An Ever Closing Window of Opportunity

I just read this article from Fox News: Pagan Mom Challenges Bible Giveaway at North Carolina School. Long story short, a witch mother of a student was upset when her student came home with a Bible. Turns out, Gideons International had donated the Bible and the school made them voluntarily available in the office. The student went to the office and brought a Bible home to his pagan mom. Soon after, this mom attempted to donate a collection of spell books for the school to distribute in the same way, but she was rejected. Her protests are causing the school board to choose between all religions or no religion.

This article is a perfect example of what I believe is our limited timeframe in which we can openly conduct campus ministries in our schools. The Supreme Court decision of Engel v. Vitale in 1962 started a metaphorical clock that has been counting down until religion is no longer allowed in schools in any form. Why do I believe this? That court decision that removed prayer from school introduced a new ideology into the mainstream and education system of America, an ideology that has shaped every Supreme Court decision ever since. You can see for yourself that after Engel v. Vitale, decision after decision were made through the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s further removing God from public schools. This ideology centered on the 'separation of church and state' will result in an inevitable removal of religion from schools unless it is challenged by the praying church. We cannot just conduct outreaches and hold student-led campus ministries while this ideology is still mainstream and expect it not to end. We must contend for a culture shift that only God could release...

In 2009 I had a dream, and in the dream I was interviewing a public high school student from the west coast. The student had just had his personal Bible confiscated by his school administration because Bibles were not allowed on campus, whether personal or not. In fact, only one Bible was allowed on the campus, and it sat in the office next to all of the other religious texts of the world, not to be read. I interviewed him about his experience as he explained the type 'antichrist' system that had taken over the school system. Again, all of this was a dream, but I think it is only a matter of time until this dream becomes reality, unless we pray and God breaks in.

I have always considered that one day Christian campus ministries or activities would no longer be allowed on school campuses. I don't want it to come to that, but again I wonder if the church has done too little too late to turn it around. It is my prayer that my dream would not become reality, but I have a certain sobriety that what we do in the next few years of youth ministry will determine the next hundred years of American history.