I have a question to ask today. That question is, "If the foundation is destroyed what will the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3). If the very ground upon which this country is based shall crumble what will we do. To answer that question we must consider what the foundation of this country consists of. More specifically, let us consider upon what foundation did our educational system rest. This is more important. That which is taught in the classroom one generation will be the basis of government and reform in the next. If the original foundation of our educational system is destroyed what will the righteous do?
Eighty years after the U.S. Constitution was formed, the French Historian Francois Guizot, asked James Russel Lowell, "How long will the American Republic endure?" Lowell replied, "As long as the ideas of men who founded it dominate."
Our founding fathers laid the perfect foundation for our land to prosper. It was the perfect blend of government, based on morality, and religious instruction. Daniel Webster said, "Our ancestors established their system of government on morality and religious sentiment. Moral habits, they believed, cannot safely be trusted on any other foundation than religious principle, nor any government be secure which is not supported by moral habits."
What has gone wrong in our country? As we look at the United States of our age and day what do we see? We see murder and drugs. We see unspeakable acts of violence with no concern for the value of person or property. We see moral-less existence. We see rape and unwed mothers. We see those who have no meaning for life and so end their own lives. I speak of children who exist in a godless educational system divorced of purpose. We've removed religion from our government and education. Because of this we have paid the consequence which is the death of morality.
Calvin Coolidge said, "The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teaching of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease in our country." The greatest attacks on our foundation as a Christian nation have come through the Supreme Court involving itself in education. In Everson v. Board of Education (1947), the Court sharply defined "the separation of church and state." In effect, the majority of justices - in contradiction to the beliefs of our Founding Fathers - misinterpreted the Constitution. They said that the basic document guaranteeing our freedom requires us to keep God out of Government and public life. In Engel v. Vitale (1962), the Supreme Court banned state-directed prayers in public schools, and in Abington School District v. Schempp (1963), the Court ruled against Bible reading for religious purposes in public schools.
Abraham Lincoln summed it up best; "The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosphy of the government in the next." What was the philosophy of education of our Founding Fathers? First, let us look at the mission statements of our most prestigious schools from which our Founding Fathers graduated.
Harvard University, who graduated such known and esteemed American leaders such as John Hancock, John Adams, Samuel Adams had the following philosophy of purpose.
"Let every student be plainly instructed and consider well the main end of his life and studies to know God and Jesus Christ and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning."
How did the leaders of Harvard suggest that they would archive this?
"Everyone shall so exercise himself in reading the Scriptures twice a day that he shall be ready to give such an account of his proficiency in them."
Amazing isn't it! At any point in the day of the life of a Harvard student they could be stopped and asked to quote a Scripture from memory, or give defense for their faith.
At Yale, where Noah Webster and William Samuel Johnson graduated the philosphy stated, "We exist for the liberal and religious education of suitable youth." To achieve this end the educators of Yale stated, "Seeing that God is the giver of all wisdom every scholar, besides private or secret prayer, shall be present morning and evening at public prayer."
How could we believe that our founding fathers, having graduated from schools such as these, steeped in traditions of Bible reading and prayer, would ever exclude or separate God from the learning process?
Princeton graduated half of our Founding Fathers. Some noteworthy leaders who graduated from Princeton were James Madison, Benjamin Rush, and preacher John Witherspoon who was president in 1768. Princeton's statement says, "Cursed is all learning that is contrary to the cross of Christ." How the Founding Fathers were educated influenced the government they would develop and influenced the education system of our country.
The Founding Fathers loved to quote Martin Luther, "I am very much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of hell, unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures engraving them in the hearts of youth. I advise no one to place a child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. Every institution in which men are not increasingly occupied with the Word of God, must become corrupt." Our Founding Fathers knew that to be true. We today recognize the prophetic reality of that truth as we watch the horrors of our public school system on the five o'clock news.
Because of that foundation which was laid in the education system in 1844; the U.S. Supreme Court asked, "Can you have a public school that does not teach the Bible?" Their answer was an unwavering, "No."
Because of events of the battle at Fort Ducane, the Indians had grown to love and respect George Washington. They asked him to train their young in our institutions. Washington said, "You do well to wish to learn our arts and way of life and above all else, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you greater and happier people than you are. Congress will do everything they can to assist you in this wise intention." Jesus was never separated from all that our Founding Fathers or Congress established.
TO BE CONTINUED. |
