We the people . . .
When I planned this series on America’s public schools, Week 3 was to be “What’s Wrong in our Public Schools?” (I know—that is either a very brave undertaking or a temporary loss of sanity—just imagine the negative comments!) But I recognize from your comments and those with whom I’ve had this discussion previously, that the Number 1 answer, from Christians, to the question of what is wrong with our schools is usually…
They’ve taken God out of our schools!
So … I realized clarification is needed to provide some background to that statement. Remember, I encourage your comments (please be respectful). We will still get to the “What’s wrong?” question soon.
It is true that our founding ancestors, for the most part, were Christians. Their beliefs show in some of our early documents. An example is our Declaration of Independence:
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…1
Declaration of Independence (archives.gov/founding-docs)
As we declared ourselves free from the rule of Great Britain, the founders of our democratic government had no hesitation in pointing out that God, the Creator, grants all of us the right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
The Constitution, on the other hand, does not discuss God in the seven articles of the original Constitution. Religion is mentioned briefly in Article VI:
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.2
United States Constitution (archives.gov/founding-docs)
However, our forefathers recognized the limitations of the original Constitution in protecting the rights of the people. On September 25, 1789, the First Congress of the United States proposed twelve amendments. Ten were ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures on December 15, 1791. This document became our Bill of Rights.3 The First Amendment is relevant to our conversation on America’s public schools:
First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.3
This amendment protects freedom of speech and the press, the right to assemble (peaceably) and protest. This first amendment also forbids the government of the United States to establish a religion or prevent the practice of a religion. Many of the early immigrants to the colonies came to escape religious persecution and government mandated religion. This concept of separation of church and state is a founding principle of our democracy.
However, because so many of our early settlers were Christian, it was normal procedure to have Bible reading, devotions, and prayer in our public schools. This practice of teaching Christian principles in our schools continued, unchallenged, for well over a hundred years. But, beginning in 1947, several Supreme Court cases began the process that would end active Christian (or any religious) expression in our public schools.
Everson vs Board of Education, 330 U.S. 1 (1947), a case dealing with a New Jersey law that allowed government funds to pay for transportation of students to both public and Catholic schools. The court responded by applying the Bill of Rights to states as well as the federal legislature. Citing Jefferson, the court concluded that “The First Amendment has erected a wall between church and state. The wall must be kept high and impregnable. We could not approve the slightest breach.” (4)
In 1962, in Engel vs Vitale, 370 U.S. 421, the Supreme Court addressed the issue of officially sponsored prayer or religious recitations in public schools. The Court, by a vote of 6-1, determined it unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and require its recitation in public schools, even when the prayer is non-denominational and students may excuse themselves from participation. The Constitutional guidelines that prohibit an establishment of religion means government can have no part of official prayers for any group of American people. (4)
In Lemon vs Kurtzman, 403 U.S. 602 (1971), the court argued that separation of church and state could never be absolute. Some relationship between government and religious organizations is inevitable. Rather than the line of separation being a wall, it is a blurred, indistinct, and variable barrier depending on all the circumstances of a particular relationship. Following this decision, the court applied a three-pronged test to determine if laws, policies, and practices were acceptable within the guidelines of the Constitution:
- The law or policy must have been adopted with a neutral or non-religious purpose.
- The principal or primary effect must be one that neither advances nor inhibits religion.
- The statute or policy must not result in an excessive entanglement of government with religion. (4)
For many of us, the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the meaning of the First Amendment, when applied to religion, is unsatisfactory. We mourn the days when prayer and the celebration of Christian holidays were part of our children’s school experience. We also may feel that we have been inhibited in the practice of our religion (the First Amendment also addresses that issue). Be that as it may, our Supreme Court is one of our branches of our democratic government (along with the Legislative and Executive branches) and is specifically charged with the task of interpreting our Constitution and laws and assuring such laws are enforced or applied appropriately.
