Just some thoughts today about differences, unschooling, and God...

In I Corinthians 6, Paul discusses the issue of lawsuits among believers.  How often we read this and think, "This really does not apply to my church today."  I used to think this as well.  But now I wonder how many times we truly live out this concept. 

Example #1:  When a family needs help financially or even needs assistance with the basic needs of life - food, clothing, shelter - does the church send them to someone else?  How often do Christians condemn a welfare recipient as lazy, and then expect that individual to "ask the church" for help. 

I have heard more than one example of families who were turned into child protective services by a member of their church.  The church "family" member was concerned that the children did not have enough to eat or did not have their basic needs met.  If this fellow Christian truly felt this concern, was taking it to the government the proper course of action?  Was it really the Christian thing to do, based upon I Corinthians 6?

Example #2: Why do we often make it our business to judge someone else's lifestyle? 

I encounter this a lot with my son, Taliesin.  I have had more than one Sunday school teacher question how he learns.  I have received many comments (or condemnations) from well-meaning Christians about the way my husband and I choose to educate our sons.  They believe in a different philosophy of education than I do.  That is fine.  Differences of opinion are fine.  Differences in education are fine.  Not recognizing that differences of opinion are okay is not fine. 

What many Christians so often fail to recognize is today's American education system is based upon the Greek model of learning - not upon the Bible or the early church or Jesus or ancient Hebrew.  Not that the Greek model is wrong for everyone.  But it's also not right for everyone.  And to hail the Greek education model as the only Christian way is not only wrong; but, in my mind at least, it violates the very premise of I Corinthians 6.  We are handling private matters through the government or the government's way. 

Just some further thought: 

In the first example, are we not rendering to Caesar that which is God's?  Scripture is clear in both Old and New Testaments that we are to care for the needs of one another.  Jesus' teachings on the division of His true servants from those who only claim to be, Paul's teachings on bearing one another's burdens - these are just a couple of examples. 

In our second example, are we not doing the opposite? - rendering to God that which is Caesar's?  We are placing man's ideas and philosophies on the same level, if you will, as God's.  We are saying, "This is the only correct way" when the Bible does not say that at all.  We are placing societal "rules" in a position of authority.  Is this not contrary to what Jesus taught against in His "Render to Caesar" teaching?  Is this not what the nation of Israel did prior to her fall in the Old Testament?  God calls this type of devotion to society above devotion to Him by name - idolatry, unfaithfulness, spiritual adultery. 

What a dangerous territory...