Either by the Bible...or the Bayonet

"All societies of men must be governed in some way or other. The less they may have of stringent State Government the more they have of individual self-government. The less they rely on public law or physical force, the more they must rely on private moral restraint. Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled, either by a power within them, or by a power without them; either by the Word of God, or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible or the bayonet." -Honorable Robert Charles Winthrop (1809-1894), Massachusetts orator and legislator

This world would define freedom as the ability to do whatever you want. But is this definition Biblical? God's Word teaches us that sin puts us in bondage and truth sets us free. So freedom isn't about doing whatever you want but rather, it is the result that comes from choosing to do what is right; choosing to live by God's truth. This definition also applies to civil government. When a country has citizens that govern themselves by choosing to do what's right, then very little external government is required, but the opposite is also true, when the citizens don't choose to do what is right, more and more external government is needed. Our Founder's knew this well and that is why they felt that there was no better school text than the Bible for instructing children in righteousness to maintain a free nation.

"In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed.. No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people." -Noah Webster

"It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible. " - George Washington

"The Bible is the cornerstone of liberty....students' perusal of the sacred volume will make us better citizens, better fathers and better husbands." - Thomas Jefferson

How far from this we have come! First prayer was removed (make sure to scroll down through all of the shocking statistics) in 1962 and a year later public reading of the Bible in school was banned, now teachers are not allowed to have a Bible in school and Bibles can't even be handed out on a public sidewalk near a school. Is it any wonder that the 'bayonet' is being needed more and more often to control our 'out of control' youth? How sad for all those children who are no longer hearing the Truth that will set them free! Now I am not a proponent of government run education in the first place and certainly would not want my child being taught something contrary to my faith, say like Islam, but my main point is that the evidence clearly shows the necessity of God's Word in every child's education if we want America to once again be great.

"I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there. In the fertile fields and boundless prairies, and it was not there. In her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits, aflame with righteousness, did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." -De Tocqueville