The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…. Proverbs 1:7
What is truly detestable about the state of public schools in this country is how far they have strayed from their historical roots. We have been beat over the head repeatedly by the media manta that there must be a constitutional separation of church and state, to the point where this myth is taken by the public as fact. And the activist Supreme Courts of the 50’s and 60’s haven’t helped matters either, twisting the First Amendment into incoherence, making legal reconciliation by subsequent Courts difficult. So how’d all that “separation of church and state” business work out for us? The truth is, since school prayer was banned in 1962, there has been a meteoric rise in the rates of violent crime, drug abuse, pre-marital sex, teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases in our schools and society. If you look at the statistics for these categories and plot them on a graph, during the years prior to 1962 the line was flat or declining. After 1962, the rates increased exponentially - 400-600% for each of these categories for the next 25 years with no signs of slowing down, even after factoring out population growth.
During this time period, our country chose to officially reject the authority of God in matters of public discourse. No living, breathing, red-blooded American can objectively conclude that our country has been better off since. In fact, every survey continues to show that the American people overwhelmingly feel we are going in the wrong direction.
We now have an entire generation of educators that have a predisposed hostility towards anything religious. This is all the more incredible considering our roots as a nation, and the avowed purposes for which most of our nation’s schools and universities were founded. Noah Webster, one of our nation’s leading educators, said, "In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed...No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people." Benjamin Rush, a physician, and signer of the Declaration of Independence said, “The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty.” I could go on and quote many of the other Founders, who have said similar things about the relationship between religion, morality, and government. Even William O. Douglas, the most famous liberal Supreme Court Justice in history, said “We are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being.” Failure to acknowledge God in the public arena because of the Supreme Court- invented myth of “wall of separation of church and state,” is not only an incorrect interpretation and application of law and history, it has had grave consequences for our nation. Incidentally, the phrase “wall of separation of church and state,” is not found in the Constitution as so many people have been led to believe - a point made clear by the dissenting Justice in the Supreme Court’s 1962 case, Engel v. Vitalewhich struck down school prayer. In fact he called the phrase a “metaphor” and its use by the Court irresponsible. What the Constitution does prohibit is the government’s establishment of a state-sponsored religion as well as their interference in one’s free exercise of religion. Many of the Founders have made it abundantly clear that religion and morality are indispensable to the maintenance of a free republic. If the First Amendment truly intended to ban all religious expression from government, including public schools, then why did the Founders’ own well-documented actions and words show that they believed just the opposite? And despite this, we have had open, repeated hostility toward any religious expression in our schools in the form of banning certain student attire, to equal access to school facilities, to censorship of student’s written and oral classroom work, to censorship of valedictorian speeches –events that have become too commonplace to even list them all.
All laws have their roots in moral principles, and our laws are no different. Despite what secularists would have us believe, much of the moral code that existed in this country came from the Bible, which eventually became incorporated into English common law, thus forming the basis of all of our laws. Most of the schools in this country, as well as many of the prestigious Ivy League universities were founded for the sole purpose of educating the populace in the Scriptures. That’s our history folks, like it or not, and it was never considered unconstitutional. In fact, the moral code taught in the Scriptures was considered essential to the preservation of a free society, and I might add, it still is essential for that purpose. We don’t have a political problem in this country, we have a moral problem. Until we officially rejected the authority of God, our kids could walk to school safely, and while they were there, learn respect for our flag, our heritage, our institutions, and our country. When they came home, they could watch any TV program without their parents fearing what they would see or hear. In just one generation, we have turned into an American that most middle aged citizens don’t recognize.
When you read the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, you will find that its principles of personal responsibility, self government, and liberty cannot be separated from the moral and spiritual principles of the Bible. During the latter half of the 20th century, a prosperous America abandoned those principles in their personal lives, and we have been paying the price ever since. This decline in morality was precipitated not so coincidently with the advent of activist judges and a discarding of our Constitutional principles. The fruits of those disastrous rulings by unelected judges, have been irresponsible behavior and lack of personal responsibility and accountability, leading to sexual promiscuity, fatherless children, divorce, poverty, and crime. It has dramatically changed our society within one generation, and by default, changed our schools. So now instead of teaching academics, we are re-educating a new generation to accept this “new norm” in the name of tolerance and compassion. And instead of teaching the value of national unity, the Pledge of Allegiance, and one nation under God indivisible, we are celebrating diversity and group identity. Instead of school prayers each morning reverencing “Our Father in heaven,” students view An Inconvenient Truth reverencing our Mother Earth.