When Jesus was questioned by the Pharisees about obeying the laws of the Roman government (as in paying taxes), Jesus instructed them to bring a coin to Him. When asked to identify whose name and inscription was on the coin, they responded, “Caesar’s.” Jesus said to them:
“Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” Mark 12:17
We could interpret these instructions to mean that Jesus is telling the people to follow the laws and policies of the Roman government. Aren’t we obligated to also follow the laws and policies of our government? Our Constitution makes clear there is a separation of church and state. Our government is part of the state; therefore, one interpretation of the Constitution can be—no religious practice in our schools.
We probably don’t agree with everything our government mandates, but you may agree with the brilliance of our ancestors when they created a government that utilizes checks and balances and shared power. For example, the judges that sit on the Supreme Court (and make decisions on issues that matter) are nominated by the president (Executive Branch) and are approved or disapproved by Congress (the Legislative Branch). Our lower court officials are elected by the people, as are our legislators and our president.
But…We the People…
In a democracy, citizens have both a voice and a choice. As participants in democracy we elect our leaders. We can also communicate with our elected officials through letters, emails, and telephone to express our opinions on issues. If we feel members of our government are wrongly interpreting the Constitution on the issue of Christianity’s place in our schools, we have a voice to communicate with them and power at the polls to make changes.
But … and this is a big one …
We need to remember that our ancestors wanted to protect us from living in a religious state, where people do not have a choice of what religion is forced upon them or are denied the right to freely choose Who, how, and when to worship.
I hope this message has provided some relevant background to the question of, “Where is God in our schools?” However, I know we’ve not specifically addressed that question yet. We will get there. Meanwhile, I welcome your thoughts and ask for your continued prayers for our children, teachers, and decision makers in our schools.
May God bless you, our country, and our leaders.
1 www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
2 www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
3 www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript
(4) en.wikipedia.org/separation-of-church-and-state-in-United-States
Previous bogs in this series on America’s public schools:
As a former administrator for the Dept. of Education, I find this very insightful and a sad reality of the current state of our education system! Thanks for keeping this topic in the forefront of minds!
Dr. Tavares, Thank you for taking the time to visit and read my blog. I am grateful for your encouragement and your service to our educational system. Wishing you continued blessings in your Christian writing and your ministry of service.
Thank you for sharing some history and perspective on the course of events that have led to the state of our current public education system here in America. I think different perspectives may exist on the existence and purpose of separation of church and state, but I wholeheartedly agree that a free people must have the free will that their Creator God gave them. We must have the right to choose our beliefs and to exercise those beliefs. This, however, means that we must also be willing to accept the consequences for sticking to our beliefs. Am enjoying this series immensely ma’am; you have done a fabulous job thus far of remaining fair and objective. Thank you!
Thank you, J.D. You share a most relevant point. Many times we risk censure and judgement when we stand firm in our beliefs, especially if we are in the minority. But God gives us strength to stand up for what is right. It’s harder when there is both right and wrong in a situation. That’s when we really need to pray and seek our Lord’s guidance to find a workable solution that is in His will.
Dear Katherine,
Your post rightly explains the progressive movements take on what the founders intended. Even Jefferson’s presidency seems to have taken his initial stance on the wall statement to a different view. For instance, the whole phrase everyone likes to quote came from a private letter Jefferson wrote to an Ana Baptist group concerned that the new government would be applying a tax to support a church like the Anglican Church of England. His answer was there would be no church tax because of a wall of separation between the new government and taxes to any religious entity. It had nothing to do with the fact the vast majority of Americans, those who had lived, worked, raised generations of children, and attended Christian churches for two hundred years expected their government to not only stay out of their business, but also to rule with God’s mercy and grace, under the seven Judeo-Christian principles.
I also believe it much better to refer to our form of government as a constitutional republic rather than a democratic form. The issue is democracy is based on one man, one vote. Our government was set up to limit that concept with checks and balances which the 17th Amendment destroyed by infusing popular vote in the election of senators. That same illness is raising its ugly head in trashing the electoral college.
