by Mrs. Rachel Pendergraft
Virtually everyone is of the belief that religion is not taught or promoted in schools. Yet, many people only consider the Christian religion in regard to this assumption. Christian students are in the headlines steadily for one legal case or another in which they have been stripped of even the most simple rights such as Christian oriented clothing, Christian designs on notebooks, or choosing a Christian topic for school reports or essays. The obvious answer to most is that NO, public schools definitely do not promote religion.
However, in fact, public schools in America DO promote religion. Our children are being taught a religion which is the rival and opposite of Christianity. It is called Secular Humanism and it is permeating every inch of the American fabric. It has been taught so successfully in the schools and universities that graduates entering such sensitive occupations as psychology, sociology, education, policy making, and the medical and legal professions are now by and large adherents to the Secular Humanist religion.
Secular Humanism is a religion in the same way that Hinduism and Buddhism are religions. The doctrines of Humanism have been set forth in two Humanist manifestos. The first tenet of Manifesto I states: Note: The Humanist Manifesto and Communist Manifesto are ideologically related.
“Religious humanists regard the universe as self-existing and not created.”
The United States Supreme Court has identified Secular Humanism as a religion. It ruled that the First Amendment grants the same protection and imposes the same limitations on the “religion of Secular Humanism” as are applicable to other religions. (Torcasco v. Watkins, 367 US 488 (1961)
In another Supreme court decision, Justice Clark stated, “[T]he State may not establish a ‘religion of secularism’ in the sense of affirmatively opposing or showing hostility to religion, thus ‘preferring those who believe in no religion over those who do believe.’ ” (Abington School District v. Schempp. 374, US 203,83 S. Ct. 1560, 10 L.Ed. 2d 844 (1963)
John Dewey was the chief designer of the 1933 Humanist Manifesto. He is recognized as the “father of progressive education.” In 1932, he was elected honorary president of the National Education Association.
Dewey’s educational philosophies were a reaction to the disciplined teaching of basic subjects and established rules.
Charles Francis Potter was a signer of The Humanist Manifesto I. He was also an honorary president of the national Education Association. One of his quotes summarizes what has actually happened in American public schools.
“Education is thus a most powerful ally of Humanism, and every American public school is a school of Humanism.”
Neutral education is therefore impossible. Teaching knowledge without God IS the religion of Humanism.
The flood of Humanistic philosophies in school textbooks is freely admitted by the humanists themselves. The following quote is from The Humanist magazine:
“Something wonderful, free, unheralded, and of significance to all Humanists is happening in the secondary schools. It is the adolescent literature movement. They may burn Slaughter house Five in North Dakota and ban a number of innocuous books in Kanaway County, but thank God the crazies don’t do all that much reading. If they did, they’d find that they have already been defeated. Adolescent literature has opened Pandora’s box…Nothing that is part of contemporary life is taboo in this genre, and any valid piece of writing that helps to make the world more knowable to young people serves an important humanistic function.”
Note: The ACLU of Wisconsin is suing a school district because the parents wanted homosexual books removed from the children’s library. The ACLU says this is an attack on “children’s literature”.
Contrary to Justice Clark’s admonition that the state may not “affirmatively [oppose] or [show] hostility to religion,” there is a mounting campaign to remove all traces of Christianity from the public schools and institutions of our land.
Courts have ruled that it is illegal to display the Ten Commandments in a classroom of a public school.
Another ruling has prohibited a moment of silence before class, because it might be interpreted as a time for Christian prayer by public school students.
Meanwhile, schools are introducing courses and textbooks which openly teach the religious tenets of Humanism. These are diametrically opposed to the basic principles of Christianity and even many churches have become Humanized.
Courses in “Values Clarification” indoctrinate children to reject the moral absolutes of the bible. This is accomplished by the introduction of “situation ethics.”
A sociology textbook explains that “there are exceptions to almost all moral laws, depending on the situation.” What is wrong in one instance may be right in another. Most children learn that it is wrong to lie. But later they may learn that is is tactless, if not actually wrong, not to lie under certain circumstances.”
The Humanist Manifesto II contains the following statement:
“We affirm that moral values derive their source from human experience. Ethics is autonomous and situational, needing no theological or ideological sanction. Ethics stems from human need and interest. To deny this distorts the whole basis of life.”
