Beware of What’s Below the Surface

By Carolyn Martin (CHEC Director of Government Relations)

If you’ve ever been scuba diving, you know that a calm, glassy sea on the surface does not mean there is no turmoil in the waters below. The currents below the surface can be so strong that you can be carried miles away from where you started within minutes. Knowing where those currents are and how strong they are can be the difference between being lost at sea and safely returning to your ride home. 

On the surface, politicians say what they think the people want to hear so they can be elected. Just below the surface, strong forces that drive their ideology and agendas lay hidden to those without ears to hear and eyes to see. We must become discerning people who clearly see the tempest below. In the governor’s state-of-the-state address, he spoke about cutting taxes and fees. While the cost of living has risen in Colorado, a substantial amount of that increase is attributable to the policies pushed by the governor in the last three years. His words may sound good on the surface, but underneath his agenda the current he created was the cause for much of the problems Coloradans are facing today. 

By Carolyn Martin (CHEC Director of Government Relations)

What Will You Sacrifice?

Recently, I heard a gentleman speak about the danger of claiming a belief in God without living a life in obedience to God (Matthew 7:21). He challenged us with this question — do our lives reflect our belief in God? When I ponder the life of Jesus, I am struck by how His life was marked by continual suffering and sacrifice. Yet, in the time we live in, how many are willing to sacrifice to perform our duty as citizens of both heaven and earth?

I believe this legislative session the majority in the legislature will build on their success of passing laws that squeeze the middle class and push a social justice agenda. As Christian homeschoolers there is much to be concerned about. While the Supreme Court of the United States contemplates state laws that limit abortion, the leaders in Colorado seek to enshrine into law the killing of babies in the womb at all stages of development. In 2020, we saw a majority of legislators label a set of bills that upheld family values and parental rights as the “slate of hate.” Couple their lack of support for parents and traditional values along with the changes happening in the public school system and the growth of homeschooling, and it becomes vital we willingly sacrifice to ensure we can freely educate our children at home without government intrusion. Small changes, like tracking our students, and larger changes, like home educator certification, parental background checks, or home visits by mandatory reports, should be seen as threats to a parent’s fundamental authority to direct the upbringing and education of their children and should demand severe pushback from the homeschool community.