Special Learners – Application

Statement of Faith

• The Bible is the inspired and infallible word of God and constitutes completed and final revelation. The Bible, in its original autographs, is without error in whole or in part, including theological concepts as well as geographical, historical, and scientific details.
• God has existed from all eternity in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ was God come in human flesh being fully God and fully man, yet without sin.
• All men are in violation of God's righteous requirements and His holy character both by nature and by act, and are therefore under His wrath and just condemnation. The central purpose of the coming of Jesus Christ was to pay the penalty for man's sin through His substitutionary death on the cross, the successful accomplishment of which was attested to by His subsequent visible, bodily resurrection.
• Salvation is offered as a free gift to the sinner. This gift must be responded to individually by faith, believing in God's Word, not trusting in any personal good works whatsoever, but trusting only in the atoning sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

Position Statement Concerning Creation

• We believe that, "In the beginning, GOD created the heavens and the earth."
• When we say created, we mean God spoke all things into existence from nothing. "God said, 'Let there be light, and there was light.'" The world did not evolve over a period of multiple thousands of millions of years, but rather GOD created everything functionally mature. Just as Adam was created on the sixth day as an adult, we also believe the sun, moon, and stars were created in a functionally mature state on the fourth day.
• When the Bible says that GOD created the heavens and the earth in six days, we believe these were six literal, twenty-four hour days (Exodus 20:11.)
• We believe when GOD pronounced it "very good", He meant that the world was perfect, and without death and suffering, a result of the fall of man.
• Since we believe the Bible is historically accurate in all aspects, and since we believe a day is and was a twenty-four hour period, then we believe the earth is less than ten thousand years old. Therefore, we believe GOD did not use any evolutionary mechanisms in the origins of the various species, but rather GOD created specific kinds with the ability to vary within the kind.

Statement on Home Education

CHOH strongly encourages parents to diligently seek the Lord and search the Bible regarding the education of their children. CHOH stands firm in its conviction that parents have the Biblical authority and responsibility to direct and control that education. CHOH also acknowledges that the Constitution of the United States and Hawaii Chapter 12 Compulsory Attendance Exceptions protect that authority. Recognizing the above, let it be known that:

• Although many forms of home education have emerged, CHOH advocates the biblical model where parents exercise direct control and authority over their children's education;
• Although many educational choices exist, CHOH recognizes that the statistical evidence shows the most effective option is where the child's curriculum is chosen and taught by the parents;
• Although certain aspects of a child's education can be delegated, CHOH affirms that character training is best accomplished directly by the parents. CHOH cautions parents who use curriculum and/or instruction that is out of their direct control and supervision;

Although it is the intent of many to eliminate God from all public discourse, including education, CHOH advises additional caution when educational choices are:

• directly or indirectly funded or controlled by the government,
• and/or centered on a worldview other than Jesus Christ and the Bible,
• and/or taught by anyone other than the parent.

Therefore, while CHOH continues to encourage all who choose to home educate, CHOH's central focus is to promote the most effective educational option, where the child's curriculum and instruction are chosen and taught by the parents, and to defend the inalienable rights of the private, independent home educator.