“Creator God, we confess dependence on You and ask for Your blessings on our fellow man and us.” – A Proposed Ecumenical United States Public School Prayer
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” – The United States Pledge of Allegiance
“When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary to one people to dissolve political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God entitle, a decent respect for the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes…” – The Declaration of Independence
“And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?” – Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, 1785.
“Let us united, therefore, in imploring the Supreme Ruler of nations to spread his holy protection over these United States; to turn the machinations of the wicked to the confirming of our Constitution. – George Washington, November 19, 1794.
“Let the religious element in man’s nature be neglected… he becomes the creature of selfish passion and blind fanaticism. On the other hand, the cultivation of religious sentiment represses licentiousness.” – Daniel Webster, July 4, 1851
We are a religious people and our institutions presuppose a Supreme Being…” – Justice William O. Douglas, the United States Supreme Court 1952, Zorach v Clauson
Throughout United States history, our Legislatures, Presidents, and Supreme Courts have practiced religious invocations to open government sessions (see: Town of Greece v. Galloway), authorized public funds for private religious school bussing (see: Everson v. Board of Education), and approved textbooks and university funds to be used to print and publish student religious groups’ publications (see: Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia).
The 1962 Engel vs. Vitale Supreme Court decision to ban prayer in public schools is unconscionable and unconstitutional. The United States has a long constitutional, legal, political, social, and cultural precedent for invoking God’s blessings on our nation. The security of our inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness depends on acknowledging that these rights come from Almighty God and not the government. The United States Founding Fathers recognized the importance of Religion and Morality in securing our inalienable rights.
During the past six decades, a new religion has risen to become public education’s established religion, violating the United States Constitution. This new religion confesses to a universe without a Creator, a society without morality, and a government without adherence to Natural Law. This secular religion violates the Constitution of the United States, the spirit of our Founding Fathers, and the United States founding documents.
We appeal to our leaders to return to the United States’ heritage of faith in Nature’s God and Nature’s Laws by permitting public schools to begin each day with the Pledge of Allegiance and a non-sectarian prayer confessing our dependence on God for blessings.
Sincerely,
Wade Burleson, President, Istoria Ministries
Wade,
To have prayer in public schools was a request of many years ago. Prayer in private schools is fine and causes no problems. But “public” means everyone that’s a citizen of America. It’s illegal to allow prayer by Christians and exclude Muslims or other non-Christians.
Obama said the Muslim call for prayer was the most beautiful sound on earth. (I’ve heard it and it is nice.)
Some schools had ‘prayer at the pole’ by students before school started.
The location was at the school flagpole.
Yes, indeed! The prayer proposed is voluntary and sufficient for all who believe in God (Jews, Roman Catholics, Muslims, Evangelicals, Mormons, JW, etc… ) More importantly, praying in the public square is Constitutional. When a people don’t confess there is a Creator, they begin to twist, subvert, and destroy any concept of morality and accountability to God. Religion and Morality secure our freedoms as a people, not atheism and godlessness. Why? Our natural rights come from God, not government.
The culture wars using prayer as an issue began a very long time ago during the controversies with people who first opposed prayer in the public square, the name Madeline Murray (sp?) comes to mind.
IF there is prayer in any public school, I hope it is never viewed as a weaponized instrument of the culture wars that divide our nation. Prayer should be voluntary and ‘of the heart’ (sursum corda), if it is to honor God.
Divisions among people should not be encouraged, they need to be healed. There is no room for a ‘culture war’ among people who honor God, no. I think that it is important to teach children that ALL human people (who ARE made ‘in the image of God) are deserving of dignity and respect. The culture wars do not teach that truth, no.
CHRISTIANE,
You said, “The culture wars using prayer as an issue began a very long time ago during the controversies with people who first opposed prayer in the public square…”
There was someone else opposed praying in public squares, his name was Jesus.
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who pray on street corners…” (Mathew 6:5)
CHRISTIANE, why do you think China keeps sending balloons over America? The count is up to four now.
CHRISTIANE,
Two stories:
A woman was noted for praying long prayers in church and always said, “Lord brush the cobwebs from my brain.” Her prayers got shorter, after someone yelled, “Lord kill that spider.”
In the middle of a church service, an unruly boy was being carried out by his mother, and he yelled, “Ya’ll pray for me!”
CHRISTIANE,
Forgot if I’ve told this story or not.
Were Angels Watching? by Rex Ray
In 2006, my cousin, Gary Hicks, from Bonham, Texas went on a mission trip to Colorado with a large group. Gary and his grown son, Jared, did a lot of mountain climbing.
On the way back, Gary felt they should return to their ‘meeting town’ a shorter way, but it was a small mountain road with no guardrails. Everyone else went back the long way.
Going up a steep hill, they thought they saw a shaft of smoke shoot up in the sky and disappear. They didn’t realize it was steam caused by hot metal that lasted a few seconds.
Curious; they stopped at the top and walked to the edge of an 80-foot cliff. They saw a van upside down in a river.
They got their ropes and repelled down the cliff. A family of four were trapped by seatbelts and trying to breathe in a foot of airspace.
The father who had gone to sleep driving was injured. Two young boys were in the back seat.
They got them out and pulled them up the cliff to the road. The first car by was a paramedic on vacation. The next was a patrol car who called a helicopter that took them to a hospital.
Gary and Jared were eating pizza when the others drove into town.
CHRISTIANE,
I believe the most amazing part of this event was them being in the right place to see the steam that lasted a few seconds.
