Legacy

Sending Suicide Squads into Schools

By Karl C. Priest February 28, 2011 (updated 6-26-2021)

NOTE: This article was originally posted in the Exodus Mandate articles.

Note: The reference to “suicide squads” is unrelated to the “homicide bombers” of terrorism. The term is used to refer to brave soldiers who undertake a mission that is almost certain to end in their deaths.

I have admired Mike Riddle since I first met him in person during some training at the Institute for Creation Research in Santee, CA. He is an articulate, intelligent, and inspirational speaker. Being a former Marine officer adds to his ability to get an audience to pay attention and take action.

On January 27, 2011 Mike gave a talk, hosted by Foundations in Genesis of Boise, ID, entitled “Taking Back American Education.” (1) I watched a video of that presentation and have much to compliment along with a serious point to criticize.

Mike is part of the Answers in Genesis (AiG) ministry and stayed true to the AiG message. I learned a lot from watching Mike’s presentation. He provided a lot of solid material about why evolution is a lie and why atheists are so adamant about forcing children to learn the dogma of evolutionism in “public” (2) schools. I liked how Mike pointed out that atheists, using a pseudo-biblical cloak, have launched a strategy to infiltrate Christian schools and homeschool curriculum with the doctrine of evolutionism. Also, Mike used Barna Group research to support his statement that middle school aged (about 13) children are the most critical need for evangelism. (3)

He introduced a new arm of AiG which I think is a great idea except for one major component.

The new thrust for AiG is to build an army of Christian educators. The goal is to have 50,000 people trained within the next few years. They want them to serve as teachers to work in Christian and “public” schools. If “public” schools continue to exist (I think they should not, but that is a topic for another time.) the goal is commendable. With the current paganization of America we certainly need missionaries on our own soil.

Like a good Marine, Mike uses military terminology to make his points. I agree with his analogy choice and it provides a good example of where Mike, and AiG, are in serious error. Their want to train children to enter what Mike calls the “spiritual battlefields” called “public” schools. Mike equated the educational system as a battle front. He asked the audience if their church high school group was in an army (meaning trained to be spiritual warriors). He lamented that parents were sending their children into those “public” school war zones unprepared. He expressed sincere grief over the high rate of casualties that are the result.

Mike touted an AiG promoted Equipping Course which is used to train students from the ninth grade up. Also, they plan to have a summer camp which will provide intense training.

Using a slide of young students raising their hands in a schoolroom, Mike claims that children can control the classroom conversation. He wants children trained to ask questions “in a very polite manner” that refute evolutionism. He joked that he doesn’t want them to get their teacher in a headlock. In reality, it would be an attempt to get the teacher into a mental headlock. Raising anti-evolution questions in class will not likely lead to (as Mike said without offering any proof) “changed lives” for teachers. It will almost certainly lead to causing the teacher to be embarrassed and/or angered. In some cases the teacher will mock the student. No matter how well trained a child (even a high school senior) is, he does not know as much science as a classroom teacher. That teacher can easily use the usual evolutionist tactic of twisting of truth to make the student look stupid. The best case scenario would be that the teacher will say, “That is fine that you believe that way. I have to teach what the huge majority of real scientists say. You don’t have to believe it. Just learn it and pass the test.” A savvy teacher will nip discussion in the bud after the first question. Most teachers will already have made a similar statement before the first question gets asked. If the student persists in asking the questions the student is subject to disciplinary action.

Parents can bluster all they want about free speech, but they will lose the argument. Even if they gain a small concession, the class will be long over with before the issue is decided by board of education bureaucracy.

Mike understands the Marine Corps and Marines. I understand (due to over 34 years experience) “public” schools and “public” school teachers.

There are far worse dangers in “public” schools than a few classes of evolutionism. The suppressing stream of humanism flows through all of the classes. The evils of our culture are in the hallways and social groups. I have seen (with my own eyes) the so-called salt and light of Christian students. It doesn’t work! Unless a parent wants to be willingly ignorant because they want the pampering of “public” schools and the prestige of the programs like sports and band, all that needs to be done to see the need to keep children out of “public” schools is to read the articles that are on my website.

To keep with Mike’s military theme, adults may very well be trained to enter “public” school classrooms as Christian soldiers with a mission to accomplish. The reality is that few will do it. When they do, they will likely be punished (4) or waste their time refighting battles I have already proven cannot be won.

