Our family is deciding where to send our 13-year-old to school. I visited a Christian school not long ago. In a moment of quiet, I asked two faculty members this question. "What is the ultimate goal of our education?" I thought I had tipped my hand with the word "ultimate."

They smiled as though they'd been waiting for this question. They said, "Our goal in this institution is to train minds of young people so that they will think critically and become fully human."

They wondered why I didn't respond more energetically, and their faces looked questioning.

I said, "I thought maybe the mission statement of a Christian school would be different than an atheistic school." They were shocked. I said, "I just thought you'd say, 'To glorify God and enjoy him forever,' or something like that."

They said, "Oh, we assume that.''

I did not say, "God doesn't like to be assumed." I thought it, but I didn't say it. I say it to you, and you're getting the overflow of that emotion.