In truth, the decline in American education started long before the sixties. There was a long line of educational “gurus” dating back nearly 100 years that have helped shape America’s education policy, most notably John Dewey, a self-described socialist and father of “progressive” education. It was Dewey, in fact, who was the chief proponent of mandatory public education as a means of undermining traditional values and using the schools as an agent of social change. Much of the philosophy espoused by these educators had its roots in Marxism. Lest we forget, compulsory public education is one of the ten planks of the Communist Manifesto. If you read these ten planks, you would be hard pressed to find the differences between the policies of our own government, and one purposely built from the ground up as a communist government. Purposeful or not, our schools have become brainwashing centers for the political left, at every level. Concepts like liberty, self-government, personal responsibility, and free enterprise are missing in action in today’s curriculum, even though they are the principles that are supposed to form the foundation of our society. An entire generation has been educated to be comfortable with egalitarianism, globalism, feminism, and environmentalism. The struggle for power between this generation of public school students, and other freedom loving individuals in our country will be the defining cultural war of our time.
So what happened in the Amish school shooting? Or the Bath School bombing (35 years before the 1962 decision)? Why is it that the most atheist friendly countries have the lowest homicide rates? Or with the exception of Utah, the most religious states have some of the highest murder rates. Or, with the exception of Alaska, the most irreligious states have the lowest murder rates.
Still looking for meaningful causality. Murder rate nationally is about the same as it was in 1962.
I work in a Public School in Mississippi. We don’t have near the restrictions that’re in Northern States. I play Christmas Carols in the classroom during Christmas season.
This is pure stupidity on the part of so called Christians. The teachers don’t make the rules stupid.
What act was more Christian than that of the young teacher that gave up her life in an attempt to protect her children.
The megachurch and TV preachers of the born again ilk that are using people for their own self-interest should be ashamed. They may be the true anti-christs who are destroying the compassion and love of the true believers which is driving people away from church.
They only want to promote their own agenda and sit out elections and don’t get involved because the other people aren’t their type. Well this young lady was better than any of these people regardless of her religious beliefs.
Wisdom | Understanding | Counsel | Fortitude
Knowledge | Piety | Fear of the Lord
[Read Proverbs Chapter 8]
Wisdom is one of the three main attributes of God: Power, Wisdom and Love, corresponding to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and to the three theological virtues of Faith , Hope and Love.
Jesus is the incarnate Wisdom of God, He is the Word of God made flesh, He is the way, the truth and the life. Bestowed upon Him is the plenitude of Wisdom, which desires to live in every heart.
One who is full of God is full of Wisdom, with Jesus He can claim the prophecy of Isaiah which was fulfilled as Jesus read it. [Luke 4:18-21]
[John 15:4] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me.
A definition of Wisdom is found in the book of Job [28:28] Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom: and to depart from evil, is understanding.
[Psalm 111:10] the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding to all that do it: his praise continues for ever and ever.
[Romans 11:33 ] O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how unsearchable his ways!
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written: I will catch the wise in their own craftiness. [1 Corinthians 3:19]
And God gave to Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart as the sand that is on the sea shore. [1 Kings 4:29-30 (3 Kings in D. Rh)]; understanding is the ability to discern what is from God and what is not. It is also the gift of understanding the meaning of the Holy Scriptures.
With the gift of understanding the disciples on the road to Emmaus were given the light to understand the Holy Scriptures and their hearts burned within as the Lord spoke to them.[Luke 24:30] The apostles understood about the yeast of the Pharisees being their wicked doctrine [Matthew 16:12], when the Lord told them that Elijah had come but they had done with him whatever they pleased, the apostles understood that Jesus was referring to John the Baptist [Matthew 17:12-13]
Understanding is also the gift of being able to perceive the hidden spiritual meaning of the Holy Scriptures, either by reading and meditating them or by listening to someone who has the gift of preaching.
Those who desire to acquire wisdom must accept that they don't know everything, they should seek counsel from the elders and learn from experience and wisdom.
In the old days, kings used to consult the prophets and the men of wisdom before taking important decisions. God gives counsel to those who come to Him, therefore we should consult the Lord before we take any important decision, He will respond by giving us a clear mind full of wisdom.
