One Nation Under God?

September 2000

Dear Friends,

We come again to that challenging time of the year when parents are busily shopping for new clothes for their kids and getting them ready for yet another school year. For those moms and dads with new kindergartners, that first day at the bus stop will begin with a photo, a hug, a smile and then a tear on the way back to the house. For the parents of high school seniors, it signals the last year of childhood and a transition to things beyond. For mothers and fathers of homeschoolers, this is a time of intense preparation and planning. September has other meanings for us, as well. It represents a nostalgic end of summer, with its backyard barbecues, vacations and leisure activities with friends and relatives. Now here comes the fall, which for many of us guys brings the excitement of big-time college football. I love it. Yea, USC! Boo, UCLA, Michigan, Alabama, Florida State and Notre Dame! (That ought to smoke out a response from some of my readers.)

In keeping with the arrival of the new school year, I would like to address some of the education-related issues that have arisen in recent months. They demonstrate graphically that the battle for the hearts and minds of our kids is still being waged. Let’s start with a decision by Federal District Judge Jennifer Coffman, who ruled in May that displays of historic American documents in eastern Kentucky schools and county courthouses were unconstitutional and had to be removed.1 She said they had the effect of "conveying a very specific governmental endorsement of religion."2 Believe it or not, the documents to which the judge objected included:

• an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence, which reads, "All men ... are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

• the preamble to the Constitution of Kentucky, which states, "We, the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy, and invoking the continuance of these blessings, do ordain and establish this Constitution."

• the national motto, "In God we trust"

• a page from the congressional record of Wednesday, Feb. 2, 1983, Vol. 129, No. 8, which declares 1983 as the "Year of the Bible" and lists the Ten Commandments

• a proclamation by President Ronald Reagan marking 1983 the "Year of the Bible"

• a proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln designating April 30, 1863, a "National Day of Prayer and Humiliation"

• an excerpt from President Lincoln’s "Reply to Loyal Colored People of Baltimore upon Presentation of a Bible," which reads, "The Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man."

• The Mayflower Compact, in which the colony’s founders invoke "the name of God" and explain that their journey was taken, among other reasons, "for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith."3

Also displayed, and the apparent reason for the lawsuit brought by (who else?) the American Civil Liberties Union, were copies of the Ten Commandments. That did it for Judge Coffman. She required that all the documents be stripped from the walls.4

Johnnie Turner, a state legislator and representative of Harlan County schools, vigorously opposed the ruling. "‘The American people better look at what’s happening in these cases,’ he urged. ‘This holding is scary, and it should be scary to every American.’ Turner added, ‘The fight has just begun. With the good Lord’s help, we shall win.... We need the prayers and support of Americans.’"5

I thank God that school and legislative officials in eastern Kentucky are willing to fight for family, faith and freedom. We do need to pray for them, and for those engaged in other battles across the country that impact our children. You’ve probably heard that a panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the state of Ohio recently struck down the 1959 state motto that reads, "With God, all things are possible." Two of the three judges claimed it expresses "a uniquely Christian thought" and is therefore unconstitutional.6 By the way, this case was brought to court by (you guessed it) the ACLU, which represents a Presbyterian minister in suburban Cleveland, Rev. Matthew Peterson.7

Columnist and television host Tony Snow said this, "The [ruling] offers a tasty example of what happens when judges decide to stamp out religion in the name of preserving religious liberty. It also illustrates the absurd lengths to which American jurisprudes have gone to demonize all practiced faiths . . . Our legal system was designed to encourage moral clarity, sound reasoning and common sense. This time around, however, the appeals court did something else entirely. It proved that in God, all things truly are possible — and that even blockheads may become federal judges."8

I agree with Tony Snow that religious liberty and our Judeo-Christian system of values are being assaulted. For a final example, let me devote the balance of my letter to a battle that is taking place in the state of Utah. At issue is the passage of Senate Bill 21, which would direct public schools to teach the history, customs and etiquette of the American flag, and require elementary students to say the pledge every school day. High school students are encouraged to say it once a week. However, the bill allows parents to have their children excused from this requirement with a written note. Does that legislation sound reasonable to you? Not to the ACLU. It has threatened a lawsuit now that this bill has become law.9

