Between the ages of 18 and 25, young people will make some of the most critical life decisions. The question is—how are you influencing your children’s worldview? And how will your children’s personal views of life influence their decision making?

The term worldview is a growing buzzword blazing its way through the Christian homeschool community. I admit I’m usually the first to scoff at the stylish trends and the latest catchphrases, and I generally try to avoid succumbing to the “herd mentality.” I gave the notion of “worldview” little thought until I stumbled on a fascinating worldview assessment evaluation called the PEERS Test. The evaluation was developed by a little-known nonprofit ministry called the Nehemiah Institute.

What intrigued me was how the evaluation was able to identify, pinpoint, and draw out core beliefs in five distinct areas: politics, economics, education, religion, and social issues. The results of the evaluation show which of the four major worldview philosophies the test taker’s beliefs most resemble: Biblical Theism, Moderate Christianity, Secular Humanism, or Socialism.

Am I Really a Socialist?
“Houston, we have a problem …” The 70-question evaluation revealed that, despite years of Christian education, I had a worldview that was … borderline Socialist! This can’t be good! I think Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin were stark raving sociopaths.

And yes, I just admitted my test results to thousands of readers worldwide, but I did so to make an important point. You are more than “just” a parent; you are an educator, a mentor, a disciplinarian, a guide, and a coach, and you wield the most influence over your children’s lives. Your worldview directly impacts and shapes the worldview of your children.

Public Indoctrination
It’s no secret that many parents of homeschoolers were, unfortunately, subjected to public education or, as I like to call it, “public indoctrination.” If you were held hostage to public or even a so-called “Christian school” education, you may have developed a worldview that is skewed when held to the light of Scripture.

For the past 40 years, educators with an agenda have been subtly programming young people with philosophy that stands in opposition to God’s Word. Teachers who educated and influenced you undoubtedly held worldviews steeped in unscriptural philosophies and worldly doctrines.

Mom and Dad, please understand— although you may not purposely and consciously hold a New Age or humanist view of life, bear in mind that the education you received was developed and administered by zealous humanist, atheist, and socially progressive individuals.

Empty Deception
Colossians 2:8 says, “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”

Our homeschool families are being bombarded with pop culture, music, entertainment, and media that are full of caustic anti-Christian messages. While I’m not an alarmist, I do see the importance of knowing definitively whether your family’s life views contradict biblical teaching.

Is Isolation the Answer?
I believe isolating our children from the world system and pop culture is not the answer. Hiding in a cave and pretending the world around us doesn’t exist is no way to protect our children. Parents can protect children by laying a worldview foundation based on essential biblical doctrine, giving children a morally and intellectually solid worldview to filter out the trash, lies, and twisted thinking spewed by a depraved world—a world that is nearly impossible to avoid.

Resources for Parents and Children
Many fine Christian organizations publish worldview training materials. The key is to do your research to be sure the materials contain true biblical doctrine without a bunch of fluff or long-winded religiosity.

To my knowledge, the Nehemiah Institute’s PEERS Test is the only in-depth worldview assessment evaluation designed specifically for parents and children. Plus, the Nehemiah Institute’s worldview evaluation and study materials are the only professionally validated worldview testing and education programs.

When Dan Smithwick, founder of the Nehemiah Institute (www.nehemiahinstitute.com) heard I was going to write an article on biblical worldview, he graciously offered all readers of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine a 10% discount on the PEERS Test.

I think the PEERS Test works well for homeschool families of all denominations because the questions are based on core Christian values and key biblical truths. For more information or to get a copy of the PEERS Test, you can call (931) 593- 2484, and be sure to ask for the discount!

Even if you don’t use a tool like the PEERS Test to evaluate your family’s worldview, I think it’s a good idea to sit down with your children and discuss their ideas and opinions on life issues. Children are constantly observing and analyzing people, information, events, and entertainment. They may not always express their thoughts and feelings without being asked, but I can assure you that even the youngest ones have strong opinions on the world around us. Your young students are given a lot of information— how they process this information is something you will want to discover.

David Cohen is a freelance writer and direct-response marketing consultant. David enjoys helping homeschool families with home-based and small to midsized businesses, in addition to freelance writing work. You can direct any questions or comments to David by email—dave@fulfillmarketing.com.