With this gift we learn to help those who are confused, we lend a hand to those suffering depression, we advise those who are about to do something wrong and we minister the great wisdom of God, we normally receive counsel from God [Psalm 16:7] when we are sleeping.
[Psalm 32.8-9]
8 I will give thee understanding, and I will instruct thee in this way, in which thou shalt go: I will fix my eyes upon thee.
9 Do not become like the horse and the mule, who have no understanding. With bit and bridle bind fast their jaws, who come not near unto thee.
Our Lord Jesus Christ had this great gift from God the Father so that He was able to endure the hardships of the passion.
God gives us the cross but He also gives us the strength to carry it [1 Corinthians 10:13]
It is not by human strength that we have to do our spiritual battles, therefore we need to be reinforced being strong in Him and in the strength of His power, putting on the armour of God and fighting the good battle.[Ephesians 6:10-17]
Seek ye the Lord, and be strengthened: seek his face evermore. [Psalm 105:4]
In fortitude we learn to endure and persevere through all our difficulties, I am able to do all things in Him who strengthens me. [Philippians 4:13]
The gift of knowledge is the ability to know future events and to read the minds of others, mainly to read the soul of another person; as Our Lord demonstrated knowing how the samaritan woman had had different men [John 4:18-19], He read the mind of those who were saying to themselves how can this man forgive sins when only God forgives sins [Luke 5:21-23], He knew that Lazarus was dead when the apostles came to tell Him, He also knew that Judas was going to betray Him and much more.
This gift of the Holy Spirit has been present in the lives of the prophets and the saints, it is given so that others may be warned or that they strengthen their faith.
In a weak form this gift is the same as intuition. For those who practise the spiritual life, this gift comes sometimes in visions that represent a message of something that is either going on or that will happen, also as a reminder to pray for a particular cause or person.
This is a great gift of faith that gives a person the ability to spend time in prayer and devotions, it is like a fire that always wants to grow and it receives fuel in prayer.
On the way to Calvary Jesus met the pious women of Jerusalem, they followed the example of Mary our Blessed Mother. Pious people can be found today attending mass daily and praying for other people. They feed their piety by praying the Holy Rosary daily, by seeking knowledge in religious books and by practicing their religious devotions.
Most priests and religious have had this strong vocation of serving the Lord, they were motivated by piety. They have accepted hardships and persecutions and somehow they have become fools for Christ like St. Paul [2 Corinthians 12:10-11] because in our weaknesses we discover the strength of the Lord.
In baptism we receive an infusion of all these gifts of the Holy Spirit, but like gifts under the Christmas tree, they must be opened and put to good use.
Holy fear of the Lord consists in fearing to offend God by our indifference and sinfulness.
In fact fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom [Proverbs 1:7], The fear of the Lord hates evil: I hate arrogance, and pride, and every wicked way, and a mouth with a double tongue says the Lord . [Proverbs 8:13]
Not much is taught about fearing God any more, the concept is that God is so good that we should not fear Him, but if we look at the Holy Scriptures we will see that even the Holy Name of God inspired so much awe and respect that the Israelites did not pronounce it completely for fear of offending Him.
We must not fear God because He is going to punish us, this indeed would be to think that God is a punitive God waiting for a chance to teach us a lesson. We must fear God because our lives depend on Him and if we sin, we ourselves separate from Him and risk to be on our own.
A branch cut off the vine withers and dies [John 15:1-6], so if we turn away from God who is Light, we give ourselves to the prince of darkness, the devil and He becomes our Father [John 8:44] . This would be enough reason to have fear of offending God.
So we must trust and remain in our faithful God, who is our strength, the light of our lives. We must remain faithful to Him and avoid the risk of losing Him for lack of Fear of God.
Romans 3:10
10 As it is written: There is not any man just.
11 There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God.
12 All have turned out of the way; they are become unprofitable together: there is none that doth good, there is not so much as one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have dealt deceitfully. The venom of asps is under their lips.
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15 Their feet swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction and misery in their ways:
17 And the way of peace they have not known:
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
I have a simple reply. Disband the D.E.A., first. Then, return the schooling authority, back to the individual states. You will have disrupted the Progressives in Washington, D.C., and at the same time, disbanded the authority of the federal government in your local school board, possibly undermining the gamemanship of your local school board superintendent, and his own good ol’ boy network.
Do that first, and quickly, THEN let’s talk about the rest, because the opposition will be disarmed.