An Outline History of Religion in American Schools (No Bible/prayer in public schools? Show me)

free2pray.info ^ | Last Update Jan. 2009

[GonzoII]

An Outline History of

Religion in American Schools

"The Philosophy of the school room in one generation . . .

will be the Philosophy of Government in the next."  Abraham Lincoln

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			1620		Mayflower Compact signed "Having undertaken for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith . . .  furtherance of the ends aforesaid."   The Pilgrims taught their children the Bible and the Christian  faith.
			1624		Virginia General Assembly rules that Indian children be rounded up and educated in religion and civilization.
			1636		Harvard College is founded by John Harvard a Presbyterian minister primarily as a religious school to train clergy in the Christian faith.
			1642		Compulsory School law passed in Massachusetts, called the “Old Deluder Satan Law”.   This law  was passed to assure that children could read their Bibles.
			1670		Indian Christian Church founded on Martha's Vineyard to educate Indians.
			1690		Connecticut Law passed that children be taught to read so they can read Holy Scriptures.
			1690		First New England Primer is published.  The Alphabet is taught using Bible verses for each letter, and has questions on Bible moral teachings.  The Primer contains children's prayers, the Lords Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Shorter Catechism and questions on the Bible by Mr. Cotton.  The New England Primer will be in wide use in American schools of all types public, private, home or parochial, for the next 200 years.
			1693		Rev. James Blair establishes William and Mary college to prepare students for the ministry.
			1699		Yale was founded by ten ministers in order to further the reformed Protestant religion.  Students were required to read Scriptures morning and evening at times of prayer.
			1717		Rev. Cotton Mather starts classes for Negroes and Indians to teach the 3 "R's" plus religion.
			1744		Anglican missionary Samuel Thomas opens school for Negroes in South Carolina.
			1745		Yale applicants must recite Vigil, the Greek Testament, & bring sufficient testimony of his blameless and inoffensive life.
			1746		Princeton was founded by the Presbyterians with the Rev. Jonathan Dickinson as its first president.  Every student shall attend worship in the college hall morning and evening at the hours appointed and shall behave with gravity and reverence during the whole service.
			1746		Moravian boarding school established for girls is not limited to believers.
			1764		Brown University established by the Baptist to further the religious revival known as the "Great Awakening" in America.
			1766		Dutch Reform Church forms Queens College (Rutgers University) teaching languages, liberal and useful arts, sciences and especially the divinity, preparing students for the ministry.
			1769		Dartmouth-College is established for the education and instruction of youths in reading, writing and all parts of learning which shall appear necessary and expedient for civilizing and Christianizing the children.
			1770		California Missions established teaching Indians about God.
			1770		Quakers open school for Negroes in Philadelphia which include religious training.
			1779		Delaware Indians bring children to George Washington for education, and Washington says "You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ."
			1781		Congress approves the purchase of Bibles to be used in schools.
			1783		First Noah Webster (Blue Book) Speller is published, with its opening sentence declaring: "No man may put off the law of God."  This speller is widely used in American schools and is peppered throughout with Bible verses.  Later versions stated, "Noah Webster who taught millions to read but not one to sin."
			1784		Jedediah Morse, father of American Geography, publishes the first Geography text book which contains references to Christianity.
			1787		Congress passes the Northwest Ordinance which is outlines requirements for governments of new territories so they can qualify for statehood.  Article 3 of the Northwest Ordinance directs the people of the territories to establish schools "to teach religion, morality, and knowledge.”   Nearly every state admitted to the Union after this has written in their State Constitution wording that the schools are to teach morality and religion and they all use the Bible as the bases for their teachings.
			1789		Georgetown becomes the first Catholic college in America to serve as a college and seminary to train Roman Catholic clergymen.
			1796		In Washington's Presidential farewell address to the nation he encourages America to learn Biblical teachings to sustain a moral and just country.
			1802		Thomas Jefferson acting as President for Washington D.C. schools requires the Bible and the Watts Hymnal to be used in classrooms.
			1808		Washington's Farewell Address is published as a separate text book.  Washington's Address is looked upon as one of the most important political documents in American history.  In the speech Washington emphases that for America to succeed it must have a moral society which can only come from roots in the Christian faith.  This text book is used until 1960's.
			1828		Noah Webster publishes the American Dictionary.
			1830		Dr. Benjamin Rush signer of the Declaration of Independence, letter is published in support of using the Bible as a school textbook.
			1830		First Log school house opens in Keokuk, Iowa.
			1836		First McGuffey reader is published which teaches the ABC's along with Bible verses.  This reader is looked at as an "eclectic reader" which combine instructive axioms and proverbs, fundamentals of grammar and selections of the finest English literature.
			1844		Girard proposes to teach morals without the Bible.  The Supreme Court rules that American schools are to teach Christianity using the Bible.  The case is argued and won by Daniel Webster. (Videl v. Girard)
			1860		First Kindergarten opens in Boston.
			1867		Morehouse College and Howard University are founded.  Both schools are to help ex-slaves become teachers and preachers.
			1870		One room Public Schools begin to take hold in the U.S.
			1890		Supreme Court rules that America “is a religious people. . . . this is a Christian nation” as such it is fitting that its people would teach their children the Christian faith. (The Trinity Case)
			1892		Pledge of Allegiance is written for school children to recite at school.
			1892		The American Teachers Union declare that schools should continue to teach morals from the Bible as schools are turned over to the various States from the Christian Churches.  Prior to this many schools had been run by churches of various denominations.  Many state Constitution's mandate the teaching of morals, religion and knowledge. Of the first 108 colleges and universities founded in America, 106 where founded as Christian schools.  Of the first 126 colleges, 123 were Christian.
			1900		Virtually all school text books published to date have contained Biblical references or teachings.
			1923		William Jennings Bryan argues to limit funds to Presbyterian schools that teach evolution.
			1925		Tennessee governor signs law forbidding the teaching of evolution in public schools.  ACLU Lawyers take a school district to court in the famous Scopes Monkey Trial in an effort to have evolution taught in Tennessee Public Schools.
			1925		Florida State legislators pass law requiring daily Bible reading in public schools.
			1946		Dallas schools publish textbook titled "Bible Studies Course for New Testament."  This book has many questions and answers about the life of Jesus Christ.
			1948		Supreme Court rules that time set aside for prayer in public schools is unconstitutional. (McCollum v. Board of Education)
			1954		The words "One Nation Under God" are add to the Pledge of Allegiance.
			1961		There are about 1000 Christian Schools in America.
			1962		Supreme Court rules that children may not recite a state written prayer in school (Engel v. Vitale).
			1963		Supreme Court bans individual school prayer (Murry v. Curlett) and Bible reading in public schools (Abington Township School District v. Schempp).
			1965		Supreme Court rules that a child may pray silently to himself if no one knows he is praying and his lips do not move.
			1980		U.S. schools report the lowest S.A.T. scores ever, after 18 straight years of decline following the 1962 ban on school prayer.
			1980		Supreme Court rules that the Ten Commandments can not be posted in classrooms, "for a child might read them, reflect upon them and then obey them."  (Stone vs. Graham)
			1983		President Reagan proposes a Constitutional Amendment to allow school prayer.
			1984		There are now 32,000 Christian Schools in America to counter the Supreme Courts secularizing of the public school system.
			1985		Supreme Court strikes down Alabama law requiring schools to have a moment of silent meditation at the beginning of the day.
			1987		Supreme Court overturns a State Law requiring a balanced treatment of creation science and evolution.  (Edwards vs. Aguillard)
			1992		Supreme Court rules Clergy may not offer prayer at graduation ceremonies.  (Lee vs. Weisman)
			1999		Two Students at Littleton, Colorado High School shoot eleven students.  None of the students have ever seen the Ten Commandments, "Thou shall not Kill" in a public school.
			2000		Supreme Court rules student initiated or student led prayer at football games is unconstitutional.  (Doe vs. Santa Fe Independent School District)
			2004		Supreme Court upholds the words "One Nation Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.
	2008	Christian run schools and most home schooling programs continue to produce students with higher academic test results then secular public schools.

