Court Rulings on Christianity

United States Supreme Court Rulings

Why may not the Bible, and especially the New Testament be read and taught as a divine revelation in the school? Where can the purest principles of morality be learned so clearly or so perfectly as from the New Testament? Vidal v Girard's Executors, 2 How. 127 (1844) -

The happiness of a people and the good order and preservation of civil government essentially depend upon piety, religion and morality. Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, The United States Supreme Court, 143 U.S. 457, 12 S.Ct. 511, 36 L.Ed. 226 (1892)

Religion, morality, and knowledge are necessary to good government, the preservation of liberty, and the happiness of mankind. Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, The United States Supreme Court, 143 U.S. 457, 12 S.Ct. 511, 36 L.Ed. 226 (1892)

Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of The Redeemer of mankind. It's impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian... This is a religious people. This is historically true. From the discovery of this continent to the present hour, there is a single voice making this affirmation... we find everywhere a clear recognition of the same truth... These, and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation. Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, The United States Supreme Court, 143 U.S. 457, 12 S.Ct. 511, 36 L.Ed. 226 (1892)

"It yet remains a problem to be solved in human affairs whether any free government can be permanent where the public worship of God, and the support of religion, constitute no part of the policy or duty of the state in any assignable shape." Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story

In V. Watkins v. Torso, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Secular Humanism is a religion.

Federal Committee's

Religion must be considered as the foundation on which the whole structure rests. In this age there can be no substitute for Christianity; the great conservative element on which we must rely for the purity and permanence of free institutions. House Judiciary Committee, 1854

The great vital and conservative element in our system is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and divine truths of gospel of Jesus Christ. House Judiciary Committee, 1854

"Whereas the Bible, the Word of God, has made a unique contribution in shaping the United States as a distinctive and blessed nation of people. Whereas Biblical teachings inspired concepts of civil government that are contained in our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of The United States ... Whereas that renewing our knowledge of, and faith in God through Holy Scriptures can strengthen us as a nation and a people. Now therefore be it resolved ... that the President is authorized and requested to designate 1983 as a national "Year of the Bible" in recognition of both the formative influence the Bible has been for our nation, and our national need to study and apply the teachings of the Holy Scriptures." 1983 - Oct. 4, 1982, Joint Resolution of Congress.

State Supreme Court Rulings

The morality of the country is deeply engrafted upon Christianity, and not upon the doctrines or worship of other religions. In people whose manners are refined, and whose morals have been elevated and inspired with a more enlarged benevolence, it is by means of the Christian religion. People v. Ruggles 8 Johns. R. 290 N.Y. 1811

Offenses against religion and morality strikes at the root of moral obligation, and weaken the security of the social ties…..This First Amendment declaration never meant to withdraw religion. And with it the sanctions of moral and social obligation from all consideration and notice of the law. People v. Ruggles 8 Johns. R. 290 N.Y. 1811

Whatever strikes at the root of Christianity tends manifestly to the dissolution of civil government, because it tends to corrupt the morals of the people, and to destroy good order. People v. Ruggles 8 Johns. R. 290 N.Y. 1811

The destruction of morality renders the power of the government invalid. The Commonwealth v Sharpless, 2 Serg & R. 91 (Sup. Ct. Penn. 1815)

A malicious intention, to vilify the Christian religion and the scriptures, would prove a nursery of vice, a school of preparation to qualify young men for the gallows, and young women for the brothel, and there is not a skeptic of decent manners and good morals, who would not consider such a common nuisance and disgrace. Updegraph v. Commonwealth, 11 Serg. & Rawle 394 Pa. 1824

No free government now exists in the world, unless where Christianity is acknowledged, and is the religion of the country. Christianity is part of the common law. Its foundations are broad and strong and deep. It is the purest system of morality and only stable support of all human laws. Updegraph v. Commonwealth, 11 Serg. & Rawle 394 Pa. 1824

Christianity has reference to the principles of right and wrong; It is the foundation of those morals and manners upon which our society is formed; it is their basis. Remove this and they would fall. Morality has grown upon the basis of Christianity. Charleston v. Benjamin, 2 Strob. 508 (Sup.Ct. SC 1846)

