What is our Story?

What is our story and purpose for education?

  It was good to reflect on the development of natural science and the social sciences in regard to research and their values, as well as their impact on our culture. Scientism, as Postman describes it, is the “desperate hope, and wish, and ultimately the illusionary belief that some standardized set of procedures called 'science' can provide us with an unimpeachable source of moral authority.” When we lived in a university town, I occasionally got the feeling that Christianity was thought of my many as an ignorant belief system and the educated, sensible people, only believed what science could prove. Outside of that, do whatever you feel is “right”.  This lack of core beliefs combined with the information overload we are experiencing, due to technology developments is scary scenario to think about.  

  While I love the diversity present in our nation and the freedom that we are so blessed to enjoy, I feel increasingly outnumbered as a Christian in my beliefs and views on issues our country/world faces.  Those who do not know God, are searching for something to put their faith in, some moral authority. We are designed to be filled by God in a way that cannot be filled by anything else, no matter how hard someone might try.

  The author asks the question what our story will be to give purpose to education? Depending on the person or group from various backgrounds or points in history being asked, the answer can very greatly. Fortunately, at a Christian school, we have the freedom to connect all learning to God's purposes (to serve God and others in all that we do, to reflect Christ in our actions and words, etc.). For those in our country who do not have a unified belief in educational purpose or a moral authority, the story seems to be that of an economy, as Postman puts it, with the purpose to get a “good job” and to compete with other nations for monetary gain. 

  While I agree that this is definitely a purpose reflected in schools today, I think many schools have also seen the importance of civility and character traits that foster community to counteract the “looking out for number one” idea that the competitive economic pressure puts on our students. I do wonder, though, how moral expectations are determined without a common belief system or worldview? I know even in a Christian school, with the Bible as our guide, we sometimes differ on how to handle certain situations.

  As much as I am somewhat frustrated by the pessimism of Postman at this point in the book, I could see his point that we are in fact dealing with a certain level of technopoly in our nation and world. “The technopoly story- progress without limits, rights without responsibilities, technology without cost. It is without a moral center.”  So the last question I want to pose...How can we refocus and shift this "story" to be more in line with our Biblical worldview?