The history of the Catholic Church has been one of political involvement in the politics of civil government. This was true also of the early development of the Protestant Reformation. In many instances the most ungodly political maneuvering has been conducted in the name of Christ. Such maneuvering was and continues to be an abomination. Neither the Catholic Church nor any other ecclesiastical organization is the representative of Christ on earth.

Political involvement is not an acceptable relationship of the Church to civil government.

"My kingdom is not of this world."

The Pilgrim fathers came to America in order to be able to worship God according to their conscience. The later immigrants came to escape the political conditions of Europe, and other countries, and to attain an improved economic state.

To this day there are at least two sets of people in America: those who want to worship God in peace, and those who are seeking material security and freedom of speech and action and who desire release from every claim of Christianity. The two groups are in bitter conflict today.

The Constitution of the United States seeks to promote peace among its varied citizenry by removing religion from every aspect of civil government. This effort is failing because it is impossible to rule or conduct governmental-social functions, such as education, in a spiritual, moral vacuum.

Today, various aspects of the Hindu religion, although cloaked in acceptable phrases such as transcendental meditation, or therapy, are practiced at all levels of public education. Also, specific occult behaviors are openly endorsed and practiced. Humanism, also a religion, is widely sponsored by school administrators; and sometimes the philosophy of Existentialism is embraced.

The conviction of humanists and libertarians that public education must be free from religion is interpreted to mean it must be free from the Christian religion. In some instances public-school teachers appear to be horrified at the thought of a Bible being found in a child's possession in the classroom.

Given the fact that Christian children are compelled by law to attend school, and many Christian parents cannot afford private schools and must pay taxes to support public schools, it is clear we have religious persecution in the United States.

The attempt to remove the teaching of special creation from the science curriculum is not an impartial verdict of sincere scholars. It is not impartial at all but a thinly disguised anti-Christian bias. An unbiased investigation of the factual basis of evolution and the factual basis of special creation, leads relentlessly to the superiority of the latter as a respectable hypothesis. The doctrine of evolution is secular dogma, not science.

The pronouncements and actions of public education officials in America regarding the problem of the beliefs and values of Christian children who are compelled by law to attend public-school classes are a sham, a disgrace to the state and federal governments. The beliefs and values of the Christian family no longer are being protected. They are being invaded by the several states in the name of the rights of children. While there is much abuse of children in America, the answer to the problem is not to take away the rights of Christian parents to raise their children in the ways of the Lord.

To be continued.