Lifewise Academy, On a Mission From God, Against Science
Fundamentalist ideas about religion, science, libraries, public schools, etc., don’t come from a vacuum. They have to be planted by people. They have to be pushed and moved forward by people. The latest iteration of this is Lifewise Academy. They have set their sights on the public schools. They lobbied successfully to change laws in Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, Oklahoma, and Texas. They are attempting the same in a dozen more states. All of these changes are to force school districts to work with Lifewise Academy. They are demanding that public schools coordinate with them, regardless of what’s best for the school. Prior to the law changes, parents could remove their children from religious classes without being marked absent, but the school was not required to coordinate and facilitate the religious program.
Lifewise has changed the laws and launched a coordinated effort to schedule classes during teacher-led time to encourage students to leave school. Joel Penton, the CEO of Lifewise, has stated, “Public schools should be abolished, maybe.” He has held interviews discussing how the Christian church owns the federal, state, and local governments, along with the public schools. Comparing themselves to Ceaser ruling Rome.
Another area Lifewise targets is science. Evolution has long been a target of the fundamentalist churches, but science in general is now squarely in their sights. At the annual national Lifewise Summit held in Columbus, OH, founding board member Steve Hubbard gave a presentation telling all Lifewise employees not to stay silent when telling students that “science provides no solutions.” At the local level, the supporting church in Tiffin, OH, Calvary Chapel, has been adamant that science is satanic. These messages line up perfectly, and it’s clear why Calvary Chapel and Lifewise Academy have partnered. Listen to Calvary church call science satanic. Full sermon can be heard at https://calvarychapeltiffin.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/8.8.21-Genesis-1.2-31-1.mp3
Tiffin City Schools recently hired an interim superintendent, Greg Williamson, who was the superintendent at Liepsic Local Schools from 2012 until 2026. While under his supervision, Liepsic Public Schools held a Bible class on school property, in the elementary classrooms. Parents were required to opt out if they did not want their child to participate. Reports of bullying and physical abuse were reported by lawyers to the school district. The class was suspended in 2023, less than three years ago.
These encroachments did not happen by chance, and they will continue unless people speak up. Knowing the programs working to take time from schools, teachers, and students, while planting seeds that science is satanic, should be a troubling series of events. Go thank a science teacher today!
Read more and view the Lifewise map at https://respectpublicschools.com/