GALLUP POLL: 81% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE IN GOD. BUT DOES GOD STILL BELIEVE IN AMERICA?
SECULARISM: IS IT WORKING?
Have Schools Lost Their Moral Compass?
From Rescue the Teacher, Save the Child! (an autobiographical journey of a 46 year educator):
Whose morals and whose God shall the public schools embrace? This statement continues to be the one which prohibits any conversation of bringing morals, decency and respect back into the classroom. In 1962, the Supreme Court asked the God of Christians and Jews, in essence, to vacate the public schools. (The ruling dealt with mandated school prayer, but politicians and educators used the ruling to oust the very reference to the God of Creation.) According to an article published in the Examiner, no one should be surprised by the results:
Criminal arrest of teens is up 150% according to the US Bureau of Census.
Teen suicides in ages 15-19 years up 450% according to the National Center of Health Services.
Illegal drug activity is up 6000% according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse.
Child abuse cases up 2300% according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Divorce up 350% according to the US Department of Commerce.
SAT scores fell 10% even though the SAT questions have been revamped to be easier to answer.
Violent crime has risen 350%.
Floundering in the sea of godlessness, our schools and culture lost its moral compass. If we believe these facts, they indicate the damning results of a society devoid of God. If you remain skeptical that the banning of God in our schools brought about the above statistics, I will attest the classrooms I taught in the 1970’s through the 90’s proved themselves kinder and gentler, and held far less drama than the classrooms of today. In my opinion, it will only worsen in a complacent society who continues to support curriculum with no moral direction.
Several weeks ago, my husband, who played and coached (Division I) basketball, received recognition at his parochial high school in Indiana. We attended the festivities which concluded with a basketball game. My husband’s alma mater played their arch rivals from across town. We rose for the National Anthem, followed by a prayer. Since the home team was a Lutheran high school, starting the game with prayer was permitted. I have attended hundreds of basketball games in support of my husband, son and grandchildren. The environment of this one game felt unlike any of the others.
The public announcer presented the prayer articulately and with passion. The plea petitioned God to watch over this game, keeping players safe and assuring the play held no malice. The intensity displayed on the court made this game different. With fast, physical play, young men careened, sprawled on the floor. Yet no animosity between players or fans appeared at any time. Coaches did not rant or cuss at the referees. Young men played hard, but most importantly played fair. The opposing school brought with them a large contingency of fans, most of them African-American. Yet rival fans shouted no racial slurs and no black vs. white confrontations ensued. A sense of calm prevailed. Even though vigorous emotions displayed themselves on the court, I felt comfortable watching two teams battle for the win. Through prayer, the school invited God’s presence at the start of the game. His attendance prevailed throughout the evening. I believe it made a difference.
Recent Supreme Court Ruling Explained
What about the most recent Supreme Court ruling regarding a coach praying on school grounds? As usual the main stream and social medias mislead the public when explaining the actions of the court. Note the following headlines:
MSNBC: SCOTUS's conservative wing is set to make a mockery of the separation of church and state
NBC: A coach coerced students to pray, and the Supreme Court just said it was OK
VOX: The Supreme Court hands the religious right a big victory by lying about the facts of a case
CNN: Supreme Court further erodes separation between church and state in case of praying football coach
I believe the Associated Press did the best reporting (https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-supreme-court-coach-prayer-schools-602630743738):
CLAIM: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that teachers, staff and coaches can now lead students in prayer in public schools.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: Missing context. The nation’s highest court said that a public high school football coach was protected by the Constitution when he knelt and prayed on the field after games. However, the ruling specified that it was “private speech” and the justices in the majority emphasized the fact that the coach prayed after the games were over when he was not responsible for students. Constitutional lawyers say the ruling does not give school employees unfettered freedom to lead students in prayer at school.
THE FACTS: As the public reacts to the Supreme Court’s ruling on Monday in support of a coach who knelt to pray on the field after games, several misleading claims about the scope of the decision have circulated widely on social media.
“SCOTUS just ruled 6 to 3, that teachers, staff and coaches can now lead students in prayer in public schools,” one Facebook post read. “Another win!”
“Supreme Court passed prayer allowed back in schools today,” read another post. “Whoop whoop.”
But constitutional law experts say these comments distort the ruling, which said school employees could pray in a private capacity but did not endorse teachers leading students in prayer during instructional time.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion, said that the coach “prayed during a period when school employees were free to speak with a friend, call for a reservation at a restaurant, check email, or attend to other personal matters” and “while his students were otherwise occupied.”
