A Christian’s Response to the Banning of Prayer in Public Schools

President Ronald Reagan broached the issue of prayer in public schools when he addressed the nation in February of 1984. He reminded American citizens that prayer in public schools was practiced freely for the first 200 years of our history without any adverse affects. Reagan was flummoxed by the fact that the first amendment of the Constitution permits the “Nazis and Ku Klux Klansmen to march on public property (and) advocate the extermination of people of the Jewish faith and the subjugation of blacks, while the same amendment forbids our children from saying a prayer in school.”

So, what dangerous prayer wasstruck down by the Supreme Court? I’m sure you might be shocked to know that kindergarten children in this country used to recite this prayer before the Supremes rushed in to protect them:

“We thank you for the flowers so sweet,

We thank you for the food we eat.

We thank you for the birds that sing.

We thank you, God, For everything.”

Reagan went on to say, “The first amendment of the Constitution was not written to protect the people from religion; that amendment was written to protect religion form government tyranny.” He referenced God in the Mayflower Compact, in the Declaration of Independence, in the Pledge of Allegiance and The National Anthem. The dollar bills we carry in our wallets have the words “In God We Trust” inscribed on them. If God is so freely symbolized in all of these, why is he considered so dangerous in public schools?

No one in their right mind could possibly believe that this prayer is detrimental to the minds and lives of our youth. It is disturbing to know that the highest court of the land can take the Constitution and twist it to mean whatever they desire for it to mean. It is obvious that the decision to take Bible reading and prayer out of public schools is not an attempt to guarantee freedom of religion. It is an attempt to promote one religion over another. Arguing as the only dissenter in Abington v. Schempp, (the court decided 8-1 to eliminate Bible reading from public schools) Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said, “a refusal to permit” religious exercises in the schools “is seen not as the realization of state neutrality, but rather as the establishment of a religion of secularism.” (1)

The fact is that the majority of Americans, perhaps as high as 65%, support the idea of allowing prayer in public schools. Democracies are founded on the idea that the greater good of the body of citizens must be protected. Americans are very alarmed that activist judges have twisted the constitution in ways to favor minority opinions over those of the majority. The majority of Americans oppose legalized abortion. The majority of Americans oppose redefining marriage to mean anything other than the union of one man and one woman. It seems the majority no longer have a voice in their own government.

What can proponents of prayer in public schools do? They can withdraw their children from public schools and home school them or send them to private schools. Homeschooling in America has increasedover 75% in the last decade. Most Christian parents who advocate homeschooling take to heart the verses in Deuteronomy 6:6-7. “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” They embrace the teaching that it is the primary responsibility of parents to teach religious values to their children and to educate them.

Those in favor of prayer in public schools could support a law that allows all teachers to begin the day with prayer but not all teachers are Christians but many teachers would pray to whatever god they choose. They might pray to Allah or Buddha or even Oprah Winfrey. Though there are many loyal Christian educators laboring away in the public school systems, they are hampered by what they can and cannot say about God. Modern education in the United States is going to assume a denial of God or they are going to take the polytheistic (belief in many gods), politically correct approach which says that there are many gods and they all deserve equal respect in our society. Modern education reveals a type of schizophrenia, a tension between atheism and polytheism, but never a promotion of monotheism, (the belief in one God).

In many areas of the country students are given a moment of silence. It is assumed that during this time they may pray silently. The fact is, government can never take away a privilege that God grants to his children. For many, this is all a non-issue. Our children can pray anytime, anywhere they choose. God doesn’t designate a certain place or a certain method but he does command that we “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thes.5:17)

When our children are being taught knowledge their education is limited and inadequate if they are not being taught the truth about Christ. The Apostle Paul warned the Colossians, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” Education is an expression of what we believe and it is incomplete and inadequate if it doesn’t include the truth of Christ. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The beginning of wisdom and knowledge is the fear of God.” If we don’t expose our children to the teaching of the truth of Christ then we are cheating them because Christ cannot be separated from true education. We are disobedient if we replace the truth of God with an impotent belief in secularism.

Instead of focusing so much on what the government and the courts are not doing, perhaps we should focus more on what we should be doing. It is not the government’s responsibility to teach our children about God and to educate them in the truth of God’s word. That is very clearly the responsibility of Christian parents. We should teach our children to “pray without ceasing”. The prophet Daniel prayed in many places he wasn’t supposed to. He prayed several times a day with the windows wide open. He was rewarded by being thrown into the Lion’s Den. But there, God miraculously revealed himself to Daniel and delivered him from evil. As Christians, we need to pray often in places we are not supposed to with the windows open. Some of us will lose our jobs, some will be ridiculed and cast into the Lion’s Den but God, “who sees what is done in secret, will reward you openly”.(Matthew 6:4)

1. William T. Cavanaugh, “ The Myth of Religious Violence: Secular Ideology and the Roots of Modern Conflict”, p. 189

Kevin Probst - Teaches History, Government and Apologetics at the high school level in Columbus Georgia.

