Hello fellow educators,

Today we are finishing an interview we broadcasted last week on the topic of Consumerism with Professor Randle Rauser. Welcome to podcast #14. I want to reminder you that we are still sending out free copies of my book, Disciplining this Generation for a Digital World, to anyone that sends us an email. I will have the details at the end of the podcast.

We had some great responses to last week’s podcast. Let me read for you an email from one of our Heritage Christian Online School teachers, Clair Pollok:

“Hi Greg,

I thoroughly enjoyed this week’s podcast on consumerism with Randal Rauser. I found myself getting excited and I immediately thought of Anthony De Mello.

Have you ever read Anthony De Mello’s, The Way to Love  or Awareness? Anthony was a Jesuit Monk who lived in India. In these books he describes how we have been programmed by our society to think and act a certain way. He believes we can be deprogrammed through awareness. Christ’s light can indeed free us. 

I’m a ardent believer in freedom! Being a slave to consumerism keeps us from Christ. Where the heart is the mind follows.

As an educator, with God’s grace and guidance we can help children see their programming (in this case I am referring to consumerism). When a child is drawn to a brand name or is coveting a particular toy/gadget etc…it is a wonderful opportunity to encourage them to look in their heart. Implore them to search where this craving/desire is coming from? Where is the root of the desire? Is it a desire to feed their ego? Is there programming screaming so loud that they cannot think of anything but this particular desire? Are they at peace? Are they free or a slave to their desires?

The first step is to be aware of one’s programming. One’s programming can sets off alarm bells insisting that the person meet its demands. As renewed citizen’s in Christ, we can use these alarm bells to our gain. At these time we can move from the mind (where we are programmed) to our heart.  Remember where our heart lies our mind dwells. If the child notices that they cannot move to a level of peace in Christ during a time of consumerism conflict then perhaps they are at this moment a slave to consumerism – their programming is enslaving them.

I’m not suggesting we fight in our minds to control our thoughts and use our will power to control our thoughts. For I believe we only need to keep our eyes on Christ. Let Him do all the freeing of our programming. When we notice we are enslaved to programming a simple pray will bring us forward…free us. The prayer in itself will help us keep Him central in our hearts.

This podcast has reminded me to encourage my child to be aware of their programming. I look forward to next week’s podcast.”

Thanks Clair. Randal Rauser has a PHD in Historical Theology; he is the coauthor (with Daniel Hill) of Christian Philosophy A-Z. Randal is presently the Assistant Professor of Historical Theology at Taylor University. Here is the second part of our interview:

AUDIO ONLY

I want to thank Professor Randal Rauser for this very insightful interview. As we educate and disciple our children I don’t want be guilty of missing the enormous implications of living in and being surrounded by a consumerist world. Like the proverbial fish who is the last one to recognize that he is living in water, I think we too can be the last to see the affects of living within consumerism. As educators we have to be the first to shout, “hey everybody, we live in water!”

We would love to hear from you and I deeply value your comments. If you are an Itunes user please take the time to go onto the podcaster page and write a review. If you would like us to mail you a free copy of my book simply send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and let us know what type of an educator you are, home schooler, classroom teacher, school administrator, or interested parent. Please let us know how you heard about the podcast and, of course, please include your mailing address.