By Jeff West
Cal Thomas spoke on Christian education at the 20th anniversary banquet for Exodus Mandate.
Cal Thomas spoke on Christian education at the 20th anniversary banquet for Exodus Mandate.

Conservative pundit Cal Thomas spoke Thursday in Columbia at the Exodus Mandate 20th anniversary banquet, and the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and Christian education.  Rev. E. Ray founded Moore Exodus Mandate to promote home schooling and Christian education.  Approximately 300 people heard Cal Thomas, a former Fox News Network commentator currently syndicated in newspapers and radio across America, speak on the importance of Christian parents withdrawing their children from the secular educational system.

Thomas said, “Government schools are the last monopoly...Why do we send our children into schools that do not teach the truth?”  He defined their version of truth: “Truth is what makes you feel good, and if you have a truth that is opposite of mine, that’s OK, as long as it makes you feel good.  And if you wish to change your truth tomorrow, because that truth makes you feel better, that’s OK too, because it’s really all about you.”

Thomas portrayed the secularization of our schools: “Christmas carols have been banned from schools because non-believers... might be offended... [W]e don’t even refer to ‘Christmas’ anymore, it’s a ‘Winter Holiday,’ something similar to what the old Soviet Union called theirs.  Why is it that since we won the Cold War, we are becoming more like them?...

“[T]he first time I went to a... PTA meeting... they handed out a little booklet on student rights... Student rights?  When I was in school, I had the same rights as a criminal: ‘You have the right to remain silent!’

“One in seven U.S. adults are unable to read this story,” Thomas read from a USA Today article, adding “They’re products of our government schools.”  He said that having minorities locked into failed government schools is as bad as having them locked out of government schools in the civil rights era.  “We hear a lot about choice today when it comes to abortion, but [they]... are against choice when it comes to educating those fortunate enough to be born.”  He said we have choices in package delivery, supermarkets, food, cars, clothes; “Why can’t we have choices in the way we educate our children?  Because it’s a monopoly!  The last monopoly in America.”

Rev. E. Ray Moore speaks at the  20th anniversary of his Exodus Mandate ministry.
Rev. E. Ray Moore speaks at the 20th anniversary of his Exodus Mandate ministry.

Thomas said, “[G]overnment schools... seemed to be a good... [idea].  Bring people from all walks of life... into a central system, where the values and principles of America, American history, and yes, even a moral code would be taught and reinforced.”  He quoted from a 1923 supplementary school book: “Dedicated to the boys and girls in the Lancaster [Ohio] public schools... that none may go astray, but that all may be led to live high and holy lives.”  Other topics included the Lord’s prayer, the 23rd Psalm and the Ten Commandments.  “Here’s one about respecting your mother, imagine that!  Here’s one: ‘I give my hand and my heart to my country: one country, one language, one flag.’

“All these things are what Thomas Jefferson referred to in another context as ‘self-evident truths.’  Did somebody take a poll... that what used to be self-evident truths in our public schools, were somehow not serving us well?...

“[W]hen you try something, and it’s not working, then you change strategy... But only with a monopoly, do you not have to change.  It doesn’t matter to a monopoly, whether your kids can graduate and read and write.  Do you know how many corporations have to retrain, even in reading and in certain instances what they learned in school, before they can hire them?  It’s appalling!...

“[T]here are tenured professors... who will actually unravel what is left of their faith...We have thousands of men and women in our military;... not one... trained by any of our enemies.  They were trained in America, with American philosophy, with American war tactics, with American equipment and uniforms... to defend American ideals.  Why would we send our children into the enemy’s camp... and expect them to come back believing and embracing what we taught them when they were young?”

Thomas then repeated common excuses from Christians for sending their children to government schools. “‘Well, I want my child to be an ambassador for Christ.’...I [have] met an awful lot of ambassadors, and none of them was eight years old... They had been trained and matured, in the values and principles of the nation they were representing, and also had knowledge of the ones to which they were being appointed.

“Another one is ‘Well, I want my kid to be able to play football and basketball.’... I say ‘Look up in the [Bible] and if you can show me where God says it’s OK to send kids into the government school because of basketball and football, then I’ll change my mind about this.

