Reformed Church School Obeys Man Rather Than God Over Smacking

from reformationtestimony.org.nz

The recent decision of the Wainuiomata Christian College to buckle under government threats concerning school discipline is symptomatic of how humanism has gripped even church groups which claim a link with the sixteenth-century Reformation. The school started and controlled by local Reformed Church members has taken the easy option instead of standing on biblical principle. The Dominion of 20th April cited the decision to capitulate, relayed by the headmaster: 'The Bible taught that use of "the rod" helped in the loving discipline of children, but Christians had a duty to submit to those in authority, "even when they are unreasonable", Mr Keast said'.

Biblically speaking, this is of course nonsense. Plainly by the term 'unreasonable' here, Mr Keast means unlawful according to Scripture. Anyone who knows anything about the Reformation understands that man does not and must capitulate to the unlawful demands of the civil government. A great Bible text much used in Reformation times encapsulates that principle: "…We ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29)". Mr Keast does admit that the Bible teaches that it is lawful to "use the rod", as he puts it. If that is the case, and indeed it is, then his response to the ministry of education should have been " we ought to obey God rather than men". But instead these well-meaning folk have obeyed man rather than God, and thoroughly compromised Scripture principle in the process.

We can imagine what the Christian martyrs of bygone days would have thought of this capitulation to humanism. Millions, and this is no exaggeration, have died for this principle over the course of human history. That the school is thinking and acting according to the tenets of atheistic humanism and not biblical warrant is demonstrated by Mr Keast's arguments. Notice in the article that he says that the school will still allow parents to smack their children "because that is what the law allows": 'it[the school] planned to let parents or guardians administer corporal punishment on school grounds, saying "that's what the law allows". The school would use a loophole allowing teachers whose children attended the school to physically discipline their own children'.

This talk of 'loopholes' and doing only 'what the law allows' is a far cry from Reformation and biblical principle. The Board of this school has erred. The Bible not only does not teach that you must obey unlawful commands of the civil government which cause you to contradict Scripture, but that you 'ought' and therefore must obey God. One wonders what other biblical directives will be contradicted by these folk? The Bible says that homosexuality is an abomination, but will they now say that if the government threatens a church or Christians who declare what the Bible says, Mr Keast and co will now go along with them and button their lips when it comes to speaking out against immorality?

The Anti-Smacking Bill Debate Lost – A Cruel Irony?
This Reformed school decision comes ironically right in the middle of the debate over the anti-smacking bill and undercuts the efforts of many up and down the country as we seek to dissuade the government from acting against Scripture and reason. But since Mr Keast has said that parents can still come on to the school property and corporally discipline their own children because it is lawful, he is implying unambiguously that once it becomes unlawful they will submit to the new law and parents too will, like the school, obey man rather than God when it comes to corporal punishment. This will be a great boost to those equivocating MPs who might still have been persuaded to oppose Sue Bradford's anti-smacking bill in its final reading in the House. Mr Keast and his board have shown the government and Mrs Bradford that when push comes to shove, they can count on Christians obeying the unbiblical and anti-God commands of the government of the day. The ant-parenting faction will be greatly encouraged by this "back down" as the Dominion terms it, and MPs will be bolder to oppose biblical morality thinking that the electorate will not punish them at the next election, since they so easily fall in to line and accept the neo-pagan humanism of the Green/Labour coterie. What a terrible tragedy this deformation of biblical belief represents in this crucial era in our nation's history. Just when we wanted believers to stand up and be counted on the side of King Jesus, this Christian school preaches expediency and the easy path of meek compliance to an unlawful demand of an unlawful government.

Garnet Milne PhD