Absolutes? Sheltered kids?

We had an interesting conversation in SS today.

Apparently there's an issue about a game played last week in science camp. My kids were not there, but they played the same "game" the first week of Wednesday night church. You use the letters of your name to come up with a new name. Some examples of the words on the sheet: buggers, fart, crusty, diaper, poop, etc. So I's new name was something like Crusty Pimple Fart Face. People were discussing the appropriateness of this. For the record, I think we should have higher standards than that.

The discussion turned to responsibility, abstinence, absolutes when it comes to things like alcohol, gambling, and so on. Without divulging the entire class discussion, I'm just going to say that it all needs to come back to the Bible. God does not contradict the Bible. If the Bible says homosexuality is wrong, then it is wrong. If the Bible says premarital sex is wrong, then it's wrong. And so forth. Yes, the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts, but that will never go against what Scripture says. The Bible says we should be in this world, but not of the world. We are supposed to have higher standards, but that doesn't mean condemning or avoiding unbelievers.

I'm also a firm believer in protecting our children. We homeschool for many reasons, but protection is a biggie. I want to protect my children's bodies, minds and spirits. It's not okay to say "oh, well, they'll hear it sooner or later, so I'm not going to worry about it." No, we have an awesome responsibility. Our children truly are our greatest resource. They are a gift from God, and we are not to cause them to stumble. I don't know about you, but this shakes my soul. How can I ever do justice to this incredible task? Only with God's help and through much prayer. Our standards of truth, safety, and so forth can't wane.

I keep hearing people talk about their excitement of the coming school year. I'm excited, too, but I'm also very scared. I want to do a good job. I want to instill values in my children and teach them well. There are so many curriculums, programs, methods... It gets my head spinning at times. I'm excited, but also very aware of the committment and responsibility.