Eden Homestead

Answer: God-based education is based on the Bible and it is the correct philosophy for education. It teaches people to recognize and trust the origin of all creation, the one and only true God. The Bible says, 'God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth"He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth"(Acts 17:24,26). The Bible also says, 'For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things"(Rom. 11:36). Since God is the origin of all things, God-based education leads men back to his roots. The Chinese say that the worst thing one can do is to forget his roots. A person who forgets his roots can make only limited contributions to society, even if he is knowledgeable and competent. Since ancient times, mankind has sought wisdom through education. Man pursues wisdom through education, but the Bible says, 'The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding"(Prov. 9:10). True wisdom begins with the knowledge of God. Therefore, knowing and obeying God is the founding principle of education.

Answer: God is the origin of all things. God-based education brings people to know the only one true God. Man-based education originates from the idea of humanism. Man assumes that he is at the center of the universe; accordingly, man's self-fulfillment becomes the main goal of education. Nation-based education emphasizes nationalism and patriotism, and aims to work for national gains. Different from the previous two, God-based education follows God's words to bring man back to God.

Man-based and nation-based education lead man astray from their origin, causing man to become alienated and independent from God. In the beginning, our forefathers (Adam and Eve) received God-based education in the garden of Eden. They lived their lives under the guidance of God's words. After the devil Satan deceived our forefathers, they strayed from God's words and left Eden. Since then mankind has been deceived by humanist and nationalist ideas, straying further from God's will. The right path is in returning to God-based education. Only the realization of God-based education can bring mankind true hope.

Answer: The current educational system is a complete failure because it fails to lead man to know God, who is the origin of all. It denies God's power of creation, promoting living and non-living idols. An education that opposes the truth cannot teach morals and ethics to children. Instead, such education fosters abnormal personalities, which brings chaos into school campuses. As a result, schools are no longer happy grounds for learning, but a living hell where children's minds and bodies are ruined. Moreover, academic elitism, over-emphasis on diplomas, and forced-feeding methods of teaching turn students into test-taking robots and slaves to test scores. Students are deprived of the joy that should be theirs as youths. To save our future generations, we must stop sending them to school, where they will be slaves and victims of the educational system of man's kingdoms.

Answer: Basically, reform within the system still legitimizes the system. Reform is simply one way of perpetuating the existing system. It is only a change in style, not a chance in the nature education. The current educational system is ony one of countless systems within the framework of man's kingdoms. Education is nothing more than a tool of the state to control the masses. The curriculum is designed to serve the interests of the state, and many of the contents are completely against the Truth. The Christians of the New Testament Church (NTC) are the people of God's kingdom who are not reckoned among the nations. Since the reformed education opposes the truth, we cannot accept it. The goal of homeschooling in Eden Homestead is to teach people how to trust and obey God, to ultimately become Edenites who know and revere God. The ultimate goal of God-based education is to realize God's kingdom. So our withdrawal from the system is not a denial or dismissal of education. We simply want our younger generations to receive the purest form of education.

Answer: The Lord God and Savior who created heavens and earth is our highest, most divine Teacher (ref. Matt. 23:10); and the vessel of era sent by God is our role model (ref. 2 Tim. 3:14). God has also prepared for us many fine educators in various fields. They teach with Christ's love and patience. In Eden Homestead, the Bible is the most comprehensive textbook that covers every subject; and nature, the great outdoors, is the best classroom. As the saying goes: Even if a (true) scholar never leaves his house, he can know about everything under the heavens (if he reads and studies enough). Since we are now in the information age, we can also acquire information and knowledge with a few keystrokes on the computer. Schools and teachers are no longer the only channels of knowledge. When we have specific needs, God will prepare for our children essential resources and facilities for learning practical and useful skills. Staffing, resources, and facilities? No problem. With the Lord's help, Eden Homestead will, without a doubt, produce a group of Edenites who fear and glorify God, who have a vision and a mission, and who enjoy liberty and happiness. They will be the pioneers who change the world and provide the best for all. This is the objective of Eden Homestead.

