Recently, the Lancaster paper has covered a little tempest in the Eastern Lancaster County School District (Elanco). (For full disclosure, I am a friend of and have a lot of respect for the Elanco Superintendent Bob Hollister.) The issue is that the Elanco school board started its meeting with prayer. The Elanco District in inhabited by a vastly Christian majority. I believe that more than half the students do not even attend the public schools choosing instead homeschooling and various forms of Christian education. People in Elanco want to pray.

In hopes of staving off a law suit, however, the board made a decision that it would stop praying at the beginning of the meeting. Here is the initial story:

No Prayer for Elanco at Board

Most would think that I would be with my brothers in Christ (and in the vast majority) supporting prayer, but my position concerning this is more complicated than a simple yes or no.

First, I think that the people who want the prayer stopped have a point, which is: paying my taxes is NOT voluntary and the state using my taxes to support religion (however obliquely) is questionable. Jesus has been escorted off campus in most things--especially things having to do with curriculum, so why not for the board too?

Second, however, we must recognize that everyone that teaches children or runs schools needs to pray. The reason for this desire to pray should be obvious: Educating children is a intensely religious activity. It involves training them in right and wrong, teaching them to be virtuous, and disciplining them for sin and vice. Anyone who is involved in education and is worth their salt knows that prayer is a natural activity. Love bids us pray when we are in over our heads. Teachers and principles are in the deep water everyday.

Finally, I think that any decision in this direction fails (on both sides: those defending and those wanting to end prayer) to see that whatever their action religion has not been banished from Elanco or any other school. Praying to Jesus is a religious decision. Deciding that it is unnecessary to pray to Him is also a religious decision. Proclaiming Him Lord is a religious affirmation; failing to proclaim Him Lord is not neutrality--it is treason. Teaching little ones that they need not follow Him is getting into millstone territory. Educating anyone is religious.

Schools that attempt to educate without religion will always be doing two things (that are quite evident at public schools today): the will always be sneaking religion in the backdoor and calling it by other names (code words for this today would include character training, the virtue of the month, and anti-bullying) or they will be nagging, nagging, nagging, and using psychotherapeutic drugs to induce a state where vice gives everyone vertigo. This is, of course, because they have no argument against vice that would move the heart of any young boy that finds pulling the pig tails of the girl sitting in front of him interesting (and all of us do from time to time). Christians discipline this young man and so do schools who think of themselves as secular. The discipline looks very different. When I sit down with that young man I can tell him that what he has done is wrong and it is wrong because God says its wrong and that His Lord (Jesus) says its wrong. I can also tell him that his Lord has a different mission for him. He is calling him to use his strength to face down dragons and pull down strongholds (rather than yanking piggy tails). What are public schools left with: telling him to sit and think about it and a trip to the pharmacist.

In the next story in the paper, the people of Elanco rose up and inserted prayer into the meeting. The board allowed for an "open mic" time and residence came and prayed. here is the story:

Elanco Board Eliminates Prayer But That Does Not Stop the Residents

This is admirable, but it misses the point.The point is that the schools and the school board will not or cannot pray. Until that happens, Chrisitans should be wary of the environment--especially for their kids. If Jesus is not allowed on campus or in the board meeting, the underlying message is this: He is not needed. After reading these stories, it is obvious that He is.