While I enjoy receiving e-mails from friends old and far, what I hate more than anything is getting chain e-mails telling me that this country is going to hell in a hand basket if I break the chain or that I will personally go to hell for "denying Christ" by refusing to pass along another e-mail. While I can appreciate that these folks are simply sharing something with me that touched them in a personal and spiritual way, I'm not sure I appreciate the weight of the universe being entrusted to me in such a way that if I do not pass it along, my eternal soul will perish but for that one moment in cyber land.
The latest e-mail to cross my computer at work was one in which Dr. James Dobson is leading a crusade to restore prayer in public schools. This e-mail that came to me had literally hundreds of names of persons from all across the country who had signed up and passed it along. Of course, the warning that came with this particular e-mail said that if I did not want to pass it along, then I needed to send it back to the person who sent it to me. Failing to do this or pass it along would put me in Madelyn O'Hare's category as the ONE PERSON who was responsible for prayer being removed from public schools.
I beg pardon, but I refuse to be held personally responsible for something over which I had no control from the beginning and over which I have little control even now. I will say this, however. Have you ever used the phrase "use it or lose it" as it pertains to sick time or vacation at work? Or if you do not exercise your muscles, they will atrophy and lose their usefulness? Am I painting a picture here?
So what does this have to do with prayer in public school? Only this: a court can mandate that a public school administration cannot act as a mediator or conduit of religion, but this does not mean that people are actually prohibited from praying.
Those who support prayer in public school like to remind us that at about the time prayer in public schools was ruled "unconstitutional", the sexual revolution came in full bore. It was at about this time that morals went into the toilet, and folks gave themselves up to all kinds of debauchery and drugs. I agree that folks stopped caring, but I don't think public prayer, or the lack thereof, had much to do with it. Or perhaps it is that folks somehow got their heads filled with nonsense such as that the US Supreme Court had outlawed prayer altogether - so they stopped praying altogether and sat on street corners or gathered at the town pub and moaned and groaned about the moral direction of this nation.
"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them, for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you: they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." Matthew 6:1, 5-6 NRSV
My very first sermon at a new charge came right on the heels of a court decision in TX that reminded us all that public schools cannot act as functionary for any sort of religious activity, including allowing school PA systems - such as at football stadiums - to be used to pray. Now while the reasonable among us would question the harm that could possibly be done besides to those poor souls who claim to be "offended" by such activity, the courts have nevertheless ruled that school functions and facilities might not be the best venue for prayer.
I maintain that Jesus seems to agree. So what was my sermon about? Simply, "What's Stopping You?" I reminded them that the court ruling specifically mentioned school-owned and controlled PA systems and football games. Does this then mean that we cannot pray AT ALL? Who says we can't pray at football games? Who dares suggest that there is no prayer at all in football games? Has your team ever been three points down at "fourth and goal" with only ten seconds left to play?
So what is stopping us from gathering at the north end zone (or south) and gathering for prayer? The court cannot stop that, and their ruling never tried. The various rulings over time have not outlawed prayer. It almost seems to me to be a good reminder of Jesus' words as quoted in Matthew. So who's stopping you?
It seems to me that we Christians are going to get a lot further with non-believers by praying for them instead of trying to force them to pray with us or like us. I freely admit that I am more apt to go along with something of my own choosing. If, however, I am being told I "must", I am much more likely to put up a fight.
It is not the US Supreme Court's fault or problem that we have stopped praying, choosing instead to gripe about not being able to force people to pray with us. It is not Madelyn O'Hare's fault that we threw in the towel and stopped praying and chose instead to curse those whom we choose to blame. And those @#&^#@ liberals are not at fault for rejoicing in the fact that prayer cannot be thrust upon any unwilling person.
How did we go from being a prayerful nation - if we ever were - to a nation that curses instead?
2 comments:
Like you, I am unimpressed by this movement. Mandating public prayer in public schools will not draw people closer to God. All that it does is enforce a sense of churchianity over our nation, which will not save us individually or collectively.
The faith exploded upon the world when our people were crucified and burned for saying "Jesus is Lord." And now this is what we whine about?
Very well said, John. I think we can surely think of other more important things to be indignant about than whether others have to stand still while we pray.
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