| Dents
in the Wall
— Slow Return to Morality | |
| • | In 1981 to reduce the high number of teenage pregnancies, Congress passed the Adolescent Family Act which offered Federal Grant Money to any group that would teach premarital sexual abstinence. When it became public law, the act was challenged and taken back into courts, In Kendrick v Bowen, the lower courts again ruled that abstinence was a religious teaching and to teach it to students would violate the constitution. When the case reached the Supreme Court 5 years later, while conceding that abstinence was a religious teaching, reversed the lower court decision and ruled "That since abstinence teaching was probably in the best interest of the students, that it can again be taught."[48] |
| • | BOE of Westside Community Schools v. Mergens, 1990: Bible clubs are allowed on school campuses." . . . [S]ince Westside permitted other non-curricular clubs, it was prohibited under the Equal Access Act from denying equal access to any after-school club based on the content of its speech. . . . The Court added that the Equal Access Act was constitutional because it served an overriding secular purpose by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of philosophical, political, or other types of speech. As such, the Act protected the Christian club's formation even if its members engaged in religious discussions."[55] |
| • | Barnes v. Glen Theatre, Inc., 1991: Previously the courts had ruled that nude dancing was a form of free speech. In this case, in a 5-4 majority, the court ruled that it is conduct and local communities can regulate it, arguing that "the government was justified in passing the public nudity law to protect the government’s interests in order and morality. The law did not target erotic dancing but the “evil” of “public nudity.” Justice Souter's majority opinion was based on the secondary-effects doctrine that allows government officials to regulate nude dancing as long as their reason for regulation is to combat harmful effects allegedly associated with adult businesses, such as increased crime or decreased property values. Souter reasoned that the nudity ban advanced the government’s interest in combating harmful secondary effects allegedly associated with adult businesses.[48, 56] |
| • | 2007: Supreme Court Upholds The Partial Birth Abortion Ban |
| • | Hein v. Freedom From Religion, Inc., 2007: When the Bush White House held a conference that informed both faith-based and secular organizations on an equal footing about federal funding for programs that help the poor —and how they can apply for grants —the Freedom From Religion Foundation filed suit, claiming they had legal standing as taxpayers to oppose the funding of the conference. The Court ruled that the Foundation could not challenge the funding of the White House Conference. Generally the constitution does not allow taxpayers to challenge federal government actions simply because they pay federal taxes. Ralph Ness, president of People for the American Way, complained that the Court had "put a big dent in the wall of separation between church and state."[12, 58] |
| • | Two Ten Commandments rulings: Texas and Utah |
| • | Supreme Court rulings on the observance of Christmas in Public Schools |
| • | In recent years Christian Legal organizations have been fighting for many of our religious rights, (too many to mention here) taking and winning more and more cases all the way up to the Supreme Court. Christians and people of other faiths can support these organizations and turn to them for help when their rights have been trampled on. Christians can also make a difference at the ballot box, electing godly, moral leaders. The nation turned to prayer after 9-11 and many people are now seeking answers from a higher power than themselves. The tide may be turning against Secular Humanism, but its defeat will not come overnight. However, if Christians become involved in the public arena, begin fighting for their rights and speaking out against social evils, we may be able to regain the moral compass that once guided our nation. "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land". — Holy Bible, 2 Chronicles 7:14 |