Is Character Dead?
Is Character Dead?
Posted by Dr. Stanton on July 16, 2019
The famous English novelist G.K. Chesterton noted that "Right is Right even if nobody does it. Wrong is wrong even if everybody is wrong about it."
We live in a world of subjective concepts of right and wrong. We live in a world where the objective beauty of God's creation is now something that can – and is – debated. We are told several times in the account of Genesis that God looked upon His creation and said, "it is good." We are created to honor and glorify God in all we do.
Now, however, we live in a world where that goodness of creation is tainted by sin and the drive to glorify our Creator is many times the furthest away from how our culture operates.
We live in a world where a general concept of moral absolutes is no longer accepted. This is certainly the case in our schools.
Not sure about that last statement? Here are some examples of the struggles for Christians in education:
- Voluntary prayer and Bible readings were kicked out of schools in 1963 in the District of Abington Township v. Schempp case.
- Now we have moments of silence in place of prayer; even these face continuing legal challenges.1
- Mandates from state and federal governments require the accommodation of trans-gender students, even if it conflicts with parental rights. The federal Department of Education, for example, states that "Some school policies recommend, with regard to an older student, that school staff consult with the student before reaching out to the student's parents."2
In a world where we are losing the concept of right and wrong, schools such as Oakdale Academy exist to ensure the continuation and revival of our Christian heritage and worldview.
At Oakdale Academy, we ensure Character is not an ethereal concept we simply pay lip service to, but it is imperative to who we are and those we work to develop.
At Oakdale, Character is displayed in both the large and small things. It is what I witness in the hallways as young men hold the doors for their teachers and female classmates; it is an Upper School student assisting a Lower School student in learning how to play a game; it is the joy shared during a successful recitation; it is the determination to start our day where it ought to start – in prayer and dedication to our Lord and a commitment to pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States as "one Nation under God..."
We have a chapel service each Wednesday, our staff gather in small prayer groups, and several of our parents commit to prayer weekly for our facutly and staff. We are focused on the development of Character – one that points to glorification of our good God.
Is Character dead? It may be on life support in the world, but it is not dead at Oakdale –it is, rather, one of the three tenets of our Mission and a daily focus for us as teachers and for our students to reinforce in each other. This is a place where parents can entrust their most precious gift from God, their children, to a dedicated group who will assist them in building up true Character.
Oakdale is a place where the focus is on Character, Truth, and Wisdom.
Is this the place you have searched for in order to have your children grounded during a turbulent and morally lacking age? Then, I encourage you to contact us today for a personal tour; we look forward to showing you our Character.
Dr. Stanton
Headmaster
[2] https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/850991/download
Ethereal
