The second Blog Against Theocracy is happening this weekend - July 1 to July 4. The following is an updated version of an earlier post here on Jamonation.

Biblical Literacy: The Not So Hidden Agenda

The issue of biblical literacy has been bothering me since it came to the forefront of the news media earlier this spring. I view the infiltration of the public school system by Evangelical Christians as one of the greatest dangers to the continued separation of church and state. I’ve attempted to piece together some thoughts about the issue that have been simmering in my mind for a few weeks now.

Who are the people that insist that the bible needs to be taught in the public school system? Simple logic would dictate that it would be a group with a vested interest - a group like Evangelical Christians. Has any faction other than Evangelical Christians demanded that biblical literacy be taught in public schools? I can’t imagine that other faith groups or unbelievers of any stripe would be pushing this issue. Why would Evangelical Christians, who are supposedly already well versed in the teachings of the bible, want to promote teaching biblical literacy in public schools? It can’t be specifically for their own children for they have already been saved through attendance at private Christian schools. So why have Evangelicals made it a mission to have the bible taught in the public school system?

There is only one reason. They want to convert as many unbelievers to Christianity as possible. That’s all. Do they really think that their real agenda is not blatantly obvious? Their newfound concern for the lack of Biblical literacy is a mere smokescreen for religious proselytization. One of the basic tenets of Evangelical Christianity is to proselytize. They may not call it proselytizing, but that’s what it is. Read it in the mission statements of the various Evangelical churches, which are generally based upon the Great Commission. Here’s an example from the Southern Baptist Convention Missions Work:

XI. Evangelism and Missions


It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. The new birth of man's spirit by God's HolySpirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life, and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.

Or how about this from the Pentecostal Assemblies of God:

WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO HIM…IN EVANGELISM


1. We commit ourselves to a renewed passion for evangelism. We are asking God to birth in us new compassion for those who are perishing without Christ. Every member and every ministry of this Fellowship must be compelled by the lostness of humanity. We will reach out to the oppressed and wounded–to all who are marching blindly to everlasting death, numbed by the immorality, materialism and rampant decay of our society. With God's help, we will reach every home and every culture in our communities with an adequate witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We will use every effective, biblical, outreach method the Holy Spirit gives us to bring people to salvation and transformation through the love and lordship of Jesus Christ.

It is clear that Evangelical Christians are duty bound to attempt to convert others to the Christian faith. Not satisfied with the means they currently have at their disposal to proselytize, they want access to the captive audience of the public school system. They must salivate at the prospect of all those young, fresh, open minds in which to plant the seeds of Christianity.

As I previously stated in a comment to the post Time Magazine: The Case For Teaching "The" Bible?, Evangelical Christians tried unsuccessfully to slip Intelligent Design into the public school science curriculum. The Dover, Pennsylvania court case effectively quashed that. So now they are trying to use biblical literacy as another way to sneak Christian teaching in through the back door of the public school system. I see this as one more step down the road to Christian theocracy - a major one at that.

For more information on separation of church and state, click the link below: