Education vs True Education
| Worldly Education | True Education | |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit of the Tree | of Knowledge of Good & Evil | of Life |
| Founded | Doubt | Trust / Faith |
| Method | Memorization | Practical Application |
| Indoctrination | Control | Free Will |
| Explanation | Evolution | Creation |
| Setting | Industrial | Nature |
| Money | Greed | Generosity |
| Interpersonal | Win | Serve / Witness |
| Preparation | Lifetime | Life to come |
| Sons of man | Sons of God |
“The garden of Eden was not only Adam's dwelling, but his school-room. As in that school, so in the school of the earth, two trees are planted, the tree of life, which bears the fruit of true education, and the tree of knowledge, yielding the fruit of ‘science falsely so-called.’ All that have connection with Christ have access to the tree of life, a source of knowledge of which the world is ignorant. After sin entered this world, the heavenly husbandman transplanted the tree of life to the paradise above, but its branches hang over the wall to the lower world. Through the redemption purchased by the blood of the Son of God, man may now partake of its life-giving fruit. The tree of knowledge has its roots in the earth. It is of the earth, earthy. All who have tasted of the heavenly fruit, the bread of life, are to be co-workers with God, pointing others from the tree of knowledge to the tree of life, that they also may partake of its fruit.”
Home and Church School Manual (PH140 7.3)
“The fruit of the tree of life in the garden of Eden possessed supernatural virtue. To eat of it was to live forever. Its fruit was the antidote of death. It leaves were for the sustaining of life and immortality. But through man’s disobedience death entered the world. Adam ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the fruit of which he had been forbidden to touch. This was his test. He failed, and his transgression opened the floodgates of woe upon our world.”
17LtMs, Ms 41, 1902, par. 13
“satan presented to man the bribe of attaining to a higher position, of gaining knowledge and wisdom beyond that with which their Creator had endowed them, through an act of disobedience to his divine will.”
The Signs of the Times (ST October 8, 1894, par. 4)
“Man has the honor of being taken into partnership with God, and the secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him. God will give light and knowledge, so that, by conforming to his directions, man may become one with Jesus Christ; and the Father will love him who is conformed to his law, as he loves his only-begotten Son. satan has laid his plans for the purpose of divorcing man from God, and causing him to break God's holy law. He has come to man in our day as he came to Adam in Eden, and through his agents is saying today that the law is not binding on man, but that it is abolished. Those to whom God has given reasoning powers should use them to better advantage than did Adam when he transgressed the law of God. We have the example of Adam before us to warn us from treading on the dangerous ground upon which Adam fell. Adam accepted the false suggestions and the foul misrepresentations concerning God, rather than a plain “Thus saith the Lord.” Let not the presumptuous assertions and claims of men be reiterated as the voice of God. Let those who would serve God remember that it is written, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”
The Signs of the Times (ST October 8, 1894, par. 9)
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. ” Acts 17:22-29
“The world had reached the point at which it did not know God. It was "by wisdom" that the world reached this point. It was "by wisdom" that the world was caused not to know God. And that wisdom was the world's philosophy, the world's science, -- in a word, the world's education.” - The Place of the Bible in Education, A.T. Jones
Socrates was not a 'philosopher,' nor yet a 'teacher,' but rather an 'educator,' having for his function 'to rouse, persuade, and rebuke. ” Plato, Apology, 30 E.
“Socrates' theory of education has for its basis a PROFOUND AND CONSISTENT SKEPTICISM.” - The Place of the Bible in Education, A.T. Jones
I was told that you spent your time in doubting, and leading others to doubt; and it is a fact that your witcheries and spells have brought me to that condition.' ” "Socrates" - Encyclopedia Britannica
“Thus, in the field of philosophy, speculation, metaphysics, Plato is the great voice and continuator of Socrates. Aristotle was a disciple of Plato; but he broke away from the particularly philosophical and metaphysical speculations of his master, and turned specially to science and physics. Plato leaned to having all things culminate in philosophy. Aristotle leaned toward having all things culminate in science: he would "reduce even philosophy to science." And Aristotle like Plato continued in education the identical principle of education which was entertained by Socrates and continued by Plato: that doubt is the way to knowledge. For with Aristotle it was a maxim that "to frame doubts well" is a service to the discovery of truth.”
“Thus, then, as stated concerning Socrates, the basis of the whole theory of Greek education, both in science and philosophy, was "doubt," -- "a profound and consistent skepticism." Indeed, the principal idea of that philosophy is expressed in the word "doubt." The history of philosophy is but the history of doubt.”
