Editor's Note: The following essay was completed by a high school student who attends a Christian school in Lancaster County, and was written in response to that school's decision to broadcast the speech by President Obama to America's school children on September 8 which had generated so much controversy among parents nationwide.  A handout was provided to the students which appeared to draw similarities between the President's speech and the parables of Jesus.
 

I was disappointed by the fact our school decided to mandate a viewing of Obama’s speech upon it's attendees and their guardians, without much forewarning, but then I was presented with a handout that deeply offended me. Not only does it take a controversial figure and lift him up onto a pedestal, but this handout then raises that pedestal to the level of our faith. Not only are Obama’s words put on the same level as the challenge given to us by Christ, but then, it barely stops short of asking us to compare/contrast our president with the Son of God. This strikes me as being very wrong.

We were given a scripture to analyze and compare with Obama’s speech, but I would like to briefly examine another. In Romans 12:2, we are given the express command to, and I quote: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Then why, I ask you, does this school decide on watching a presentation by the undeniably most liberal and anti-Christian president who has ever held the office? 

Some argue that the speech in it of itself was not a bad speech, and may have been a good message for students, but with all due respect, consider the source of that speech. Barack Hussein Obama II is undeniably the most liberal, anti-Christian, worldly president we have ever had at the reins of our nation. He has openly lied about his childhood “hardships” in his speech, creating a rhetoric that will supposedly relate to teens in the public education system.

But no one questions it. No one bothers to question the words of our President, including our own school apparently. His soothing mannerisms, eloquent speeches, and undeniably skillful oratory lull his listeners into a frightening complacency, and many automatically assume his words are as true as his intentions seem. 2 Peter 2:1 warns us of exactly this. People, who claim to be prophets and saviors, who will skillfully introduce “destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord himself…” We should not allow ourselves to be swayed by this. 1 Thessalonians 5:6 tells us that we are not to fall asleep in our faith and principles, but remain alert and self-controlled. 

There is no reason that we, as Christians, should blindly buy into fallacies that are spoon-fed to us. We are behaving in concordance with our basic sin nature, which is to act blindly like sheep without a Shepherd.  But we have a Shepherd, and in Matthew 10:16, He tells us that we are being sent into a hostile world, but, to survive, we must “be as shrewd as snakes, but as innocent as doves.” 

Christianity is not a license to be stupid. We are commanded to test everything, and hold on to that which is good. (1 Thessalonians 5:21.)

So, in light of this, I ask again, why does our school conform to the patterns of a world, that is obviously hostile towards us? Our school did not air Bush's address to the students. In fact, aside from watching election results, I cannot recall when our school last decided to take a mandatory break from education to listen to a politician. Obama is not the first on to do this, so why does our school only give him that auspicious dignity? This goes beyond respecting the office. If that was truly the case, our school would have a consistent record of doing such for every president, but we do not. 

And when presented with the question why, the answer is always: “Because all the other (public) schools are doing it.” The same excuse a teenager gives to his parents when they find weed in his drawers: “Everyone else is doing it.” 

Again, Romans 12:2! Do not conform! Be transformed! As a Christian school, we are meant to be a beacon on a hill. A Christian standard of education! And yet, they choose to behave as any other public, and decidedly non-Christian school would. There was no legitimate reason for us to be forced to view Obama’s speech. He never referenced God. He never did anything but give praise to humanity. The entire speech is geared for government funded schools, which are failing and showing high drop-out rates. 

People then lay down the argument that according to Romans 13:1-3, we are commanded to be respectful of those in authority over us, and give them their due. Disagreement is not disrespect. Respect is not rolling over at the command of another, at the expense of our Christian ideals. 

I am fully aware that we are meant to “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and give to God what is God's. (Mark 12:17) However, I would like to point out one very important, nay, crucial fact. Obama does deserve the respect due his office, but he is not our Caesar! No one is our Caesar! The entire point of a Constitutional Republic is to give the power of Caesar to the people. Obama is a representative of our proud nation, not its unchallenged tyrant. Our founding fathers fought a bloody war so we wouldn't have Caesar. Being respectful and submissive of those in authorities, does not mean catering to their every whim and wish. Or were our founding fathers evil sinners by daring to stand up to the wrong-doing of the King of England? 

In the worksheet we were given, our school not only conformed to the pattern of the world by copying the original lesson plans handed out to the public schools but made them worse by adding comparisons of Obama to Christ. We were asked to read the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, and I did. In it, for any who are curious, a wealthy man goes on a journey, entrusting portions of his wealth to his three servants. The first two practice good stewardship, and double the wealth by the time the master has returned. The third hides his, by burying it in a hole. We were asked to apply that to this situation, and here is my response:
 

In allowing the creation of this great nation, God has given us a set of gifts that no other country had ever enjoyed previously; Freedom, Liberty, Prosperity, and many more. For over 200 years we have taken these gifts and invested them, created a wonderful, fantastic country that many people in the world wish to join. With our wealth, we have been able to reach more people, and evangelize more countries than any other nation on this planet. But now, for the sake of security, and for the sake of a false sense of comfort, we are hastening to throw our gifts to the wind, burying our freedom, liberty, prosperity, and even the basic tenants of our faith in a hole, so that we can better conform to those around us, so no one will think we are “mean.”

I ask you, what happened to the servant who did not invest the gifts he was given wisely? What happened after he threw them away and buries them in a hole? What did his master do? Do we want that to happen to us?

There are no similarities in Obama’s message to the word of God. The two cannot even be compared. Obama claims the government, a force of man, will bestow happiness and opportunity upon those willing to take it, whereas a Christian institution should be teaching that God has given us these gifts and opportunities, and as Christians, we have been commanded to work hard and invest them. I refuse to do anything that will fulfill the President's challenge. I instead choose to strive for the goals laid down by Christ, which are infinitely greater than any set by man.

In closing, I am deeply offended, hurt, and disappointed in the behavior of our school. Being a Christian school requires more than simply stapling the name of Jesus to anything. The Bible says that you will “Know them by their works.” 

So what does that say about our “Christian” school, which is willingly doing above and beyond what most public schools were requested to do? Even the public schools, so often derided as “worldly” by our school were able to recognize this speech for the politically motivated popularity stunt that it was, resulting in over fifty percent of the public schools in the area not giving any credence to the President's address whatsoever.
 

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