Constitutional lawyers said while many disagree the coach’s actions were private speech, the majority opinion makes it clear that the scope of the decision is limited.
“It says only that teachers can pray in their private capacity, quietly and in isolation,” said Douglas Laycock, a University of Virginia law professor who specializes in the law of religious liberty.
Laycock said there is ambiguity about whether the case means teachers can now pray in the presence of students or coerce them to join in while claiming the speech is private, but he said he doesn’t think the court “has gone that far yet.”
“When the biology teacher leads his students in prayer in the classroom, it is much more difficult to pretend that that is still isolated and in his private capacity,” Laycock said. “But we will see schools and teachers pushing the envelope, and courts will have to decide these cases.”
Jessica Levinson, a Loyola Law School professor who focuses on constitutional law, agreed, saying the online claims are “a stretch, because the majority explicitly says this was his private speech.”
“There’s a legitimate question about whether or not a high school football coach in uniform at a game is truly engaging in private speech,” Levinson said. “But once you pass that threshold, it is not correct to say that this means a public school teacher can come into class and say, we’re doing geology today, but first, let us bow our heads and pray.’”
Why Do People Pray?
First let me state as a Christian and a citizen of this republic, I support private and student-lead prayers in any venue, including public schools. I do not support coerced, mandated prayers of any religion by any governmental or public school official. I believe the Constitution and I are on the same side.
I had the opportunity to be the faculty advisor of our public high school’s Student Prayer Club. The administration made it clear I could not participate with the club since it met during the school day. In fact, I could not even sit in the same room. But weekly I would watch, from my office, anywhere from 20-50 kids raising prayers for their families and friends. If you find that offensive, my heart aches for you as you struggle comprehending the power of prayer. If you roll your eyes when someone states “thoughts and prayers going out” you truly do not understand the God who made us. Perhaps you do not understand because you cannot believe there even is a God. I get that.
When I read about school shootings, I question where God is constantly. In my own personal life, I’ve had doubts about God’s ability to protect me and my family. When I spent 46 years as a successful educator and was summarily “fired” from my position, I screamed at God all the way home! How could this God of grace, who gave me my passion to teach, allow my enemies to end my career? Out of the ashes rose the Phoenix. I wrote a book about my life as an educator. Every time I sat down to write, I felt God’s presence beside me. I cried as I recalled incredible moments in my life as an educator. I laughed out loud at some of the crazy episodes. After I finished my book, I humbly thanked God, through prayer, for the opportunity to teach for over four decades.
I firmly believe there will come a day when all humanity, no matter what belief system (or no belief system) they adhere to, must stand before their creator and reconcile their life: Did they practice the Golden Rule? Did they manifest good character on all occasions? Did they lead a life of unconditional love and grace? No one will be able to answer “yes” to those three questions. No one. But through prayer, we can seek God’s discernment and wisdom to live our lives to glorify Him. How do we accomplish this? By raising up, sometimes hour by hour, conversations with God. This is called prayer and it is powerful. Justice Gorsuch wrote: “Respect for religious expressions is indispensable to life in a free and diverse Republic—whether those expressions take place in a sanctuary or on a field, and whether they manifest through the spoken word or a bowed head.”
If you believe there isn’t a God, you may think you will never have to answer to anyone. If you are right, then I confess I will be sorely disappointed that my life was of no consequence and death is just mere dust. But if I am right and life as we know it is never assured, now is the time to seek God through prayer:
Father God, please allow your people to not only sense Your presence but understand Your capacity to hear and answer prayer. Help us to understand that the answers “no”, “not now” or “be patient” are Your gifts to us so we may prepare for life’s challenging journey. We ask that every parent would share the gift of prayer with their children and encourage them to find refuge in You. We implore that our government not see prayer as a threat nor the invoking of Your name as dangerous. Let us truly renew our vision: In God We Trust. Amen.
RESCUE THE TEACHER, SAVE THE CHILD! Amazon/Barnes & Noble.
According to the Wall Street Journal, teachers are leaving their positions in greater numbers than ever before. Truth: educators do not commit their passion to teach believing untold wealth awaits them. The purposely concealed story: national teacher shortage is due to a dominating hostile work environment, created by the people educators serve. Order your copy today. 14 FIVE STAR ratings. It won the 2020 Topshelf non-fiction book award.
Contact me and I will help any school board or school district implement the Golden Rule Project:
Click on the links provided.