According to Mike, it is time to go on the offensive and take back American education. Unfortunately, that would be like an American military officer preparing to take back Brazil. We never had Brazil and we never had the “public” schools. We have Americanized Brazil to some extent just as we Christianized “public” schools a little. But both are not, and never will, belong to us (either to America in the case of Barzil or to Christianity in the case of “public” schools).

In closing Mike said, “It’s up to you where your children are going to go. Will they still belong to the church when they graduate?” That was a poor choice of words. The children never belong to the church even if they officially join a church. I know that was not Mike’s intention, but the statement is alarming for other reasons. He is assuming that Christian parents are going to send their children into situations that he describes as dangerous. According to the theme of his talk, those children only have a chance of survival (spiritually) if they are trained with Answers in Genesis apologetic material.

What AiG will end up doing is equipping students with some light weaponry and basic training in order to fight against much better trained, armed, and battle experienced forces. Some of the students may reach their objective and capture (the heart of) a teacher. Most of them will just be suicide squads. I liken it to sending Eagle Scouts to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The hearts of AiG and Mike Riddle are in the right place, but their heads are lost in the fog of battle. (5)

The best strategy, and our only hope to win the war for the hearts, minds, and souls of American children is to launch a Call to Dunkirk.

(1) This talk was a briefing on the American education system. It covers 5 main points:

1. The foundation for the American education system
2. The Bible and warnings about false teachers
3. Where is the battleground?
4. How the American education system was taken over
5. A solution

(2) “Public” School” is a misnomer. The correct term should be “Government Schools.” Mike adequately pointed out that first 200 years of American education was Christian based. Where he was wrong was referring to that period as containing what we call “public” schools. In that day the concept of schooling using the word “public” was that the public (children not already in church schools) would have the opportunity to have a Christian education. There was no interest in government controlled schools until the Unitarian Horace Mann came on to the scene. The atheist John Dewy established the concepts incorporated into modern “public” schools. “Public” schools have never belonged to the public let alone to Christians.

(3) Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions: Why Children Should Be Your Church's #1 Priority by George Barna (2003). Barna found “only 3% of the nation’s 13-year-olds have a biblical worldview, which serves as the foundation for their decision making.” Another view of that data is that the teens reflect the position of their parents. I agree that evangelism directed toward middle school children should be a high priority. However, I don’t think it should supersede or stand alone from preaching to parents. (The reason why parents have slide down the slippery slope of compromise is because they started to see that their shepherds did not have a Pure and Sure Bible, but that is a subject of another time.) Parents need to take responsibility for their children’s education. The first step is to remove the children from the barrage of several hours a day of humanism and worse while in “public school.” Parents certainly can use their church and groups like AiG for help.

(4) Although some teachers get away with teaching creation science (to varying degrees) many face the consequences:
Larry Booher
Roger Dehart
John Freshwater
Kris Helphinstine
Pamela Hensley
Rod LeVake

In Slaughter of the Dissidents Dr. Jerry Bergman relates that even college professors are not safe if they question evolutionism.

(5) Ken Ham missed an opportunity when he wrote Already Gone because he did not call for parents to remove their children from “public” schools.

A prominent homeschool leader, David D’escoto, pointed out that “Answers in Genesis may have a plethora of reasons why they should not ‘call Christian parents to pull their children out of the godless evolutionary indoctrination centers,’ the only reason that really should matter is what God's Word has to say on this topic.” See David's entire article at http://www.insectman.us/exodus-mandate-wv/answers-no-answer.htm.

Mr. Ham is frequently invited to speak to homeschool groups. What he says has a powerful impact on audiences. He can change the church and culture by urging parents to rescue their children. His silence is deafening.

NOTE: In October 2011 Ken Ham endorsed the powerful anti-government school/rescue your children movie IndoctriNation.

In 2019, AiG posted this GREAT news:

“With the success of its Ark Encounter and Creation Museum, Answers in Genesis (AiG) in northern Kentucky is announcing that Twelve Stones Christian Academy (TSCA), a K-9 private school nearby, has come under the wing of AiG. The two-year-old school based in Erlanger, 15 minutes from the AiG headquarters and museum, is known for integrating a biblical worldview in its curriculum including history and science.”
https://answersingenesis.org/about/press/2019/07/08/christian-academy-now-operated-by-answers-in-genesis/

AiG now (I am not sure when it went up.) has a Homeschool Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/AiGHomeschool/https://www.facebook.com/AiGHomeschool/)

AiG also sells Homeschool & Curricula material.

It would be great if AiG ceased insinuating its products will allow children to debate teachers. It would be even greater if AiG would unequivocally call for Christians to rescue their children from public schools.

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