A Phrase We All Know
“Because I said so.” As parents, we’ve all said it, and as children, we all heard it. When your child asks, “Why can’t I stay up late?” or “Why do I have to eat my vegetables?” This phrase often slips out—born of love, exhaustion, or the need to keep them safe. You know the eye rolls it provokes; you probably gave them yourself as a kid. In the family, “because I said so” can be shorthand for care, but when it comes from those in power—governments, schools, or officials—it becomes a demand for blind obedience. As parents, you have been created for more! And as such, we demand more for our children.
From Your Home to the Public Square
During the COVID-19 pandemic, “because I said so” took on a new meaning. “Wear a mask.” “Stay home from school.” “Follow this rule.” These commands, often issued without clear explanation, left parents feeling sidelined. You wanted to protect your kids, but you also wanted answers. Why were playgrounds closed? Why were schools virtual for so long? The shift from guidance to control left many of you questioning who really has your children’s best interests at heart. Even now, as life normalizes, that same authoritarian tone persists in policies that affect your family.
Jesus spoke to this in Matthew 20, when the mother of James and John asked for her sons to sit in places of power. Like you, she wanted the best for her children. But Jesus warned, “The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:25–26 ESV). Leaders, whether in government or schools, should serve families, not control them. As parents, you have been endowed as the guardians of your children’s needs, not the bureaucrat who claims to know better.
The Danger of Unchecked Authority
Too often, those in power act more like the Roman rulers Jesus critiqued than the servants He called them to be. Politicians and school boards may claim to act in your child’s best interest, but their decisions often serve donors, agendas, or their own egos. Policies pushed as “for the children”—like rigid curriculums or one-size-fits-all mandates—can ignore your child’s unique needs.
C.S. Lewis warned, “Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive . . . To be ‘cured’ against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.” Lewis’ point is that when authorities act as if they know what’s best for you and force that “good” upon you, they strip you of your moral agency. A government that claims to act for your good without respecting your freedom becomes more dangerous than one that admits its selfishness. When bureaucrats treat parents as incapable or untrustworthy, they position themselves as the ultimate moral and intellectual authority—exactly the kind of “benevolent tyranny” Lewis warned against.
When you’re told to comply “for your child’s safety” without transparent reasoning, it treats you like a child, not a parent. This erodes your authority and threatens your family’s freedom. Now, this is not to say that every official or policy is harmful, but you’ve seen the pattern: decisions made without your input, demands for compliance without explanation. As parents, you have the right to question and resist when these overreaches encroach on your role.
Your Power as Parents: The Four Pillars
You are your child’s first and most important advocate. To protect your family from overreaching authority, ground yourself first in God’s Word and precepts as your foundation, and utilize the four pillars of education independence to build the principles that fully equip you to raise and educate your children with freedom and integrity.
Independent Parents
You are your child’s primary educator, as Deuteronomy 6:6–7 reminds us: “These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children.” When you say, “because I said so,” it’s rooted in love and responsibility. But when a school or government says it, it’s often about control, not care. You are responsible for your child’s needs—whether it’s a different learning style or values that align with your family’s beliefs. Don’t let bureaucrats undermine your God-given role. Stand firm as the steward of your child’s upbringing.
Independent Funding
When schools rely on government funding, those funds come with strings of accountability back to the financier and their desires and motives: mandated curricula, standardized tests, or policies that clash with your values. As Thomas Jefferson said, “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.” By supporting independent funding—through privately funded schools, homeschooling, or community resources—you insulate your child’s education from political agendas. You ensure their learning reflects your priorities, not those of distant officials.
Independent Pursuit
The purpose of education is to know God and make Him known. We are preparing our children for “Heaven, not Harvard.” Your child’s education should spark curiosity and growth, not conformity. When schools prioritize compliance over creativity, they stifle the purpose and pursuit of educational truth. Protect their right to learn without fear of ideological punishment.
Independent Ideas
Freedom of thought is the bedrock of a free society. Yet, schools and governments often pit parents against teachers or push divisive policies to consolidate control. You’ve seen it in debates over curriculum or classroom rules that don’t align with your values. Independent ideas mean teaching your child to question, debate, think, and wrestle critically with the pursuit of truth, without fear of retribution. Create a home where dialogue thrives, mistakes can be made without ridicule, and truth abounds.
Your Why: Your Children’s Freedom
These pillars can support your convictions to protect and steward one of your most precious responsibilities: your children. Your Creator gave you the responsibility and the right to raise them with love, wisdom, and freedom, not under the thumb of a state that demands, “because I said so.” Education is either a tool for liberty or tyranny. By embracing your role as independent parents, you ensure your children grow in an environment that honors their potential and the integrity of your home.
As parents, you are not powerless. Reject blind obedience. Stand firm in your God-given role and insist that leaders respect the rightful jurisdiction of the family, not rule over it. Yet remember, you don’t have to stand alone. When parents unite around shared convictions, their collective voice carries far greater weight than isolated protests. By joining forces with like-minded families, you can build the social and political capital necessary to defend your children’s education and preserve liberty for generations to come. Your courage and your unity today will shape the world your children inherit tomorrow.
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