Our Threatened Freedom

Is There a Danger in Biblical Religion

Professor: Dr. R.J. Rushdoony

Subject: Political Studies

Lesson: 60-169

Genre: Conversation

Track: 060

Dictation Name: Vol. E - Part 08 - Is There a Danger in Biblical Religion

Location/Venue: Unknown

Year: 1980’s – 1990’s

[Dr. Rushdoony] Is there a danger in biblical religion? This is R.J. Rushdoony with a report on our threatened freedom.

One of the very strange facts of our time is that, as a part of our sex education classes in state schools, a variety of sexual practices, beginning with homosexuality, are given equal time with what Christendom has always regarded as normal sexuality. At the same time, some cities are going further. In one city, lesbians and homosexuals are brought in to defend their practices, and to describe them. Students are asked then to act out gay roles in class. According to one spokesman, and I quote, “We’re not afraid to use graphic language to the kids, depending on the circumstances. We’re the first group of out-front gays who’ve actually gone into schools with sanction from the top.” Unquote.

At the same time of course, prayer has been banned from the schools and the Bible also. Every year we see protests and legal action at Christmas because some teacher uses Christmas carols or has a crèche in the classroom. It is not my concern here to argue on the pros and cons of prayer in schools. I am simply calling attention to the gross inequality, the inequity, of barring religious practices common to most Americans, and including in the classroom teaching moral practices repugnant to most Americans. Sexuality is more than a matter of technique. And no teaching in this area can be purely scientific, at every point moral considerations do enter in. Dr. Thomas {?} in ‘Sex by Prescription’, speaks of it as, quote, “This business of systematically concealing a secular sexual ethic as medical science, and teaching it in the public schools as sex education.” Unquote. In fact, Dr. {?} terms it religion as sex education. Thus we are indeed getting religion, humanistic religion, in the films, study materials, and teaching in the state schools.

The West Supreme Court has twice stated that humanism is a religion, so this status of humanism as a religion is a legal as well as historical fact.

Why then should one religion command our state schools, and others be banned? Why should humanistic teachings get tax support if we are in principle opposed, as I believe we should be, to the tax support of any religion? Does the separation of church and state apply only to the Christian religion, but not to the religion of humanism? This problem is of concern to millions of Americans. The domination of state schools and the financial assistance to one religion, at the expense of others, is offensive to many. The implicit position today seems to be that biblical religion is a threat to our state schools, but that the religion of humanism is not. Such a position is provincial, unjust, and a threat to our freedom.

This has been R.J. Rushdoony with a report on our threatened freedom.