There's an increasing discussion about the place of Christianity in our culture.
In fact, there has been so much discussion that Pew Research conducted a poll about a week ago to discover how Americans really feel about Christianity in public places.
Pew reported up front, "Support for Christian prayer in U.S. public schools varies widely by state."
Pew Research:
"Renewed debates are happening across the United States about the place of religion – especially Christianity – in public schools. An evenly divided Supreme Court recently upheld a ban on what would have been the nation’s first religious public charter school, in Oklahoma. Texas lawmakers are considering requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, while a federal appeals court struck down a similar law in Louisiana earlier this month. And legal battles persist over prayer at school sporting events and making time for prayer during the school day."
Be informed, not misled.
Pew published a map showing the disposition of each state toward Christian prayer in public school classrooms.
Just over half of U.S. adults (52%) say they favor allowing public school teachers to lead their classes in prayers that refer to Jesus. Specifically, 27% strongly favor this, and 26% favor it.
It also found 46% of adults oppose allowing public school teachers to lead their classes in prayers that refer to Jesus: 22% say they strongly oppose this, and 24% say they oppose it.
Interestingly, but not surprisingly, in 12 states and the District of Columbia, more adults say they oppose allowing teachers to lead their classes in prayers that refer to Jesus than say they favor it.
Three of these states are on the West Coast: Oregon (65%), Washington (61%), and California (56%).
Six are in the Northeast: Vermont (64%), Connecticut (60%), New Hampshire (60%), Massachusetts (58%), New York (53%), and New Jersey (53%).
There is also more opposition than support for allowing teacher-led Christian prayers in Minnesota (59%), Colorado (58%), and Illinois (54%). And the District of Columbia (69%) ranks among the parts of the country with the highest levels of opposition to allowing teachers to lead their classes in prayers that refer to Jesus.
The highest support for prayer in schools among the states mainly came from the South, with Mississippi at 81%, Alabama at 75%, and Louisiana at 74%.
The survey encompassed approximately 37,000 U.S. adults, representing all 50 states.
Nationwide, a slightly larger share of Americans say they favor allowing teacher-led prayers that reference God (57%) than allowing teacher-led prayers that specifically reference Jesus (52%).
However, the state-level patterns are similar on both questions. For example, the same Southern states still top the list, with nearly identical levels of support for allowing teachers to lead students in prayers referring to God versus prayers referring to Jesus.
So, what does this mean?
Casey Harper, broadcast managing editor for The Washington Stand and host of the “Outstanding” podcast, and Quena Gonzalez, director of government affairs for the Family Research Council, spoke on this topic in an appearance on Washington Watch Tuesday.
Harper spoke about the desperation that could have led to this change, especially among young people.
“We're seeing, God forbid, school shootings. We're seeing suicide rates increase among young people. We're seeing hopelessness, depression, and anxiety. They're on all kinds of medications to address this. I think that that's part of what's happening,” Harper says.
On the other hand, Harper also thinks that the concept of Americans being opposed to prayer in schools is a myth.
He's right. The whole issue of "Separation of Church and State" as it has been applied is a myth.
Senator Lyndon Johnson in 1954 slipped what is known as the Johnson Amendment through Congress out of spite toward a couple of political opponents who were Christians.
Constitutionally, the Separation of church and state meant something very different to Thomas Jefferson than it did to Lyndon Johnson. Johnson perverted the original intent of the Constitution, which was to prevent the government from establishing a state-approved church, as England had, and our Founders despised due to its abuses, for his own political gain.
Jefferson, in his famous letter, explained to the Danbury Baptists that the Constitution provided a wall of protection for the church from state meddling in the church's affairs, as it did in England.
Lyndon Johnson perverted the intent, which was embraced by atheists and uninformed non-religious people. The lie has been repeated so often that many Americans are misled and misinformed.
Harper says, “You're tempted to see a poll like this and say, ‘Oh wow, there's a resurgence in America,’ – and actually there is a resurgence in America in faith – but Americans have not been as opposed to prayer in schools as the media has led us to believe. There was a vocal minority and some bad court rulings that really took prayer out of school, not an overwhelming uprising.”
The removal of prayer from schools was also an act of deception and bad court rulings.
I first met Bill Murray, one of Madeline Murray O'Hair's sons, when he appeared on my daily television show. He told the story of how his famous atheist mother named him as the plaintiff in his mother's challenge to mandatory prayer and Bible reading in public schools.
The US Supreme Court ruled that mandatory Bible reading was unconstitutional. They would also rule against prayer.
After becoming a Christian in 1980, Murray published the memoir My Life Without God (1982). He later became a Baptist minister.
He told me stories about the hypocrisy of his atheist mother, Madeline. He said they celebrated Christmas every year with a tree decorated with angels and other Christmas ornaments. They were also about the massive amounts of money his mother made by being the most famous atheist in the country at that time.
His mother and family met a fateful end.
After a well-publicized disappearance, Madalyn Murray O'Hair, her son Jon, and her granddaughter Robin were found. In 2001, their remains were discovered on a ranch in Texas, confirming they had been murdered in 1995. They were kidnapped and killed by David Roland Waters, a former office manager for American Atheists, and his accomplices. Waters had initially extorted money from them before ultimately killing them and burying their bodies.
The discovery of the bodies came after a lengthy investigation, initially focusing on the possibility that the trio had absconded with money from American Atheists. However, it was later revealed that they had been murdered and dismembered in an Austin storage locker, and their remains were then transported to the ranch. Waters led authorities to the burial sites in order to avoid a murder charge. He was eventually convicted of extortion and sentenced to prison.
The war against God has been long and sorted.
It has also been rife with hypocrisy, deception, and yes, death.
But greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
Takeaway
One of the most meaningful things, to me, is what is happening on college and university campuses. Whether or not the polls reflect it, there is a genuine spiritual revival among Christians on college and university campuses across our country. Tens of thousands are gathering to worship God. A Gospel message is shared, personal testimonies are given, and thousands of students are committing their lives to Christ.
After four years of wandering in the cultural wastelands of so-called "Progressivism," most normal Americans believe our country is back on the right track.
I'm reminded of something John Adams, Founding Father and 2nd President, said:
"Statesman, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand.
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Engaged. Be Grateful. Be Prayerful. Be Free.