According to The Salt Lake Tribune, supporters of the measure have called it a much-needed way of resurrecting patriotism in Utah classrooms. "Members of the American Legion testified during the Legislature that students don’t know the meaning of the Stars and Stripes, how to fold the flag or why that is important," the paper reported.10

"‘How many 8- [or] 9-year-olds can recite the Pledge of Allegiance? Very few, and that’s sad, because those children are going to be the leaders of tomorrow,’ said Dave Matern, in charge of the American Legion’s post in Kearns. ‘It goes hand in hand with learning about freedoms, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence [and] the presidential elections.’"11

How could anyone object to children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance or to a curriculum designed to teach them the history, customs and etiquette of the American flag? How could anything so central to our culture be considered even marginally controversial? The answers to these questions are very important and reveal a larger struggle that is underway. Let’s look back a few years to get a wider perspective.

When I was a kid, the Pledge of Allegiance was recited by each student, after which the class joined in saying the Lord’s Prayer in unison. That was the way many public schools in America began each day, which was followed by a healthy dose of reading, writing and arithmetic. But as we have seen, the Pledge is under attack, and reciting the Lord’s Prayer would send the ACLU into spasms of apoplexy. These two fundamental creeds — God and country — were central to school curricula in the not-so-distant past. Unfortunately, those beliefs and values have fallen into disfavor—not by a vote of the people of this democracy — but by imperious liberal judges who are determined to redesign this great nation by changing its schools.

Behind the resistance to patriotism and faith is a concept known as "multiculturalism," which emphasizes the differences rather than the similarities between Americans. I wish I could say that this term referred to respect for the entire human family, regardless of nationality, race or ethnic identification. That might have been the case in decades past, recalling images of the Ballet Folklorico, French crepes, Swedish fiddles, Zulu masks, Indian art, Tahitian drums, Chinatown, Little Italy and Armenian delicatessens. Every culture has a rich heritage from which we may gain something beautiful and valuable, and many of them have been assimilated in the land of the "Great Melting Pot."

No longer. The terms "multiculturalism" and "diversity" have come to have very different meanings when used by activists and the cultural elites. They are a kind of "Trojan Horse" in which to smuggle the concept of moral relativism into the heartland of Western culture. They are code words for the proposition that there is no such thing as right and wrong.

The argument runs like this. Because our nation is composed of people from widely diverse cultural and ethnic groups, each having its own unique value system or ethical code, we must conclude that there is no such thing as "truth" or moral certitude. In the final analysis, "anything goes." Somehow, the existence of many different standards proves that there is no standard. For obvious reasons, amoralists and atheists are attracted to that position and promote it with vigor. Nothing, they say, is really right or wrong. What is true depends entirely on one’s point of view. The highest form of good, therefore, is tolerance to anything and everything except traditional Christianity, which is the chief source of what they call "intolerance."

That line of reasoning has found its way into every crevice of the culture, and it is well represented now in the public educational system. Multiculturalism was the excuse for a curriculum written for children in New York City’s elementary schools a decade ago. It came to be known as "Children of the Rainbow," which taught thousands of wide-eyed kids to regard homosexuality as an "alternative lifestyle." One of the textbooks used was Daddy’s Roommate, a tale in which daddy leaves mommy for his gay lover. Another was entitled Heather Has Two Mommies, which described lesbian motherhood in glowing terms. Fortunately, parents in that school district got enough of "multiculturalism" and threw out the superintendent who tried to jam it down the throats of their children.12

As with a contagious virus, however, the concept has popped up in many other locations, including the California public schools. Helped by recent laws passed in that state dealing with "hate" crimes and AIDS education, more teachers have begun to teach that homosexuality is normal and acceptable. And the beat goes on. A new California bill, which has not passed at the time of this writing, requires school curricula to oppose "homophobia."13 This, of course, is just a slur aimed at people of faith who find homosexual behavior morally indefensible.

