I Might Be Godless, But I Power Blogger!

First, while I am still in a good mood (and it shall shift, reader of mine, it shall), Blogger has given itself a face lift and I am joining in. Note that the button on the side "I Power Blogger" has replaced "Powered By Blogger". More like it. I do indeed power Blogger and have gone unrecognized for lo these many months. About time, I say.

The template change has been coming and I plan soon to toy with the mysteries of the sidebar so I can add links (to your blog! and yours too!). This is the look, more content to come. I am on a new comment system and your old ones may be lost. If you ever said anything pithy here and want it to last, you are sunk. Please add new comments now to remind us of your wit and cunning.

Now the news.

Seems that a resolution is a cookin for this summer's Southern Baptist Convention. CNN.com shares that Mr TC Pickney claims that the public schools offer a godless agenda and subpar education and that the responsible parent would home school or at least send their children to Christian schools.

This resolution has been submitted for consideration but may or may not see the floor of the Convention. Richard Land, head of the SBC public policy arm could not be reached for comment.

I, however could.

I can make the argument that the allegations of failing public schools are greatly exaggerated, ACT scores are lower due to a greater population of students taking the tests, schools are expected to handle more in terms of breadth of curricula than ever before, but I won't. That isn't what troubles me most.

I am bothered at the lack of public trust in the schools. Educational reform advocate Jamie Vollmer refers to this phenomenon as Nostesia (Nostalgia+Amnesia). Again, we are expecting more from this system than we are willing to put into it. His commentary is worth reading.

It also bothers me that my Grandma will adopt any resolution that the SBC passes. Will I then be assumed to carry a godless agenda? What about my two teacher aunts? I tend to wonder if such a proclamation might be a line in the sand for many Baptists who might start to see these words as a violation of soul competency.

I can only hope that my Grandma and other folk will see the inherent contradiction in a resolution that declares that education is the responsibility of the home but then presumes to tell the parent how best to educate.

Does this mean OBU has to close the College of Education?