“Since, therefore, the basis of the great Greek educator's theory of education was "doubt," -- "a profound and consistent skepticism;" and since the essential quality of doubt causes him who exercises it not to know; it follows that Greek education, being founded in doubt, and built up through doubt, was essentially ignorance. And Inspiration pierced to the very core of the whole system when it repeatedly defined that education as "ignorance."” - The Place of the Bible in Education, A.T. Jones
“It is not well to crowd the mind with studies that require intense application, but that are not brought into use in practical life. Such education will be a loss to the student. For these studies lessen his desire and inclination for the studies that would fit him for usefulness and enable him to fulfill his responsibilities. A practical training is worth far more than any amount of mere theorizing. It is not enough even to have knowledge. We must have ability to use the knowledge aright.”
Ministry of Healing (MH 449.5)
“It has ever been the policy of the Papacy to sterilize the brains of teachers so that they cannot be impregnated with reform ideas. The Papal system of education makes them content to repeat set lessons to their students, as they themselves learned them in school, with no thought of making practical application. The students, in turn, go out to teach others the same rote they have learned, and thus the endless treadmill goes on, ever learning, but never getting anywhere.”
Studies in Christian Education (p. 77)
The following methods of teaching are characteristic of Jesuit schools: “The memory was cultivated as a means of keeping down free activity of thought and clearness of judgment.” In the place of self-government “their method of discipline was a system of mutual distrust, espionage, and informing. Implicit obedience relieved the pupils from all responsibility as to the moral justification of their deeds. ” Rosencranz’s Philosophy of Education, 270
“For centuries education has had to do chiefly with the memory. This faculty of the mind has been taxed to the utmost, while the other mental powers have not been correspondingly developed. Students have spent their time crowding the mind with knowledge, very little of which could be utilized. The mind thus burdened with that which it cannot digest and assimilate is weakened; it becomes incapable of vigorous, self-reliant effort, and is content to depend on the judgment and perception of others. Seeing the evils of this method, some have gone to another extreme. In their view, people need only to develop that which is within them. Such education leads students to self-sufficiency, thus cutting them off from the source of true knowledge and power.”
True Education (TEd 140.1-2)
“The mind that depends on the judgment of others is certain, sooner or later, to be misled.”
True Education (TEd 140.4)
“Only through individual dependence upon God can we possess the power to discriminate between right and wrong. Each person is to learn from Him through His Word. Our reasoning powers were given us to use, and God desires them to be exercised.”
True Education (TEd 140.1-2)
“Come now, and let us reason together...”
Isaiah 1:18
“...know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.”
Isaiah 7:15
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
James 1:5
“I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness”
Ecclesiastes 7:25
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear”
1 Peter 3:15
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”
Genesis 1:26
It must simply mean that 'we materialists cannot allow a Divine foot in the door'. Well, of course, it is a tautology to say that 'materialists cannot allow a Divine foot in the door'. Materialism rejects both the Divine foot and, come to think of it, the door as well. ” John Lennox, “God’s Undertaker” p.35
“Let me summarize my views on what modern evolutionary biology tells us loud and clear . . . . There are no gods, no purposes, no goal-directed forces of any kind. There is no life after death. When I die, I am absolutely certain that I am going to be dead. That’s the end for me. There is no ultimate foundation for ethics, no ultimate meaning to life, and no free will for humans, either.”
Dr. William B. Provine, Professor of Biological Sciences at Cornell University, Origins Research 16, num. 1 (1994)
“Think about it; if an atheist is so quick to invoke science as their guiding rationale in their belief in a random universe, then shouldn't they prove it? Because, really, if any scientists proudly and self-assuredly declare themselves atheists (Richard Dawkins and Stepehen Hawking-you know who you are!), then they're not only being intellectually dishonest, but they're also going counter to the guiding principles of the thing that they profess to love so much: Science. In science, we can't affirmatively know or assert something until we've empirically proven it; absent any such affirmative data, the true and proper scientific stance should be one that echoes Socrates' credo of "I know that I don't know". (Socrates is said to have been dubbed by the Oracle at Delphi the smartest man in all of Greece because he alone was smart enough to realize that "I know that I know nothing.") Thus, without any affirmative scientific proof that God does not exist, the default position should be one of agnosticism--of "I don't know since I don't have enough data one way or another. Really, how can Dawkins claim, as a scientist, that he's an atheist when he hasn't proven that God doesn't exist? As a private citizen, he can choose to believe--or not believe--anything he wants. But what irks me is when scientists use the banner of science to somehow give legitimacy to their own--oftentimes dogmatic--beliefs. ” Dr. Nicholas Kardaras
We see how the deceiver tries to confuse the simple:
Confusion
“...the cyclic multiverse has multiple branes that have collided, causing Big Bangs. The universes bounce back and pass through time until they are pulled back together and again collide, destroying the old contents and creating them anew.”Clarity
God did it.“So through the creation we are to become acquainted with the Creator. The book of nature is a great lesson book, which in connection with the Scriptures we are to use in teaching others of His character, and guiding lost sheep back to the fold of God. As the works of God are studied, the Holy Spirit flashes conviction into the mind. It is not the conviction that logical reasoning produces; but unless the mind has become too dark to know God, the eye too dim to see Him, the ear too dull to hear His voice, a deeper meaning is grasped, and the sublime, spiritual truths of the written word are impressed on the heart.”
