When I was in 1st
grade, I attended a very well to do private religious school here in Houston.
This was around about 1966 which I do well remember. We were supposed to
remember two verses a day. Once when it came my time to recite my memory
verses, I couldn’t remember what they were. My punishment was to sit in the
quiet room. I did not know what the quiet room was. I learned that day at just
7 years old. The teacher asked me to come with her knowingly that this was the
trip to “the quiet room.” I was locked in the broom closet, in total darkness,
and told, “The bugs and spiders in this room get little children who don’t
remember their verses because they are the instruments of evil.”
This blog today is about religion
in schools and why we have that wall of separation between church and state. It
has nothing to do with being faithful to God or the removal of prayer out of
school, like everyone is so inclined to think. It is about government(s) of the
past, influences of religion in both church and government, and about people(s)
actions—protection and prevention. It is
that simple.
Would you like to be told what
religion you are supposed to worship by the government? I don’t think so. The
people in our history books didn’t like either. What makes anyone think that
forcing religion on society(people) works? In the famous annals of history, if
one was not Catholic in France then let the persecution begin. In Ireland, if
one was not Anglican, then let the persecution begin. The entire case and point
of Martin Luther was for religious reform. The point of why people left the
pre- colonial settlements was two-fold. If one were of the Jewish faith in Nazi
Germany then they were just simply murdered. During the civil rights era, if
one were Jewish in America, in many areas of this country were persecuted. In
pre-colonial America people in settlements were not allowed to worship freely
for fear that one would be exiled into the wilderness for not wanting to follow
the church’s dictates or possibly executed for heresy and/or the denial of God.
I also hear often that if prayer were allowed back into schools, the youth of today would totally
behave in a more suitable manner. Are you so 100% sure about that?
I am about to burst many bubbles.
We have freedom religion in accordance with the Bible.
“And, if it seems evil to you to
serve the Lord, choose
for yourselves this day whom you will
serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side
of the river, or the gods of Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me
and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24.15) Note the hi-lighted
words, “choose for yourself.”
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be
free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in flesh; rather, serve
one another humbly in love.” (Galatians 5.13) Note the hi-lighted words “were
called to be free.”
God affords us the freedom to
worship as we see fit. No man on this earth, nor government should intervene with those wishes. Furthermore, I don't care where you live.
There truly is no persecution by
the US government over freedom of religion because it is guaranteed in the US
Constitution. I can only speak of what I know as a proud American. I have never
resided anywhere else except in the country of my birth. Persecution does
however, exists in America perpetrated at the mouths and actions of sadly
misguided people who think they correct. They are they are the living perfect
with no sin who wants to correct us all in the perfect way of life. They are the people with many, many skeletons
in their closets hidden behind lock doors. Those are the people who have used
their freedom, as mentioned in Galatians 5.13, to indulge in flesh rather than
serve humbly in love. Some of those people are members of our government as
well.
Now I have many relatives, friends,
and acquaintances who are teachers. I respect them more than what they know. The
educational systems are government controlled. Therefore, the employees in
government run schools are employees of the government. Those employees are
made of a wide variety of religions. Employees of state (government) were
prohibited in conducting forced prayer on anyone while in an operating capacity
in any engaging manner.
To go a little bit further,
public schools cannot preach religion or engage in prayer, but they can teach
it. All religious activity by a student must be voluntary and not forcibly
engaged on others unless asked. It is a sad misconception among some
government employees, parents, churches, and students to think one cannot pray
or read their Bible in school in school. They only draw-back to this statement
is that they must not be disruptive nor forcibly engaging while doing so and
that means in class during instructive times. Government employees are allowed to teach
religion not preach it. Preachers on the other hand allowed to teach and preach
at church but if they are government employees, they can teach it but not
preach it while at work as (repeating those key words) a government employee.
My deep personal thoughts:
My
children are adults and both believe in God/Jesus Christ (incarnate) and prayed
in their public school during their time and no one said anything. I would have
and still believe that prayer and religion forcibly engaged in schools is a
NONO. I will fight to keep it out of schools except in an academic manner. I do
not feel that being forced to pray or learn someone’s perspective, as a parent,
was or is beneficial for young people. If you want your children to learn your
religion, your method of worship, etc., then put them in a private religious
school of your religion. I also took the time as a parent to express to them my
concerns about their spiritual being. I discussed God/Jesus Christ (incarnate)
with them form the time before, after, and to this date.
As far as prayer in schools
making a difference, not really because of the society in which we lived in
during my youthful days and the society in which we live in now. What does make
a difference is to allow it be taught in History, academically. The child gets
an exposure to religion culturally. It makes a really big difference if the
child is introduced by their parents to religion. Even that percentage that any
child will be a semi-functional part of society, only remains to be seen
because to each his own in their thoughts and beliefs. Just because a child is
raised religiously doesn’t guarantee the future of that child. That child has “free
will” the “right to choose” which path they take in life with or without the
parent’s involvement. We can only hope and pray. There are no guarantees in
life on anything other than we are born, live, and die—whether it be 90 years
or 15 seconds.
“No one can come to me unless the
Father, who sent me, draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
(John 6.44)
“We love because he loved us
first.” (1 John 4.19)
These two verses prove that we
should not be forced, because He (God) loved us first and He (God) draws us to
him through Jesus Christ (incarnate), through His grace. Always remember that. No individual person should be forced in faith
and religion for fear of retribution or persecution by a government or anyone
else. It is the word of God that we choose to believe and believe in him freely. In making that choice, He (God) lifts us into his arms and protects us.
Have a blessed day.
May God be with you always.
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