Education vs. Christianity

I wish someone, anyone, could explain to me why the public school system does not teach Creation or Intelligent Design, or refer to God as the Author of all things anymore, when that was the standard for the majority of our existence as a nation?!  I know, I know, you’re about to say “Separation of Church and State” aren’t you.  I beg of you not to, unless you can rationally, with knowledge of the past and present, explain it clearly to me.  I’m going to bet that the majority of the people out there that use this unwarranted phrase have no idea of its origin or meaning.  Most people use this phrase as an excuse to keep Christianity out of the public arena.  Yet, the interesting fact is that 9 out of 10 people in America believe in God (2011 Gallup poll).  According to a poll conducted by CBS News in 2006, the majority of Americans believe in God (see also, USA Today’s 2010results in regards to the National Day of Prayer).  In an international poll conducted by Ipsos Social Research Institute (article published in Christianity Today), the majority of the population on this planet believe in God.  Here’s the extremely disappointing fact about all this.  Despite these statistics, the minority rules.

It has, and always will be, the minority in this nation that will keep Christianity out of the public arena, especially our educational institutions.  Even more sad than that is this has come about in the last 50 years.  I’ll take it back to 1962 when the Supreme Court of the United States declared that prayer in schools was unconstitutional (Engle v. Vitale).

“For this reason, petitioners argue, the State’s use of the Regents’ prayer in its public school system breaches the constitutional wall of separation between Church and State. We agree with that contention, since we think that the constitutional prohibition against laws respecting an establishment of religion must at least mean that, in this country, it is no part of the business of government to compose official prayers for any group of the American people to recite as a part of a religious program carried on by government.” ~ Supreme Court Majority Opinion

This is a complete 180 degree turn around from where this nation stood on such matters prior to this ruling.  Even going so far as to use the misinterpreted phrase, “separation of church and state”.  One of the most prominent court cases that this nation witnessed took place in 1925 when a public school teacher was put on trial for teaching Evolution as a viable alternative to Creationism (The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes).  Here’s the kicker, he was found guilty!  This tells you where our national school system used to be.  Since the ruling in 1962, many other cases have been brought before the Court, yet the ruling remained the same: Edwards v. Aguillard (1987), and Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District (2005).

From Separation of Church and State to Evolution, and now the most recent attack on the morality of our nation’s youth, Homosexuality.  Recently, the state of California passed legislation that homosexuality, transgender, and bisexual Americans need to be recognized for their contributions to California and United States History.

“…a study of the role and contributions of both men and women, Native Americans, African-Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, European Americans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, persons with disabilities, and members of other ethnic and cultural groups, to the economic, political, and social development of California and the United States of America, with particular emphasis on portraying the role of these groups in contemporary society.” ~ FAIR Education Act (2011)

Here’s the point.  This nation, in the last 50 years has decided not to stand for anything.  It’s interesting to me that our national motto of “In God We Trust” still stands.  How can that be our motto, yet just about every aspect of our educational system and society says otherwise.  If we truly trusted in God, we would not be eliminating Him from our nation’s educational system.  If we truly trusted in God, we would not be promoting theories that have nothing to do with Him.  If we truly trusted in God, we definitely would not give acknowledgment or appreciation to those that choose to live a lifestyle contradictory to His Word (1 Timothy 1:8-11).

Ultimately, my hope is in the Lord.  Psalm 42:5-6 states, “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!”  In God I put my trust, not America.  I do believe we were established as a Christian nation.  However, I do believe that we have turned our backs on the One in who we say we trust.  If we continue to go down this road of godlessness, we will as President Reagan stated, “…be a nation gone under.”  Allow me to leave you with this outstanding message from one of the most influential men in the foundation of our country.

“It has been the error of the schools to teach astronomy, and all the other sciences and subjects of natural philosophy, as accomplishments only; whereas they should be taught theologically, or with reference to the Being who is the author of them: for all the principles of science are of Divine origin. Man cannot make, or invent, or contrive principles. He can only discover them; and he ought to look through the discovery to the Author.  When we examine an extraordinary piece of machinery, an astonishing pile of architecture, a well-executed statue or a highly finished painting where life and action are imitated, and habit only prevents our mistaking a surface of light and shade for cubical solidity, our ideas are naturally led to think of the extensive genius and talents of the artist. When we study the elements of geometry, we think of Euclid. When we speak of gravitation, we think of Newton. How then is it, that when we study the works of God in the creation, we stop short, and do not think of God? It is from the error of the schools in having taught those subjects as accomplishments only, and thereby separated the study of them from the Being who is the author of them…The evil that has resulted from the error of the schools in teaching natural philosophy as an accomplishment only has been that of generating in the pupils a species of atheism. Instead of looking through the works of the creation to the Creator himself, they stop short, and employ the knowledge they acquire to create doubts of His existence. They labor with studied ingenuity to ascribe everything they behold to innate properties of matter; and jump over all the rest, by saying that matter is eternal.” ~ Thomas Paine (January 16, 1797)