Christ's Object Lessons (COL 24.1)
“The system of education instituted at the beginning of the world was to be a model for man throughout all aftertime. As an illustration of its principles a model school was established in Eden, the home of our first parents. The Garden of Eden was the schoolroom, nature was the lesson book, the Creator Himself was the instructor, and the parents of the human family were the students.”
Education (Ed 20.1)
“Those who departed from God built for themselves cities, and, congregating in them, gloried in the splendor, the luxury, and the vice that make the cities of today the world's pride and its curse. But the men who held fast God's principles of life dwelt among the fields and hills. They were tillers of the soil and keepers of flocks and herds; and in this free, independent life, with its opportunities for labor and study and meditation, they learned of God and taught their children of His works and ways. This was the method of education that God desired to establish in Israel.”
Adventist Home (AH 181.30)
“In these lessons direct from nature, there is a simplicity and purity that makes them of the highest value. All need the teaching to be derived from this source. In itself the beauty of nature leads the soul away from sin and worldly attractions, and toward purity, peace, and God. Too often the minds of students are occupied with men's theories and speculations, falsely called science and philosophy. They need to be brought into close contact with nature. Let them learn that creation and Christianity have one God. Let them be taught to see the harmony of the natural with the spiritual. Let everything which their eyes see or their hands handle be made a lesson in character building. Thus the mental powers will be strengthened, the character developed, the whole life ennobled.”
Christ's Object Lessons (COL 24.2)
“Schools have been established that our youth and children may receive the education and discipline needed to prepare them for the searching test so soon to come to every soul.”
The Review and Herald (RH May 16, 1882, par. 9)
“Those who now take pride in scheming to obtain money, by means of which they may exalt self and gain worldly honor, will sometime reach the limit of God’s mercy, when He will no longer bear with them in their lordly presumption. Such men are a curse to humanity.”
Letters and Manuscripts (17LtMs, Ms 156, 1902, par. 11)
“The object of our mission is the same as the object of Christ’s mission. Why did God send His Son to the fallen world?—To make known and to demonstrate to mankind His love for them. Christ came as a redeemer. Throughout His ministry He was to keep prominent His mission to save sinners.”
17LtMs, Ms 130, 1902, par. 32
“God will not vindicate any device whereby man shall in the slightest degree rule or oppress his fellow man. As soon as a man begins to make an iron rule for other men, he dishonors God and imperils his own soul and the souls of his brethren.”
Testimonies for the Church (7T 181.4)
“Character building is the most important work ever entrusted to human beings; and never before was its diligent study so important as now. Never was any previous generation called to meet issues so momentous; never before were young men and young women confronted by perils so great as confront them today.”
Education (Ed 225.3)
“A character formed according to the divine likeness is the only treasure that we can take from this world to the next. Those who are under the instruction of Christ in this world will take every divine attainment with them to the heavenly mansions. And in heaven we are continually to improve. How important, then, is the development of character in this life.”
Child Guidance (CG 161.1)
“A good character is a capital of more value than gold or silver. It is unaffected by panics or failures, and in that day when earthly possessions shall be swept away, it will bring rich returns.”
Child Guidance (CG 161.3)
What does modern education place value in more? A Christ-like character or earthly knowledge and wealth?
“Far more might be accomplished in the work of self-education if we were awake to our own opportunities and privileges. True education means more than the colleges can give. While the study of the sciences is not to be neglected, there is a higher training to be obtained through a vital connection with God.”
Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students (CT 334.2)
“The reason why the youth of the present age are not more religiously inclined is that their education is defective.”
Adventist Home (AH 318.3)
“The true “higher education” is that which is imparted by Him out of whose mouth “come knowledge and understanding.”
Proverbs 2:6