative" lifestyles. All of which are "Perfectly Normal."
Proverbs 22:6 gives every parent a promise. It says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it." But "train up a child" implies more than just sending them to kids' church on Sunday morning. Do not leave your child's education fully in the hands of the educational establishment. It is not your friend. Instead, prayerfully seek to inculcate in your children the precepts and values of Jesus Christ. It will be their salvation in the only "future" that really counts -- eternity.
Also on this week's program, I will discuss HGTV's banning of the Benham brothers' new television show -- before they even shot the first episode! Their crime? They made the mistake of being publicly pro-life and pro-traditional marriage. Now the gay movement has moved into preemptive strike mode. Their goal is to prevent people of faith or family values from achieving any level of prominence from which to influence society.
Satan's tactic is to kill newborns before they can grow into what God intended them to be. Sound familiar? Now, what describes "America's shame" may also describe America's future. Notice how stepping outside the lines of political correctness doesn't just cost votes for politicians, but dollars for businessmen? The Bible describes a day when people won't be allowed to buy or sell anything unless they hold "politically correct" views as shown by a willingness to carry the appropriate mark on their hands or foreheads.
I'll also tell you about the new proposed city council ordinance in Houston, Texas. It's similar to the one that successfully passed into law in San Antonio. Thankfully, the provision that allows a man or woman to use whichever restroom or shower facility he/she wants based on his/her gender identity that day didn't survive the public backlash. But though the ordinance is promoted as a "non-discrimination" measure, in reality it allows the Houston city government to legally discriminate on the basis of religious belief. It's another one of those laws that purports one thing, but actually seeks another. And it works through intimidation. This law doesn't just give homosexuals and transgendered individuals equal rights, it gives them special rights.
There's something I still find almost unbelievable. Without fail, every survey and every poll taken shows that Americans OVERWHELMINGLY support traditional values -- the right to life, the sanctity of marriage, the value of the family, the integrity of our national borders, the right of self-determination in our work choices and our worship choices, and the sacredness of our right to our own opinion and the opportunity to express that opinion. Yet, somehow, we have allowed an unbelievably small group of people to maneuver themselves into a position to effectively determine what we can and cannot say or even believe. And we sit silently and watch them literally destroy everything we -- the vast majority -- hold dear.
Of course, I realize that that minuscule collection of misguided people has a formidable ally that animates and energizes everything they do. His name is Satan.
And I also know that in these last of the last days, Satan will mislead many by a strong delusion. Is there a better description of what we're witnessing in our nation today?
But there is a silver lining, folks. The sheer fact that this describes what we're seeing in America right now is a perfect confirmation that the Bible is absolutely correct in its description of these days. And that means that the other things it prophesies are about to take place, too.
So, don't be discouraged. Instead, be challenged to get ready to leave this old world. That same Bible says that Jesus is coming to catch away His redeemed Church. And soon!
One final note. On this Memorial Day, let's remember the brave men and women of our armed forces, past and present, and give thanks for the hundreds of thousands who sacrificed their lives to safeguard our way of life. We are truly a blessed nation. Not only blessed by our wonderful Creator who made possible this great adventure called The United States of America, but blessed by those unselfish men and women who offered themselves to protect it.
We owe them, and those who serve today, an immeasurable debt of gratitude.
God bless you all and God bless America.
Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, The Word Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Check your local listings.
God Bless,
Hal Lindsey
During Ronald Reagan's presidency, Charlotte Iserbyt was an adviser to the Department of Education. She later wrote a book titled, "The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America."
In it, Ms. Iserbyt wrote, "...I realized that America's transition from a sovereign constitutional republic to a socialist democracy (would come) through the implementation and installation of the 'system' in all areas of government -- federal, state, and local. The brainwashing for acceptance of the 'system's' control would take place in the school -- through indoctrination and the use of behavior modification."
The ultimate goal of American education is no longer a well-informed, thoughtful citizenry. In fact, it's just the opposite. It's about creating a compliant citizenry that defers to the authorities on everything. To that end, we've had thrust upon us a series of national education initiatives: "Whole Child," "Outcome Based Education," No Child Left Behind," "Race to the Top," and now, "Common Core."
For those whose unspoken goal is to destroy the American way of life and obliterate Bible-centered Christianity, national and international testing standards are about politics, not math and science. They encourage memorization and focused test preparation, not long-term learning. And the standardization provides opportunity for the federal government to use poor performance in those states that don't toe the national line (there are only five states that reject Common Core) to threaten the loss of federal funds and force compliance.
Young people are leaving the church in record numbers. In the past, we've assumed that our youth abandoned their faith under the tutelage of university professors. However, recent studies show that they're "leaving" much earlier. The book, "Already Gone," details research commissioned by Answers in Genesis and conducted by America's Research Group. The authors make this shocking observation: "Almost 90 percent of them were lost in the middle school and high school. By the time they got to college they were already gone! About 40 percent are leaving the Church during elementary and middle school years."
