Religion in Public Education
In Benjamin Franklin's 1749 plan of education for public schools in Pennsylvania, he insisted that schools teach "the necessity of a public religion . . . and the excellency of the Christian religion above all others, ancient or modern."[13]
Thomas Paine, in his discourse on "The Study of God," forcefully asserts that it is "the error of schools" to teach sciences without "reference to the Being who is author of them: for all the principles of science are of Divine origin." He laments that "the evil that has resulted from the error of the schools in teaching [science without God] has been that of generating in the pupils a species of atheism."[13]
The
following five quotations are from "A Defense of the Use of the Bible in
Schools" (1830) by Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration, member of Continental
Congress, and founder of 5 universities.
"Let
the children ... be carefully instructed in the principles and obligations of
the Christian religion. This is the most essential part of education.[36]
"In
Scotland and in parts of New England, where the Bible has been long used as a
schoolbook, the inhabitants are among the most enlightened in religions and science,
the most strict in morals, and the most intelligent in human affairs of any people
whose history has come to my knowledge upon the surface of the globe."[36]
"We
err, not only in human affairs but in religion likewise, only because we do not
"know the Scriptures" and obey their instructions. Immense truths, I
believe, are concealed in them. The time, I have no doubt, will come when posterity
will view and pity our ignorance of these truths as much as we do the ignorance
sometimes manifested by the disciples of our Savior, who knew nothing of the meaning
of those plain passages in the Old Testament which were daily fulfilling before
their eyes.
"The perfect morality of the Gospel rests upon a doctrine which, though often controverted, has never been refuted; I mean the vicarious life and death of the Son of God … By withholding the knowledge of this doctrine from children, we deprive ourselves of the best means of awakening moral sensibility in their minds . . .I cannot but suspect that the present fashionable practice of rejecting the Bible from our schools has originated from deists. And they discovered great ingenuity in this new mode of attacking Christianity. If they proceed in it, they will do more in a half a century in extirpating our religion than Bolingbroke or Voltaire could have effected in a thousand years " — Benjamin Rush: A Defense of the Use of the Bible in Schools[36]
"Surely future generations wouldn't try to take the Bible out of schools. In contemplating the political institutions of the United States, if we were to remove the Bible from schools, I lament that we could be wasting so much time and money in punishing crime and would be taking so little pains to prevent them."[5]
Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration and member of Continental Congress: "Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure, which insures to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments." The Life and Correspondence of James McHenry by Bernard C. Steiner 1907, from a letter from Charles Carroll, Nov. 4, 1800.[5]
Thomas Jefferson signed a bill to build a church at government expense for the Indians. He signed a bill to pay the salary of a missionary to the Indians. He recommended and signed treaties which gave federal government money to support a Roman Catholic priest in his priestly duties and to help build a Roman Catholic church. Jefferson, while president, was also the Chairman of the Board for education in Washington, DC, and he required that two books be taught in our schools — the Bible and Watt's Hymnal. "Thomas Jefferson, the guru of separation of church and state, whose name has been lifted up as a reason for snatching away Bibles from numerous little kids who have read them on recess or at their lunch break because they say Thomas Jefferson would never countenance having Bibles in the school. He mandated it!!"[3, 20]
Noah Webster, Founding Father, scholar, author of the first and still respected American Dictionary: "The religion which has introduced civil liberty, is the religion of Christ and His apostles, which enjoins humility, piety and benevolence; which acknowledges in every person a brother, or a sister, and a citizen with equal rights. This is genuine Christianity, and to this we owe our free constitutions of governments." 1832, History of the United States, Noah Webster, America's God and Country, William Federer, p.678[5]
John Marshal argued, by some to be our greatest Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: "The American population is entirely Christian, and with us Christianity and religion are identified. It would be strange indeed, if such a people, our institutions did not presuppose Christianity, and did not often refer to it, and exhibit relations with it." - letter to Jasper Adams, May 9, 1833[5]