Teaching the Constitution and Government from a Christian Perspective
July 1, 2020
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Gena
Suarez
It's All about
Him
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Hal & Melanie Young
How Our Constitution Reflects a Biblical Worldview
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Danika
Cooley
Literature for the Win
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Steve & Annette Economides
Finding Great Deals This Summer
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Be sure to scroll to the bottom to enter the contest!
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It's All about Him
Hey Mama,
What a crazy world we live in! Seen the news lately? Disasters, riots, trials and tribulation all seem to be the “new normal” these days. The Bible tells us trials will come and go. Some last longer than others, and some are so painful you cannot breathe. It's easy to ask, "WHY, God?" But really, does He owe us an answer? He's given us one already, and it's in His Word.
There are a vast number of passages that discuss trials and enduring until the end. That's what's beautiful about teaching our kids history from a Christian perspective. We can focus their attention on God interwoven into the Constitution and the very core of government—something this world is fighting hard to change.
When we give Him glory even during the hard times, we are passing the test at that time, just like our Forefathers. Yes, He's allowed to give us those tests and trials; He is God! And we are to rejoice in them. They hurt, but believe it or not, these build character and make us more like Him. They come with much purpose, which we will fully understand someday.
These articles from
The Old Schoolhouse
®
Magazine
give us great reminders of the importance the past holds for us as we teach our children.
And remember, Mama. . .
Even if the pain is great, you want to be like your Heavenly Father, and I do, too.
Job reminds us what that looks like when he talks to his wife: “But he said to her, 'You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?' In all this Job did not sin with his lips” (Job 2:10).
Accept the good with a grateful heart. Rejoice in it. Endure the trials, too, and praise His holy name during it all. Your children are watching. Model endurance to them, as hard as it may be. Yes, life is rough. Being a Christian is not a fluffy walk with Big Santa in the sky. Far from it. No, you have a loving Father Who has His hand on your head. I want Him smiling on me. You do, too, Mama. Obedience is where our hearts should be, so keep walking. He will never leave or forsake you. The God Who put you on this path is faithful to walk every step of the way, holding tightly to you.
Eyes up; He is yours.
- gena
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Advertisement
A Biblical Foundation
Biblical principles are deeply embedded in our country’s foundation. This influence was demonstrated by political scientists Donald Lutz and Charles Hyneman. They reviewed 15,000 pamphlets, articles, and books written in the founding era and found the Bible was cited more frequently than any other writer or school of thought. In fact, Deuteronomy was the most frequently cited book by writers and pastors hashing out the organization of our nation.
The very design of our Constitutional republic demonstrates a Christian worldview—starting with the belief that men are born with a sinful nature. As James Madison famously stated in
The Federalist 51
: “If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.” The separation of powers and the system of checks and balances clearly display this Biblical view of human nature.
The Constitution includes other provisions that contain principles found in the Bible:
- Right to due process.
- Requirement of at least two witnesses for a treason conviction.
- Oaths of office.
- Representative government.
- Tiers of courts.
- Prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
Of course, the First Amendment right to religious liberty is consistent with the Biblical principle of free will and Christians freely accepting Jesus’ gift—not forced to do so by the government.
Knowing our nation’s Biblical foundation makes a world of difference. Students will know which rights are protected and be prepared to advocate for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40). This shows love, as Christ commanded. Decisions made by our government have consequences. Government is meant to restrain evil and promote good (Romans 13:1-7). Most importantly, students will learn that religious liberty is imperative. If religious liberty and the right to evangelize are not protected, souls cannot be saved and believers cannot be discipled.
Deborah Burton homeschooled two sons through high school. Prior to homeschooling, she worked for ten years as an attorney. Deborah taught mock trial classes for all ages and developed a curriculum to help homeschool parents provide the same experience for their children. Written in a conversational tone, Homeschool Court is a Christian curriculum that walks students through the American judicial system and culminates in a mock trial where students use the knowledge they’ve gained. The curriculum is also a great supplement to any Civics or U.S. Government class! Deborah is the mock trial lesson plan designer for Schoolhouse Teachers.
www.homeschoolcourt.com
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How Our Constitution Reflects a Biblical Worldview
Have you ever considered how our Constitution reflects a Biblical worldview?
Although America has never been an exclusively Christian nation, the framers of the Constitution were educated in the Judeo-Christian tradition. They understood both from the Bible and from history that people are naturally prone to selfishness, greed, and tyranny—no matter what religion or philosophy they believed.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
(Romans 3:23).
And they knew that good governments protect the life, liberty, and possessions of righteous people and defend them against evildoers (Romans 13:1-7).