The best example of how the Senate has been weakened is to ask how many Supreme Court Justices have been impeached.
Anyway, history has a habit of reporting who won rather than all the perspectives. So, although I appreciate your modern view and research, I disagree our modern political system is what the founders intended.
Be well, Miss Katherine.
Thank you, Warren, for sharing your insights. I agree that we are not truly a democracy, although we are still commonly referred to as such. Of course, we know that a great deal of history goes unreported. Many past voices were left silent as history was recorded by a particular group. I’m grateful that you are sharing your perspectives. It’s important that we all feel we have a voice and that we can discuss differences of opinion rationally and respectfully. I’m not sure we can determine how our founders would have changed with the times since they are not here to tell us. I’m certainly glad that as a woman, I have a right to vote, speak, and have a fulfilling career. Our founders did not consider some of those options for women or people of color. May God bless you, my friend. I look forward to continuing our discussion.
It’s great that there have been teachers like you who had the right spirit in you to help and guide students. Thanks for giving us a history lesson!
Thank you, Barbara. I love history and I guess it shows in this series. Of course, I know that not everyone feels the same way and many find reviewing the past boring. But I think we can learn so much from our ancestors thoughts and viewpoints. And I certainly hope and pray we can learn from their mistakes. I was blessed to have many wonderful mentors in my path to teaching. It is a challenging career path, but so rewarding.
Thank you for an informative and a well thought-out post. You sure did your homework to prepare!
Thank you, Marilyn. I always enjoyed doing research (well…most of the time) and I learned so much from studying history. I’m so glad you stopped by. Wishing you a blessed week.
Very good discussion, Katherine. And you are brave.
Let’s remember that the founders never intended to give us a democracy. They knew a democracy (a true one) would turn into a voice of a mob.
Instead, we have a republic–the rule of law. A true democracy would lack the checks and balances that we have in place–the kind that can protect religious freedom when the religious become a minority–the kind that are currently under attack.
It’s sad that Jefferson is cited so often as the source for separation–even though he was the superintendent of D.C. schools and used the Bible as the foundational text for curriculum. People have forgotten that separation of church and state does not appear in the Constitution. And the First Amendment, as you point out, is designed to protect our religious practice. It’s not to protect people from it.
You have tackled tough subjects on your blog, Nancy, so I am sure your feel the tension when you hit the “publish” button on a subject that is controversial. Thank you for sharing important information that needed to be clarified. You’ve reminded us that our ancestors had the foresight to envision aspects of our government that could be dangerous and added those checks and balances for our protection. I’m forever grateful that we have the freedom to worship openly, although like many others, I think Christians are being persecuted within our country.
Thanks for sharing this information. You have allowed for insight and debate, the essence of a true teacher. May we continue to learn and understand the concept of this great republic, given to us by God, and through the sharing of knowledge, spare its demolition.
I add my thanks and prayers to yours, Deborah, that God will grant us continued protection and that we will turn to Him and seek His guidance for our country. Many of our ancestors died to grant us the opportunity to live in “the land of the free.” Our first allegiance is to God, but we owe much to the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect us and the freedoms we enjoy.
This is so well-written! Thanks for the providing us a clearer perspective on the separation of church and school issue on which our country was founded — as well at the rationale behind it.
Thank you, Candyce. Like me, I expect you recognize how our past history in education has such a great effect on our future. Of course, with our history of teaching, we know the vital importance of being willing to change and adapt to meet the needs of our children (our most precious gift). Thank you for your service to our children during your career and continuing.
Thank you, Katherine, for thorough research for your well-written posts and food for thought.
Thank you, Jeannie. I’m so grateful for your encouragement. Sometimes this “food for thought” is a little hard to swallow, isn’t it? I know you’re concerned about our children and their education, too. Wishing you blessings.