Getting Rid of God

Around 10:30 p.m. last Monday night---well after dark---workers began removing a 2,400 pound granite monument depicting the Ten Commandments.

The Commandments had to go because they stood on publicly owned, often referred to as "government" owned, property.

In this case it was the Oklahoma State Capitol grounds.

The systematic effort to get rid of God is seen on publicly owned land, in the public marketplace, in education, entertainment and even---in some cases, the Christian church.

And, today is Columbus Day, but Seattle, Olympia, Portland and other cities are not celebrating Columbus---nor are they calling it "Columbus Day."


More cities are recognizing Native Americans, or American Indians, on Columbus Day this year.

Seattle, Olympia and Portland are devaluing Christopher in favor of the natives they say he displaced. In spite of the fact that America has traditionally celebrated his arrival on this continent---and Columbus Day is a federal holiday, some now believe history should be revised a bit and are calling today "Indigenous People's Day" to redefine the day.

Personally, I was born and raised in the Yakima Valley, living some of my life actually "on" the Yakima Indian Reservation. I have some understanding of Native Americans, whom we respectfully referred to as Indians. They were my friends growing up, and some became colleagues later.

But could we not leave Chris alone and create a new day for our indigenous friends?

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The Oklahoma monument's removal comes a little more than three months after the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that its presence violated the state's constitution's prohibition against using public property for religious purposes.

Is the Oklahoma Supreme Court aware that the Ten Commandments are engraved into the stone in the US Supreme Court building?

Justice Thomas Prince wrote the opinion, which read, "The Ten Commandments are obviously religious in nature and are an integral part of the Jewish and Christian faiths."

He then cites the Oklahoma State Constitution--"No public money or property shall ever be appropriated, applied, donated, or used, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any priest, preacher, minister, or other religious teacher or dignitary, or sectarian institution as such."

The 6 foot tall granite monument was built with private funds.

Last October an angry atheist ran into the original monument with his car, doing damage to both. An exact replica of the original was again erected with private funds.

Now a misguided State Supreme Court is removing it---under the cover of darkness.

Gov. Mary Fallin, a Christian, is upset. She told the press, "The court got it wrong," and promises the monument will come out of storage soon.

The effort to get rid of our biblical God extends to the public classroom.

While public education is hyper careful not to mention, refer to, or even acknowledge His existence, they are free to affirm "other gods" under the guise of "education."

Last month as school began, parents in Tennessee became outraged when they learned students---their children, were instructed to write "Allah is the only god" in order to translate the Islamic pillar of creed.

After Brandee Porterfield's 7th grade daughter brought home homework on the Five Pillars of Islam for a history class, which included the translation of the pillar of "Shahada" as being "There is no god but Allah," and "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah" she took action.

She said, "It really did bother me that they just skipped the whole chapter on the rise of Christianity and they spent three weeks just studying Islam."

The mother was particularly bothered because, although she understands kids need to know about Islam, "They did this assignment where they wrote out the Five Pillars of Islam, including having the children learn and write the Shahada, which is the Islamic conversion creed."

The school district defended the curriculum saying that the school system is in no way endorsing Islam over other religions or trying to "indoctrinate" students.

Why then is looking at the Ten Commandments as one drives or walks past unlawful, while leading 7th graders to write and learn the 5 pillars of Islam, write out "There is no god but Allah,"  and memorize the Islamic creed for conversion mere education?

Is this not state sponsored religion?

The school say heavens, I mean Paradise, no, it's just education.

Poterfield and other parents believe it is indoctrination.

A closer look at the teaching material revealed to Potterfield and other parents that the school intends to teach Hinduism and Buddhism, without learning any creeds.

But what about Christianity?

A California mother says she refused to let her son complete a homework assignment on Islam and sent an angry note back to the teacher.

Tara Cali of Bakersfield uploaded a photo of the worksheet to Facebook, bringing it to the attention of local TV station KGET TV.

Her child's curriculum included the same materials as the student in Tennessee, but it also included a barcode for students to scan with their cell phones in order to listen to a Muslim prayer online.

The mother told the school in a note written on the assignment that her son will "not be a part of this in any sort of way."

Despite little coverage in the media, her Facebook message was shared over 100,000 times just last week.

However, this included some parents (?) posting in agreement with the school, saying the California curriculum does include Christianity.

It is in the textbooks, but is rarely taught in the classroom. And if it is, it is very minimal---enough to be able to claim they included it.

John Kevin Wood and his wife Melissa were forced to take La Plata High School in Maryland to court over the Islamic indoctrination of their 11th grade daughter in her World History class.

Same thing as in other states. Their daughter was required to complete assignments where she had to affirm that "There is no god but Allah" and memorize creeds from the other Five Pillars of Islam.

But this was a bit different.

John Kevin Wood is a Marine.

He went to school and objected, demanding she be given an alternative assignment. The school refused.

Wood, who served in both Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm and lost friends in that action, and saw first hand the destruction caused in the name of Allah, so he wouldn't budge.

After hiring the Thomas More Law Center to represent them, they found that it was worse than first thought.

Their daughter was being forced to repeat religious tenets of Islam, and she was being required to write how the prophet Muhammad was visited by the angel Gabriel and preached that there is only one true god, who is Allah.

The assignment required her to affirm that "Allah is the same god that is worshiped in Christianity and Judaism.

She was also required to affirm that the Qur'an is the word of Allah revealed to Mohammad in the same way that Jews and Christians believe the Torah and the Gospels were revealed to Moses and the New Testament writers.

The Marine's daughter was also required to fill in the following sentences: "Men are the managers of the affairs of women" and "Righteous women are therefore obedient."

Outraged would describe John.

He went to the school again and tried to voice his deep concerns, reiterating his previous concerns, objecting to his daughter being indoctrinated in Islam.

The principal told the father if his daughter expected to get grades that would get her into college, she would do the assignments. If she did not do them, she would get "zeros" for those assignments.

The next day John Wood tried one more time. The vice principal again refused.

Adding insult to injury, in an arrogant and unnecessary display of power, La Planta's principal and her staff issued a written "No Trespass" notice, which denied the Marine who stood in harms way defending this country, including this principal, any access to the school property.

His daughter, as promised, received a failing grade in World History because she did not complete the assignments.

The story continues.

The Thomas More Law Center now represents the family.

This is how getting rid of God works in America.

All of us have not served in the Marines, but America is getting sick and tired of this nonsense. The pot is boiling---not so much with anger, but with resolve.

Stand firm.