During the Reformation in the 1500s, a technological revolution as powerful as the advent of today's computer was under way. The printing press made possible mass distribution of reading material. The Reformers, like John Calvin, understood that it was important for all people to be able to read so that they could, among other things, read the Bible. In addition, Calvin and others understood that the sovereignty of God meant that all knowledge was from God. This theological understanding was enriched by the Enlightenment idea that through reason we can understand God's creation. Further, the political movement away from the "divine right of kings" toward representative democracy, based upon both Reformed and Enlightenment thinking, called for an educated citizenry.

In the United States we added to the ideal of education for everyone the concept of separation of church and state. This does not mean that religious values are not to be honored in our nation. It does mean that public institutions, like a public school system, funded by public dollars, cannot show preference to a particular type of religious thought. This was as much a protection of the church from the power of the state as it was a concern that we not have a "state church" in our nation as they did in Europe.

How might we apply these concepts to the debate going on in South Carolina about the "Put Parents in Charge" legislation that would give public money through tax credits to private schools or individuals who are home schooled?

The question is not whether or not parents have the right to send children to private schools or to home school them. Parents have that right. The question is one of the public good. Redirecting public money to private and home schools does not match with the historic principle of education for everyone. It is as much symbolic as it is fiscal. To redirect resources sends the wrong message, i.e., "Public schools are really second-class schools for second-class people." Public monies need to be directed to public schools to the end that everyone has the opportunity for a first-class education.

And the question is not whether or not children are taught religious value rather than "secular humanism." If we buy the Reformers' idea of the sovereignty of God, we will understand that we cannot take God out of the classroom, no matter what is being studied. And if we take seriously our roles as parents and congregations of faith, we will understand that the responsibility for teaching about faith and religious tradition is that of families and the school of the church.

It is not the responsibility of public school teachers, though many are persons of faith, to pass on faith traditions. When a child is baptized in my religious tradition, the parents and the congregation promise to nurture and raise the child in the "knowledge and admonition of the Lord." If I were a parent, before I would get on the "bash secular humanism in our public schools bandwagon," I would ask myself when was the last time I read the Bible with my children, prayed with my children and discussed God's activity in the world with my children? I don't want a common denominator faith, that is what it would have to be, taught in public schools. That approach trivializes belief.

My wife is a retired public school chemistry teacher (as a variation of the old line goes -- as long as there are chemistry tests, there will be prayer in school). She and other public school teachers I got to know through her are, I believe, called by God to their vocations of teaching just as surely as clergy are called by God to theirs. As a public school teacher, she did not have the luxury of picking and choosing students. Each year she played the hand she was dealt and did a wonderful job of finding ways to awaken a desire to learn in all sorts of children who came from diverse backgrounds. Her classroom was a microcosm of the United States. She helped her students on their journey toward being responsible citizens, well prepared for further education and the job market. I learned from my wife that the key to solid public education, in addition to good teachers, is parental involvement. So, if parents really want to be in charge, they should ask themselves another set of questions: Have I met all my child's teachers? When was the last time I asked to see my child's homework? Am I a member of the Parent Teacher Student Association and have I volunteered for a committee? Sometimes the question is the question.