If the title of this column surprises or shocks you, you are not alone. When I read the data provided by Alliance Defending Freedom, it amazed me how South Carolina law does not clearly define parental rights and offers little protection against outside intrusions by the state.
ADF thoroughly reviewed every South Carolina statute that references the relationship between parents and their children, children and the state, and the rights of parents in determining what is best for their children. They organized their data into four categories: 1) recognition of parental rights, 2) educational transparency, 3) medical decision-making, and 4) legal remedy for families.
While other states received failing grades in one or more categories, South Carolina was the only state to receive a failing grade in all four. Two states, Montana and Arizona, received an “A” rating in all four categories.
God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of society and established a unique bond between parent and child (Gen. 1:27–28; Prov. 14:26, 22:6). God has entrusted parents as the primary stewards of their children.
Deuteronomy 6:5–7 says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” This passage clarifies the role of parents as the primary shapers and molders of their children’s character and understanding of their relationship between God and the world.
Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” The discipline of our children must be motivated by love, and it goes far beyond the idea of punishment for wrongs committed. It includes setting a godly example created by our obedience to the Word of God, empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit, and passed on to our children through teaching and reflecting Christ in our daily interactions.
Over the last decade, policies developed by local, state and federal government agencies are increasingly intruding into families, interfering with parental rights and responsibilities, and suggesting the state knows what is best for our children. Many of these policies promote the false ideology that a child can be born into the wrong body. Some schools are treating children as if they are the opposite sex without the knowledge or consent of their parents. There are documented cases of medical professionals who respond to the emotional distress some children experience about their bodies by performing harmful surgeries or prescribing drugs that inhibit the natural development of our children. Some schools allow children to be exposed to materials about sexuality and gender they are unprepared to understand.
Parents are the ones who are best equipped to decide when their children are ready to be taught about how God has created us uniquely as male and female and set the boundaries regarding how our sexuality is to be expressed only within the context of a biblical marriage.
God has ordained the state to promote good and restrain evil (2 Pet. 2:14; Rom. 13:1–5). Our South Carolina Legislature can improve our laws regarding parental rights by affirming that parents are the primary stewards of their children’s lives, passing laws that encourage full transparency in all matters regarding outside influences, and protecting a parent’s right to make the final decision concerning their children’s welfare. While there may be instances where parents are negligent in providing for their children or show abusive behavior, therefore requiring the state to intercede to protect a child’s rights, these instances should not be used to undermine the rights of parents who are raising their children in a way that honors God and promotes their good.
During the 2024 South Carolina session, the Legislature passed a good law protecting minors from dangerous experimental procedures related to gender. As the 2025 session begins in January, the Legislature should pass laws that protect parents’ fundamental rights to direct the upbringing, education, and healthcare of their children according to their values and beliefs.
Tony Beam is senior director of Church and Community Engagement and Public Affairs at NGU and policy consultant for the SCBC.