A principal at Heritage High School in Littleton, Colorado, before the massacre at Columbine High School, spoke in opposition to the instruction of the Depression and World War II. Why? Because he asserted that any attempt to define our cultural landmarks is arbitrary and therefore is arrogant and presumptuous.14 It is wrong, he said, to teach our children that an American perspective on world history is more valid than any other — even for Americans.

Several years ago, Pennsylvania educators proposed a similar educational objective for all their graduating seniors. There, where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Constitutional Convention occurred, came this guiding principle: "[Students should achieve] mastery of the concept that no one form of government is better than any other."15 Parents objected strenuously, and school officials backed down.

Were these educators really asserting that a democratic form of government based on guaranteed freedoms and elected representatives is not morally superior to totalitarian systems such as those dominated by Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin? Indeed, they were! And their students have learned their lessons well. U.S. News and World Report columnist John Leo reported a recent conversation with a university professor who said a sizeable percentage of his students even refuse to condemn the systematic murder of six million people in World War II. They say, "I’m not fond of the Nazis, but I can’t say that the Holocaust was immoral."16 After all, if there is no right or wrong, then not even mass murder can be called "wrong."

The lack of emphasis on American history in our schools is disturbing. Did you happen to read this summer about the study conducted by the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut? It administered a rather elementary 34-question test to seniors at 55 top colleges and universities, including Harvard and Princeton. Nearly 80 percent received a D or F grade. Many could not identify Patrick Henry’s famous phrase, "Give me liberty or give me death." More than a third didn’t know that the Constitution established a division of powers in American government; only 23 percent identified James Madison as the principal framer of the Constitution.17

The study, sponsored by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, found that none of the 55 schools required American history for graduation. And only 78 percent of the schools required students to take any history classes, according to Jerry Martin, one of the report’s authors.18

Even more disturbing, the test revealed that students had been heavily indoctrinated by the popular culture. For example, 99 percent of the seniors could identify the profane adolescents "Beavis and Butthead’’ as television cartoon characters. 19 Our brightest and best students are acquainted with Butthead but they don’t know Patrick Henry.

What accounts for this dismal showing by men and women at some of our most prestigious institutions? Clearly, they haven’t been taught. It is not considered important to a liberal arts education. "These students are allowed to graduate as if they didn’t know the past existed,’’ said Martin. 20

The problem begins in the lower grades, said James C. Rees, who oversees the George Washington Estate in Mount Vernon, Va. "George Washington has been virtually eliminated from elementary school textbooks. 21

I submit that the lack of interest in history is the end result of multiculturalism, and that behind multiculturalism is the atheistic belief known as moral relativism. They are inexorably linked.

The second great danger posed by those who hold this view is that they seek to create a nation of separate and competing special-interest groups struggling mightily against one another. They prefer that people identify not with the nation as a whole, but with tribes, races, national origins, religions, sexual preference groups and other sub-populations. This explains much of the rising animus between Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, Caucasians, homosexuals, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, men, women, the poor, the wealthy, the disabled, southerners, northerners, easterners, westerners, mid-westerners, etc. Everyone is actively butting heads with everyone else. And by the way, of all these individual identities, only Christians are condemned for advocating their positions. Advocating our beliefs is called "shoving their views down everyone else’s throats." For the rest of humanity, it is called "fighting for what they believe."

I’m convinced that many multiculturalists actually favor the kind of national fragmentation I have described. It is the primary source of their power and influence. They know a unified nation is difficult to dominate, especially one that pulsates to the rhythm of the Judeo-Christian value system. Thus, liberal politicians gain critical support in elections by splintering the culture — by granting tax advantages and legal prerogatives to special-interest groups and by setting the rich against the poor. Then they attempt to weaken expressions of Christian faith while strengthening alien theologies, New Age movements, Eastern mysticism and post-modern philosophies. By pitting one group against another in this way, they foster class warfare, conflict between the sexes, many languages in the schools and special rights for homosexuals. Of such are crafted political movements.