Prayer In Public Schools: Who May And Who May Not Pray

 

There is a poem history teachers use to help students remember what happened to the wives of Henry VIII:

            "Divorced, Beheaded, Died;

            Divorced, Beheaded, Survived."

            Henry obviously had issues when it came to marriage and family life.  In the 1500's there was a great struggle for power between the King and the Pope.  Catherine of Aragon was married to Henry's brother, Arthur.  When Arthur died, Henry wanted to marry Catherine but Catholic law forbade a man to marry his dead brother's wife.  Pope Clement VII refused the annulment and the rest is history.  Henry removed the authority of the Pope from England which paved the way for the establishment of the Church of England.

            Roger Williams fled to America to escape religious persecution in England.  He established the colony of Rhode Island as a haven for religious minorities.  Many of the early American settlers came to America to escape the abusiveness of a church that had become more about government and power than the actual kingdom of God. Our founding fathers had this history fresh in their minds when they wrote our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.

            The very first amendment was constructed to prevent a repeat of what had happened in Europe.  "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."  In the context of the times, this meant that our founding fathers did not want the government meddling in the affairs of the church.  They didn't want a state-sanctioned church.  This portion of the first amendment is referred to as the 'establishment clause'.

            But the original authors of our Constitution did not stop there.  They added what has become known as the 'free exercise' clause.  Not only was the government not to make any laws about establishing a state religion but they were "not to deny the free exercise thereof". Government was not to interfere with the right of its citizens to practice their religion so long as these practices were not disruptive to society or in violation of the moral laws of the nation.

            Men who are politically persuaded are often driven to absurdity in order to prove a point or defend a political doctrine.  In Engel v. Vitale, 1962, the Supreme Court decided that it was irreparably harmful for our children to recite a non-denominational prayer composed by the New York State Board of Regents, "Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence on Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our Country."  The board was plugging the prayer because they were much concerned about the recent decline in morality and ethical behavior of students within the system. 

            The Supreme Court voted the prayer down by a vote of 5-2.  Justice Hugo Black represented the majority opinion when he wrote:  "In this country, it is no part of the business of the 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."  Black also made reference to Thomas Jefferson's opinion on the matter and many assume the constitution is the source of his opinion.

            In October of 1801 a group of Baptists from Danbury, Connecticut wrote a letter of concern to President Jefferson.  These Danbury Baptists found themselves a minority group in Connecticut and they were fearful that the Congregational Church would be made a state church and their right to worship freely would be violated.  Jefferson answered their concerns in a letter by declaring that as long as he were president there would be no state sponsored church at the federal level.  The phrase "separation of church and state" was lifted from his letter, not from the Constitution. 

            The minority opinion of Engel v. Vitale was expressed by Justice Potter Stewart: "I think the Court has misapplied a great constitutional principle. I cannot see how an "official religion" is established by letting those who want to say a prayer say it. On the contrary, I think that to deny the wish of these school children to join in reciting this prayer is to deny them the opportunity of sharing in the spiritual heritage of our Nation."  

            Proponents would argue that prayer in public schools does not amount to government establishing a religion.  If so, some blatant inconsistencies must be addressed.  Is the U.S. government trying to establish religion when scripture verses are chiseled on thousands of public buildings?  Is the government trying to establish religion when chaplains are employed in the armed services and in the U.S. Congress?  Is the government trying to establish religion when it promotes the celebration of religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter? 

            There is a great difference between "freedom of religion" (worship as you choose) and "freedom from religion" (government imposed religion).  Proponents of prayer in public schools want a government that respects the religious nature and heritage of our Christian youth.  The U.S. government has never sponsored any one denomination or specific belief system.  But the founding fathers were unashamedly and unabashedly Christian in their beliefs.  Of the first 108 universities founded in America, 106 were distinctly Christian, including the first university in America, Harvard.  The original Harvard Student Handbook of 1636 addressed the study of scriptures by Harvard students:  "Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, and therefore to lay Jesus Christ as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning."  The foundation for this idea was found in John 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

            There is a more recent inconsistency that must be addressed.  Ten parents joined the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) in the lawsuit against the New Hyde Park Board of Education to eliminate prayer from public schools.  The ACLU fought well and was successful in limiting prayerful expression in public schools. 

            Carver Elementary school in San Diego is possibly going to allow Muslim students to pray in school.  Can you hear the theme song of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" in your  mind as the ACLU rides their black steeds into town to put down the praying Muslims?  Not so.  Kevin Keenan, a spokesperson for the ACLU defends the practice of Muslims praying in public schools:  "Performing these prayers is widely -- if not universally -- recognized as one of the five essential 'pillar' of Islam.  One of these prayer times will always fall during the school day at Carver when students are required by law to be in school."

            Is prayer for Christians not also recognized as essential to Christianity?  The same ACLU that has been fighting freedom of religion in public schools is 'fine and dandy' when it comes to Muslims praying in public schools.  So, let's be honest.  The real fight here is not about prayer in public schools, the real fight is about suppressing Christianity in America.

Kevin Probst - Teaches History, Government and Apologetics at the high school level in Columbus Georgia.