CHRISTIANE,
Here’s another story:
Many years ago, my twin brother, Hez, and his wife were driving in the mountains of Colorado, when they saw a dust cloud in the distance. They knew someone had driven off the road.
Several cars had stopped by the time they got there. Hez started down the mountain and met two men and a 15-year-old boy coming up.
One of the men said, “The car’s on fire and about to explode.”
“Is anyone inside?”
“A woman, but it’s impossible to get her out.”
“I’m going down.”
The boy said, “I’ll go with you.”
The car was upside down and the roof was crushed flat, and the lady was lying in a small ‘tunnel’. Hez asked if she could hear him.
“Yes, I’ve been praying for someone to help me.”
“I’m going to lay down and hold on to your hair, and this boy will pull us out.”
They dragged her behind a large rock and had laid down a few minutes before the car exploded. After a while an ambulance crew came and took the woman on a stretcher.
I’ll get back to the subject about having prayer in schools. Judy believes it’s OK in private schools, but not public schools. Would Christian parents want their children hearing a Muslim praying to Allah?
One more shot; since Islam is the fastest-growing major religion in the world, why would we want them praying in our schools?
Rex,
I have a few very good friends who are Muslims. They are monotheists, respectful of others, and good neighbors. I believe atheists and secular humanists are a much bigger threat in the United States than Muslims. That said, the prayer offered is to the Creator (God), and all who believe in God can pray and trust Him.
Hello out there to WADE and REX RAY,
Rex Ray, good stories, your stories are the best!
Wade, I understand and appreciate your need to include all people (or as many as possible) in a ‘generic’ kind of school prayer and I am comforted by your understanding of Muslims as members of the Abrahamic faith which includes Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
I have written something on another blog which I feel helps me to call attention to healing divisions and to respecting the humanity of others as deserving of dignity having been made in the image of God, this:
” . . . . Sometimes I think the only ‘enemy’ is satan, whom we know is ‘the great divider’ and sometimes I think the base of all pride is an ‘unkindness’ where we cannot see the dignity and the humanity of those who we call ‘the others’. It seems a blessing that the Holy Spirit is able to help us to see the ‘person’ who is made in the image of God and we can look past the surface labels and recognize the dignity of any human being. I don’t think the culture wars prosper the Kingdom of God, no, if the divisions be exercised in ways less humane than Our Lord treated wounded people when He was among us.
We need to re-think the dogmas that ‘define’ who we are as a faith community, and to think about whether or not there are certain ‘dogmas’ that keep us from seeing the good in ‘the others’ by casting aspersions or labelling in ways that override the basic humanity of ‘the other’ person as a child of God. . . . . ”
Wade, I fear the culture wars as harmful to the Kingdom of God, and if school prayer is to become a part of our American way of life again,
I hope it reflects something far, far more humane than anything I’ve seen in the culture war lexacon.
Your prayer example is a good beginning towards that respect for the dignity of all people. But I sense that there is more to consider in future, yes. We must NOT place our children in the middle of anything resembling a culture war battle. The children do not deserve and cannot handle that turmoil.
Wade,
You said, “All who believe in God can pray and trust him.”
Jesus said, “You can ask anything in my name, and I will do it…Yes, ask anything in my name, and I will do it.” (John 14:13-14 NLT)
Do you think a Muslim would pray to Jesus? I believe they’d rather spit on him.
CHRISTIANE,
Thanks for your comment about my stories.
Wade,
I wouldn’t want The Church of Christ praying in public schools because they teach false doctrine that you must be baptized to be saved.
They base it on what Peter wrote in Acts 2:38: “Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptize in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit.” (NLT)
But the Gentiles, without being baptized, received the Holy Spirit while Peter was still preaching to them. (Acts 10:44)
Wade, I asked your father, Paul, why Peter was wrong in Acts 2:38. He said Peter was on a learning curve.
I forgot to tell that the Church of Christ believe beside being baptized to be saved, you must believe that baptizing saves you.
Since Baptist believe baptism is a sign that the person’s sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ, the Church of Christ believe Baptist are not saved.
REX RAY,
I don’t know if this helps some, but I hope it will. The answer is in ‘the Gospels’ and it speaks of a time of caring and healing to come. I don’t ‘know’ what ‘authentic Christianity’ is, but I do know it has something to do with those Gospels and with wanting good for ‘the others’ for the sake of ‘the others’.
I hope this helps, dear friend:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYembGqZF94
CHRISTIANE,
Your video show Muslims having a good time with neighbors, but what’s that got to do with their belief?
Wade,
You said, “I have a few very good friends who are Muslims. They are monotheists, respectful of others, and good neighbors.”
“All our righteousness is as filthy rags…” (Isaiah 64:6 KJ) Unless Muslims believe in Jesus (John 3:16) they will go to hell. Why would you want someone going to hell to pray in our schools?
“Why would you want someone going to hell to pray in our schools?”
🙂 You are an amazing thinker! I believe that monotheism (a belief in the Creator God and accountability to Him) is the only thing that will stop a godless, atheistic, socialist slow march toward the death of our nation. I AGREE with you – but I want my friends who believe in God by my side as the enemy of secular humanism and atheism is brought down. Have a GREAT weekend, my friend!
Wade,
Hey! Watch it with those complements; you’re going to give me the bighead. smile.
Wade,
Old story about my brother, Hez.
He had a doctor’s appointment, but it was over an hour before the doctor show up. There was an old woman in a wheelchair that had gone to sleep.
“How you folks doing?
“I’m OK, but this woman died!
“Is she really dead?
“Dead as a hammer!”
The doctor rushed out and came back with more doctors and woke her up.