Answer: The so-called �禃ight to choose��, �𦤹ndoctrinate�� and �𦣇hoosing for them�� are rigid and loveless terms that label the parents as authoritarians.

We have to state that parents in the New Testament Church (NTC) are not despotic towards their children. Children are blessings from God. So they love their children with godly reverence and will provide the best guardianship and nurturing. Why aren't the authorities concerned that our children may be indoctrinated or made servile by their schools, since children enter these schools at a very young age?

For example, the Kuomintang (KMT) lost Mainland China a long time ago. Why, then, do the textbooks in Taiwan continue to claim that Mainland China is part of the Republic of China? Since childhood, students in Taiwan have been trained to disregard the Truth for test scores (utilitarianism). For the sake of their future, they must yield to this autocracy. How is this education different from telling lies in the Qing dynasty? There is no way we will let our children receive such servile education within the KMT's system.

'Eden Homestead's God-based education"is not an indoctrination of religious concepts. It simply educates our children to know the origin of mankind and other creations, that is, the sovereign LORD God who created the universe and all things in it. When one finds his roots, he will grow and flourish, like a branch growing out of a trunk. Parents and guardians have absolute influence on their children's future, and are responsible for their children's success and failure. When our children are still young, we will choose for them God-based education which we have personally experienced and of which we have approved. When we do that, we are showing our responsibility as parents. When our children grow up, we will respect their freedom of choice and their decisions for their own futures. We had them to God, and He will help them and bless them for the rest of their lives.

If children do not like to go to school, educators should ask themselves, 'What is wrong with our educational system"? Children are inquisitive, always seeking answers to things they do not understand. If children do not like school, and even hate it, this proves that Taiwan's education does not serve people's needs. Secondly, if children cannot judge matters for themselves, it's a contradiction to expect them to know that God-based education will provide them with the knowledge they need. That's why parents have the obligation and right to choose a proper education for their own children. Since parents are guardians, it is their responsibility to provide a sound environment for their children's education. The story of 'Three Moves by Mencius's Mother"is a good example. Parents do have the right to choose God-based education for their children. Thirdly, Eden Homestead's God-based education is based on the belief that people are born free. It allows our children to receive their education in the environment of nature created by God. They are free to grow up with nature, without the pressure of qualifying examinations and grades. That's why our children love to be educated in Eden Homestead.

Answer: Under conventional education, we were indoctrinated with countless ideas and theories that were against the truth. We were really hurt and felt oppressed whenever we saw in the textbooks the introduction of atheism and evolutionism, or articles which mocked the Lord Jesus and Christians, or articles which promoted ancestral worship and idol worship, or articles which encouraged us to bow and pay homage to heroic icons or political figures. In terms of combining education and belief, there is no doubt that God-based education is far better than the governmental education we received. We wasted so much of our precious time under the educational system of man's kingdom. We were deprived of joy and freedom to learn. For years, we learned nothing practical from conventional education. We found ourselves out of synch with the real world. There is no way we would let our children take the same painful journey, thus our determination to let them receive God-based education and be taught at home. In Eden Homestead, we teach through inspiring the children. Therefore we will be able to produce a group of Edenites who are liberated, happy, and skilled. God-based education is the ideal and most successful form of education. There is absolutely no doubt about it.

Answer: It is a misunderstanding and misconception to think that God-based education deprives children of their educational freedom and choice to explore. In receiving God-based education we are nothing like the hermetic monks that chant all day long. We are not cut off from reality and don't only pray and read the Bible.

