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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, MARCH 14, 1986
The American method employs more student-teacher interaction. But why,
then, if American teaching methods are superior, does the average American
child achieve so poorly in school? In fact, Thai, Vietnamese and other
Asian children attending U.S. schools are, on the average, high achievers.
Why?
The answer lies in the home.
Many American homes have lost the
respect for education that inspires children to succeed in school.
Television has respect in American homes. Rock music has respect. But
education does not. As parents lose sight of the need, they also lose the
ability to instill in their children a sound, healthy attitude toward
education.
Consequently, average American children tend to have poor
listening skills, short attention spans (as Mr. John Halford put it, about
12 minutes--the length of time between commercials), and little motivation
to learn. Asian children, on the other hand, often have been taught how
to concentrate, how to listen and how to work hard at home.
Parents today too often want to blame the schools for thei� child's
poor education, rather than placing the greater blame where it probably
lies--on themselves, on their own example that they have set for their
children and on their own lack of consistent, loving authority in the home
to back up wise, well-considered rules designed for the present and future
good of their children.
God's people need to understand the importance of the family. It has
often been said, "As the family goes, so goes the nation." I could add,
"As the family goes, so goes the Church of God."
The Church has an
obligation to teach parents the importance of their responsibilities to
their children before God. I expect that all you ministers are carefully
reading, teaching and applying the materi�ls on these subjects that have
been and will continue to appear in the Church's publications. Remember,
your example speaks louder than your words.
Last week, on Thucsday, March 6, Messrs. Dibar Apartian, Dexter
Faulkner, Michael Feazell, Herman Boeh
.,
Gene Hogberg, Douglas Horchak,
Ellis La Ravia, Leroy Neff, Dan Taylor and I attended a luncheon meeting
of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council at which former President Richard
M. Nixon was the guest speaker.
I met briefly with Mr. Nixon at a
reception before the meeting.
I told him I enjoyed his definitions of
where peace occurs--in death, and sitting at the typewriter.
He seemed to be a down-to-earth man, easy to converse with.
I
invited him to speak at Ambassador College, a proposal he accepted
verbally, but asked that we send him a letter so he wouldn't forget.
Mr. Nixon's speech displayed a realistic, insightful view of Soviet
American relations.
His conclusion was far more meaningful than he could possibly
realize. He said: •Let this generation of Americans be remembered not for
presiding over the twilight of an old civilization, but for helping to
usher in the dawn of a new era in which the bloody 20th century was
followed by a peaceful 21st century--an era in which people everywhere had