But how do you create a government which is strong enough to do that, without becoming a threat itself . . . especially when you consider that the men and women who make up that government will be just as subject to sinful impulses as everyone else?
In the hundred and fifty years before our Constitution, Britain had three major changes of government, including a civil war and a revolution (long before ours!). Our Founders were well-aware of the danger of great power and leaders unaccountable to the people!
That’s why our Constitution includes separate branches for lawmaking, judicial, and executive powers. It’s why the top leadership and the legislators face regular reviews by election, and it’s why our freedom to gather and speak freely, to challenge the actions of our leaders, and to worship freely are protected in our Constitution. All of that comes from the understanding that we’re all sinners and need accountability.
But we need to be sure our kids understand that the Constitution, as good as it may be, is not Scripture—even the framers knew it and had to add ten amendments right away to get it passed! It’s appropriate to ask, “Are there principles in the Bible that confirm, or contradict, this part?” For instance, protecting the rights of the accused in the Sixth Amendment is Biblical, but counting slaves as 3/5 of a person, in Article IV, is absolutely not Biblical!
At the end of the day, we can thank God for the gift of a country that is ruled by laws, by a working Constitution that does embody a great deal of Biblical principle. And we can be thankful that we have a process to correct its errors and omissions without tearing down the whole—as we’ve successfully done for two hundred and thirty-one years.
Learn more with our
Hero Tales from American History
, written by Theodore Roosevelt to teach character through the stories of history. We turned it into an audiobook with sound effects because history is more fun with cannon fire! Use the coupon code
MARCHAUDIO to get 50% off downloadable audiobooks we publish and MARCHCD30 to get 30% off the CD versions!
Your friends,
Hal and Melanie
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Veteran & New Homeschoolers! Curriculum research & planning forms, articles, prayer coloring pages, devotionals, and more. 2 FREE e-Books from Apologia
www.apologia.com/homeschool-curriculum
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Literature for the Win
Now, more than ever, it's clear that our kids need to understand the form of government they live in and the founding documents that established it. We want our children to be able to think critically as they learn about history and civics. We want them to have a firm sense of responsibility to their fellow citizens.
Our family has learned about government, civics, and the Constitution through literature, biographies, and source documents. I asked my 17-year-old what best helped him learn about the Constitution, and he dead-panned, "Reading the Constitution." So, there you go.
As our family has studied history through reading first-hand accounts, historical fiction, and biographies, our Christian perspective has been solidly grounded in our understanding of the Bible. Not everything we've read has been written by a Christian. In fact, many of our historical books have not been written by Christians. But, because our family has made a point to study God's Word (we use
Bible Road Trip ™
), we are able to discuss history critically from a Christian worldview. Our kids were able to consider God's views on justice, human nature, and God's sovereign rule over all of history because they knew what God has written in his Word.
We used
Tapestry of Grace
as our history and government literature-based program. We've appreciated using these resources on the Constitution over the years:
- Shhhh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz, Grades 1-3
- For You They Signed by Marilyn Boyer (Master Books), Grades 4-9
- Constitutional Literacy (DVDs and workbook) by Michael Farris, Grades 10-12
- Constitutional Law for Enlightened Citizens by Michael Farris, Grades 10-12
It's important our kids know and understand our history. It's vital they know and understand the governmental system they live in and that they appreciate what that system means.
Danika Cooley is an
award-winning children's author
. Her upcoming books include helping your kids learn and love Scripture (Bethany House, 2021), and a new line of Christian history for 3rd to 5th graders (Christian Focus Publications, 2020). Grab your
complimentary three-week excerpt
of her popular Bible Road Trip™ curriculum.
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Teach the source of civil liberty and foundational understanding of history. Appropriate for grades 8-12, includes teacher guide. Learn more at
FACE.net/NationMakers
.
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MoneySmart Family: Making Frugal Fun!
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Finding Great Deals This Summer
Do you love saving by buying quality used things? We do, too. Summer is a great time to go to garage sales.
But it’s also a great time to make some extra money selling things you don’t need.
Making More at Garage Sales
When you host a garage sale, you and your kids have the opportunity to re-home items and turn them into profit.
When our kids were younger, we hosted a garage sale once a year. We learned a lot about making these sales profitable.
We got so good at it that we hosted mega sales as fundraisers for several of the groups that our kids were involved in. We raised thousands of dollars. We’ve written
the ultimate guide to hosting great garage sales
. Take a look and let us know if we missed anything.