God-based education stresses God as the center and man as secondary. When this order is understood, God-based education is the realization of both man-based education and general education put together. Therefore it does not discriminate against useful knowledge and skills. God-based education is based on the Bible to explore man's innate potential, to nurture his reasoning, and to develop his goodness. The truth is limitless in its breadth and freedom, and is not ruled by arbitrary decisions. Therefore our teaching method and way of life is a holistic approach to inspire learning. In God-based education, both teachers and children learn together; we do not deprive children of their learning opportunities but instead elevate their spiritual knowledge to make them more open to cross-disciplinary knowledge, international insight, and universal views. In the harmonious spirit of God dwelling with man, making peace with people, putting down self-centered viewpoints, and living with other creatures, the children learn and grow freely. It is as our hymn lyrics: As free as the grasses grow, with Mother Nature we grow"stand fast, therefore, enjoy His (Christ's) liberty.

Answer: Without the Truth as the standard, how do you differentiate between broad and narrow, persistence and pig-headedness, tolerance of evil and true compassion, mere hatred and absolute justice, self-righteousness and true humility? As a matter of fact, education is not based on its scope, but on the truth. What we want is the truth. When we have the truth, we have everything. Without the truth, what good is it to us even if the scope of our learning is all encompassing? God-based education bases its selection of teaching materials and methods on God. So it is an education that provides more open-minded and universal views than conventional education does. It does not discriminate against one's nationality, race, color, language, class, intellectual, or economic background. In conclusion, God-based education provides the widest scope of learning.

Answer: God is both loving and righteous. He does not consider the innocent guilty, nor the guilty innocent. No matter how bad a sinner is, as long as he repents sincerely to God, God will forgive him. But if someone refuses to repent even after becoming aware of his sins, God will show him His righteous judgment and demonstrate His power to judge.

God does not want us to teach our children to be ignorant people who cannot tell the difference between black and white, or between right and wrong. He wants His children to love whom He loves and hate whom He hates. These banners of proclamation on Mount Zion reflect God's righteousness and love. They also testify to God's power and faithfulness. People who read them will realize that they should fear God and refrain from opposing Him. Our theme is not 'hatred,"but God's 'righteousness and love."This is why we are able to teach our younger generations to fear God and hold fast to His truth.

Answer: Again, we need to clarify one thing: We do not believe in religions, but in the true God. Religions are initiated by man, and one man cannot change another man. God, who lives forever, is omnipotent. When we live in accordance with His words, we will have joy and happiness. Therefore, our trust in God and our obedience to His words in the realm of Eden is the most accurate way of education.

Since the devil deceived Adam and Eve to stray from God's words, humans have left Eden and built man's kingdoms. They declared independence from God, and developed various systems, including education. The biggest problem with today's education is that it is not progressing toward the realm of Eden, but away form it. So, the answer is not to reform education in style or technique. Rather, the only way to salvage the education of man is to return to the realm of Eden and to base our education on Eden. Two factors led to the failure of educational reform in Taiwan: First, the government refused to loosen its control on education. Second, the pressure of getting a higher education in society was, and still is, simply enormous.

Currently, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, the New Testament Chruch has taken a brave step forward to break through the control of state-imposed education. Academic credentials no longer have a grip on us because we are not affected by the traditional concept of getting a higher education. Against the background of Taiwan's problematic education and social values, our decision certainly carries the spirit of martyrdom in saving the world. Our movement is good news to the world and an outstanding example for those who strive for better education. If the authorities and the people of Taiwan are jolted to their sense because of what we have done, there is still hope for the education on this island.

Answer: Since our God is the one and only true God, He will reveal the answer Himself. In the past, He made it clear He was the true God on Mount Carmel through the ministry of Elijah the prophet. At His clarification, everyone was speechless. (see 1 Kings 18:17"9). Today, He will likewise use the present-day Elijah'Prophet of All Nations Elijah Hong'to clear up the confusion. Just as the apostle Paul once said, '�夷n the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel"(Rom. 2:16). The standard of clarification (judgment) is with the prophet sent by God. In this era, it is with the Prophet of All Nations Elijah Hong and the Grace of Jesus Christ Crusade. They are the present-day Elijah, the preset-day Paul.