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Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind... Romans 12:2

Dear Parliament: You Do Your Job—I'll Do Mine

by Kevin Takenaka

Two of the most important questions in life are: "Who's responsibility is it?" and "How do you know? Too often we Christians neglect answering these questions; we are generally happy just as long as "the job" gets done by somebody. But we must remember that on judgement day God will demand an accounting for the way we have handled our responsibilities. Let us focus in on one area in particular: who's responsibility is it to raise and protect our children and how do we know this?

In Canada today there are several different groups lobbying for control over children. The two major contenders are the family and the civil government. Let it be said at the outset that it is the parents who have the God-given right to raise their children without interference (financial and otherwise) from the civil government. The Word of God is the foundation of this claim, and if the Bible speaks to an issue, then all of us, Christian and non-Christian alike, are obligated to obey God's Word.

"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord" (Eph 6:4). Note that this verse is a commandment—a law. When anyone receives a command from God he is the person who is obligated to obey that command; it is his responsibility to obey that command. Therefore note that the most important word in this verse is the word "Fathers" because it tells us exactly who God is speaking to. Because God is speaking to Fathers, they must obey God in this area by taking the responsibility of bringing up their children in the training of the Lord.

In Ephesians 6:4 God placed the responsibility of 'child raising' on the father's shoulders. Colossians 3:21 supports this with a commandment specifically to children: "obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord." The phrase "in everything" is vital because it defines the boundaries of the parents' authority. It says that ultimately every area of a child's life must come under submission to his parents. This verse, by telling us who children must obey, also tells us who's authority they are under. If they are under the final authority of their parents then it must be true that the parents have the supreme responsibility of raising and protecting their children "as they think best" (see Hebrews 12:10). In God's economy there is no authority without responsibility.

The question of responsibility has come under the careful scrutiny of our governments. Take the B.C. Provincial government for example. The B.C. Ministry of Social Services says:

"Those who are strong advocates for an explicit set of children's rights usually also believe in the state's responsibility to enforce those rights."1

It may seem to many people that it is good for the state to take responsibility for protecting our children's rights. But we must realize that while they kindly take the weight of that responsibility they also take the final authority to dictate how our children must be raised. The state (the province of B.C.) clearly realizes this:

"Where the social worker or a police officer has reason to believe that a child is in need of protection and the child is in immediate danger, he may without warrant enter any premises, using force if necessary, and where he considers it necessary to do so, apprehend the child."2

The state understands the link between responsibility and authority. They believe that they are the party responsible for enforcing children's rights and so they take, by legislative force, the authority needed to meet their responsibility. This is dangerous, since they are deciding what constitutes "immediate danger" or "need of protection" and their definition may take them far beyond their godly role of protecting children (just as they are to protect adults) from real sexual or physical crimes.

It is understood that "everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities" (Rom 13:1). It is also understood that our civil authorities expect us to abide by their definitions of abuse, neglect, normal discipline and how to raise a child. But our submission to the governing authorities must be Biblically informed. We must remember that the state is "God's servant" (Rom 13:4a) and it in turn must submit to God. Whatever the political persuasion of our Prime Minister or Premiers may be, one thing is certain, their positions of authority have been instituted by God for the purpose of serving God. God has given them a defined area of responsibility in which they are to serve Him. God does not want the state to serve Him in the area of child raising because he has already delegated that to parents.

Yes, families must respect the role of the state because the Bible tells us that civil governments are of God, but the civil government must recognize the role of the family because the family too is of God.

God's Law is the supreme authority over civil government, over fathers and over children. It commands the state to punish criminals ("those who do wrong," Romans 13:4), it commands fathers to train up their children, it commands children to submit to their parents in everything, and it prescribes the rod for those children who do not submit (Proverbs 13:24).

The state has been given the power of the sword over criminals. Parents have been given the power of the rod over their children. The one with the sword is to protect the authority of the one with the rod, not cut that rod in two.

Footnotes:
1. Protecting Our Children—Supporting Our Families: A Review of Child Protection Issues in British Columbia. Ministry of Social Services, 1992, page 44.

2. Inter-Ministry Child Abuse Handbook: An Integrated Approach to Child Abuse and Neglect. Province of B.C., 1988, page 24.

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