                

The Supreme Court has done more to turn this Nation away from God,

 then any other branch of the Government. 

Introduction      Site Map     Morals in Education & Society

Impact of Banning God from Our Schools    

Quotes from the Founding Fathers on Morals and Religion

Last Update Jan. 2009

[GonzoII]

After reading this, I ask: How could anybody think that the Founding Fathers original intent was to not have prayer in public schools?

[Arthur McGowan]

The existence of government schools, not the absence of prayer in government schools, is the problem.

The existence of government schools is a greater threat to the continued freedom of the American People than any external enemy—because government schools were always INTENDED to turn American children into enemies of freedom.

Prayer in Government Schools—like Prayer in Whorehouses—is an issue that no one should be wasting any time, money, or energy on.

[GonzoII]

"Prayer in Government Schools—like Prayer in Whorehouses—is an issue that no one should be wasting any time, money, or energy on."

If I was trapped in a whorehouse I'd sure need prayer.

Public schools are not evil in themselves, they need to be permeated with Judeo-Christian values.

[Arthur McGowan]

Government schools ARE evil in themselves, because imprisoning children for most of their waking hours for most of their childhood is intrinsically evil. And “education” is not a legitimate function of government. And it is immoral for citizens to use the taxing power to force other people to pay for educating their children.

Which means that government schools are evil in themselves on at least three counts.

[ALPAPilot]

If you send your kids to public school, you are part of the problem.

[Darkwolf377]

Prayer in Government Schools—like Prayer in Whorehouses—is an issue that no one should be wasting any time, money, or energy on.

It's such a pointless issue, to me. People are free to pray on their own at any time. They can pray silently, 24/7. I've never understood why the same people who (rightly) criticize teachers for screwing up our children's education want them to lead our kids in prayer.

[GonzoII]

"And “education” is not a legitimate function of government."

It's legitimate (though not necessary) when it plays a subsidiary roll assisting parents who are the primary educators of their children.

[DJ MacWoW]

One of the problems with public schools is that the Fed is involved at all. The Founders did not thik that the Fed should run everything.

"The way to have safe government is not to trust it all to the one, but to divide it among the many, distributing to everyone exactly the functions in which he is competent....To let the National Government be entrusted with the defense of the nation, and it's foreign and federal relations..... The State Governments with the Civil Rights, Laws, Police and administration of what concerns the State generally. The Counties with the local concerns, and each ward direct the interests within itself. It is by dividing and subdividing these Republics from the great national one down through all it's subordinations until it ends in the administration of everyman's farm by himself, by placing under everyone what his own eye may superintend, that all will be done for the best."
Thomas Jefferson

[yazoo]

I am completely against prayer in public schools for the simple reason I don’t want any public school official determining what prayer should be said. I don’t understand the desire to have prayer in public schools given how our school system seems to screw up everything they touch.

[GonzoII]

"I don’t understand the desire to have prayer in public schools given how our school system seems to screw up everything they touch."

Spot on. That's why we need to appeal to the Judeo-Christian Divinity, as the founder's knew so well. ;0)

[GonzoII]

founders’

[ViLaLuz]

When I went to public elementary school, we used to pray before eating as a class and sing hymns.

[GonzoII]

"When I went to public elementary school, we used to pray before eating as a class and sing hymns."

Ahh, those were the days. ;0)