Wednesday, December 19, 2012

God Isn't In My Home Room Class

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Okay, I try to stay out of politics and religion because that's just not a nice topic between friends. Especially on the internet, where our associations and friendships are apt to cross every category of belief known to man. But there's one thing floating around the internet right now that frankly troubles me.

I'm speaking of those copy/paste/re-post things that go on about "Q: God, why weren't you at that school? A: Because I'm not allowed in school."

Now I know a lot of people who share that - and I am NOT looking at anyone in particular; hell, I don't even remember who DID post - don't mean any ill by it. Most likely they see it, read it, and think, "Yes, I believe this country is really suffering from a loss of morals and just plain Christian kindness."  And that's fine. I have my doubts about our society these days, myself.

But God in schools ... what ARE they talking about? I'm a Methodist preacher's daughter. When I was in grade school 40 years ago, there was no GOD in schools. Sure, we recited the Pledge of Allegiance and the school had a dress code, and we weren't supposed to fight at recess. But God in schools? Seriously? Where?

My school didn't have the Ten Commandments on the wall. We didn't say grace before lunch. In fact, I don't remember one single thing about God in school. And that's the way it should be. Faith and spirituality are private choices, and parents alone should have the right to guide their children's' spiritual growth. If I had kids, I wouldn't want their school to stick so much as a pinky-toe into their religious upbringing!  So, I really don't get this moaning and hand-wringing about "God in schools."

But most of all, what I really, REALLY dislike, is the inference behind that meme. It's saying that God wasn't at that school when the killer opened fire, because the school didn't allow Him inside.

Bullshit. Bull. Shit. That is so much crap I can barely articulate it. GOD had nothing to do with that massacre of the innocents, one way or another - a deranged human being did. God has never in the history of the world stepped in to stop humans from performing brutality upon each other. And as I see it, that's not His job. We are here to look after each other and to guide our children's moral paths. All He is required to do is catch lost souls into His care and bear them away from pain.

How are we supposed to put God in schools, anyhow, when the children of this country now represent every faith in the modern world, or even a lack thereof? We can't impose a Christian ideal upon a purely secular institution. That's not what our taxpayer dollars are for. If people want God in schools, then they should sign their kids up for a nice parochial school. But the public schools should not touch religion. Where I grew up, they never did.

Bottom line is, human beings have free will. We do what we want, for good or evil. God is not going to change that, now. And honestly, I think passing around some vague outrage about God being banished from schools is disingenuous. It does nothing. It *means* nothing.

And it sure as hell does not address a tragedy on the scale of the massacre in Connecticut. God isn't waiting at the schoolhouse door. If you believe in Him, he is waiting at yours.

Think about that. And stop looking for a place to lay blame. If people don't see enough of God in the world, then they should step up and do more of His work.

Okay, that's me, over and out. I offer my regrets to anyone whom I may have offended by this post.

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