What constitutes the standard of good morals? Is it not Christianity? There Certainly is none other. Say that cannot be appealed to, and what would be good morals? The day of moral virtue in which we live would, in an instant, if that standard were abolished, lapse into the dark and murky night of pagan immorality. Charleston v. Benjamin, 2 Strob. 508 (Sup.Ct. SC 1846)

Law Dictionaries

“…The Christian religion is, of course, recognized by the government, yet not so to draw invidious distinctions between different religious beliefs, etc.; Cooley, Const. 206.” Bouvier's Law Dictionary (1914), “Religion,” p.2865.

School Prayer now Outlawed

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Union Free School District No. 9 in Hyde Park, New York had violated the First Amendment by directing the Districts' principals to cause the following prayer to be said aloud by each class in the presence of a teacher at the beginning of each school day. "Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country." Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962).

The U.S. Supreme Court banned school-directed recital of the Lord's Prayer and reading of Bible passages as part of "devotional exercises" in public schools. Abington School Dist. V. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 (1963).

The U.S. Supreme Court banned the posting of the Ten Commandments on public school classroom walls. Stone v. Graham, 449 U.S. 39 (1980).

The U.S. Supreme Court banned observance of "daily moments of silence" from public schools when students were encouraged to pray during the silent periods. Wallace v. Jaffree, 472 U.S. 38 (1985).

The U.S. Supreme Court held that schools must allow student prayer groups to organize and worship if other non-religious clubs are also permitted to meet on school property. Westside Community Board of Educationd. v. Mergens, 496 U.S. 226 (1990).

The U.S. Supreme Court outlawed prayers led by members of the clergy at public school graduation ceremonies. Lee v. Weisman, 505 U.S. 577 (1992) The U.S. Supreme Court banned student-led pre-game prayers at public high school football games. Santa fe independent school District v. Doe, certiorari to the United States court of appeals for the fifth circuit No. 99-62. Argued March 29, 2000--Decided June 19, 2000.

Why did this Happen?

Since 1962, the Supreme Court has consistently ruled that in "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion," the Founding Fathers intended that no act of government (including public schools) should favor any one religion over others. That's hard to do, because once you mention God, Jesus, or anything even remotely "Biblical," you have pushed the constitutional envelope by "favoring" one practice of religion over all others.

It may very well be that the only way to not favor one religion over others, is to not favor any religion at all -- a path now being chosen by many public schools.

Government schools have one purpose -- to turn your kids into walking, talking government automatons, devoid of religious values, unable to think for themselves, ready, willing and able to serve the state as their highest authority.

In case you missed it, the ruling in the Texas case said prayers, such as those before high school football games, violate the constitutionally required separation of government and religion. For the record, there is no constitutional provision separating government and religion. The very idea would have been repugnant to most of the founding fathers. In fact, the First Amendment does just the opposite -- it protects religious expression from government and the establishment of an official religion by government.

Instead of wringing our hands and gnashing our teeth, we should be asking ourselves: What else should we expect from a rogue court hell-bent on establishing the state as the supreme authority in the land?

"School sponsorship of a religious message is impermissible because it sends the ancillary message to members of the audience who are nonadherents that they are outsiders, not full members of the political community, and an accompanying message to adherents that they are insiders, favored members of the political community," wrote Justice John Paul Stevens for the majority.

What a joke! Every single day in government schools religious children are given just such messages through curricula. They are taught moral relativism in direct contradiction to their faith. They are taught they are not beings created in the self-image of God but rather the result of chance mutations over tens of millions of years. In a thousand ways religious kids are given the message that they are outsiders and not full members of the political community.

Decisions like this are not the result of poor intellect. They are not the result of chance. They are not the result of mistakes. They are the result of cold calculation by elitists who want to turn your kids into serfs who serve only the state. Flee from the government propaganda factories. Teach your children at home or find a good private school that reflects your values.

Jesus said to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's. Do you think your children belong to Caesar? Or are they truly a gift from God? If you agree they are a gift from God, why are you turning them over to Caesar for six to eight hours a day?