“‘Well, I want them to be salt and light.’... Do you really think that an eight- or ten-year old is going to... be an evangelist for Jesus?  Just the peer pressure alone will probably shut them down, if the teacher or the principal doesn’t haul them down to the office and tell them they can’t do that.  Now what kind of a response is that going to induce in a young person who feels so intimidated?  That’s cruel.  And if you think your kid can survive, by just going to church and Sunday School, once a week... and they’re in the government school five days a week, seven or eight hours a day, well the peer pressure and what they’re being taught, and the teachers and the administration telling them what they can’t write in their valedictory speech; and by the way, they’re doing away with the valedictorian and salutatorian in many of our schools because it’s not fair to those who didn’t achieve as much.  Really, I learned more by failure than I ever did by success. 

“And isn’t it amazing how we no longer honor others’ success?  We’re demonizing success and loathing people and accomplishments, and we’re dumbing down... so many of our young people, because we want everybody to be alike... And today the attitude is, ‘You make two dollars and I get one.’...
[W]e teach this even in the government schools now... You know, half the people in America don’t pay taxes, and they’re paid for by the other half.”

Thomas said that politicians increasingly send their children to private schools, but want to send your children to public school because of contributions from teacher’s unions.  “This is why I think vouchers, or equivalents, are so necessary for middle-income and poor people... [T]here was a survey taken... by the Catholic Church,... and found an overwhelming number of poor and minority parents... would send their kids to a private Catholic school, if they had a choice.  Why so many of these people continue to vote for liberals who deny them that choice, is beyond me...

“Solzhenitsyn was asked, ‘How did communism prevail in seven decades in the Soviet Union?’  He said, ‘The answer is very simple: We had forgotten God.’... The only thing left that we haven’t tried is God...”

Thomas read a quote from Martin Luther, printed on the back of the evening’s program: “‘Above all in schools of all kinds the chief and most common lesson should be the Scriptures... but where the Holy Scriptures are not the rule, I advise no one to send his child.  Everything must perish where God’s Word is not studied unceasingly.’”  Thomas concluded: “He got it.  We’re not getting it.  And the results are what you see.

“When I first heard of Exodus Mandate, I was a little suspicious, so I call and everything, so I got to know Ray a little bit and read the materials that he put out, and some of these films, Indoctrination is just terrific... I think that Exodus Mandate has become the best group in the country in educating people about what the Scripture says...

“When you obey Him, wonderful things happen.  And it’s not a sacrifice, I never want to hear that word again, except for associated with Jesus on the cross.  It’s an investment, when you invest, you expect to get something back... like stocks and bonds and other stuff. You’re not sacrificing when you’re... homeschooling, you’re investing... Barbara Bush said... ‘Our success as a nation, your success as a family, depends less on what happens in the White House, and more on what happens in your house.’...

“Exodus Mandate really is the national leader in the aggressive... promotion of K-12 Christian schools and home schools...And by the way, ‘Christian education’ is a redundancy...[E]ducation without a Biblical foundation is propaganda.

“I want you to pray for this ministry, because this is cutting edge stuff, folks, this is where it’s really at.  This is the second most frequent event that I do.  Most frequent are the pregnancy centers.  My view is, get them born first, and then we get them properly educated, and we’ll be able to hand off this country in as best a shape as we received it.”

It was such a blessing to experience the wonderful, banquet, Christian fellowship and inspirational speech by Cal Thomas provided by Exodus Mandate.  It is noteworthy that Cal Thomas has stood up for God throughout his journalistic career, and has been continually blessed to the point of being syndicated in the secular media throughout America.  Likewise, Christian parents and pastors across America would be similarly blessed if they would courageously obey God through Christian education.  The real courage was demonstrated decades ago by homeschooling pioneers like Ray and Gail Moore, who even risked prosecution for homeschooling; parents today endure no such threat thanks to such pioneers.  It was a great honor for such a well-known authority as Cal Thomas to recognize Exodus Mandate as the “national leader” in promoting Christian and homeschooling. 

If you would like more information about Exodus Mandate, please see their website at https://exodusmandate.org/ or contact Rev. Moore at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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