Tell me your life story but without bias. Don’t talk about politics. Don’t mention controversial subjects. Avoid expressing personal opinions. Don’t talk about your feelings. Stick with provable facts. And for goodness sake, leave out your religious beliefs. I want the neutral version of your life.

Our culture is in love with the idea of neutrality. We’ve been indoctrinated to believe that education can (and should) happen without prejudices, preferences, or presuppositions (which is itself a prejudice that we ignore). We believe it’s good to ‘teach’ our kids but bad to ‘influence’ their beliefs.

“John, you jerk! That’s not true!!! Nobody believes teaching should be neutral!!”

Here’s what the US Department of Education says: “Schools must also maintain neutrality among faiths rather than preferring one or more religions over others.” And, “When teachers, coaches, and other public school officials speak in their official capacities, they may not engage in prayer or promote religious views.”

Christians are on board with this neutrality. We don’t want teachers pushing other religions on our kids because…because…why, exactly? Do we suspect that we’ve not grounded our youngsters firmly enough in the faith to stand against opposition? Do we think one enthusiastic Buddhist or persuasive atheist might rattle a faith built by years of skipping church and listening to K-LOVE?

Yes. That’s it precisely. We’re concerned that our kiddos aren’t sufficiently prepared to encounter alternative beliefs to Christianity so we’re comforted by the public school’s neutral position. It never occurred to us that neutrality is an alternative belief to Christianity.

Not believing anything too strongly is still believing something. And our children are being taught that belief system every day.

Neutrality is the religious belief that all beliefs are fine as long as they’re unspoken but make no mistake, this religion of neutrality does not tolerate opposition. Try offering the Lord’s Prayer at the start of a ball game and watch what happens. Half the crowd will stare at their shoes, the other half will take to social media to process their trauma. Lawyers will be called. Neutrality insists it has no beliefs, but it sure reacts like a threatened belief system whenever someone brings an actual faith into the room.

The neutral version of your life story won’t be your life story. Jesus doesn’t ask anyone to take up a position of indifference. He called us to be disciples, not diplomats.

(Luke 11:23) Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.