Cougar Pause: Lakeland Christian Academy Mythbusting Episode 1: 'The Bubble'
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Scott Wiley-
On the Discovery Channel show “Mythbusters” they research and test common myths to see if they are confirmed, plausable or busted. Today I would like to explore a little mythbusting of my own concerning Lakeland Christian Academy. Let’s call this “LCA Mythbusting Episode 1 … The Bubble.” Myth: Christian schools shelter kids in a negative “bubble.” I hear this myth frequently. Many people think that Christian school students are in “a bubble” that ultimately produces students who are naïve and vulnerable against the “real world.” They feel that it is better to expose kids to worldly thinking and actions to prepare them for the “real world.” I have to admit that before realizing what LCA is all about I kind of bought into the worldly logic, “If it doesn’t kill me, it will make me stronger,” too. In researching this topic I now realize that this is more a worldly slogan than anything found in God’s Word. What we desperately need for our children is the opportunity for them to learn how to deal with a world that is filled with sin and temptation from a Biblical view rather than from the world’s. Sending spiritually unprepared children into a non-Christian environment to learn how to effectively deal with sin is just the opposite of what the Bible wants parents to do and if carefully thought through, does not seem to make sense. We don’t let a 6-year-old drive a car because they are not ready for it. Nor is a young military recruit, for example, shuttled from the recruiter’s office directly to the battlefield. Recruits are sent to boot camp where they are put through experiences that are designed to simulate what the soldier may experience in battle. Boot camp is a “bubble” that prepares the soldier for real life with the aim of releasing them into the harsh reality of battle fully prepared to confront every situation with success. Like boot camp, the Christian school is a training ground for young students – providing challenging opportunities in the areas of faith, virtue and knowledge that are designed to prepare the student for the challenges that each student will face in life. In addition, the idea that the “real world” does not exist in the Christian school is wrong. The “real world” has positive attributes but is also a world of greed, theft, anger, hate, pride, jealousy, sexual temptations and more. All of this exists in the heart of every person at one time or another. Therefore, all of this exists in the Christian school, too. However, the difference in the Christian school is that the children are being taught to deal with the reality of evil in the world and in their own hearts by using God’s word. Through this approach, students are equipped with the tools needed to make Godly decisions both as a student and in the future as they navigate adulthood. The world is constantly telling our children that it is their life so they can do anything that they want because they have the freedom of choice. While God does give them free will to choose to do anything, not all things are beneficial. First Corinthians 6:12 says: “I have the right to do anything, you say – but not everything is beneficial.” “I have the right to do anything – but I will not be mastered by anything.” (NIV) They can choose to go against God’s will and lie, cheat, steal, gossip, use profanity, view pornography, use alcohol and drugs, have sex before marriage, put a high value on materialism, etc. But are these the best things for them? Based on what the Bible has to say, I would say no. Unfortunately, we live in a world in which children are barraged with social challenges that can have long term effects on their character and/or behavior. LCA tries to protect the innocence of children without sidestepping real world issues. LCA offers a safe haven for students to explore, learn and develop a biblical foundation for their lives. So in true Mythbusters form I would have to conclude that the myth of LCA being a negative bubble is busted.
