A Teacher Fights to Keep His Bible On His Desk

It is hard to imagine that this is taking place in America, a nation that was founded on Biblical ideals, but it is happening...right here in Ohio. We need to pray for our country and stand up against the ACLU and other liberals in our country now, while we still have time!

For those unfamiliar with this, please visit the following from the Mansfield News Journal:

Article:
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080417/NEWS01/804170310

Video:
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080417/VIDEO/80417009

Here's also a copy of my letter to the editor, written after I read about Mr. Freshwater.

The Mount Vernon school district ought to be ashamed! I read in disbelief the story about Mr. Freshwater's Bible. The part that amazed me is that he was not accused of teaching from the Bible, he was accused of having his Bible on his desk! I think this teacher ought to be commended for having his Bible in the school, and I wish there were more teachers like him! The First Amendment does not grant people freedom from religion, but it grants freedom of religion. The Founding Fathers did not intend to keep religion out of school. In fact, it was just the opposite. I own reprints of such 18^th and 19^th century schoolbooks as The New England Primer and McGuffey's Readers. These books are full of references about God and the Bible. Now the schoolbooks do not mention God, and teachers are apparently not allowed to even show their Bible in the classroom where the kids can see. During the early years of our nation, it was unheard of for one child to rape another. They had guns, but they did not shoot each other. Now, God has been “expelled” from the public schools and rapes and school shootings are much too common. Coincidental? I think not. These kids need to know the Ten Commandments, the golden rule, and the fact they were made in the image of God. The Bible was good enough for our Founding Fathers, and it is good enough for our kids today. I appreciate Mr. Freshwater's stand on this, and would encourage him to continue fighting.

Benjamin Rush, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence wrote, “The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion.” And in the Bible, we read a warning that we all need to pay attention to: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” (Psalm 9:17).

David Green (Lexington)
Pastor, Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Mansfield