Why is it happening so early? Who can be trying to draw young children away from the faith of their parents? Who has enough access to our youngest children that they exert sufficient influence to turn them against the church?
After the parents, the two greatest influences on a young child's life are his or her teachers and the entertainment industry. We already know how corrupt and devious the entertainment business has become. Unfortunately, most parents fail to calculate how corrupt and devious American education has become.
The infuriating intolerance and political correctness that traditionally was de rigeur in American colleges and universities has now slobbered its way into our elementary and middle schools. Our children are being deliberately conditioned to reject the faith of their parents because that faith might interfere with their willingness to comply with the government's wishes. Just last week, in a high school graduation speech, First Lady Michelle Obama encouraged teens to monitor their parents' and older relatives' attitudes and confront them when those attitudes don't reflect accepted norms (i.e., politically-correct attitudes). Trust me, next will come encouragement for children to report their parents' "thoughtcrimes" to the appropriate authorities. "1984" is here, folks.
If you don't have children in school (and maybe even if you do), you may not realize that we aren't living in Mayberry any more. A book called, "It's Perfectly Normal" has been around about 20 years but is experiencing a resurgence. It's available in many -- if not most -- elementary school libraries. It's also available online as an e-book. Supposedly, it's written for middle school students, but it seems aimed at those much younger.
To be blunt, it's pornography for children. Maybe "technically" or "legally" it's not pornography, but its effect is pornographic. It purports to educate very young children about their bodies and their sexual awakenings and desires. It also teaches them about reproduction, shows them how to please themselves, and describes -- using lurid cartoon illustrations -- various sexual practices, including "alternative" lifestyles. All of which are "Perfectly Normal."
Proverbs 22:6 gives every parent a promise. It says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it." But "train up a child" implies more than just sending them to kids' church on Sunday morning. Do not leave your child's education fully in the hands of the educational establishment. It is not your friend. Instead, prayerfully seek to inculcate in your children the precepts and values of Jesus Christ. It will be their salvation in the only "future" that really counts -- eternity.
Also on this week's program, I will discuss HGTV's banning of the Benham brothers' new television show -- before they even shot the first episode! Their crime? They made the mistake of being publicly pro-life and pro-traditional marriage. Now the gay movement has moved into preemptive strike mode. Their goal is to prevent people of faith or family values from achieving any level of prominence from which to influence society.
Satan's tactic is to kill newborns before they can grow into what God intended them to be. Sound familiar? Now, what describes "America's shame" may also describe America's future. Notice how stepping outside the lines of political correctness doesn't just cost votes for politicians, but dollars for businessmen? The Bible describes a day when people won't be allowed to buy or sell anything unless they hold "politically correct" views as shown by a willingness to carry the appropriate mark on their hands or foreheads.
I'll also tell you about the new proposed city council ordinance in Houston, Texas. It's similar to the one that successfully passed into law in San Antonio. Thankfully, the provision that allows a man or woman to use whichever restroom or shower facility he/she wants based on his/her gender identity that day didn't survive the public backlash. But though the ordinance is promoted as a "non-discrimination" measure, in reality it allows the Houston city government to legally discriminate on the basis of religious belief. It's another one of those laws that purports one thing, but actually seeks another. And it works through intimidation. This law doesn't just give homosexuals and transgendered individuals equal rights, it gives them special rights.
There's something I still find almost unbelievable. Without fail, every survey and every poll taken shows that Americans OVERWHELMINGLY support traditional values -- the right to life, the sanctity of marriage, the value of the family, the integrity of our national borders, the right of self-determination in our work choices and our worship choices, and the sacredness of our right to our own opinion and the opportunity to express that opinion. Yet, somehow, we have allowed an unbelievably small group of people to maneuver themselves into a position to effectively determine what we can and cannot say or even believe. And we sit silently and watch them literally destroy everything we -- the vast majority -- hold dear.
Of course, I realize that that minuscule collection of misguided people has a formidable ally that animates and energizes everything they do. His name is Satan.
And I also know that in these last of the last days, Satan will mislead many by a strong delusion. Is there a better description of what we're witnessing in our nation today?
But there is a silver lining, folks. The sheer fact that this describes what we're seeing in America right now is a perfect confirmation that the Bible is absolutely correct in its description of these days. And that means that the other things it prophesies are about to take place, too.
So, don't be discouraged. Instead, be challenged to get ready to leave this old world. That same Bible says that Jesus is coming to catch away His redeemed Church. And soon!
One final note. On this Memorial Day, let's remember the brave men and women of our armed forces, past and present, and give thanks for the hundreds of thousands who sacrificed their lives to safeguard our way of life. We are truly a blessed nation. Not only blessed by our wonderful Creator who made possible this great adventure called The United States of America, but blessed by those unselfish men and women who offered themselves to protect it.
We owe them, and those who serve today, an immeasurable debt of gratitude.
God bless you all and God bless America.
Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, The Word Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Check your local listings.
God Bless,
Hal Lindsey
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