With this perspective on multiculturalism, we now understand why the Pledge of Allegiance is falling into disfavor with secular humanists and post-modernists. Read it with me, if you will, and imagine the nation’s children joining us, each with one hand over his or her heart: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." The last thing on earth the multiculturalists want is to have 54 million kids22 reciting that every morning! Quick, call in the ACLU!

Those 32 words contain four themes which account for much of the greatness of this land. They are loyalty to country, unity of the people, reverence for God and freedom for all. What is known as "the American idea" is interwoven with those four concepts. Though we are a nation of immigrants who came to these shores from various regions of the world, we have been forged into a national community by the great social experiment known as democracy. That’s why our country is called "the United States." It is also why the Great Seal of the United States, found on the back of the one-dollar bill, bears the phrase, "E Pluribus Unum," which means "from many, one."

No one doubts that healthy differences should and do exist between people, but there must also be a common bond that unites them. Why? Because there is strength in unity and there is pervasive weakness in disharmony. Jesus said it best: "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand" (Mark 3:24-25, NIV). Our stability as a nation, therefore, is directly dependent on how we relate to one another. We will either be "indivisible," or we will be easily "divide-able." We will either be "under God," or we will be under whatever seems right at the moment. We will either care about one another and promote the common good, or we will grab the best for ourselves and resent anyone who might nudge us out. We will either preserve our liberty, or we will fall victim to an opportunistic tyrant who would rule over us.

It’s as simple as that.

To parents who are sending your youngsters back to school this month, I urge you to get involved in what is going on in the classroom. There are many wonderful teachers and administrators out there who are working hard to defend and teach the very things that we believe. They need your encouragement and participation. I have personal knowledge of that need for parental support, because I taught at the elementary, junior high, secondary, college and graduate school levels. I also served in a medical school for 14 years. Those who claim that I am opposed to public education are wrong. We held a conference specifically for teachers at Focus last month, and had a sellout crowd in attendance. Our purpose was to encourage and inspire those who teach our kids, because we care about them.

Nevertheless, we have to acknowledge that there are some serious problems in public schools today that need to be addressed. That is why I suggest that parents keep a close eye on the classroom. Read the textbooks selected for your kids. Attend board meetings. Watch for the availability of pornography on school computers. Mothers can join a Moms in Touch chapter and pray for your children’s schools. Peruse the books in the library. If you are still concerned about your precious kids after this due diligence, or perhaps long before, I suggest that you consider placing them in Christian schools — or do the job at home yourself. By the way, according to a survey conducted in 1800, when almost all schooling was accomplished at home, only four out of every 1000 children were illiterate.23 John Adams said in 1765: "A native of America who cannot read or write is rare an appearance as ... a comet or an earthquake."24 Something to ponder!

We are fortunate to live in a country where various approaches to education are legal and available. Tailor the schooling of your children to the values and needs of your unique family. It’s worth the effort to do the job right.

If you want more information on how you can be involved in your child’s education, check out the many articles and resources on this Focus on the Family Web site.

That’s my message for this month. I will leave you with a reminder that Focus on the Family has had a very tough summer, financially. We need and would appreciate your help.

God bless you all.

James C. Dobson, Ph.D.
President

P.S. I’m sure you heard about the tragic decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the month of June, declaring Nebraska’s statute which banned the horrible procedure known as partial-birth abortion to be unconstitutional. That ruling by five justices guaranteed that the killing of late-term babies would continue, without anesthetic or compassion in the nation’s abortion clinics. In protest, Focus on the Family placed a full page ad in The Washington Post (USA Today and The New York Times refused it the week before the Democratic Convention and on Tuesday, August 15, when a Los Angeles edition of the paper was published for distribution at the convention. The ad also ran in the Los Angeles Times on Thursday, August 17. The cost to the ministry was $142,000, which has stretched our budget significantly. If you would like to contribute toward this kind of expenditure, and for the ongoing expenses of this ministry, please do let us hear from you. This is no time for the defenders of life to remain silent.

*(Note: Referrals to Web sites not produced by Focus on the Family are for informational purposes only and do not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)