In the fight for the future, the front lines are in our living rooms. The beliefs and behaviors of your children will determine the course the next generation takes. Don’t be deceived. You’re not the only ones fighting for your children’s souls. There are others who want to claim them.
Join the fight to preserve our community by becoming a monthly donor today!
This is not the first time that the enemies of the West have attempted to steal those brought up in Christian homes and enlist them for themselves. In the Middle Ages, the Ottoman Empire reigned as an Islamist superpower, dominating the Middle East and constantly intruding its reach into Europe. Of all the sultan’s many military units, the most feared were the janissaries. Not only were the janissaries highly trained and fiercely loyal to the sultan, they also had another unique feature. They were made up exclusively of boys who had been raised in Christian homes. They were conscripted into the Turkish army and brainwashed into jihadists.
Some of these boys were straight-up kidnapped. Others were given up voluntarily by their parents. As bizarre as this sounds, it was not uncommon for European rulers to give their sons to the sultan in order to broker alliances or as a tribute to get the Ottomans out of their borders.
One European ruler who did this was Vlad II Dracul, ruler of Wallachia. He gave two of his sons to the Ottomans to secure his throne against foreign invasion. The younger son Radu became a zealous jihadist, and when he returned to Wallachia it was at the head of an Ottoman army to steal the throne from his family.
The elder son, named Vlad Dracula after his father, did not formally renounce his nation or faith. However, the Turks got to his soul in a different way. While living with the Ottomans he learned about the gruesome art of impaling victims. He developed a deep and desperate hatred. So when it was his turn to fight the Turks, he fought the way Turks fought. Vlad became legendary for torturing and impaling his victims – so much so that he became known as Vlad the Impaler. Though some of his atrocities were exaggerated by political opponents, there was enough truth to make the accusations stick. His cruelty was so renowned that he would be used as the name for Bram Stoker’s title character in Dracula.
In today’s culture, there are other forms of child levy in which people attempt to enter children raised in Christian homes into anti-Christian causes. Like the janissaries of old, these children often become the most zealous foes of Western civilization. Today our children are taken by hostile education systems, the Internet, or simple peer pressure. Charlie Kirk was shot by a young man who was raised in a normal, relatively conservative home. But at some point along the way, his parents lost him.
This is why it is essential that we actually raise our children. Do not give up your kids, no matter how much social capital is offered in return. It’s not worth it.
Whatever form of education you have elected to use for your family, it is important that you never let go of your authority to educate your own children. If your children attend any of the school districts here in Warren County, make sure you are involved. Make sure you know what is being taught. Make sure you vote this November for the school board. Attend the meetings. Be a nuisance. Be highly involved in your child’s education.
Did you choose other forms of education like private or home? You’re not allowed to let your foot off the gas. You still must be actively involved in your children’s education. Actually form a relationship with them. Communicate often. Teach them truth when you rise up and when you sit down. The battle for the future is too important to leave to others.
Someone will train your children for war. It just may or may not be you. Do not give your kids away. Educate them in spiritual and intellectual warfare. This way when you are older and the enemies are at your gates, your children will be fighting beside you not against you.
Joshua Stilwell is the editor-in-chief of Warren’s Voice and the associate pastor of Alathea Baptist Church of Des Moines. He lives with his family in Indianola.
Like this article? Leave a tip!
Leave a Reply