The document discusses the removal of prayer from public schools and its contribution to the growing secular divide in American culture. It notes that two Supreme Court cases, Roe v. Wade and Engel v. Vitale, helped accelerate this trend by restricting religious practices. The Engel case in particular ruled that school-sponsored prayer was unconstitutional, removing prayers from classrooms. While this made schools more inclusive of different faiths, it also reduced religious and moral influence in education. The growing secular divide now distresses many and prevents religious engagement in public life and culture.

1. The Sacred/Secular Divide
Winfred Beasley
Dr. Lamadue
THEO 104
April 23, 2018

2. • How does the tendency to push religion away from the public arena effect the
Christian’s ability to engage culture?
The awakening of the sacred secular divide and its effects on a Christians ability
to engage its culture, can be ascribed in part to two ongoing social issues. The
escalation of Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973). In a revolutionary decision issued in
1973 by the United States Supreme Court and the constitutionality of laws that
criminalized or restricted access to abortions. The other issue demonstrated with the
contentious judicial opinion on, Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962), again a landmark
United States Supreme Court case that ruled it is unconstitutional for state officials to
compose an official school prayer and encourage its recitation in public schools.
Evangelicals and all religious practices have a direct impact on those tow social issue that
to date are a thorn in America’s side. For this post, I will focus only the removal of
prayers from the schools. In looking at the removal of prayer from public schools
ascended from the year of 1949. In the state of Pennsylvania, a statute forced public
schools to begin each day with reading 10 Bible verses. Teachers required students to rise
and recite the verses reverently and in unison, or, as in the Abington School District,
students in broadcasting class read the verses over a public-address system. Teachers
faced the reality of being terminated for refusing to participate. Moreover, students
were occasionally segregated from others if they did not join in the daily reading. The
Schempps challenged the school recitation because the Bible readings contradicted the
religious training they were providing for their three children. The history of bible
reading cases in state courts can be drawn from 1910. By the year of 1962, the United
States Supreme Court decided in Engel v. Vitale that a prayer approved by the New York
Board of Regents for use in schools violated the First Amendment because it represented

3. establishment of religion. The residual effects of that decision would forever contribute
to the secular divide. 55 years has passed. The more culturally diverse, the more
acceptance came in assuring, that other faith and religions were also forbidden to
incorporate prayers as their culture commanded to be viable in the school setting.
Ultimately, it became the perfect acceptable rational. To date challenge the court’s
ruling in putting the prayers back in to schools even though lack of, has taken and
continue to take a bit hit on moral issues and the spiritual covering that once joined the
students at the start of class.
WORD COUNT 412
Secular divide distresses us all. In my life, any reservations that I have and
continue to have can be attributed to the social, moral or spiritual experience. The
misguided ideals and lack of empathy in choosing who should exist, how one should
exist and what one is deserving of good and bad in a world, appalls me. Meanwhile,
there is a bridging gap knocking down the walls of secular divide. That wall is intensely
apparent with music as opposed to religion. Profoundly, religion has kept its oppressive
foot on the entire worlds neck. It is used to justify the worst type of secular divide
known to man. No matter where you travel in the corridors of the world you can see the
missed interpretation of the gods of, Christians Muslim, Bhudia, etc. The diplomacies for
the world and people in the world is being perverted to suit man’s interest and desires in a
rebellious manner. It does not matter if the motivation is, ethnic, religion, race, or
economic or social background. Let everyman that has breath live in a world of peace and
harmony. Acts 17:26 New International Version

4. “From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth;
and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.”
WORD COUNT 219
In Genesis 10 Noah’s three sons (Shem, Ham, and Japheth) and how they grew to 70 distinct
people groups (nations) after they were scattered. Today the UN recognizes over 193 nations.
Reality stands that ALL people on Earth are descended from these three brothers. Initially, the
complete world had one dialect. That one vernacular encouraged awareness. God’s resolved
that humanity” multiply, fill the earth and glorify God in the progression became thwarted as a
direct consequence of Babylon. The choice for man to speak different languages was gods. The
intent for different nations, had nothing to do with one nation making another submissive to his
will and his way. Simply quantified, we are all called to follow gods plans.
WORD COUNT 119
TOTAL WORD COUNT 750
WORD CITED/ INTERNET RESOURCES

5. Abraham and the Chronology of Ancient Mesopotamia
Answers Research Journal 5 (2012):141–150.
www.answersingenesis.org/arj/v5/abraham-chronology-ancient-mesopotamia.pdf
ISSN: 1937-9056 Copyright © 2012, 2016 Answers in Genesis, Inc.
The views expressed are those of the writer(s) and not necessarily those of the Answers Research
Journal Editor or of Answers in Genesis.
Matt McClellan, mmcclellan2@liberty.edu
https://assets.answersingenesis.org/doc/articles/pdf-versions/arj/v5/abraham-chronology-ancient-
mesopotamia.pdf