Do I have to give up my knowledge because my parents lied to get me into a good school?
Question:
Hi,
I finished my first year of college, and I've been struggling on and off with the sin of deceit for the past few months. I recently read some books in the New Testament recently, but I've become convinced recently that all dishonesty and deceit are sinful (Revelation 21:8 and Psalms 5:6).
I didn't go to a local elementary school. My family sent me to a public elementary school in another location because they thought it gave me a better education. My parents used the address of another family, even though I lived with my parents so that I would be accepted at this school. Thus, I went to that school dishonestly. Do I have to repent for my parents' wrongdoing? Do I have to tell the school of this and accept their punishment? Also, if I do need to repent for this, this lower school shaped the rest of my education and perhaps made me smarter than I should be (since it's better than my local elementary school). So, if I stole that education, do I need to act less smart or something? Going to that school also helped me learn about another good school from which I transferred and gained advantages and knowledge from. Is that knowledge "stolen" and do I need to erase my mind of that knowledge? Do I need to find out which kids were rejected from these schools (meaning whose spot I took) and who I took knowledge "away" from and "repay" them like how Zaccheaus did in Luke 19 or is that too much?
Also, since I shouldn't have been allowed to that elementary school in the first place, is all the subsequent knowledge that I obtained built on my elementary school knowledge not obtained fairly then? For example, is my further education or my ability to learn church prayers not obtained fairly or something? It sounds crazy, but do I need to repeat my education starting from lower school?
Also to get rid of all deceit in my life, I was thinking of telling every person in my life that I possibly was dishonest to them, and anything I might've said to him or her might not be true. Is this necessary? Then my plan is to be completely honest.
Up until this point, I'm sure that I haven't been completely honest in my education, such as on assignments in college, high school, middle, or lower school. I think the only right thing to do is tell the schools of my dishonesty even if I can't remember specific instances. They're probably mainly small instances of cheating. I'm pretty sure it's right to confess, but please let me know what you think.
All advice is welcome and may God be with you!
Answer:
The reason there are school districts is that the taxes paid by the people living in that district pay for the school. What your parents did was made use of resources that were being paid for in part by other people. It is not as dire as you might think because waivers are granted all the time and most schools also get funding from the state government based on the number of students enrolled. What your parents did was wrong. They should have been open about it and gotten the waiver. However, this was their mistake and not yours.
The school did not make you smarter than you should have been. Your knowledge was not stolen. You just had the opportunity to blossom and learn well in that environment. You would have likely done just as well in your local school. You are who you are. There is no reason to put on an act.
Because you attended these schools, it doesn't mean you caused anyone to be rejected. It was your natural abilities that got you into the better schools. Be thankful to God for your mind.
The way to be honest is to tell the truth. If you know for a fact that you lied in the past and that someone is currently relying on that lie to make decisions, then you need to let them know. However, I would suspect that most people don't recall past conversations, let alone some lie you might have said, so they are not relying on what you said. Focus on changing your future. If you can't remember instances of being dishonest, then it isn't something to worry about. Apologize to God for any dishonesty you might have committed and then resolve to be honest from here on out.
