The Constitutional Question
The Constitution bars three things:
- The establishment of a Federal Religion;
- The infringement of any person's free practice of religion by any government within the US; and
- The use of a "religious test" as qualification for public office.
Individual states had established state religions prior to the establishment of the Constitution and even afterward. It wasn't until 1833 (44 years after the ratification of the Constitution) that Massachusetts became the last state to disestablish religion from its official links to the state, ending the practice of providing tax revenues to churches. And, though Thomas Jefferson coined the phrase "separation of church and state" in 1802, it wasn't until the mid 1900's that this became an actual part of US law, through the decisions of the Supreme Court in various cases.
Superintendent Jim Scales' Prohibition on Prayer: Right or Wrong?
Were the Superintendent's actions right or wrong? Legally, I think the case law is on the side of Mr. Scales and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Personally, I believe the recitation of a prayer prior to any school activity is a good idea. I also think that it should be led by religious leaders from the local community, rotating through any number of religions, including representatives of the atheist community. Religion is a valuable part of our American culture and history and should be recognized as such, not suppressed. Suppression of any idea is detrimental. Instead, we should allow differing opinions the opportunity to be voiced and debated, with as much civility and respect as is possible. I may believe you are completely wrong in your beliefs. No matter how much I might try and convince you of this fact, I will never deny you the right to believe and even evangelize your belief in the public discourse. In the end (either after both our deaths, or the end of time), we will both know who was right and who was wrong.
Name Calling
Among the frequent complaints I encounter from atheists is that Christians are judgmental and only nice to other Christians, while mean-spirited towards everyone else. Unfortunately, this is too often the case, by which, these same atheists assign the same characteristics to the God we profess. To all Christians, don't insult non-Christians, don't throw Christ in their face. There is a time and place to discuss damnation, hellfire and brimstone, but not on comment forums. You are very unlikely to connect to someone you don't know in such a confrontational manner. The best we can do is present the facts of wrong-doing, judgment and forgiveness as gently and matter of fact as possible and pray that the Holy Spirit moves in someone's heart to understand. The "You are going to hell" mentality seems, to me, the same mentality as Jonah had towards Nineveh. "You are evil and I am glad that God will judge you." We should be hoping and praying for an outcome like Nineveh, where we can rejoice at God's forgiveness towards a sinful person. Weren't you also once consigned to damnation in your own sin?
For the non-Christians who have learned bad lessons from Christians, let me provide some Biblical History concerning the nature of the God we worship. The God of the Bible is a just and merciful God. Many point to the genocide of Canaanite tribes by the Israelites Under the leadership of Joshua. Did this happen? According to the Bible, absolutely. Why? The sins against God of these people had reached a level that a just and righteous God could no longer tolerate and had lasted long enough to demonstrate that the people were not going to change. Therefore, God executed his judgment against these nations through the Israelite army under Joshua. God had earlier disseminated a similar judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah using fire from heaven. However, God's mercy has always been available to all, not just members of the "in group". When the city of Nineveh had reached the point of incurring God's wrath, He sent Jonah to the city to warn them of its imminent destruction. When the people of Nineveh repented, God forgave them and spared them his destruction. Nineveh was a decidedly non-Jewish state, yet God provided the opportunity for forgiveness to these "non-believers".
In every case, God judges peoples and nations for their acts. If you are found guilty in a court, you must face the consequences of your actions. Likewise, God judges and metes out punishment to those who are deserving. (By the way, all of mankind is deserving of judgment.) The wonderful news is that God also provided a means of paying the penalty without suffering yourself. Imagine, that after you have been pronounced guilty, the judge steps down and offers to pay the fine out of his own wealth. This is the forgiveness offered in Christ.
My sincere hope is that every person who does not accept that Jesus is who the Bible claims will encounter a Christian who lovingly provides an example of Christ and gentle instruction in the Bible's truth.
A Final Note On My Reason for Believing
In over 20 years as a Christian, I have spent countless hours reconciling my nearly 20 years of understanding of the world prior to my salvation. After all this time, my faith in Christ hinges on a single historical fact. All but one of the apostles and a number of other disciples of Christ were executed, not because they refused to recant what they believed, but because that belief was predicated on actually witnessing the resurrected Christ after his crucifixion. If these men had concocted the story, then there is no way all of them would have died. Men do not die for a lie.
