By T.R. Kelley
In a single year, 39 million students and over 2 million teachers were barred from doing what had been done since our nation’s founding—PRAY IN SCHOOL!
– The banning came as a result of a series of rapid-succession Supreme Court decisions that began on June 25, 1962 with ENGEL VS. VITALE.
NOTE: The Supreme Court is the first governmental entity to forbid prayer in a public assembly since the birth of the nation.
I. THE PRAYERS OF OUR SCHOOLS
The prayers varied among school districts. Some used extemporaneous prayers while others implemented more structured prayers, such as the Lord’s Prayer, the 23rd Psalm, etc. Students in New York had simply prayed each morning:
“Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon US, OUR PARENTS, OUR TEACHERS, and OUR COUNTRY.”
NOTE: We will focus on the capitalized words of the N.Y. students’ prayer.
II. “US” (THE STUDENTS)
FACT – Students and their lifestyles have undergone radical changes since 1962.
THERE ARE FOUR AREAS OF DECAY:
A. STUDENT ACADEMICS
1. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).
NOTE: This is an academic test measuring the developed verbal and math reasoning skills of a student preparing to enter into college.
Prior to the removal of school prayer in 1963 there was an average SAT score of 972 (out of a possible 990). There were peak years (1956 & 1963) with scores of 980 & 982 respectively. However, there has been a steady decline since 1963, bottoming out in 1980 at 890.
B. STUDENT MORALITY
– George Washington once said: “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to politic prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports…. And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality
can be maintained without religion… reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
NOTE: Prior to 1963, 24% of young people had experienced sex. Today, nearly 60% have.
While 4% of 12-year-olds have experienced sex, the number sky-rockets to a startling 57% by age 17.
Each year, 1 million adolescent girls become pregnant. Of those who give birth, half are not yet 18.
NEWSBIT – In their July 15, 1988 issue, Dallas Times Herald reported that teenage motherhood among school students has become so prevalent that a Dallas high school established a 15-bed nursery for students with children.
C. TEENAGE SUICIDE
For the 15-24 age group, in the years from 1946 to the removal of school prayer, the suicide rates remained unchanged. In the years since the removal, suicides among the same group have increased 253 percent, or an average of 10.5% per year
III. “OUR PARENTS”
Stability existed in the family during the years that students prayed daily for their families. The absence of family stability since the banning of prayer and of Biblical principles from public affairs is obvious.
– Divorces are up almost 120%;
– Single-parent families are up 140%;
Unmarried couples living together have increased over 350%; and
– Adultery has increased 2 to 3 times its previous levels.
NOTE: THESE PROBLEMS HAVE MERGED AND CREATED OTHER, GREATER PROBLEMS, WHICH
AFFECT THE FAMILIES OF OUR NATION.
– Child abuse & sexual abuse of children;
– Runaway youth;
– Drug use;
– Illiteracy;
– AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases
IV. “OUR TEACHERS”
NOTE: THE BIBLE teaches that “a student will become like his teacher” (LUKE 6:40).
We are living in a day where many of our teachers have succumbed to the philosophies of humanism and doctrines of devils. These “enlightened” teachers are using their position to indoctrinate our children with their beliefs. The “THREE R’s” of academics are out; enlightenment, whole language & knowledge, and all other humanistic New Age doctrines are being taught instead.
NOTE: THE COMPETENCY OF OUR TEACHERS IS SUFFERING.
38% OF Texas college juniors, preparing for a career in teaching, failed a competency exam which tested basic skills taught by the 12th grade, such as calculating percentages, capitalizing words and comprehending a 200-word passage.
V. “OUR COUNTRY”
NOTE: Aspects of national life that previously had been stable or improving have now reversed themselves into deteriorating trends. It is obvious that such a quantity of students prayer daily for their nation had a very positive effect.
Since the time that God & prayer were prohibited from student life:
– the rate of violent crime has risen over 500 percent
– National productivity has dropped over 80 percent
– the cases of sexually transmitted diseases are up nearly 200 percent
– per capita alcohol consumption has increased by 35 percent.
VI. “WHY SIT WE HERE UNTIL WE DIE?”
BIBLE READING: II KINGS 7
– The decision of four men to do something changed their entire nation, returning it to prosperity, strength, and honor.
AMERICA, IT’S TIME TO PRAY!
REMEMBER – THROUGHOUT THE AGES NO NATION HAS EVER HAD BETTER FRIENDS THAN
PRAYING PARENTS WHO TEACH THEIR CHILDREN TO PRAY.
(The above material was published by Calvary Tabernacle.)
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