Finding Great Deals at Garage Sales and Online
For the past few months, we’ve been remodeling bathrooms in our house. You would not believe the number of needed items we’ve purchased at thrift stores, garage sales, and local sites liked CraigsList and OfferUp. We found a $60 shower head for $6—it was a perfect match for what we had wanted.
There are so many great ways to find deals today, it’s almost like you won’t even have to pay retail again.
Steve & Annette Economides are New York Times Best Selling authors, homeschool parents of five grown children, and family finance experts. They are passionate about living the frugal lifestyle and sharing the fun and freedom they’ve experienced. They have authored three books: America’s Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money; Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half; The MoneySmart Family System—Teaching Financial Independence to Children of Every Age.
Steve & Annette’s enthusiasm about household finances has earned them appearances on Good Morning America, Today Show, Dr. Phil, CNN, Fox News, 20/20, Nightline, Yahoo Finance, People Magazine, and more.
MoneySmart Family is produced by Economiser Publications, LLC. This company is not owned by The Old Schoolhouse, LLC (TOS), and TOS is not responsible for the content produced by MoneySmart Family. TOS may not approve of or endorse all content, resources, and other companies promoted by MoneySmart Family in its columns. The views and opinions expressed in this column or newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TOS on any subject matter. The financial advice and recommendations promoted by MoneySmart Family are not a substitute for expert financial advice. You should consult a qualified financial adviser for financial guidance tailored to your individual needs.
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Remember what it was like to be a new homeschooler, overwhelmed with all the curriculum options and educational products? What tips would you share today about who’s the best of the best when it comes to homeschool resources? Cast your votes for the 2020 The Old Schoolhouse® Excellence in Education Awards and help your fellow homeschool moms (and dads!) find their way through the maze of products available! Complete the survey by August 15, 2020, to receive a $100 gift certificate for digital products
in our Schoolhouse Store and be entered in a drawing for a Kindle Fire Tablet. Share your opinions today!
(not applicable to SchoolhouseTeachers.com memberships)
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How do you plan on showing your patriotism this July 4th? Will you don your red, white, and blue? Will you fly Old Glory high for the whole world to see? Though July 4th celebrations may look a little different this year, the reasons to celebrate remain strong: freedom and independence! Americans across the nation remain triumphant in the values that hold the country together and continue to celebrate its heritage.
The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine
is joining in this celebration from
June 22–July 15
!
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Are you looking for more weekly encouragement and ideas? We have a team of homeschool moms who share their heart on a wide variety of topics. Some write about fun ideas of things to do, food to make, and places to go. Others tell of obstacles, struggles, milestones, and everyday life while going through this homeschooling journey. By receiving our weekly e-mail, you will not miss out on any of the great articles that are shared on our blog.
Head over
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You are invited to attend our FREE Job Fair Webinar on Thursday, July 9, 2020, from 7:00–9:30 PM EST. It will be a fun and informative evening, and it may be the beginning of a new and profitable adventure for you and your family. Register today as spots are limited!
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No limits.
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in the summer issue of
The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.
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Florida
Look What’s Happening!
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Congratulations to Ashley Cox from Ohio who won our May giveaway!
Contest Corner
for the month of July
Summer Ruins - The Field Notes of Gwen Bell, #1
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Deb Watley Books
We love books and have recently found a new one to add to our growing library!
Summer Ruins (The Field Notes of Gwen Bell #1)
written by Deb Watley is a 208-page paperback sure to delight your middle school readers. Full of humor and adventure, this fictional book is a great read-aloud or one just for your child’s quiet time.
Summer Ruins
is about a young twelve-year-old girl named Gwen and her summer adventures. Though she had plans of friends and parties and free time, a last-minute change instead puts her in the middle of an archaeological dig in South Dakota. Joining her parents for the summer, Gwen finds herself in charge of two rambunctious boys. While she tries to find ways to keep them entertained, as well as safe, she dreams of what her summer could have looked like. . .
Here is what I love about this book. Gwen is a typical tween that thinks her plans are the best and come first. Throughout the book, she is challenged to grow up a bit and put others first. . . Paired with sweet black and white illustrations along with Gwen’s “field notes” at the beginning of each chapter, this book will make you smile. It will also teach you a few fun facts about archeology and South Dakota history along the way! As a homeschooling family, I appreciate the true facts that Mrs.Watley has woven into the story and her obvious love for history. . .
This is a shortened review of the book
Summer Ruins - The Field Notes of Gwen Bell, #1
.
Read the complete review
on our site and get more details about this wonderful summer read.
You’ll also want to go to the contest page of our site where you can
ENTER TO WIN
this children’s fiction book.
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