The Professor of Education and Psychiatry in the Faculty of medicine and Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, stated at a childhood school education seminar:
“Every child in America entering school at the age of five is mentally ill, because he comes to school with certain allegiances toward our founding fathers, toward our elected officials, toward his parents, toward a belief in a supernatural Being, toward the sovereignty of this nation as a separate entity.
It’s up to you teachers to make all of these sick children well by creating the international children of the future.”
And finally in The Humanist, “A Religion for a New Age,” we will read:
“…The battle for humankind’s future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers who correctly perceive their role as the proselytizers of a new faith…
“The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the new-the rotting corpse of Christianity…and the new faith of humanism.”
Religious Humanists believe the lie that Man is equal with God. Because they believe that each man and woman is their own God, individual rights are no longer needed. The social welfare of all “equal” humans or “gods” is the goal. Individuals are encouraged to no longer follow the commandments set by a “supernatural Being” (The Lord) but rather to follow their own inner voice. They choose right or wrong for themselves. They are after all, the Humanists teach, equal with any imagined God.
Unfortunately Christians aren’t always on guard for the temptations of Humanism. It is very tempting for someone to believe that a certain behavior or action may be okay for them. They are in a unique situation after all. They begin rationalizing their behaviors because it is enjoyable or may seem like an easy way out of a situation.
Thoughts like this are contrary to Christianity and are the root of evil. Many people have justified their actions by placing themselves in the role of decision maker over their own life, rather than following God’s plan for their life.
Abortion is often justified due to economic or relationship issues. Interracial socializing is often justified because we live in the same geographic area. Yet, it leads to interracial dating, marriage, and offspring and causes the disintegration of communities, cultures, laws, and nations. The rights of homosexuals are promoted because no one wants to hurt their feelings and then what happens. Homosexuals become haughty and flaunt themselves. They work to achieve positions of influence, whether it in the media, the entertainment industry, the educational institutions, publishing houses, or legislature. In these positions they can then confuse and lead them to a homosexual lifestyle. The Bible doesn’t say to protect queers, it says they are to be punished after being found guilty by a court of law. However, today we are likely to have a queer for a judge.
The Humanists of today resulted from being exposed to Humanist teachings themselves. Their parents didn’t protect them from this evil religion.
The refusal to obey God’s laws, whether we think they are fair or not, and instead obey our own idea of ethics and right or wrong has led to America’s downfall. From Bolshevism, to Communism, to Humanism and now it’s new name of globalism, the adversaries of Christianity seek to undermine it at every turn. Its unbelievable that so many cannot see the similarities between Communism – Humanism – Globalism.
The idea of being above God’s law is not new. Satan and a third of the angels were cast out of heaven because they rebelled against God’s authority and wanted to be equal with him.
Everyone of us will be tempted with “the Lie.” If we reject the moral disciplines of God’s truth, he will send a strong delusion, and then the world will believe “the Lie.”
“…They received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie.” II Thess. 2:10-11
“Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” Romans 1:25
The philosophies which are built on “the lie” (Talmudism, Bolshevism, Communism, Humanism, Globalism” are as dangerous as the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Because of this, God warns Christians to “beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit…” Col. 2:8
Humanism/Globalism are taught in the schools. No one can argue with this fact. We are being prepared to be global Atheist citizens. However, America was founded as a Christian government – its laws taken from the Bible. Humanists fought to change the meaning of the First Amendment which established that no particular denomination would rule such as was in England at the time. But Christianity and its basic tenets were to be the basis of all American life from the schooling of children to the making and enforcing of laws.
Now the lie told by cunning Atheists of “separation of Church and State” has eradicated Christian teaching from the schools in the name of tolerance. It has now been replaced with the religion of “Secular Humanism” . They are looking for converts and the people of the world are following them along much like the pied piper.
We must be wary of these destructive forces and counter them with all our might. Humanists appear to be winning. However, they won’t in the long run. As Christians we can trust in God’s ability to destroy the followers of false religions.
We must though, stand guard of our children and watch over their soul. They are vulnerable to the religious teaching of Humanism and are confronted by it continually throughout the school day and then when then come home and watch television.
People who have not reached maturity, young or old, are prone to fantasies of their own power. In their mind, they can make better decisions than God, but Humanists aren’t God, they are merely mal-adjusted individuals who can’t come to terms with obeying God’s will for their lives. Don’t let them wreak havoc on the lives of you and your family. You can rely on God’s power to keep you strong and defiant in the face of Humanism and Globalism – the new religion of the schools.