When I was in first grade, my teacher started every day by praying for God to bless our day. She did it every day. Mind you, this was not a private Christian school, but an ordinary public school in America in 1956.
My teacher was not unique. Tens of thousands of teachers across the United States started their days with some form of classroom prayer.
Prayer in school was legal then.
My school days started in prayer until I was in the 5th grade. Then, without understanding why, our daily prayer stopped.
School Prayer Outlawed
It turns out a 1962 Supreme Court ruling (Engel v. Vitale) banned requiring students to recite a non-denominational prayer. So, from then on, teachers couldn’t recite a prayer and ask students to follow along.
Just a year later in 1963, another Supreme Court ruling (Abington Township v. Schempp) banned Bible reading or prayer in public schools.
So, in the space of two years, traditional prayer in schools practiced for over 300 years, was outlawed.
Not surprisingly, belief in God dropped after prayer in school was outlawed.
Belief in God Dropped Precipitously
Back in the mid-1950’s 98% of Americans said they believed in God, 1% had no opinion, and 1% said they did not believe in God.
A Gallup poll in 1965 reported 97% of people still believed in God.
When the poll was repeated in 2014 the number of Americans who said they believe in God had dropped to 86%, 12% said they did not believe in God, and 2% had no opinion.
Crime Skyrocketed
At the same time that God was banned from our public schools and belief in God waned, crime in America skyrocketed.
Total crime, both violent and property crimes, has increased since 1961. Total crime rates per 100,000 people in America rose 47% between 1961 and 2016.
Violent crime rates paint a much more disturbing picture. Violent crime in America rose 153% between 1961 and 2016.
No wonder Americans don’t feel safe. We aren’t!
Connect the Dots
When I was little, I had a connect the dots coloring book that helped me learn how to count. I drew a line from one number to the next and eventually an image would appear.
I still like to connect the dots. In this case, I see the line drawn between banning God from our classrooms, to a drop in belief in God, to an increase in all kinds of societal problems.
My statistician friends might berate me from connecting the dots this way. They might say there are many other factors at play. They might say even if there is a correlation it doesn’t necessarily imply causation.
Maybe so.
But in reading the Old Testament, I noticed the Israelites prospered when they were close to God. Then they would think they didn’t need God in their lives. Then they experienced all kinds of trials until finally, they turned back to God. This cycle repeats itself over and over throughout the history of the Israelites.
Connect the dots. Close to God; life is good. Turn away from God; life is hard.
Our Founders Were Right
Of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, nearly half had seminary or Bible school degrees.
There are dozens of quotes of the signers attesting to their faith in God, but one of my favorites comes from Ben Franklin, a drafter, and signer of the Declaration.
Franklin said, “God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God?”
Can you imagine what our society would be like today if half the men and women who served in government had seminary or Bible college degrees?
As we celebrate our country’s independence this week, let’s take just a moment to consider where we are as a society and where we are going.
Connect the dots. The image of a society in decline that has rejected God is becoming clear.
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. What image do you see as you connect the dots? Are we a society in decline because we have rejected God?
I’d love your help. This blog is read primarily because people like you share it with friends. Would you share it by pressing one of the share buttons below?
Category: Personal Development | Dependence on God
