Being a preacher and a public school teacher has some distinct advantages. I see some things that others never see. An occasion of such insight occurred not long ago while I was taking two students home from a debate meeting after school; the boy was a Catholic and the girl was a fundamental Baptist. Being very good friends, we all often talk frankly about matters that are ordinarily treacherous ground for schoolteachers. On this particular evening the conversation was centering upon the young lady's intention to go to a Baptist college. I asked her how the college was supported. She replied that their congregation was donating $ 1,000 to a new library. Upon hearing this I said, "You always say you follow the Bible. Where is the passage that teaches secular education is a work of the church?"

Immediately she answered, `'Well, where is the passage that says that the church can't support secular education! " Then she continued, "but that isn't a very good answer, is it?"

The Catholic boy said. "You had better try again."

She said, "The Bible says, 'Train up your children.'"

I replied, "what about the context? You are supposed to cite evidence in context."

"The context is parents, but I know the church is told to do it or we wouldn't." she responded.

You find it for me," I said, and I haven't heard from her yet.

The significance of this incident is not that Baptists work without authority ( we have known this for a long time now), but in the fact that they justify their innovations with the same trite cliché that our liberal preachers use.

How many times have the liberals appealed to the sophistry of denominations to justify church colleges, church camps, church entertainment, and church orphan homes as they race the road to Babylon.

Truth Magazine IX: 10, p. 16
July 1965